Of course I know Newport at Christmas, and New York, for sure, but I’m not as familiar with London — so off I went, right after Thanksgiving had been celebrated, the turkey soup made and with my Christmas gift list in hand.

London was, in a word, glorious, starting with the food halls of Harrod’s (wouldn’t it be a hoot to walk through with an unlimited gift card in one hand and a picnic hamper in the other, filling it with all their intriguing and innumerable culinary delights)?

From the elegant hotels, their lobbies bedecked with visual extravaganzas,

to the Evensong service at St. Paul’s Cathedral to the stalls at Portobello Market in Notting Hill, we caught London in its most festive mood. Here’s a sampling to share. How appropriate that this post is going out on a most English of holidays, Boxing Day.

The diversity of restaurant options is one of the most memorable of London’s assets, and they do love to drsss them up imaginatively (as here at 34 Mayfair).

Not to be outdone, one of the city’s more buzzy private clubs makes a four story statement for all to see.

And we were fascinated at the mildness of the December weather…dining outside?

But one of our most memorable spots we chanced upon by accident, Ottolenghi…tiny but a foodie’s treasure anytime of the day!

This great metropolis seems to have a particular interest in raising its decorations to new heights.

Shopping…no surprise…was high on our list, whether indoors (the Burlington Arcade)…

Or outside, with windows that drew you in.

Of course I couldn’t resist the oh!, so clever Louboutin full window dressed as the “Loubi Express.”

While Chanel added a festive seasonal note to one of London’s beloved black cabs (I even had a long discussion with a driver who gave me his self-published book, “Black Cab Wisdom”).

Hope you had a delicious and joy-filled holiday.