Playback: London

1. MIND THE GAP

London is one of my absolute favorite cities; the pace, the people, the constantly changing nightlife options. I never get bored in this town. It's incredibly easy to jaunt around on the London Underground, but if you've got the time and the weather, go overground and walk round this captivating capital. You'll get your bearings faster and feel more a part of the city.

2. FRESH OUT OF THE SALON

The Langham is a grand old hotel, with a fascinating history ? Oscar Wilde used to attend literary salons here. Fresh from an STG80 million renovation in April 2009, it's a fantastic address, just a block from Oxford Circus tube station and twenty minutes' amble along Oxford Street from Soho's gay social shenanigans.

3. TOWERING ABOVE

As Aimee and I sauntered along by the Thames, Tower Bridge dramatically opened to let a ship through. The first time Aimee, a lifelong Londoner, has seen the bridge rise.

4. A RAINY NIGHT IN SOHO

Gayborhood dining might not be the best, but sashay round the corner to Wardour Street and join a jovial crowd of hip 20-, 30- and 40-somethings at the communal tables of delicious Busaba Eathai. I devoured a Thai feast here with my old school friend Stuart and his delightful husband Miguel. Civil partnerships have been legal in the U.K. since December 2005.

5. BREAKFAST CLUB

Soho's Breakfast Club serves up just the thing for those mornings after a long night savoring Soho's delights. Hidden on a side street, the cheery caf? has attentive, attractive staff on hand to administer coffee and a full English breakfast.

6. HEM OF THE HEATH

Just a few steps from the edge of Hampstead Heath in North London, The Buttery is a lovely, gay-run eatery within the historic Burgh House. Venture away from the tourist-overrun mayhem and relentless traffic of central London and call in for lunch of soup and hunks of bread before heading for the Heath's gay and lesbian-adored Men's and Women's Swimming Ponds.