LONDON
Four Days in London:
I arrived to London, for my first time very late at night. I was fortunate to have a few friends in the city who I was staying with. I flew into Heathrow and took public transit to Picadelly Sq. to meet her. She lived in Zone 4, a bit further out of the center, which was a lovely little neighborhood - however if you're a tourist, not visiting a friend, I highly recommend staying closer to the city center. It took me a bit to figure out the public transit system, but once I did it was quite easy.
Day 1:
The first morning in London I got up early to go watch the Changing of the Guards. I walked to Buckingham Palace and waited, hours and hours early, to ensure I got a good spot. For those who like me who have looked up endless blogs about Things to Do in London, seeing the Changing of the Guards was high on the list. After a few hours of standing, I wouldn't say that I would have missed out on anything had I skipped this part. It was great to cross it off my bucket list, but if you're running low on time in London, I would not make it the biggest priority. Don't get me wrong, it was amazing to see in front of the Buckingham palace, and a beautiful stroll through St. James's Park before and after, but it took many many hours, to get there early for a good spot, and standing waiting before the ceremony began.
After a walk through St. James's Park, I headed to Westminster Abbey, a beautiful Gothic church where many royal weddings and coronations have been. After a quick peak inside the church, I went to Chinatown to meet my friend for lunch.
- Lunch at Dumplings' Legend was a delicious one. We spoiled ourselves with some soup, Chow Mein Noodles, Beef and Broccoli, and Xiao Long Bao.
After lunch, we headed to see where my friend works, at the Picturehouse Cinema. They had a beautiful rooftop view of the city. Next up on my busy, yet exciting day, was to occupy my time via museums. The greatest thing about London, is that the museums are free. I first started my afternoon out at the National Portrait Gallery and then the National Gallery. It's so easy to travel around the town in London with the public transportation. I walked around shops and saw Trafalgar Square, Picadelly Square, Covent Garden with another friend until the evening.
That evening my friend, Laura, and I walked across the London Bridge to see it beautifully lit at night and walked along the bankside as we made our way to the Shakespeare Globe. One of my favorite things about travel is trying the local food. On this walk I tried my first Scotch Egg, which I very much enjoyed. We enjoyed a beautiful night at the Globe, watching an improv show. After the show, Laura and I ended our night with a traditional meal, Fish and Chips.
Day 2:
Filled with excitement, historical rallies, and tea time, my second full day in London was another full one! I started the day meeting my friend, Sarah, in Neal's Yard where we went to the Seven Dials Market and then off to the SoHo area. After some lively food, Sarah and I witnessed the rally protesting against Boris Johnson's vote in Parliament for Brexit. We marched alongside the crowd, and heard them announce the vote, that it would be put off, for now. After the rally, I met Laura at the St. Pancras for high tea.
Day 3:
We started our Sunday off at the Colombia Road Flower Market. It was so beautiful and made me want to pack a big ol' plant in my carry on, but alas. After the market, I got to experience something that most tourists don't see on their first trip to London... GOATS! We made our way to the Hackney City Farm which was a beautiful farm full of goats, chickens, sheep, and donkey. After, we had to indulge in the typical English Sunday activities, a Sunday Roast. A staple and an activity taken very seriously here in London, we quickly made our own to a pub. A roast consists of all you can imagine - roasted meat and roasted veggies! After this roast I made my way down to the Picturehouse Cinema to spend my Sunday watching a movie. It was a nice way to sit and relax after such a busy past few days.
Day 4:
My final day in London started out with a traditional English breakfast, a must before I left, with Sarah. While not in my foreseeable future, a go-to breakfast for me, as it was very very heavy, but delicious nonetheless. We went to a restaurant called Beck's Cafe, which was quite good. After departing from brunch, I made my way to the London Tower, where I spent a couple hours, but did not give myself long enough. I had a time slot at the London Eye, another bucket list item, and didn't want to be late. I timed it perfectly to catch the sunset atop the London Eye and it was marvelous. The timing couldn't have been better, as I then made my way to see Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre. With a glass of wine in hand, and many throat lozenges in the other (as I was very sick by this point of my trip) I was a happy camper. After the show ended, I returned home to pack and sleep, as I had a long journey back home the following day.