When I was younger, there was no place I wanted to visit more than London. As I got older and actually started traveling, London slipped further and further down on my list of must-see places. I'm not sure why, but I thought there were so many places that were more exciting that I had to see instead. London proved me wrong and quickly became one of my favorite places I've ever been. Younger me would definitely be saying "I told you so."
I'm writing this now while I'm in self-isolation mode because of the coronavirus pandemic devastating the world. It's an extremely sad, scary, and uncertain time, so I figured I'd try easing my mind by reminiscing on the beautiful weekend I spent in London. Nothing like a global pandemic to get you to finally write the blog you've been meaning to for nearly a year, right?
I arrived in London from Madrid bright and early on a Friday morning at the end of March. I was meeting up with my cousins who had come from the US during their spring break, and I was so happy to see some family for the first time in months! Like most of my trips during my time teaching English in Spain, I had to fit a million things into 2 or 3 short days. Most of my time in London was spent literally just sight seeing, but that was more than fine with me!
Once I finally met up with my cousins (after a couple Underground mishaps), our first stop was the London Eye. There was a long wait, so we bought tickets and set out to explore in the meantime.
Unfortunately, Big Ben was under construction and barely visible, but we walked around near Westminster. Here we encountered another minor setback - there were major Brexit protests and things were a bit crazy, making it hard to get around in that area. Definitely an interesting moment in history to be part of! Even just seeing it briefly, the Palace of Westminster was incredible.
Our time to hop on the London Eye was nearing, so we made our way back across the bridge. The views from every angle are incredible, and worth every penny!
Our next stop was China Town, and though I'm sure there were so many delicious food options, we went straight for the waffles at Bubblewrap. Trying to decide what kind of waffle, gelato, and toppings to get was stressful, but everything looked incredible and there was really no bad choice. From there, we ventured to Neal's Yard, which was easily one of the cutest places I've ever seen. My two younger cousins were not as impressed, but I could've stayed there for ages just hanging out.
Our first day was jam-packed with sight seeing and activity, so we moved on to the next location: Covent Garden. On our way through, we passed by a bunch of pubs that I absolutely fell in love with. Why don't all bars look like this??? Maybe I'd go out more if they did.
In Covent Garden, we spent most of our time just wandering and looking at all the shops and stalls. If I had more time in London, I think a lot of it would've been spent here shopping and afternoon tea-ing.
The rest of our day consisted of walking through Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, and taking in all the amazing sites in between. We ended the evening at Buckingham Palace, and the pictures I took don't nearly do it justice. On our way back to our apartment we stopped for dinner. I'm from Wisconsin, and we looove a good fish fry, so I absolutely had to try the classic English fish and chips.
Day 2
We started day 2 out by walking to St. Paul's Cathedral. On our way, we stumbled across the remains of the London Wall, which had been built by the Romans. We had no idea these ruins existed, and they were definitely not part of our plan, so finding them along the way was a pleasant surprise! We followed along the wall for a bit, reading the helpful information plaques along the way. I definitely suggest making this part of your London plans!
After our little detour, we made our way to the cathedral. The outside is beautiful, it's massive, and the inside is equally as incredible. You can get tickets here.
After the cathedral, we crossed Millennium Bridge, walked around Shakespeare's Globe, and continued on to Borough Market for lunch, where my decisiveness was put to the test once again (I ended up getting an amazing Pad Thai).
Once we finished lunch and had a bit of time to recharge, we walked to Tower Bridge. This is one of the moments I was waiting for most - finally seeing Tower Bridge in person.
I'm happy to say I was able to visit younger me's dream destination, though I'm sure she's disappointed in the lack of double-decker bus rides and telephone booth photos (sorry, girl).
I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I was surprised by how much I loved London. On the list of places I'd like to visit again, London is near the top. We did so much in the 2 short days I was there, yet there are obviously so many things I missed or would like to see again. London, you stole a piece of my heart, and I hope to see you again soon.
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