What a whirlwind. Two and a half days of London were just enough for my mom and I to see all the classic sights.
Day 1
Immediately off the plane, we figured out the Tube (the British rail system) and lugged our bags (luckily I only brought a carry on), for what seemed like miles, over the cobblestones of the English suburbs. Once settled in our very quaint (i.e. extremely small yet functional) Airbnb, we were ready for bed at 11 a.m. However, anyone who knows anything about jet lag would advise not to do that, so instead we showered and got ready to see the town. We ended up booking last minute tickets to see Les Miserables on the West End, which is London’s equivalent of Broadway. The show was smashing and the theater was gorgeous.
Day 2
The next morning, after 12 much needed hours of sleep, we set off into the heart of London. After arriving at Paddington Station, we hopped on an open top bus tour (called the Toot Bus) which allowed us to visit popular attractions such as Big Ben (I thought it was called Big Bend), The House of Parliament, The London Eye, and The Tower of London. Included with our tickets was a river boat tour which allowed us to see the attractions from a different angle. Later in the day, we visited Westminster Abbey (the church where the Royal Family gets married) and actually ended up going to an Evensong service inside the church. There was no photography allowed, but of course we had to sneak some photos. We even got to light individual candles and say a prayer, overall it was a very neat experience.
Day 3
By this time our feet were feeling the previous days’ adventures, but we charged on. We walked about a mile from Paddington Station to the classic Notting Hill. I am an avid fan of the movie and wanted to see the market and bookstore that were featured in it. However, unless you are like me and have a specific reason to visit these attractions, they can probably be skipped. The farmers market was filled with fresh fruits, breads, and vegetables, but sadly we couldn’t purchase anything since we had a full day ahead of us. As for the book store, it was packed. I mean, you couldn’t move to get in the queue (that’s what they call the line) much less actually browse for books. It was cool seeing the shop, but was definitely one of the more crowded attractions. Next, we went to Buckingham Palace, although it took us a bit longer to get there due to the fact that our tour bus rear ended a taxi and was caught in a protest march. When we finally arrived, the palace was beautiful and massive. every inch of the courtyard was covered in detail and above it all stood a golden statue of Queen Victoria. After that, we spent the rest of the day in Soho, which is similar to New York City’s 5th Avenue, filled with shopping and restaurants. We thrifted, visited Zara, and got my first souvenir at Puma. I am solely dedicated to wearing Puma sneakers, and since it’s a European brand, I am trying to buy a pair of shoes in each country I visit (we’ll see how the bank account and suitcase hold up).
Summary
Overall, London was a beautiful, bustling city. It was more touristy than I anticipated, but luckily we got to explore some residential areas when walking to attractions, and those streets are beautiful and quiet. London was filled with very nice people, stunning history, and delicious food (don’t worry, that got it’s own post).
Scroll through the London photos below.
