Rain, tea and Queenie.
Top Shop and high tops.
Pounds and the underground, double decker buses and red telephone boxes.
Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and the London Eye.
Stockings, snogging, trees, trellises.
Beheadings and brick lanes.
London has been a "proper" good time! In only a few days, I've managed to see and enjoy a decent amount of the city. I literally haven't stopped. But the lack of sleep and fatigue are a fair price to pay for all I've gained from this special little jaunt.
My hotel (Princes Square Hotel in west London, near Notting Hill and Hyde Park) has been great -- convenient, central location close to the tube (Bayswater station) as well as plenty of shops and restaurants. The former Victorian home has been newly updated with a fresh coat of modernity and surprisingly comfortable (the old pics, as shown online, make it look pretty tatty).
I'm writing this at 7am Saturday morning, from the Tarmac at London City Airport on my way to Barcelona. The weather is supposed to be divine and after 3 weeks of more or less incessant rain, I couldn't be more excited for a decent dose of vitamin D.
Here are my thoughts on the places I visited in lush, leafy London:
*Camden Market (open 7 days a week) was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. It is rich in history (stalls are set up all over the area in little alleys, under bridges and even "horse tunnel," which was formerly a horse stable) and bustling with bright colors and even more colorful characters. The cobblestone streets, pierced patrons and wide variety of items for sale (think handmade soaps, reclaimed jewelry and countless graphic t-shirts) made for a really superb day.
The vegan scene is alive and well here too which made me love it infinitely more. If you're ever there, be sure to pay a visit to vegetarian hotspot inSpiral Lounge right before Lock Market. It overlooks the pretty canal flanked by willow trees and the food is truly spectacular. Thinking about the cakes and milkshakes I didn't have a chance to try makes me want to snap my fingers and be back (I could really go for their iced coffee and big, hearty brunch right about now...)
*I liked Greenwich, but didn't love it. Found there wasn't much to see. Apparently time was invented there and I would have liked to learn more but didn't get to it. Oddly enough, my favorite part of the trip to Greenwich was the tube ride home! Passing above the countless quaint and cool developments along the Thames was interesting and enjoyable.
*Soho was cute. Made sense for me to go, but if I was here for fewer days I would have skipped it. Great veg food and smoothies. Definitely a quirky little area.
*Would recommend anyone in London only for few days SKIP Harrods. It's really highbrow and stuffy, and the shopping (unless you're miss/mister moneybags) isn't even that great. The famous food court was cool enough but inconvenient: I bought lunch only to be told there was nowhere within the store I could eat it. Thankfully, I found a quiet bus stop a short distance outside the premises. Not my cup of tea to say the least.
Harrods is where the public was introduced to the first ever escalator! People was so nervous to get on such a seemingly scary contraption - moving stairs - that once they reached the top, the brave few who gave it a go brandy (for the men) and smelling salts (for the women).
*Portobello Road (in Notting Hill) is really nothing to see on a weekday. Aside from the cute kiddies in Hogwarts-like uniforms and mummy friends catching up on gossip as they push matching strollers, in hindsight it was a bit of a waste of time.
*The Tate Modern was great. I'm really happy I got to it. Was the furthest thing from a stuffy, conventional art exhibit. The works were brilliant in pushing the envelope, questioning convention and exploring the notion that truth can be unearthed from dreams. The whole production really got my creative juices flowing and had me thinking outside the box (always a good thing).
Walking from the Tate Modern to Borough Market (the city's largest and most famous food market), down narrow streets and hidden alleyways, was beautiful. Had some good veggie grub from The Veggie Table and made my way back home, to pack and get a good night's sleep before my big day in Barcelona.
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