London. You have always been one of my favorite cities in the world. I haven't traveled that much yet in my short life, but I've always been drawn to Great Britain. I don't know how many people know this, but ever since my first visit to London and Edinburgh, Scotland in 2014, I can't get enough British in my life. I started watching British television, I began following more British chefs, and observing British lifestyle, whether that be on YouTube or Instagram. It's even gotten to the point where my family members gift me Heinz canned beans so I can make a full English breakfast at home. Yep. You read that correctly. Beans for Christmas. So, needless to say, when we planned our trip to London with a good friend, I was stoked.
We arrived on a Friday and stayed until Sunday. It's really hard to do everything I wanted in such a short amount of time, but we made it work. :) First, we hit up Borough Market. This was a must on my list, because I didn't make it there on my last trip. If you know me, you know I love to cook, and this place is a culinary dream. I had a delicious Steak & Ale pie (and I may have also dug into a Scotch Egg), as well as a proper pint. My wife did the same, because she knows what's up, and my friend, who had never been to England before, had fish & chips. Well done. :) Next, we wandered over to Shakespeare's Globe theater, strolled down the River Thames, and crossed over to see the magnificent St. Paul's Cathedral. We finished the evening at Gordon Ramsey's restaurant, Bread Street Kitchen, where I had one of the best ribeye steaks of my life.
The next day we packed in a lot. We did a tour of Parliament, which you should definitely do if you ever get the chance. It was one of the best parts of the trip. It was so fun and interesting. Our tour guide was a lovely, quintessential British lady. I may have learned more about British history and system of government in two hours than I ever did of my own! After that wonderful tour, we went super-British and had high tea at Brigit's Bakery where we sipped Earl Grey and ate the tiniest, most delicious little sandwiches and desserts ever. The rest of the day was spent wandering around Trafalgar Square watching protesters and tourists and locals intertwine. We grabbed a quick pint (again) and then checked out where the British Calvary hangs its bridles. Next, we walked past 10 Downing Street, saw a Joey hat (bonus points to those who can find the Friends reference in the pics below), took pictures of double decker buses and red telephone booths, and rode the tube. We oozed tourist. It was great. :) We finished the day watching the sunset by the Thames and eating amazing Indian food at Dishoom. Holy. Moly. Man, this place was good. Do yourself a favor and go. You should plan on standing in line for a while, but it's well worth it.
Sunday was a little more laid back, since it was our last day and we had to leave for the airport by 3pm. We watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, meandered through Hyde Park, and grabbed one last English breakfast at my favorite little hole-in-the-wall joint in Bayswater that I won't tell you about because it's my secret. Lastly, we had drinks with friends at our swanky hotel, The Hari, before we packed up and made our way back to the airport, wrapping up an amazing trip.
London, you will see me again. Until then, cheers!
NW x
