Quick stop in London

This was my first trip to Europe and i had always dreamed of going to London, so we used our first day to see all the big things. We stayed in a hotel on a side street near Buckingham Palace and the center of the city and got breakfast at a cafe across the street where I first discovered the crumpets. I fell in love, and had them every morning!

We first went to check out Big Ben and the Westminster Abbey, as they are in the same plaza. Big Ben was amazing for me, as it was the quintessential London symbol! We went inside the Abbey and were able to explore a bit, and of course found a red phone booth to take a picture with. We had lunch at a fish and chips place on the river afterwards - you have to have all the local fare! After lunch, we walked to Piccadilly Circus area and explored the shops and restaurants there. It’s kind of like a teeny version of Times Square, UK version and has a fun atmosphere! My dad is a musician and a fan of the Beatles, so we actually took a taxi to go see Abbey Road Studios and of course the famous spot where the Beatles took their album cover photo. It was a fun little historical part of London to go to! For the evening, we went to the Tower Bridge for sunset - another typical London symbol. We spent more time near the city center of London and found a nice steakhouse with an outdoor patio to have dinner at before heading home exhausted.

We had booked a tour of Buckingham Palace for mid-morning on day 2 - book it at least a day or so in advance. It was a couple hours long and you get to go through much of the palace as well as a huge part of the gardens / grounds. They let you freely walk through the gardens and grounds, the inner part of the palace is of course just a little more structured. If you like history about the monarchy, or monarchies in general - this is a good pick for you! If not, there are plenty of other museums or arts / cultural things to do in London such as see a play on their form of Broadway. After the tour, we watched the changing of the guard at the palace gates. Another cool, small thing to see! There is a huge park near Buckingham palace that you can walk through and picnic at too. We went for lunch there!

For the evening, we went to Borough Market - a famous farmers market and food market where you can explore different food vendors and produce. It was so fun! At sunset, we went and took a ride on the London Eye. It’s of course a little pricey, but a fun experience, especially at sunset as you can clearly see Westminster, Big Ben, and a birds-eye view of the city.
We stopped at a local pub on the way home to get our share of local fare and drink.

We had an easy morning and strolled through the city, finding whatever we wanted for coffee, breakfast, etc. I recommend trying a traditional English Breakfast, a scotch egg, and my Dad’s favorite, Bangers and mash. Some of it is interesting, but so fun to try! We walked near the training grounds for the King’s Guard and got to watch them march and execute training. We made our way to the Tower of London for the afternoon to take a self-guided tour of the grounds there. There is a lot to see and you can spend a few hours there, as it is as fast-paced or slow-paced as you want it to be. In the evening, as an avid Harry Potter fan, I forced my Dad to take me to King’s Cross Station, where they have a small Harry Potter photo-op exhibit and an awesome store. If you’re a fan - this is a must. Now, you can take a trip to Leavesden Studios and see where they actually filmed all the sets of the movies. It’s a couple hours outside of London, but Ive heard very worth it if you’re a Potterhead!