Last summer, after visiting Russia for work, I took a four day solo trip to London before heading back to the states. I didn’t exactly love Russia, so arriving in London felt like a dream. Enjoying my first real meal at a restaurant near Buckingham Palace was an experience I don’t think I’ll ever be able to tell accurately. Russia left me feeling so depleted and so hungry (I literally ate nothing but lettuce and cucumbers for two weeks) that by the time I got to London and opened a menu, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
I ordered this incredible Eggs Benedict with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes and wiped tears away from my eyes as I ate it because it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Food is so good, you guys. Seriously. I’m never eating lettuce or cucumbers ever again.
I stayed near the West Hampstead tube stop with a sweet couple I found on Airbnb. They had an adorable “Welcome to London!” card waiting for me in my room with chocolates, a key to the house, and a guidebook. After traveling for 18 hours or so due to layovers and lost luggage, I felt so fortunate to have wound up staying with two of the most caring and considerate people in London. We got along so well and stayed up late telling stories, laughing, and drinking (strong) homemade Romanian Pálinka. They’re the kind of people who get up early to meditate and go to bed early to meditate. There was such a peaceful orb encircling their home and I loved it. They even brought me out to dinner at their favorite Thai restaurant on my last night and refused to let me pay for my meal. It was sad saying goodbye to them. I regret not taking their picture!
I walked and walked and walked. I saw the Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, and all the historic buildings in between. I battled stomach issues (possibly my body still recovering from Russia), jet lag, and a bit of a cold while I was in London, but I didn’t let any of that stop me from exploring. London is a city I had always dreamed of visiting. Traveling alone is fun, but it did get lonely sometimes, especially while I waited in line for two hours to ride the London Eye (like a true tourist) and had nobody to talk to. I had plans to meet up with Freya on her lunch break that day, but with no cell service and the amount of time it took for me to get through that line, we just couldn’t make it work. I almost bailed on riding the damn thing, but you pay ahead of time and the weather was decent and I had already waited for over an hour, so I figured I might as well stick it out. In the long run, I’m glad I did. It was gorgeous up there.
I visited The National Gallery and saw Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, a few Rembrandts (one of my faves), and tons of other amazing paintings, all for free! I visited a street market and tasted fresh currants and strawberries, saw the Shard and Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe) from a distance, took a stroll around Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and ate lunch on a bench near the Tower Bridge while watching the boats go by on the River Thames.
On my last day, I went to see Abbey Road. I loved the St. John’s Wood neighborhood. There was a quaint coffee shop, decked out in Beatles gear where I ordered a soy chai and purchased an Abbey Road Studios shirt for my little brother. I was surprised by all the traffic on the famous road where the crosswalk is. Of course there were loads of tourists running out into traffic trying to get photos of themselves crossing… I’m sure the locals hate that. Lots of honking going on there.
After that, I trekked over to visit two of the homes Sylvia Plath once lived in. Seeing those flats was probably my favorite part of the whole trip. I’m a huge Sylvia fan and it was so awesome being able to walk around the neighborhood she lived in and wrote about for all those years. I know I looked like a goon standing out on the street alone with tears on my cheeks as I wrote Adam an email about all the feelings I was feeling. I’ve been reading her work since I was 14, and her writing means so much to me.
It was bizarre standing there thinking about all she wrote and went through. Some of my favorite poems were composed in those buildings! They’re only a block or two away from each other. She lived in the purple flat for just a year before moving to the green one where she died only a few years later. I’m not religious, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel her there. I didn’t get a close-up of the plaque on the house she died in, mainly because there was a car parked out front and I didn’t want to intrude, but here’s someone else’s shot of it. William Butler Yeats lived in the same flat once upon a time, and I remember Sylvia writing about how excited she was to live and create in the same place a great poet once resided. Little did she know she’d someday have a plaque of her very own on the flat she lived in just around the corner. I’m so happy I was able to check these places off my ever-growing bucket list.
I’m one of those annoying people who takes photos of their food, so that sandwich was the last meal I had at the airport before flying home, and I thought it was funny because I ordered a sandwich with chips, and for some reason I was expecting actual chips (like the American that I am), but of course I was served fries instead. I laughed to myself because that was the most English thing that happened to me while I was there. London was beyond great and I wasn’t ready to leave. It’s so hard trying to see everything you want to see in a new place with only a couple of days to do so! Aside from missing St. Paul’s Cathedral (kicking myself for that!), I’m pretty happy with everything I was able to see, and I’m positive I’ll be back for a visit again someday.
“I’m leaving because the weather is too good. I hate London when it’s not raining.” -Groucho Marx
annie lee says
i used airbnb for the first time in london and absolutely loved it altho mine had no welcome chocolate 😛
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Haha that’s such a shame! The chocolates were perfect. I think I ate three or four before bed each night!
Jae says
You know, I’ve seen a lot of photos from London, but I never get tired of looking at them. Each set is always like new to me, taken from a different perspective. Someday, I hope to visit London, and experience all its beauty myself. 🙂
Jae of SCATTERBRAIN
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Well thank you! I hope you do, too! It’s just so wonderful. 🙂
Kati Rose says
London is basically my dream trip so I love living vicariously through others when they’ve traveled there and wrote about it. I’m hoping to make it there next summer. I love that there’s a Beatles themed cafe! I’m not surprised since they’re from the UK, but I didn’t know about that before your post. I think that will definitely be on my to-do list.
amandaaude@gmail.com says
That’s awesome! You will totally love London. And yes, the Beatles cafe is a must!
Mitzie Mee says
That’s some really amazing photos! When I had the time to read other things than scientific literature, I used to read both W. B. Yeats and Sylvia Plath, but I’ve never thought of looking up the places where they lived. So cool that you did it:)
Lettuce and cucumber doesn’t sound too exciting…makes me want to not visit Russia:):)
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Yeah, I know I’m a total fan-girl weirdo. 😉 Haha I just love her! And yeah, Russia wasn’t my cup of tea. Very beautiful though! So much history there.
Julius from Traveltipy says
Hm, very nice pictures indeed, you took me to the typical London. So this is that trip that needs to be repeated, right? 🙂
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Typical London is what I was after! Next time, I’ll explore the not-so-typical London. 😉
Hannah | The Swirling Spoon says
Your photos of London are just lovely and make me feel so nostalgic 🙁 🙁 I miss living in the UK so bad. You commented on one of my blog posts a while back and I’ve only just got around to checking out your blog now, which is just beautiful!
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Thanks so much, Hannah!
Allison says
London is very high on my bucket list. I’m really hoping to visit in the next few years. #wanderfulwednesday
dorothyadele says
You were lucky finding an Airbnb hosted by pleasant people after a tumultuous trip from Russia. I’m glad that it worked out.
California Globetrotter says
Oh wow you got to visit when the Tower of London did that Poppy display! I bet that was both impressive and moving! #WanderfulWednesday
Sarah says
Yess, walking is certainly the way to see London! It looks like you had such a lovely trip way back when. Have you been back since? I loved seeing my favorite city through your lens/eyes!!
Sharon says
Your photos are fascinating. You’ve chosen some unusual angles and cropping and I like them! We almost didn’t go on the London eye, but the last day in London and late afternoon — we did. The views were amazing. And the Tower of London is probably my favorite place. Glad you enjoyed your trip to this iconic city!