London Excursions

Holy 10-day vacation! Fall break was most certainly not a shmall break. I cannot even begin to describe how tired and wiped out I feel from traveling around Europe over the past week and a half. My legs are shaking, my legs need shaving, and my mind & camera need a good rest. Even though hopping from country to country was more then exhausting, it was the most incredible experience and one I will remember for a very long time.

Happy in London

When walking back to our apartment, after practically dancing off of the train, we all agreed that we feel like we can do anything. It is such a liberating feeling knowing that you navigated through four different countries on your own. To think I felt accomplished after finding my way around New York City seems silly after what we just went through.

So, four girls and four countries… where does one even begin?

Well, let’s start with our first destination and my favorite of them all: London, England! Please note: I am head over heals in love with the city, and on a mission to live here upon graduating college. It is so beautiful, so big, so charming and has so much to offer. Every person you pass is dressed to impress, the accents are obviously wonderful, and do I even have to mention the amount of good looking gents that inhabit the city? Go see for yourself. 

Or I'll just show you.

On Thursday night Jess, Katie, Kathy, and I took every last second removing items, repacking, and consolidating our suitcases to fit the Ryan-Air weight and size standards. You are allowed one carry on that is the size of your pinky and the weight of... your pinky (20 lb.. to be exact). So, we all decided to check one big suitcase to share for things like Jess's 20 lb.. boots and other important necessities ;) I cannot believe how little I packed. I am so used to not having any restrictions on luggage when I travel throughout the U.S. so I usually just throw my life in my bag(s) without a care in the world. Not with Ryan-Air  we quickly learned!

Terminal consolidation

We took a 45-minute train to the Pisa Airport where we boarded our plane for London! Of course, we couldn't board the flight without a little bump in the road now could we? As we shuffled outside to the plane, I heard a girl yell, "Did anyone drop their passport!?" I continued walking not thinking anything of it. Then I looked ahead of me and saw Jess with her eight layers of clothing, bag half open, rolling away.

Yep, ya look good.

My motherly instinct kicked in (?) and I immediately turned around and rescued that puppy. Indeed, Jess dropped it somewhere along the way. Cheers to a good start to our break!

We arrived in London around 11:00 a.m., and continued through customs which took another hour. Jess' friend from home kindly hosted us for the night. She is currently in Grad school and has a beautiful "flat" (apartment) located in Knights Bridge in West London. 

The next morning, we took the "tube" (subway) to the London Tower & Bridge where we explored, took plenty of pictures, refueled with starbies (Starbucks), and sat in the gorgeous green park next to the bridge chatting away.

London Tower Bridge

Starbies in hand

Our very own videographer, Jessica Halpern

We walked the little side streets, and navigated through the Burrough Market where we tasted cheeses, soups, truffles, and Turkish delight. In one of my favorite movies as a kid, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Edmund is fed Turkish delight by the Queen and I never knew what it was or if it actually existed. I was surprised to discover that it does exist and is pretty delish! We also treated ourselves to pumpkin beer and hot apple cider to welcome the fall season.

Pumpkin Ale!

Apple Cider

Turkish Delight

We visited the Tate Museum filled with fascinating exhibits of Picasso's and Monet's, and continued across the Millennium Bridge where we were greeted by St. Paul's Cathedral. Our last adventure of the day was to Convent Garden which is an area filled with so many amazing shops, theaters, pubs, and restaurants. We enjoyed a comforting dinner of fish and chips (Katie and Kathy), burger (Jess), and a chicken caesar wrap (me) at a little Irish Pub/Restaurant. 

Millennium Bridge

We awoke Saturday to incredible weather, clear blue skies and sun, which we knew would be perfect for the London Eye. First we made our way to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards, of course. We took a ton of pictures of the guards being all serious and seductive, and fantasized about being Kate. I still cannot wrap my head around how amazing her life is. We then took a lovely stroll down a long road known as The Mall, lined with beautiful yellow trees with windows of sunshine, and fallen leaves. We passed through a very green park and a pond filled with birds and swans being fed by children.

We walked by the House of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and finally made our way to the London Eye.

Red phone booth

The London Eye gave us quite the view of the city, a 360 view to be exact. We were eye-to-eye with Big Ben, and could clearly see Buckingham Palace in the distance. It was a really beautiful and relaxing thirty minutes on that big 'ole ferris wheel.

 As if our day couldn't get any better, our next stop was Harrods! Alright, stop what you're doing and google Harrods immediately, or better yet fly to London and grace it with your presence. I promise, you will not be disappointed. There is a room for everything, including your pets. I easily could have emptied my bank account on accessories for Jackson and Bonnie but assured myself that I will have time to do that when I live here :). We could have spent several hours shopping there... and ended up doing just that. We searched through their multiple rooms of tea, candy, wine, chocolate, jewels, bags, dresses, puppies, etc. Yes, we were in heaven for a bit.

After being dragged out by the Harrod's guards from our refusal to leave (I kid, I kid), we made our way to Cafe Rouge, a little French restaurant across the street for some dinner. We rested our feet while enjoying wine, a baguette, and delicious hot soup. 

We spent the night out in Camden, a lively part of town filled with a ton of bars and clubs. We met two British boys that we spent most of the night getting to know. It was a lot of fun, especially the two hours waiting for the bus to come at 2 in the morning. But that's beside the point...

Sunday morning came all too fast. We started the day with a trip to the British Museum. We saw the Rosetta Stone (!!), and pieces of the Greek Parthenon. Katie spent some time in Greece last summer so she filled me in on the history of the Parthenon and it's importance. Pret-tay cool stuff. 

Rosetta Stone

Parthenon Pieces

We walked through a good portion of the museum, which is extremely overwhelming and large, but learned a whole lot. After, we passed through Piccadilly Circus (a small version of Times Square) and Trafalgar Square as we made our way back to Convent Garden for lunch and shopping. We finished off the day at Hyde Park where we chowed down on cheese that we purchased at the Burrough Market. Hyde Park is incredibly huge, complete with a beautiful pond, and apparently professional break-dance roller bladders.

Hyde Park at sunset

 Oh, and on the tube I witnessed my first fight. That was pretty comforting considering I was standing right next to the guys. Can you guess who started it? Yes, a drunk Irish man. Horray!

Our last day was a whirlwind. Katie and I wanted to make sure we toured Westminster Abbey before leaving, and we did just that. With our self-guided tours, we wandered through the Church at our own pace, absorbing all of the history. I think the recent wedding had a lot to do with my fascination in the place, but after the tour I gained so much appreciation for the Church and everything it stands for. It is the burial sight for so many memorable and influential people throughout time including Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton, and several Kings and Queens. Upon walking out, my thoughts? Goodness Kate, ya did good.

Westminster Abbey

Sadly, this was our last stop and tour in London. Without a doubt, seeing a show would have been amazing, as well as a tour of Parliament, and countless other museums. You always wish you could've seen more but there is only so much time. No worries though, I'll have more then enough time when I reside in this wonderful city. Feel free to visit upon your request, I'll be happy to show you around ;) Next on the itinerary? Dublin, Ireland