The original plans I had for my London layover were to pop on over to Wills and Kate and deliver a present to baby George. Last minute they cancelled due to “unforeseeable circumstances” so instead I spent my 24 hours doing this.
Sleeping was first up on the list. Flying trans-atlantic is not always fun times. I am known to behave a lot like a newborn, and require a nap to avoid crankiness.
Couple hours and a Costa coffee later, I was ready to tackle London. First up, shopping. Oxford Street is one of the greatest/scariest places to ever visit. I occasionally fear my life when I am shopping there. Why do I go back over and over again you ask? Maybe I am just a rebel at heart. A thrill seeker at my very core. Or more likely I am just addicted to Primark. You may have heard of it. It’s this little ol’ store that sells just about everything under the sun at really cheap prices. You can get an entire summer wardrobe for under 100 pounds. What makes it that much more unique for me though is that it’s also really trendy. I am going to stop now before the focus of this post becomes my sickening obsession with a clothing store.
A couple shopping bags and numerous bruises later I am back on the streets. Uncharacteristically sunny in London, I decided to take advantage and spend the rest of my time outdoors. I jumped on the tube and headed over to Kensington Palace. The grounds were full of picnickers, bikers, and vitamin d soaked Londoners. Alone, and generally pretty nosy I took a spot on the grass and spent the next hour eavesdropping. It was 30 degrees outside and I was actually transfixed by what a different city London becomes in the warmth.
Wanting to continue my basking in the sun, I decided to take a walk until I found somewhere to eat. Two hours and the realization that I walked in a giant circle, I made it to Portobello Road. I found a lovely bar called Ground Floor that had an awesome atmosphere. London pubs in general are very much social. With the weather being so great, people and drinks started to spill onto the streets. As the night went on it kind of just became a mega street party with all the bars and restaurants fusing into one. The staff were awesome, and I had an abundance of strangers to talk to.
All in all I must say it was a lovely time in London. So much so, that I am not even that mad the Duke and Duchess flopped on our plans.