It was time for my sister’s annual birthday trip and this year, she chose London, England. London is normally a gloomy and rainy city but thankfully on our trip, we had exceptionally warm weather (high 70s/low 80s) almost daily. I feel like London ran me ragged because we packed a lot of activities into each day but it’s a necessary evil to us when you’re visiting any strange city. This is what we got into.

Places to See

We decided to do a geriatric tour like the retirees and pay for a hop on and off bus. I believe it’s the best way to see a strange city and you can rest in between stops. We pretty much covered all the historical sites in one afternoon. (TALK about exhausting). I won’t bore you with too many images of places you can google.

Buckingham Palace is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning. The royal family actually lives in Windsor but it’s a beautiful building to go see.

Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross.

Tower of London, Big Ben and Tower Bridge are all sites we saw as well.

The London Eye – The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London.

Places I Ate 

Pret A Manger is to London, what McDonalds is to the USA. It’s everywhere! Anytime we needed a quick bite or a snack, we went into Pret. I am not into street food because of my OCD so each restaurant was intentionally chosen.

 

The Shard London is a 95-story skyscraper overlooking all of London. We ate at the Oblix Restaurant and had the most amazing view.

 

British people love their tea. So we decided to go to Sketch for Afternoon Tea. Sketch is a plush yet modern tea room that is art inspired. For 60 pounds a person, you will get tea, pastries, sandwiches and a cake to go.

For dinner, we went to Crazy Bear. The most delicious Thai dish I’ve had in a while. The decor was dimly lit with heavy use of cognac leather, with a cigar lounge downstairs.

Popular on Instagram for their flower wall, Elan Cafe was a chosen location for breakfast. We headed in early to avoid the crowd (around 10am) and sat down to eat. We each had different dishes, nothing to rave about but the decor is gorgeous and worth it if you want to check it off your London to do list.

We only went to one “lounge/bar” called Shaka Zulu. I had a great time. We were able to reserve a table and danced the night away to UK garage, afro swing, afro beats, dance hall and Soca.

London is one of the more expensive cities I’ve been so budget accordingly if you plan to go and pack your light jacket

Yours in Mas,