Our last visit to the English capital past weekend was most certainly the funniest and craziest one of all the five times I´ve been there! It is 18 years since I´ve visited London for the first time and I remember how amazed I was back then by the size of the city, how cold it was standing in the long queues in front of some museums, how I loved salty butter toast for breakfast, how much we walked (mom, dad, didn´t you know about the tube or were we saving money? :)), how I got my very first CD (which was Nevermind from Nirvana btw!) and how my mom bought me two pairs of expensive cord trousers on Oxford street. At that time I could probably spend 3 full days just gazing at all the shop windows, imagining what all I would have bought, if only I had the money to. Today, I have the money to buy much more than two pairs of trousers, but somehow I seem to be more interested in pubs and restaurants than shops and museums ;).
MY SECOND TIME IN LONDON was a very special visit, because we were on a “LADIES WEEKEND” with my mom, my aunt and my grandma! That was fun, we did the usual “stuff for tourists” – and, we walked less, because of the grandma. We made a trip to WINDSOR which was very nice, but even though it was summertime, we went a bit unlucky with the weather. After that there were many years where I personally had no interest of visiting London again, because I had the feeling I´ve seen it already anyway, so I rather went somewhere else. Just until my good friends decided to move there and flying to London suddenly became inviting again. I´ve spent A WEEKEND IN 2014, we spend 5 DAYS FOR NEW YEAR´S 2015 last year and NOW A WEEKEND. In all of those three visits I didn´t buy anything on Oxford street, but have visited places I most certainly would not have, would I just be there on my own.
Also, despite being a big defender of the whole idea to travel with children, London is probably one of those cities where you are better off alone. Or, let´s say, it´s a perfect city to go for a “PARENTS GETAWAY WEEKEND”!
I just noticed, Indian is missing on the photo, but other than that, that´s pretty much a good presentation of what you can have. Maybe you can skip the hotel breakfast (especially if it´s not included in the price) and reserve a table for a three course BRUNCH (with bubbles, I would say!). Then some walking and sightseeing to get the food processed, a beer of two in between at a PUB (maybe you can get a different one every time you order and get a small snack with that) – alternatively you can go for a cup of tea at “FIVE O´CLOCK TEA TIME”. Dinner in either INDIAN, CHINESE, or any other EXOTIC (Hawaiian, Ethiopian, Lebanese – the choice is endless). After dinner maybe a bottle of wine with antipasti and a cocktail afterwards. The next day you might want to skip breakfast or eat some typical English BEANS-BACON-SAUSAGE at your hotel. In case it´s Sunday, you can go for SUNDAY ROAST, or try our some other interesting restaurants serving special meats, fish, or vegan. There are sooo many special ones, it´s difficult to choose, just please don´t eat the same old fast food you can get at home, (unless it´s 4AM, you are starving and it´s your only choice) – it would be a crime!
Everything is nicer at CHRISTMAS TIME, isn´t it? Even though, I´m not celebrating it actually, I do like all the lights and decorations. And last year´s Sylvester fireworks over the city were also not bad!
1st. OF JANUARY 2015 looked somehow like this!
Sometimes we visit cities with a clear plan in our heads – what we want to see, what we want to visit and discover, and sometimes, we just decide spontaneously and see what there is once we get there – either way, in London, as anywhere else, you will pass some (if not all) tourist attractions, MUSEUMS, famous PARKS, GALLERIES and MONUMENTS. Here, a MUST SEE would include: the Buckingham Palace, Hyde park, Tower Bridge, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben & Parliament, the British Museum, Oxford Street shops, St. Paul´s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the London Dungeon, Tate gallery, the Tower of London and all the markets and interesting districts.
The MODERN PART of London looks impressive and one should definitely at least take a quick walk around!
The nicest thing about having more time in a city is just walking the streets you would not walk if you only had two days. For example, there are beautiful walkways alongside river channels and on a sunny day it´s a great way to get around!
Okay, so I mentioned I´m not so keen on shopping on Oxford street anymore – a good alternative is going to one of the markets. There will still be lots of people, but it´s bearable. There are many MARKETS, the most known are CAMDEN, BOROUGH, BRICK LANE, COVENT GARDEN, PORTOBELLO ROAD, MALTBY STREET MARKET and GREENWICH MARKET.
NOTTING HILL – you just have to love these colourful houses!
We look like the BEATLES right? Actually I have no clue who the persons behind us are, but because of them we are 4, which makes it more similar to the original! ABBEY ROAD!
If you already had enough of the typicall English things, you can always head to CHINATOWN for a different experience and amazing food!
Either you spend two days just visiting museums, or just shopping, or just walking around and spending time in pubs and restaurants – London will not disappoint you! Out of all of my visits so far, I learned a few things – first: the weather over there is not even that bad as we think (actually it´s better than in Germany where we live, so…), second: the food choice is amazing, third: there are so many sorts of beer you can never possibly taste them all, and the last: as one of my friends would say: “I love it, because nobody cares what you are wearing and nobody gives you strange looks!” I´m sure it was not our last time in London!
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