I have nothing but good memories from my first trip to London six years ago. After all, it was a city I had been dreaming of visiting ever since 5th grade, when I first started learning English and read all about the great London, with its double deckers, changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and everything else that makes London unique.However, all these memories feel like they belong to someone else. Someone in a different state of mind, who hadn’t let go of friendships and had other dreams for the future. Someone who didn’t imagine he would get to travel the world, but dreamed of living in London in a few years, thinking some friendships last forever.
For years I’ve avoided going back to London because I didn’t want to ruin the perfect memories I’ve had from the first visit, especially after a rather disappointing second visit to Paris. But when I found ridiculously cheap plane tickets from London to Iceland, my excitement made me forget my doubts. Paul had never been to London before, so I was pretty excited to see all the touristy places (again), as well as explore some I’ve missed the first time.
Nevertheless, I’ve had a great time in London, remembering fondly my first time there, but making new memories along the way. I was pondering about writing this post, because what else can be said about London that hasn’t been already said so many times? Especially after a three day trip? That’s right, not a great deal.
Instead, let me take you on a journey around London through my photos. 🙂
Our first stop was Notting Hill, because I had missed it the first time and everyone was talking about how beautiful this part of Lodon is. What can I say, they’re absolutely right! What was even better was that there weren’t many tourists around, which made me enjoy London even more.
We wandered along Portobello Road where we saw rain for the first and last time on our time in London. And it lasted a few minutes only. Hopefully my third time in London I’ll be just as lucky 😉
When we weren’t walking, we took the excellent London tube, after a day I was already giving directions to others and telling them what trains to take 😂I remember the first time I saw Big Ben, how overwhelming that feeling was, after reading about it and seeing it in all the London photos and guidebooks. I have to say, it still felt the same on my second visit.Look at that gorgeous blue sky!aaaaaand it’s goneEver since we first visited Scotland, Nandos has been our go-to restaurant when we go to the UK. We just love that Portuguese chicken! 😀Of course, we didn’t always eat at Nandos (we could have easily done it though), so we made sure to go to some English pubs as well.And have delicious British pies, mmmm!You don’t have to go far to get to a pub in London, this was the closest to our hotel and we liked it so much we ended up going there twice.I wanted to go to Covent Garden because I’ve also missed it on my first time. I loved it so much I could have easily spent all my time there, wandering its streets and going from one cafe to another. However, the crown jewel was Neal’s Yard, a cozy and colorful little square, which I found out about by luck, seeing it in someone’s story on Instagram. (who says Instagram stalking doesn’t pay off? 😛 )
The small of this coffee house was incredible and the first time I walked past it, there was a huge queue, so I went back on my last day just for a cappuccino which proved to be the best coffee on the whole trip.Two visits and I still haven’t managed to find St Paul’s Cathedral open. Guess I’ll have to go back.But the view from the terrace of One New Change shopping mall was impressive. And free!Looks even better after the clouds have started to disappearLike I said, we did all the touristy things 😉
Loved wandering along the Thames (away from the crowds), despite the clouds announcing the end of the world (it didn’t rain one bit though)
St Martin-in-the-Fields didn’t have any tourists, despite being right next to Trafalgar Square. That window in the back and the paper cranes made it one of the most unique churches I’ve ever seen.
The London conservatives don’t want you to see 😉We also followed Harry Potter and saw the famous (for HP-nerds) Platform 9 ¾ which was a lot more popular now (unlike the last time when it was hidden somewhere). You could even take photos with props….and wait in a long line for that.But we did find Diagon Alley at Leadenhall Market 😀
Obviously I couldn’t resist not taking some photos of London by night, it’s just as beautiful as it is by day, if not even more (yes, because there are fewer tourists)
I think it’s only fair to end this photo gallery with my favorite new spot in London 💗
I have to say, after a few days in London, the number of tourists in Iceland made it seem like the whole island was deserted. I hate crowds and crossing the Westminster Bridge or being in Trafalgar Square was hell for me, I couldn’t wait to go back to the more quiet Covent Garden, it was because places like this that I fell in love (again) with London, wandering from one charming street to another, watching people pass by while I sit in the sun with a delicious cup of coffee. This is what I’ll picture every time I think of London from now on.
