I loved the spontaneity of this little weekend getaway and I’m so glad I got to make the most of my time in London. It’s even more special that I got to meet up with my high school friend Katie. When you’re wrapped up in exploring a new city and planning travel, it’s nice having that little feeling of home to pull you back down to Earth. Staying with Katie and having her show me around London was just what I needed after a super crazy first week in Barcelona.
I arrived at Gatwick Airport and took the train right into the center of London late Thursday night. Katie is staying at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Kenilworth hotel. This location was great; just steps away from the London Museum and a tube stop. Katie, a group of her friends and I all went to The Roxy, an American style bar. I really enjoyed this place because it was very reminiscent of a night out in the states and in Penn State fashion, we even ended the night with McDonald’s.
We got an early start on Friday, venturing out to the infamous London Bridge, which is terribly disappointing compared to Tower Bridge. Our next stop was Buckingham Palace, which is just as incredible as it looks in pictures. We continued to make our way through the streets of London, stopping at food tents that lined the alleyways. For lunch, we settled on a traditional pub where I sampled authentic Fish n’ Chips. I also found that drinking a pint of cider at every meal takes some getting used to. Around dinner time, I was able to meet a friend from Leeds who studied at Penn State last year. It was so nice to catch up with him and get some advice on where to go and what to see in London. For dinner, a big group of us went to Pizza Express, which was surprisingly more upscale and had a nice atmosphere. I highly recommend.
After dinner, we made our way Studio 88, a cool piano bar. There are two pianos at the front of the bar and the singers take requests from the crowd. This is a really cool spot if you’re looking for something a bit more unique and laid-back.
We started Saturday off by walking around Camden Market. We ate breakfast at The Cereal Killer. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The restaurant is 90’s themed and allows customers to create crazy combinations of cereal. I saw this restaurant in a Facebook video years ago, so it was really cool to check it out in person. We walked into tons of little shops, ate at food trucks, and strolled along the river. After spending the majority of the day walking in the freezing cold, we enjoyed some tea in Regent’s Park and snapped some pictures in front of Abbey Road.
For dinner, Katie and I got delicious Ramen. I haven’t had it in ages and it was the perfect meal after spending hours walking outside. For our last night, we went out partying at Rumba in London’s West End. Before getting on the tube back to the train station in the morning, Katie and I had breakfast at Salt and Pepper, a cute little cafe right around the corner from the hotel.
I had such a great weekend in London and I definitely would come back to do some more sightseeing. Katie was a fabulous tour guide and I am so happy I got to go exploring with her! Cheers!
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