3 Days In London: What to Do, See, & Eat

3 Days In London: What to Do, See, & Eat

Thursday, July 23, 2020

 

I had always dreampt of visiting England, and specifically visiting London and it did not disappoint (read my post "Love Letter to London"). While our time in London was short, we did manage to see a lot of places and get a good taste of all that London has to offer the "anglophile" traveler. 

Day 1: 

Day 1 in London consisted of us taking a bus from Oxford to London. The bust ride was about and 1.5 hours....but it was the worst 1.5 hours of my life because I very unluckily was nauseous the entire time (not a fun way to start off a day of travel). 

We had tickets to Kensington Palace that we had bought the night before, so we had a specific time slot for entrance. Because we had luggage with us and were not checking into our air bnb until later in the day, we used "Nanny Bag" to store our luggage. I had previously used "Nanny Bag" when I was in Paris, but in London we had some issues finding the location, but were thankfully able to find another place around the corner, just in time to get to Kensington. 

It also happened to be a very rainy day in London, which kind of put a damper in our plans to explore Hyde Park more in depth. However, we were able to walk to Kensington in plenty of time, grab Lattes and Scones to recharge (we seriously lived on lattes and scones in England) before we started exploring Kensington. 

Kensington Palace: This was definitely high up on my list of places to visit because I ADORE Queen Victoria (I was kind of obsessed with her in high school), so seeing where she grew up was pretty amazing, not to mention that many other royals have lived there throughout the years. 

Tea At The Palace - There is a lovely tea room at Kensington that we were planning to have lunch at, but they were closing early for a private event, so sadly we didn't get to have tea. Since we were famished and didn't get to have tea, we stopped off at Pret a Manger a block or so from Kensinton to grab sandwiches before we picked up our luggage. 

Transportation - After we picked up our luggage we opted to take an Uber to our air bnb instead of maneuvering the trains with suitcases. 

Groceries - after we checked into our Airbnb (see my post: How to Book an Airbnb) we walked to the Sainsbury grocery store a block from our apartment to grab food for meals. I made sure to book an Airbnb with a kitchen so we could save money by cooking a few meals. Sainsbury's is my favorite grocery store in the UK....if you are ever there you have to get their mini boxed chocolate cake...seriously sooooo good (checkout my Travel Vlog to see what I am talking about) 

Would have Added - British museum

Day 2:

Our second day in London was definitely packed! We had a good idea of the places we wanted to visit on day two, but we figured out our official schedule and plan the night before. 

Tower of London - An iconically historic tourist destination, but a foundation to British history nonetheless. The Tower of London is an incredible place to visit because it holds so many unique stories about British history, royal espionage, famous prisoners, etc. The crown jewels are also housed at the Tower.

Tower Bridge - Just across from the Tower of London is the Tower Bridge (often mistaken as the London Bridge)....this is the bridge that everyone takes pictures on (#instagram spot). There are walkways on either side of the bridge so you can walk across to get a view of the city as well as snap a few pictures. 

Sky Garden (tickets online) - This was a cool place we found when researching places to visit in London. Sky Garden is essentially an indoor garden at the top of a sky scraper, there are tons of plants along with multiple bars and a restaurant. It is a great place to take pictures and also to get a view of the city. Sky Garden is free to visit, but you do have to sign up for a ticket slot online. 

Covent Garden - An iconic shopping destination, Covent Garden is fun to wander around. This is where you will find street vendors, pastry shops, along with all of your designer store fronts....this is where you want to shop (or window shop)

London Eye viewing - If you want to get a good view of the London Eye, it is just a short walk from Covent Garden. The London eye is actually across the water from where we viewed it, but it was a great spot to take pictures of it along the river. You can book tickets to ride on the London Eye and get a view of the city, but the tickets are expensive and  I have always heard that it is overrated. 

Day 3:

This was our last day in London and we wanted to fit as much in as possible! Day 3 was definitely heavily focused on food and cool cafes/bakeries. Additionally, we spent a lot of time on the underground going back and forth around the city. London't underground is a great transportation system and something that we LOVED about it (compared to places like NY) is that once you hit $7 of fair you get to ride free for the rest of the day, so we definitely took advantage of this our last day! 

ELAN - ELAN is one of the cafes that will come up if you research instagrammable spots to eat in London :) We definitely chose to go there specifically for that reason. Something to keep in mind is that there are different ELAN locations in London and each looks different inside...we went to the one that had the hearts on the wall (it was the Hans Cres, Knightsbridge location)  

Victoria and Albert Museum - Fun fact...all the museums in London are FREE!! Some of the museums have specific exhibits that you have to pay for, and many of them have a place for donations, but you don't have to pay an entry fee. The V&A museum is the world largest museum of applied and decorative arts and design, while also having sculptures and many unique objects on display (they even have Beatrix Potter illustrations). They also have a wonderful permanent fashion exhibit that goes through styles throughout history and I really enjoyed it. 

Buckingham Palace - Buckingham Palace is one of the places you absolutely HAVE TO VISIT while in London! We quickly stopped by the palace to peak through the gates and get a few pictures before heading to our next stop. We didn't go at a time where there was a changing of the guards, so if you want to see that you would have to look up the times that happens. 

Sketch / Egg Pods - One of the most #instagrammed spots in London (in my opinion)!! Sketch is a multifaceted restaurant with different types of dining including a bar/lounge, tearoom, and dinning room....however, it is well known for it's famous bathrooms known as the "Egg Pods" because they are quite literally eggs that have toilets. 

We mainly went to Sketch because we wanted to see the bathrooms and take pictures of them, but you have to dine at one of their restaurants to gain access....we didn't really have a plan for how to get in (surprisingly) because we didn't want to pay 50 pounds per person at the Gallery (the pink tearoom) so we basically just told the hostess at the door that we wanted to take pictures in the bathroom (he wasn't even fazed) and he told us that we had to dine in to do that...all the dinning rooms require reservations (which we didn't have) but thankfully he was super kind and gave us a table in the lounge/bar where we ordered tea and juice (and were hard core judged)

Peggy Porchen - This is another one of the very Instagram worthy spots in London! It's a bit of a walk to get there at the closest underground station is a good five or so blocks away, but it's definitely worth it! Peggy Porchen is known for their baked goods, pastel colors, and season door decorations (which everyone takes pictures in front of). You will probably have to wait in line to order, but they do have seating outside. 

Westminister Abbey / Parliament Buildings - You can't be in London and not make a stop to see Westminister Abbey and the Parliament Buildings (whose architecture is so beautiful). This is also where Big Ben (the iconic clock tower is), but it was sadly under construction and covered in scaffolding. 

Would have added - Harry Potter Platform

I can't wait until I get to be in London again! There is definitely so much to see and do, everything from British History to Instagrammable Places. I was actually supposed to be in London for two days this summer back in June, but sadly that trip had to be rescheduled to next summer in 2021 (fingers crossed it works out). 

If you haven't seen my England travel vlog, you can check it out on YouTube and see everything we did in Oxford and London! 

Have you been to London? What was your favorite place to see?

- Madison

A Love Letter To London

A Love Letter To London

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Dear London, 

       Thank you for making all of my "British" dreams come true and living up to all my expectations. You did not disappoint with your quintessential history and stunning architecture....walking through the streets of London was like walking within the pages of a story or period drama. You came through with the swoon worthy "British Accents" and hearing them in real life made me want to speak "Brit". Your culinary taste is impeccable and you taught me that baked goods, pastries and tea are their own food group and meant to be eaten and sipped daily. For this small town girl, you made "posh" look effortless, but I don't know if I could get away with it outside of England :) Walking in the midst of your architecture and history was living a real life dream that I didn't have to wake up from. I can't wait to visit you again! 

XOXO

Okay, so maybe I went a bit overboard on my UNDYING LOVE for LONDON, but seriously, visiting London was a DREAM!!! Ever since High School I had dreampt of visiting London and the more period dramas I watched, the more I felt my heartstrings being tugged towards that historic city. While I this post is SUPER LATE in coming to the blog, considering I visited England in March of 2019 (and we are now in June of 2020) I wanted to make sure I captured my travels and shared my adventures with you all. 

At the start of 2019 I had just arrived home from my first International trip to Scotland and Paris and was fully consumed by the "travel bug", immediately dreaming of where I wanted to travel next. It just so happened that we had family who were living in Oxford England for the year and they invited my sister and I to stay with them if we made a trip to England.....that was all the push I needed to book tickets and start planning a trip to England during spring break of 2019! 

We stayed in Oxford for the first few days and then took a bus to London for the remainder of our trip to visit all the London Sights! 

London did not disappoint! And while I honestly think that Oxford was my favorite part of our England trip (and Blenheim Palace was also awesome), London has it's own unique charm that makes you love it in a different way and it's really everything you image it to be and more!!

If you have been following me for awhile, you will know that I am a HUGE period drama/British drama fan, so getting to visit the city that holds so much of the charm I have seen play out on the screen in TV and Movies was truly a dream. 

I am going to share ALL the details for what we saw, did, and ate while in London in my next post, so keep an eye out for that post coming soon!

In the meantime, you can watch my England Travel VLOG to see more:

Have you visited London?

- Madison

Oxford Adventures

Oxford Adventures

Saturday, January 25, 2020

 

First post of 2020! Let's see if I can get back on the blogging train after only having 5 posts in 2019 (how sad). 

This post is a LONG time in coming! It's nearly been a year since I first traveled to England and visited Oxford and I am just now getting around to sharing my Oxford Adventures. 

Oxford was truly a dream and I am so glad that it was my first experience in England! I had DREAMED of visiting England for years and as an avid British period drama enthusiast I couldn't wait to visit the places in some of my favorite shows and experience the British culture for myself. 

As I was planning my England trip in 2019 my sister and I were invited to visit some extended family that we had living in Oxford for the year. Oxford was not originally on our travel plans, as we originally were planning to just visit London. However, we decided to make our first stop in Oxford and stay for a few days & I couldn't imagine our trip without it. 

I don't think I would have fallen in love with England quite as much as I did if it hadn't been for Oxford. Don't get me wrong, I loved London (and will share my London Travels soon), but Oxford had a quaint magic to it that makes me miss it every time I see pictures and remember the memories. 

Oxford has a quintessential "small town" feel to it, while still being considered a city, though it is more accurately a county town in Oxfordshire England, and I think that is why I LOVE it so much! 

When we arrived in Oxford the first day I was running on less than 4 hours of sleep since having been up for nearly 48 hours. After landing in England my sister & I took a morning bus to Oxford and hit the ground running....and I immediately began to fall in love with Oxford. Oxford is such a historic place in England from its history, it colleges, architecture, and also its notoriety of having many British movies and TV shows filmed in its midst. 

Many may not know, but a lot of Harry Potter was filmed in Oxford as the Bodlean Library (Duke Humphry's Library) was used for Hogwards Library and the Divinity School at the Bodlean was used for Hogwarts Infirmary. Not to mention one of my Favorite British TV shows, Endeavour, is filmed in Oxford. 

I truly could write soooo much about Oxford because it really did capture my heart. The people were so nice and after walking around this city for a just a few hours I immediately felt like I belonged (and would totally move there). However, I thought I would share some of my favorite places in the city, as part travel guide / part trip overview!

• Caffe Nero (food/coffee) - Basically England's Starbucks! Caffe Nero isn't an "oxford thing" because they have them all over England, but there are a handful of them in Oxford and we frequented them quite a bit from the one in the local bookshop to the Caffe Nero along High Street. My standard order at Caffe Nero is a Latte with a traditional English Scone, clotted cream, and jam. Contrary to popular belief, Brits actually drink a lot of coffee (it's not just tea).
• High Street - If you visit Oxford you will inadvertently always find yourself on or near High street, but it was one of my favorite sites because it greets you as you walk into the heart of the city! We were staying about a mile outside of the city centre, so every day we walked a mile into town and they were the best walks with historic views. High street is linned with colleges, shops, cafes, and the most beautiful and historic architecture I have ever seeen. 
• Radcliffe Camera - The Radcliffe Camera is probably one of the most well known sights of Oxford and it's no surprise considering it is basically the heart of the city. It is also such a unique building as it is part of Oxford university/Bodelan Library and houses the Science Library. 
• St. Mary's Church Tower - One of the best views in the city, this was one of the first things we did upon arrival to Oxford. St. Mary's Church sits directly across from the Radcliffe Camera and is not only one of the oldest buildings and churches in the city, but is best known for the view from it's tower! Admission to the church is free, but a treck up to the tower costs 4 pounds (which is totally affordable and worth it). There are 127 tiny stone steps on a winding staircase to get to the top, but once there the view is breathtaking! 
• Bridge of Sights - The Bridge of sights is a very well known City Landmark in Oxford. It is a skyway joining two parts of Hartford College over New College Lane. It is featured in most British TV shows filmed in the city, but is also a must see spot when visiting Oxford. 
• The White Horse (food) - If you are hungry for a traditional English meal this is the place to stop! We were famished after exploring Oxford on Day #1 and our Hosts took us to The White Horse for a late lunch. We ordered the Chicken and Leek Pie and it was absolutely Delishious! I am totally a fan of English food! 
• Bodleian Library - Probably one of the most noteworthy places in Oxford, the Bodleian Library serves as the main research Library for Oxford University. While is is called the Bodleian Library it is really a collection of many Libraries. It is also one of the oldest Libraries in Europe and houses over 13 million printed items. The library is so huge that there are actually tunnels under the city which house many of it's books. The Bodleian actually has / receives a copy of every book and periodical printed in the UK...that is a lot of books :) Apart from it's history in the academic world it is also prominently known for it's appearance in Movies & TV Shows such as Harry Potter, Testament of Youth, Endeavour, Inspector Morse, and the New Aeronauts movie. 
• Oxford Castle & Prison - Don't let the name fool you, it is really just a prison...LOL. It's called the Oxford Castle because the castle used to be there before it was destroyed during a war hundreds of years ago. What still remains of the Medieval Normandy castle is the prison, which is quite a fascinating tour full of unique stories. The Prison also has a tower that offers another (windy) view of the city. 
• Westgate Shopping Center - If you want a break from historic buildings and need a bit of good shopping Westgate is the mall in Oxford and it is fantastic. We may or may not have visitied it 2 time in the span of 3 days....the main reason being they had a Primark which is England's Forever 21 (only better) and one of my favorite places to shop when I am in the UK!
• Oxford Covered Market - If you are up for some window shopping, browsing, or want to soak up the British culture the Oxford Covered Market is the place to escape. It is full of vendors from meat markets, cafes, sweet shops, suit shops, hat makers, and more. Just walking around the covered market makes you realize how different England is from America, but I loved it! The best cookie shop is also in the Covered Market! 
• Ben's Cookies (food)- If you stop at the Covered Market you have to try a cookie from Ben's Cookies! We stopped by on our second day and tried them and they are so good! They are quiet different from American cookies because they are almost like a giant goey biscuit. Plus they also have chocolate chunks and are Huge, so it's the perfect snack. 
• The Mitre (food) - Our hosts took us for Sunday lunch at The Mitre, which is a very old pub on High Street, and it was fantastic. We ordered the traditional roast chicken and it was nothing like any roast chicken we have ever had back home. It was absolutely delicious and came with carrots & cabbage (that they cook to perfection) and Yorkshire pudding (which is a unique side made of an eggs, flour, and milk). 

Oxford truly stole our hearts & I would go back in a heartbeat! What I love most about Oxford is that it surrounds you with history, culture, and education at every turn. It is always bustling with people because it is essentially a college town, and what I found fascinating is that Oxford University is actually made up of over 39 colleges, all with their own dinning hall, common rooms, and libraries....you basically walk by colleges on every corner. 

If you ever get the chance to visit Oxford I can't say enough things about how much I love it! 

On second day in Oxford we visited Blenheim Palace, home of Winston Churchill, just outside of Oxford in Woodstock, which I will share more about soon!

Have you ever been to Oxford?

- Madison