To get to London is super cheap and easy from almost anywhere in Europe thanks to discount carriers like RyanAir. And, by cheap and easy, I mean my one hour flight was 35 Euro (about $50) round trip including taxes! From the airport, I took a bus to Victoria Station, right in the heart of London, for 14 pounds round trip. As I was trying to purchase a local map, I realized that one of the fun things about being an American living in Europe is that for most of the trip, I was juggling 3 different currencies. Ahhh, Globalization...
As fate would have it, another fellow Texan expat, yogi, food blogger, newlywed pal of mine recently moved from Austin to London and was gracious enough to let me stay with her. Laura and her husband were such sweet hosts, and she made sure that I had all the info I needed to have a really great London experience.
On the first day, a Sunday, I was on my own. And, it was ridiculous how much I did. London, being a humongous city, isn't completely closed for business on Sundays as most other European places are. I bought my Oyster Card, an absolute must if you are planning on visiting anything in the city, and jumped on the Tube headed for the Spitalfields Market area. I wandered about and fell in absolute love with the markets and shops in the area. If you are a shopper at all, go here!
While I was in the area, of course, I had to do at least one traditional British thing. I wound up eating a traditional Sunday Roast at The Water Poet on Folgate Street. The ambiance is incredible. The service, impeccable. It's part old school British pub, part jazzy lounge with 6 different spaces for hanging out, all with their own distinct vibe. I ordered a pot of tea while I waited for my food to come out. Honestly, and maybe it's just because I was in England, the tea tasted better than any tea I've had before. Or, maybe I'm just a really bad tea maker...
The food was also pretty dang good, especially for the price. I definitely put the salt to use, but my Lamb Roast with Veggies was cooked to perfection. It was served with what they called Mint Sauce, but it seemed like more of a mint paste to me. The flavor nearly knocked me over, in a good way, I think. I've just never had anything like it before. But, I couldn't stop eating it. So, yeah, I guess I really liked it. Yorkshire Pudding? I'd never had it until I ate it here, but if you ask me, it just seems like a piece of puffy bread. I don't know, you're talking to the gal who doesn't care much for pasta or grains, so maybe someone else would love it. It's just not really my bag...All in all, though, I would definitely go back here again.
After my Sunday Roast, I had to do some walking. I was stuffed. So, I walked south to the London Bridge, took the requisite picture...
...and headed to the tube station. I was going to hit the British Museum and got half way there before I realized I had been up since 2am, and I was exhausted. I jumped off the tube just in time to catch a little nap in Hyde Park. Spring had just hit, and everyone was in the park. Kids on bikes, dogs playing catch, teenagers playing football, elderly couples strolling hand in hand. It was straight out of a movie, I tell you. The park is massive and the lush green grass practically begs you to curl up in it's cool embrace.
Once I had rested, I was off again. This time, I thought I'd just walk home. You know, no big deal. But I had already walked, I don't know, a good 8 miles or so on 2 hours of sleep, and this turned out to be not an awesome choice. It was just a little further than I had hoped - another 45 minutes of walking. But, I saw Buckingham Palace on the way home and got lost in some neighborhoods I might not have otherwise seen. Bonus!
After stopping at the local market for dinner and breakfast for the next day, I stumbled home, showered, warmed up some curry, and ate it while I watched BBC News.
By 8pm, I was in bed.
Yeah, I like to party...
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