Day Two: London

 

Our second day in London started out pretty rough. After a midnight delivery of our suitcases (yay!) we slept in to kick our jet lag, and then accepted it was time to face the music. London is our European home base. We chose it with purpose: a place to store our 50 pound suitcases, full of a year's worth of Australian supplies, while we traipse across Europe for the next month.

A family friend was kind enough to store them for us: All we had to do was drop them off at his flat. Easy, right?

Wrong. We're only two days into this trip, but I promise you, lugging massive suitcases across central London on the Tube (including two stops with no elevator access) was one of the worst experiences of my life. The combination of cobblestone streets, weak upper arms and massive crowds on the London underground led to a rather traumatic experience. The only high point was watching Dave try (and fail) to push his bag through the Tube station turnstile as it got caught in the slightly smaller gateway. A local Londoner and I laughed out loud watching Dave crouch down and heave the suitcase through.

The good news is, now that that errand is done, I feel physically and mentally lighter! See you on the flip side, suitcases.

By the River Thames in Hammersmith, London

After dropping off our suitcases, we perched on the side of a busy road in Hammersmith to eat McDonald's. We've had some requests for more food photos on the blog, so this picture is for you:

"It's comforting that, no matter where you are, you can get a Big Mac." - Dave

Full to the brim with salty snacks, we were finally ready to take on the day. First stop: Hyde Park Corner and Buckingham Palace to say "hi" to the Queen! Dave enjoyed my many facts about the British royal family, and the advantages of having a Head of State, as we strolled along Birdcage Walk.

Outside Buckingham Palace

Dave's wearing a different blue shirt from yesterday, I swear

What a view!

From Buckingham Palace we walked east along the Thames, dodging crowds of tourists along the way. How anyone local can get around in this city during tourist season with the mass of crowds I'll never understand. We walked all the way to Tower Bridge. Sights seen along the way: the historic Globe Theatre, the Tower of London, and London Bridge.

A snack along the way - caramelized peanuts and almonds

On our way back into central London we stopped at St. Paul Cathedral. It's such a beautiful church, and one of my favourite landmarks in London. Dave declared it wasn't as pretty as Westminster Abbey: different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

The stunning St. Paul's Cathedral... and some okay looking guy ;)

The cherry on top of an already wonderful day was meeting my friend, Ashley, and her boyfriend Andrew for drinks in Piccadilly Circus. Ashley and I worked together years ago, and have enjoyed many nights out together in Toronto since. I remember talking with her over tacos last summer, about the possibility of her moving to London in the fall... less than a year later it was amazing to see her here, in London, totally thriving, and with an expanded British vocabulary to boot!

After drinks in Piccadilly, we ventured east to Adventure Bar in Covent Gardens (a place I remembered from a previous trip to London, when much fun was had), and then onward to Wahaca for Mexican eats to cap off the evening.

Ashley and I at Wahaca for dinner

London, you've been perfect. Next up: Switzerland!