After 15+ hours of travel, we made it to our flat in London! As for the neck wrap pillow, it was okay. A huge step up from the normal travel pillows, but by the time we made it to our place, we were both running on <10% battery. Kitchen/dining room in our West Kensington flat. It was such a cute spot, cozy with all the essentials. The bathroom was the size of a medium closet, but the quirkier the better! The living room/bedroom, with huge windows facing the street. We were in a quiet neighborhood, but blocks away from bustling streets and restaurants. We were out in the city most of the day so the flat was the perfect crash pad. First breakfast in London (coffee ASAP) at Bluebird cafe in Chelsea. Although still a bit jet lagged, we were excited about our first international city to explore. Isaac's dream of a full English breakfast. Mentioned multiple times on the plane flight over, this was the thing holding him together. Along with hundreds of other tourists, we watch the guards at Buckingham Palace do absolutely nothing. Thrills galore. But great outfits. The Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace. Pretend my water bottle is a sickle and maybe you can spot the resemblance to the statue. Big Ben, big (red) bus, and big booty (just kidding, but we love an alliteration). Now what did we happen to see as we were passing over the Westminster Bridge???? SHREK'S ADVENTURE LONDON. I swear, my love of Shrek is unshakable no matter the distance. Isaac got his turn in the onion and gave Donkey a good pat. In an absolute dream! Unfortunately the cost of Shrek's adventure was ferociously high so we settled with the pictures in the onion carriage and a magnet from the gift shop. We were happy to find ourselves in a quaint little beer garden with delicious craft beer. We did note later that this is not true English beer, but that's a story for another time... (hint: English beer is bad (!) and room temperature) There were so many picturesque cafes and bars, such a beautiful city! We hit both the National Galley and the National History Museum. I'm not sure if I've ever seen so many rocks in my life. Day two started with a walk in Kensington, my favorite neighborhood we visited in London. I truly felt that I was walking on a movie set with the quaintest homes and perfect yards. A glimpse at some of the homes in Kensington. I refuse to get over these archways along streets. If I didn't ask Isaac to take photos of me, the only photos I would appear in are selfies. I'll take this as a win! We found a french restaurant in the neighborhood and enjoyed a lovely breakfast on the veranda. This was one of my favorite memories of our visit to London. Look closely for the statue behind Isaac. An uncanny resemblance! Our first look at Kensington palace - the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria. How exciting?! Kensington Palace with Queen Victoria herself. The woman who took this photo knew exactly what she was doing. She won my deep respect. I really enjoyed touring the palace and the wardrobe exhibit showcasing the popular fashion of 18th-century nobility that has inspired today’s red-carpet looks. Thanks to my cousin Meghan for the recommendation! We walking through Kensington Gardens after our tour. Isaac and I were very impressed with all parks and green-space in London. Seattleites LOVE their parks. Neil's Yard in Covent Garden. By this time, I was hangy and ready to eat anything. Thankfully there were so many good food options here and we scarfed down some killer pizza and got some iced coffee for the road. Neils Garden - very colorful and full of life! It was tucked away down an alley, easy to miss, so good thing we had done our research. The coolest Harry Potter store we visited in the UK. It is run by the actual graphic designers who worked on the movies. The House of MinaLima is nestled into the neighborhood of Soho sports many vibrant shops and popular eateries. My purchases from the House of MinaLima. It was impossible to leave empty handed. The women who took this photo was 6 feet tall with 3 inch platform heels who proceeded to squat in her mini skirt to get the perfect shot for us. Give that girl an Oscar! Hammersmith Bridge (I can't keep track of all the bridges here, I just referred to them all as London bridge) Beautiful sunset over the London skyline. Post Borough Market and beer garden happy hour. The market is a neat spot with so many different treats and cuisines - a must visit if you are in the area. A sunset walk through Covent Garden. Day three kicked off with a patio breaky and a big cup of coffee. Our sidewalk breakfast accompanied by our luggage. Tasked with handling our luggage for the day after checking out of the airbnb, we found a luggage check near the train station where two young guys proceeded to throw our stuff in a room stacked with suitcases - no questions asked. We came back later with 5 euro for each bag and boom - everything was there. A 5 star experience. The British Museum. This is where we learned that the sight of a room full of artifacts caused us to recoil. Despite the number of plates and rocks tapestries, there were some very cool exhibits in the museum. Obviously including this feisty sculpture of a lion. Of course we HAD to get fish and chips - and we were not disappointed! We wandered back to the streets of Soho and found the perfect spot. The Albert Memorial in all its glory. On the edge of Kensington Gardens, we wandered around before we took a nap on the lawn. 20k+ steps a day starts to add up! Our final stop in London before heading to Cambridge - Candella Tea Room! We had the traditional high tea and were in awe over everything they served us. The tea, biscuits, finger sandwiches, and pastries were mouthwatering and gave us a true taste of English high society (another recommendation from Meghan - you're the best!).
