london

It’s been a week since I got back from my Europe vacation and I’m finally beginning to put together my photos and experiences so I can share it all with you! I decided to break up each country I went to with a different blog post, so today I am going to be sharing my London experience with you all! My boyfriend and I left for the U.K. the day after christmas, and arrived in London on the 27th. We had two full days to explore, eat, drink, and practice our god awful British accents prior to heading to Paris on the 29th.

London Bridge and Tower of London: Disclaimer – we did not go into the Tower of London. My boyfriend and I have both visited the Tower of London when we were younger with our families. But traveling during the winter definitely has its perks. The line to get in was definitely shorter than it would be in the summer, and in the spirit of Christmas Markets, an ice skating rink was set up on the Tower of London lawn. We stopped by on our way across the London Bridge for a few picturesque shots!

Christmas Market #1: I’m not going to a lie, a big perk of traveling to Europe right before or right after the holidays means you get the full swing of Christmas Market season. This Christmas market, located directly opposite of the Tower of London (across the river) was adorable, and the perfect spot to get our first glass of mulled wine!

Convent Street: Beautiful, lights, and great food. We went to an Indian Restaurant here (it started with a p and it was a bit off the beaten track…) that was absolutely divine!

Ice Bar: When in London, right? The Ice Bar was a lot smaller then I thought it would be but it was a fun experience! I would recommend heading there for one drink – just going to warn you, the drinks taste a tad like freshmen year of college (jungle juice… you know the taste) but it was served in an ice glass so it was fun!

Sketch: I have been dying to go to Sketch for years. Unfortunately, I did not plan accordingly and make reservations ahead of dine for high tea (*reservations book out far in advance, if you’re traveling to London and want to go there, make sure you book a table*). Luckily, we were able to head inside, see the egg shape toilets, and head into a bar that was inside a circle ball (called the East Bar). The drinks were good, it was a cool and super trendy experience, and it was decorated beautifully for Christmas (trees and lights everywhere).

Buckingham Palace: We walked by Buckingham Palace for a typical tourist photo opt and ended up walking to the side to these beautiful black and gold gates. We continued down the road alongside the palace to head over to Hyde Park. A fun note if you’re traveling during the holidays, Hyde Park turns into a MASSIVE German Christmas Market that is so much fun to walk through.

Kensington Palace: We decided to spend our time at Kensington Palace instead of Buckingham Palace because it’s much more quiet, and let me mention, William and Kate live there. We decided to walk around the swan pond and take a tour of the Kensington Palace. I would definitely recommend doing this – it’s a great way to see some royal fashion and the old apartment buildings that some of the Kings and Queens lived in!

London Eye: We decided to purchase a more “VIP” ticket for the London Eye experience. We went at sunset, and was in a pod with a few other couples for a glass or two of champagne. The London Eye is a great way to see the town and it is a little bit better when there’s champagne involved 🙂

Duck and Waffle: I’m not going to lie, this was probably the biggest and more pleasant surprise during our time in London. Everyone we know kept telling us to go to Duck and Waffle, and coming from SoCal, I kept picturing something along the lines of Chicken and Waffle House. We decided to see what the rave was all about so we headed there for breakfast one morning (it was right around the corner from our hotel so, why not?) Anyways, the elevator takes you to the top level of the building (about 40 something stories up) and the view is absolutely incredible. We only had pastries so I can’t speak for the food – but I would definitely recommend heading up for a drink or two!

Because we were traveling during the “off” season, we got really lucky with our hotel and travel prices! We stayed at the Andaz Liverpool Street Hotel, located just a few blocks away from the Tower of London! It’s a quaint, trendy hotel with a beautifully decorated champagne bar located within.

Stay tuned with my Europe posts, next I’m going to be sharing my experience with the Eurostar train and my stay over New Years Eve in Paris!