With both of us being London-virgins, London sure did slap us in the face with the lack of elbow-room and an anything-goes vibe. The excitement started before we had even stepped foot on British soil when we found ourselves hastily remembering our First Aid training as an elderly women collapsed into Damien’s arms (not in the romantic way, but rather the fainted way). The good news is she was fine however a good reminder not to rely on airline or airport staff for any medical assistance as everyone else watched on. After the adrenaline rush we managed to miss our bus to Victoria due to coffee requirements but recovered well with the alternative being the London Underground, a short crash course ensured we were able to get around with ease over the next few days.
We checked into St Leo’s Hotel, a family run B&B in Victoria which specialises in affordable accommodation for those who want to sleep, London, eat, London, drink, London and repeat. It was conveniently placed across the road from a well-known local corner pub The Prince of Wales, they even served Foster’s for Damien.
In typical British summer fashion, our day was met with rain, rain and more rain. But after a full nights rest in our bunk beds we were ready to explore the city regardless. Starting with a hop-on-hop-off tour which provided a dry and informative way to see London we followed up with a warming full english breaky (a meal for any time of the day). Westminster Abbey was a highlight of the afternoon with the audio tour a great way to learn about the history and architecture which dates back 1000’s of years.
We found the best way to get a decent look at Buckingham Palace was to get up early and deliver a Flat White to the Queen before 8am. With the weather improving we embarked on a mini walking tour of London including Trafalgar Square, Westminster, The River Thames, Mayfair, Oxford Street and Carnaby, we even stubbled across the Kingsman suit store but Eggsy wasn’t around. The changing of the Horse Guard at Whitehall at 11am was an impressive sight with most of the horses being on their best behaviour prior to watch handover.
A visit to London isn’t complete without a cruise down the brown River Thames to Greenwich and the Royal Observatory where East meets West. The day was fuelled by classic British cuisine including beef pasties, fish and chips complete with mushy peas and bangers and mash.
One of the highlights by a long shot was the tour of the State Rooms inside Buckingham Palace during their Summer Open. The tour consisted of 19 rooms in total and even included an optional waltz in the Grand Ballroom – the art collection in itself was worth a visit. Tea and scones in the garden was a novelty but we indulged regardless.
With London pretty much done and dusted we head to pick up our mighty stead for the next 3.5 months, a Fiat Campervan (which is yet to be named) and start our journey south to Europe.
Bye for now.
C xx
Damien + Caitlin 