London was my first international solo trip! I had mixed feelings about traveling solo out of the country, but I am SO glad I decided to #justgo. I could not have chosen a better location to voyage to alone. This city has everything one could want and felt so very safe. I rode the tube all over London and did a lot of walking, even at night.
My first day was over-the-top amazing! I woke up in Buckingham Palace, walked to St. James's park, visited the National Gallery, the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and London Tower, then made my way to Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. I took a cruise down River Thames and even went to Greenwich. I topped the day off with an Afternoon Tea! Afterwards, I visited China Town since it was beautifully lit up at night. I ended the night doing a little shopping (not normally my cup of tea (pun intended) anymore)😁 And that was Day 1!
Did someone say tea? You CANNOT visit London and not have the Afternoon Tea experience! One of the best to do it is Fortnum & Mason. Not only was the food exquisite, but the service was top-notch, and the tea plentiful. I drank so much tea in so many different flavors that my bladder is filling up right now, just from reliving the moment.
After eating all that, I did some walking to sightsee. I took advantage of the FREE admission to the British Museum. There are so many beautiful artifacts on display with so much history, there's no reason not to visit. Did I mention it is free? Trafalgar Square is home to the famous lion sculptures, street artists, rallies of all kinds, and live shows; hence a great place to people-watch. It is surrounded by museums, namely, the National Gallery, which I took the liberty of visiting.
I was blown away by the Chinese culture in Chinatown. It's liveliness caught me off guard...the tastefully decorated streets and building, street performers everywhere, people from all walks of life hanging out, music piping through the streets, great restaurants, and yummy smells. I suggest visiting at night to get the full ambiance.
Wherever I go, I try to schedule a food tour, preferably a walking food tour. Walking food tours are a great way to sample the foods to know where you wanna go eat again, and you're actually walking off the pounds as you eat (at least that's what I tell myself). That's a win/win for me! London did not disappoint either. Day 2 consisted of a walking food tour of East London. I ate delicious Indian food, inhaled fish and chips, tried mushy peas, scarfed down bread & butter pudding, salivated over ham & cheese sandwiches, and slurped up a myriad of drinks!
Day 3 consisted of a day trip to Stonehenge and Bath. Seeing those 5,000 year-old stones at Stonehenge felt like I was in an episode of the Flintstones! To think about looking at something pre-historic was mind boggling. I quickly snapped some shots and headed back to the bus. How long does one need to look at stones anyhow? Next stop, Bath. It is known for its Roman-built baths, beautiful Georgian architecture, and is one of the richest cities. I got to see some homes where famous Americans' once lived.
A real bonus for me was that I got to see the Dreamgirls musical at Savoy Theater. It was actually much better than the American version I've seen. Very well done and the singing was melodic. This was a wonderful surprise to catch such a well-known musical while in another country!
Ooooh, I don't know myself where I got the energy to do all that in four days, but I'm so grateful God keeps me going. And, I'm so very blessed to live this life!!! This was my first solo trip abroad (may not be my last), and it was EVERYTHING!
Commentaires