It's been nearly six months since my first ever trip to the incredible city of London and I can honestly say that I absolutely
loved it there. There are many days where I'll be sitting with my thoughts and my mind will wander to the days spent roaming the streets of London, gasping at the gorgeous buildings and sights, eating some of the most delicious cakes at cute little bakeries and coffee shops, having a stroll through the many famous parks and gardens after a long day of shopping, catching the iconic double decker buses all around the city (which can be much more enjoyable than a dull trip on the tube), or even a simple meal of sausages, veggies and mash with family (how stereotypically Brittish)!
Sometimes, especially since moving to Melbourne (titled the most European city in Australia, and for good reason!), I will see something that reminds me of London, or get caught in the wind and rain in the middle of a previously bright and sunny day (ahem) and recall the times that the exact same thing happened in London.
It's safe to say, I left my heart in London - and one day in the near future I hope to make the trip across the pond (and over the whole of Asia/Arabia/Europe too while I'm at it) and move into my very own little London Town apartment.
So today's post is sort a of tribute to the little things I enjoyed over my time in London, things that pop up in my mind throughout the day and make me miss London that little bit more each time!
1. The beatuiful buildings & architecture! London is a beautiful city, full of old, historic buildings that each tell their own different story. Something I noticed while I was there is that it was almost impossible to take a boring photo - the streets, buildings, parks, shop fronts, gates, doors - just about everything about London is so picturesque!
2. Harrods! I could have spent days wandering around Harrods, there was so much to see! It really is as great as everyone says it is. Don't have a large budget? No worries, there's something in there to suit every price range! I especially loved the coffee, tea, chocolate, biscuits and fudge section (check out the delicious fudges and incredible coffee grinding machine)!
3. Everything is open late! Honestly, this can apply to the majority of the cities I've visited in my travels throughout the UK, Europe and the USA. However, for me this just adds to how exciting and alive the city of London truly is and makes me miss it even more. Here in Australia it's not that common to be open late. Inner city cafes for example are rarely open past 4pm on a weekday, and sometimes closed over the weekends! And while they're open from 6-7am here in Melbourne, back in Brisbane you'd rarely find any 'decent' (insert coffee snobbery here) cafe's open before 9-10am on a good day. Also, most shops (post offices, clothing etc) tend to close early too. So the luxury of being able to wander around looking at all sorts of clothing, books and more before sitting down for a coffee and a snack is a little something I've missed having since coming home.
4. Having a Pub Lunch! Another stereotypical thing to do when in London (well, the UK in general really) is to go out for lunch at the pub (fish and chips or a good ol' roast, anyone?). We did this twice during our time in the UK (once in Edinburgh, and once for our family meal our last day in London) and it's always a lovely experience. The pub's are so cute and cosy, the food is hearty and tasty (not to mention relatively cheap!), and there's always a friendly and laid back atmosphere. Definitely something I crave on a rainy Melbourne day.
5. The public transport! London's public transport system - with the infamous double decker buses and the tube - is in my opinion, the best in the world. It's clean and functional, totally iconic the world over, and so frequent that if you blink and miss your bus/train, you probably won't even notice as the next one will be right behind it!
6. The whole of Europe is only a skip, jump & hop away! Living in London, you literally have the world at your fingertips. Not only is every country in the UK and Europe so easily (and cheaply!) accessible, but places like New York for example are only a couple of hours flight away. In comparison, you have to travel a
long way to get to the next city in Australia, and there aren't too many of them, and exploring new countries is a lot more difficult when you're on an isolated island (anyone remember the time the government suggest renaming our country, 'The Island of Australia?).
So there we have it, six of the many things I miss about London! Have you ever been to London before? Did you love? Hate it? Let me know what YOU miss about London below, or what makes you want to visit!
xx Chontelle Louise
