A Few Days in London

I was lucky enough to have two of my best friends come to London as part of their European holidays, so we organised to meet up in London and see some of the sights together. We actually met just over two years ago while I was travelling through Central Europe, so I felt very lucky to get the chance to travel with them again.

We stayed at Wombat’s City Hostel near Tower Bridge, which is a great affordable option for staying in central London. We started our weekend with dinner in the theatre district before heading to His Majesty’s Theatre to see The Phantom of the Opera. The show was incredible, and it was extra special to watch it in the very theatre where the musical first premiered in 1986.

The next morning, we were up bright and early and took the Tube to Camden, where we boarded a canal boat bound for Little Venice. It was such a beautiful journey and the perfect way to start a summer morning in the city.

Next, we headed to South Kensington, where we did a bit of shopping before stopping for lunch at the Windsor Castle pub for a traditional Sunday roast. After lunch, we made our way to Kensington Palace, where we explored the palace and its beautiful gardens before heading back to the hostel for dinner.

Later in the week, I celebrated my 26th birthday by spending the day in Richmond with friends and family. We started at Kew Gardens, which was beautiful but incredibly hot — hence the eventual progression of my outfit from a normal outfit to wearing my skirt as a dress! We explored the conservatories, walked along the Treetop Walkway and wandered through the expansive gardens. The Treetop Walkway rises 18 metres above the ground, giving you a completely different perspective of the gardens.

After this, my friends and I headed to Hampton Court Palace, somewhere I’ve had on my list for a long time. Hampton Court has more than 500 years of history, but it is perhaps best known for its connection to Henry VIII and the Tudor court. The palace was transformed from a country house into a grand palace by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey from 1514, before Henry VIII took possession of it in 1529 and dramatically expanded it. During Henry’s reign, the palace became one of the most impressive royal residences in England, complete with the magnificent Great Hall, enormous kitchens and lavish royal apartments. It was also closely connected to several of Henry’s wives, including Anne Boleyn, whose initials and coat of arms can still be seen in the Great Hall.

We wandered around the palace and grounds for a few hours before stopping for ice cream. It was so much fun exploring somewhere with so much history. Afterwards, we headed to dinner before going to a pub quiz, where we came dead last — but had an absolute blast, and drank plenty of margaritas.

The following day, we visited the Natural History Museum, another place that had been on my list for a long time. It was awesome, but very, very busy. We definitely need to visit again one day, as we couldn’t handle the crowds and only stayed for around an hour. We also paid to see the Jurassic Oceans exhibition, which, in my opinion, wasn’t really worth the extra cost. The free exhibits were just as good, if not better!

Lastly, we headed to Stamford Bridge, the home of our team, Chelsea Football Club. As Chelsea fans, it was really cool to finally visit the stadium and see where the team has played since the club was founded in 1905. We had a wander around the grounds and, of course, couldn’t leave without stopping in the club shop to pick up some merch. It was a fun way to finish off our time in London. 

I had so much fun spending a few days in London and was incredibly lucky to celebrate my birthday surrounded by such great friends and family. Although we’ve lived in England for two years, we’ve only visited London a handful of times, but I can finally say I’ve seen almost all of the places I’ve always wanted to visit — which feels pretty awesome!