En route to a week-long trip in Sweden, I spent a weekend in London visiting an old friend. My travels began with an evening flight out of Baltimore:
Day 1: BWI -> LHR -> London
Day 2: London
Day 3: London
Day 4: LHR -> ARN -> Stockholm
Day 5: ARN -> KRN -> Abisko
Day 6: Abisko
Day 7: Abisko -> Kiruna
Day 8: KRN -> ARN -> Stockholm
Day 9: Stockholm
Day 10: Stockholm -> ARN -> LHR
Day 11: LHR -> BWI
This post covers my two days in London; my trip to Sweden is summarized here.
Waiting for my flight at Passports Bar & Grill.
Day 1-2: Touristy London, Shoreditch bar hopping
Sat. 18 May, 2019
I emerged from a mostly sleepless red eye at Heathrow, ready to take on a full day’s exploration of London. My friend’s flat was conveniently located on the London Underground. After I dropped my luggage off at his place, we started the day walking around the neighborhood, browsing Borough Market and grabbing breakfast nearby.
Upper Street in Islington.
We then headed south for a tour of some of London’s iconic landmarks, the tallest of which is the Shard. We had drinks at Hutong on the 33rd floor, which gave us a great view over London.
I kept calling it the Shart, but I suppose Shard is a more descriptive name.
I love how the footsteps are marked.
In postcards you mostly see the historical landmarks like the Tower Bridge, but London actually has quite a skyline.
We eventually crossed the Tower Bridge, which is quite an impressive structure.
Out stroll along the river took us to another obligatory London tourist destination: Tower of London.
… and of course, I had to take a ride on a double-decker bus. Also it started raining a little.
With the touristy destinations behind us for the day, we headed over to the Shoreditch neighborhood for some bar hopping. This area was home to a lot of beautiful graffiti.
Shoreditch definitely had a young and lively vibe. We got pizza at Slice And More and drinks at Merchants Tavern. The bartender there recommended Home Bar, a tiny cozy bar with a chill and friendly atmosphere. We later went to Found, which was next door and more of a speakeasy.
A snapshot of London nightlife.
Day 3: More touristy London, Regent’s Canal
Sun. 19 May, 2019
We started the day with breakfast at Vagabond N7, which had outdoor seating and a mean omelette.
A really nice space for breakfast and coffee!
We headed over to see Big Ben, but unfortunately it was covered in scaffolding for repairs.
At least Westminster Abbey wasn’t under construction.
There were many street performers not far away.
Golden Jubilee Bridge
Though we made our way over to the British Museum, we didn’t go inside, and found the various street performers in front of the museum quite entertaining.
There was a man writing people’s name in Japanese calligraphy. For free! He’s written over 20,000 names around the world! (My friend had his written as well.)
A dance group called on volunteers from the audience to dance, and this boy tore up the dance floor.
Eventually we made our way down to Buckingham Palace, and randomly joined a tour group. I learned that the Queen has two birthdays: her actual birth date and one celebrated with a Birthday Parade in June. The latter is typically held in the summer, when the weather is likely to be nicer. The Queen is the only person in the country who does not need a driver’s license to drive. And, King Edward VIII abdicated his throne to marry a divorced commoner.
Statue of Queen Elizabeth. That’s King George VI covered in pigeon poop in the back.
Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace. The actual palace was crowded with tourists even on a rainy day like this.
We later attempted to visit the Sky Garden, but unfortunately it was completely booked,
The weather improved later in the day, and we browsed and grabbed food in Camden Market, which was very lively and crowded.
Not far from the market is Regent’s Canal. I had no idea that London had such canals, but they seemed very popular with locals taking strolls and jogging along the water.
We saw operators changing the water level using a system of water walls to bring a boat from one level to the next.
There was some graffiti relevant to American politics. I think it’s a play on the Girl with Balloon art.
Some of these buildings were right on the water, with doors specifically for loading and unloading from these boats.
Some interesting retro-futuristic housing along the water.
After a stop through the Coal Drops Yard, a shopping area on the canal, we had dinner at a nice and surprisingly not busy restaurant called The Lighterman. The food and view were great, so the place will surely be packed during peak tourist season. After dinner we walked north back toward my friend’s flat and had some drinks at The Albion, a Georgian pub with a nice seating area in the garden. With the sun setting on Great Britain, I called it a night to get ready for my next leg of the trip: Stockholm.
While my time in London was brief, it is clear to me that London is simply a great place to live. (In fact, my friend has said that he likes it more than he does New York or San Francisco.) It is more relaxed and far less crowded than large cities of similar stature like New York. Its public transit system is effective and reliable. Beer is cheap. The climate is mild and the city has a lot of beautiful old buildings. I have a feeling that I’ll be coming back many more times in the future.