QUINTESSENTIAL LONDON
We have been in London for a week, spending lots of time with our family doing quintessential “London things.” We popped into a red telephone booth, rode on a double-decker bus, and listened to Big Ben chime. Our days and nights were packed with activities, which gave us very little time to write.
And so, today, on our last afternoon in London (which is luckily the first rainy afternoon we’ve had), we each wrote a little bit about the things we did. Enjoy!
Changing of the Guard
Our first attempt at watching the Changing of the Guard on Monday was a total bust. There were hundreds of people pressing their faces against the gates at Buckingham Palace, with thousands more behind them craning their necks and hoisting their children on to their shoulders to see. As the guards changed direction, the crowds swarmed to follow them. It was impossible to get a good view.
BUT…
During our walking tour the next day, our guide, Theo, gave us a pro tip. Watching from St. James’ Palace, where the ceremony ends, gives the best view unobstructed view of all the pomp and all the circumstance. And so, our second attempt later in the week was a total success! Here’s a little snippet of the excitement!
-Erin
Buckingham Palace Tour
After the very underwhelming Changing of the Guard (first attempt), and an even less satisfying lunch, we went back to Buckingham Palace for a tour inside. The tour of the State Rooms and Gardens were allowed us to see about 25-30 of the 775 rooms in the palace where the King and Queen Consort live for most of the year. It featured a special exhibition about the Coronation, so The Throne Room took on a slightly greater importance this year.
-Chris
Grenadier
As one of our non-touristy activities, we went to a local pub called Grenadier and had some good food. But the most memorable part was when I stood on the table! This pub was special because it had money covering the ceiling. I was given the honors of stapling the “Noonans Get Lost” bill up there.
-Harper
Walking Tour
On Tuesday morning, we met Theo for a 2-hour “Essential London” tour. Because it was a comparatively short tour, we all felt that we didn’t learn a ton. He entertained us with a few stories, showed us the important buildings and monuments, and gave us at least one good pro tip (see: The Changing of the Guard).
-Erin
Kensington Palace
We were not expecting our trip to Kensington Palace to be like this at all! They had a special exhibit called Crown to Couture. Let me tell you about it. The exhibit showed fancy outfits people wore a long time ago to royal balls and courts, and fancy outfits celebrities like Beyoncé, Lizzo, and Blake Lively have recently worn to the Met Gala. I loved this exhibit!
-Reese
St. Paul’s Cathedral
We spent almost two hours touring St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is ginormous and very beautiful. It has been partly destroyed by WWII, but rebuilt into the beautiful dome and cathedral it is today. We used a very detailed audio guide to tell us about the dome, naive, choir, and north and south transepts. The dome was my favorite part; I loved looking at the mosaics and paintings on the ceiling.
-Sadie
BOROUGH MARKET
I think that we started off on the wrong foot at Borough Market, because it was very chaotic and crowded and we were all hungry. Thankfully, things turned around for us after we tasted delicious sandwiches, chai lattes, bao buns, and AMAZING paella. There were lots of options for food and drinks, which was perfect for our family.
-Harper
Westminster Abbey
I was expecting Westminster Abbey to be a beautiful church — and it is! — but it’s also a massive cemetery. I was shocked to learn that there are more than 3,300 people buried here! It reminded me of an indoor Recoleta Cemetery. At every turn, there is an exceptionally large statue or tombstone of Britain’s most notable people.
-Erin
Tate Modern
Housed in the former Bankside Power Station building, the Tate Modern features some amazing modern art from the likes of Warhol, Picasso, Lichtenstein, and Matisse, just to name a few. The imposing yet open and airy building makes for a great complement to the incredible artwork. We visited a special immersive exhibit by Yayoi Kusama entitled Infinity Mirror Rooms, which was super psychedelic, brah.
-Chris
Tower of London
Okay, people. This might be a bit gory. The Tower of London was like a prison where people got their heads chopped off. It is also where Richard I, Henry III, and Edward I lived.
-Reese
NOTTING HILL
On Thursday, we went into Notting Hill proper, and walked around Portobello Road. We started off with a delicious breakfast at Farm Girl cafe, then wandered through colorful streets browsing at many vendors until we went to Notting Hill Bookshop. I was stunned at how cute a town can be!
-Harper
High Tea
Let me tell you about high tea at Candella. There were three levels on our tea tray. The bottom had tea sandwiches (my favorite was the cucumber one), the middle had exquisite scones with clotted cream and jam, and the top had desserts. My favorite was the red velvet cake. All of the food was delicious and you got a choice of your own tea which you could smell before you chose.
-Reese
P.S. — I got vanilla tea.
Platform 9¾
Reese recently finished reading the first book in the Harry Potter series, and Harper and I have both read and watched all the Harry Potter books and movies. So we ventured to Kings Cross Station to have a photo taken at Platform 9¾. The line was very long and took up an hour of our day, but it was worth getting the iconic photo to bring back home as a memory!
-Sadie
Rickmansworth
We saved the best for last! Our most favorite activity in London was not actually in London proper. One afternoon, we ventured out to Rickmansworth to sleep over at Kate and Peter’s new house! We had a delicious barbecue (which I didn’t realize how much I missed) and a super fun night, which included watching Paddington before bed.
If you ever have the chance to visit them, you absolutely should. They’re fantastic hosts!
-Sadie
