Shopaholics Anonymous

Friday was our first day with no commitments - no class, lectures, hall meetings...a full day of doing whatever we pleased.  So what is the first thing that Lauren and I do with our free time?  You guessed it.  SHOPPED.  We popped over to Kensington High Street, one of the best shopping streets in the whole of London and only a ten minute walk from our flat.  But of course we couldn't start this day off without getting something to eat first (eating is our second favorite activity after all).  After running errands the other afternoon we had passed by this adorable little tea house called "The Muffin Man," and immediately decided that we would have to return to try it.  So, to my delight, when we turned a random corner on our way to High Street, there it was!  I nearly gave Lauren a heart attack when I saw it and screamed "The Muffin Man!!" (sorry!).  This cute little corner shop has every kind of tea food you could imagine, from the more traditional sandwiches and scones to more modern lunches like paninis.  The decor was really homey and cozy, and we officially decided it would be "our spot."  Mom (I've decided I'm going to do as the Brits do and call you Mummy from now on), you're going to LOVE it.

Hyde Park!

After our lunch we made our way to High Street.  The stops included H&M (their clothes here are SO much better than in the States), Topshop (love love love), Urban and Zara.  I bought something at every one...fail. Our ultimate conclusion: shopping in London takes the prize over America, even if it may be a tad more expensive.  We'll just make trips less often...maybe?
With shopping bags in hand we veered off of High Street and into Kensington Park.  We strode down the tree-lined street that houses many of the foreign embassies, eventually turning onto the path to Kensington Gardens.  We soon came to Kensington Palace whose gates are still covered with flowers and messages for Diana.  We did try to catch a glimpse of the princes, but no such luck...we'll keep trying though.  From there we continued through the Palace grounds and eventually reached the official start Hyde Park.  I have been dying to explore this area since we've gotten here, and boy did we achieve that.  We walked along the immaculate gardens, through the bird sanctuary and eventually to the Serpentine River dotted with row boats and wading swans.  The weather was absolutely perfect outside, making everything even more gorgeous than usual (we're being spoiled by getting all this beautiful weather..I think we're in for a wake up call soon!).  Despite our gorgeous surroundings and the many signs along the routes, we may have gotten a little lost, and after two hours of walking our feet had given in.  Enter black cab.  We were soon whisked away to our home away from home to relax and review the day's purchases.
As the dinner hour arrived, a group of us decided to go to this little pub we had seen called the Devonshire Arms.  A five minute walk from our flat, it was the quintessential English pub; big crowds, lots of smoke, lots of beer and horrible service.  After the six of us squeezed into a table built for three and we made numerous attempts to catch someone's attention, we all enjoyed our first real pub dinner.  Despite the service and the crowds, the food was amazing!  As we walked out, at one of the tables was a man sitting across from a dog, whose head was rested on the table...too cute!
Our first day as real Londoners proved to be a success; explored a lot, shopped a little, had great food and amazing weather.  We'll see what Saturday brings!  Don't worry though, parents...no more shopping!
       ~Carolyn