Tourist Traps

Saturday was another utterly free day to do whatever we pleased in London. We decided the night previous that Carolyn and I would meet our friends from down the hall at 10:30am to head for Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to leave quite on schedule, so by the time we had arrived at Buck House (as the Brit’s fondly refer to it) it was completely swarmed by thousands of tourists. Crowds aren’t exactly our thing (except the Disney bunch… and these people weren’t them!) so we decided to leave and come back another time in the next three months. I did, however, manage to get a decent shot of the marching band before our departure.

Unfortunately, leaving didn’t prove to be as easy as it sounds. People meandering and sauntering (which drives us crazy!), coupled with people's occasional sudden and random photo stops made getting through the swarm of people an arduous task. Better luck next time. Carolyn, Ashley, and I continued our walk through Westminster when all of a sudden a Pizza Express was spotted in the distance. Sold. All three of us were starving (breakfast is not a commonality in our flat), but we walked in only to find the restaurant completely empty and a brash Italian waiter telling us to come back in 15 minutes (apparently the Brit’s eat late lunches around here). We agreed and continued walking only about a block before we decided to check off one of the many touristy acts remaining on our list: pictures with a red telephone box! We each took individual shots, then scoured the street for a friendly local to take a group picture: mission accomplished. We headed back to Pizza Express where the rude waiter shouted “three more minutes!” when we walked in. I guess it was his twisted way of being flirtatious, because he seated us right away, wasting no time teasing us about tap water as our drink of choice. Although his attitude was off-putting, Pizza Express has the best pizza I’ve had in a long time, so it was more than worth it. After lunch, we continued walking down the street and ran right into Westminster Abbey. The building is absolutely beautiful and the interior is equally, if not more, stunning: below is an “illegal” snapshot (like father like daughter... at least I didn't get kicked out!).

We took the audio guided tour which was quite interesting and allowed us to meander at our own pace. Next, we headed just across the street for more snapshots of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Big Ben never loses its iconic appeal, no matter how many times you view it. Our last stop of the day was the one we had all been anxiously awaiting since our arrival: HARRODS! I’ve never seen anything like it. From thousands of hand-made chocolates, marzipan, and pastries to £25 ice cream sundaes, the food halls are out of this world. They even had an entire case of different kinds of Whoopie Pies! Although the food made all our mouths water, you can guess what department Carolyn and I fawned over even more. That’s right, dresses. From Herve Leger and Marchesa to Valentino and Versace, it was like an art gallery we could touch. Sequins and feather adorned many (as well as heavy price tags!), while some were more modest. The crème de la crème, however, was the rows and rows of Christian Louboutin shoes, all available to touch and admire. Carolyn and I picked out our first pair of “big bonus” shoes, classic black patent leather pumps with the signature red sole, but had to leave them behind as we made our way out on the Egyptian escalators. At the base is a memorial to Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed, featuring the engagement ring he was planning on giving to her; it’s a wonderful tribute.
After we arrived back at Courtfield, we relaxed for a little while by means of watching the Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion show we so desperately had been searching for online. Thankfully, it did not disappoint (but when has it ever?!). We then went to Sainsbury’s to grab some groceries and cook dinner in our kitchen for the first time before heading out to Piccadilly Circus for the night with most of the girls on our hall. We went to a club called Tiger Tiger, which everyone agreed is a must-return location. Another busy day for the books (or the blog), but only one more before the reality of a full week of classes hits us!
xo LC