48 Hours in London

Last week I managed to peel myself away from watching Gilmore Girls to make time for real humans, namely, I visited my friend in London. We were on a tight schedule so naturally I left with an even longer list of things to do and places to see. So if you’re ever short of time in London town here are some suggestions.

I usually head to London at least once a year but for some reason I hadn’t been in about 18 months, so for the whole train ride I was irrationally worried that I’d forgotten everything I knew and lost my ‘in the know status’ and would look like a (gasp) tourist again. But thankfully it’s one of those cities that’s like riding a bicycle!

Early in the day we braved the grey to walk over to the Tate Modern; it’s such a nice area that an amazing collection of art just seems like a bonus. If you’re there at the right time you can also catch the new extension which I believe is open from 5pm.

Later that evening (and after a cheeky pizza express) we went to The Globe to see Macbeth. A trip to this theatre has become obligatory at this point, but this was my first experience as a groundling (the cheap standing tickets). While standing for 3 hours was an outer body experience I did feel much more involved in the play and you get the more authentic Elizabethan pleb experience, which I’d highly recommend.

Friday consisted of three things; food, food, and food. First of all we headed to the newest Breakfast Club by London Bridge and had the breakfast of dreams. I can personally vouch for the banana bircher and iced tea, but I hear American pancakes are their specialty. It’s definitely best to get there earlier rather than later, and maybe avoid at the weekend, as we were even greeted by a queue at 9am on a Friday.

Do you know what we did next? Yes, we bought more food. In fairness we were planning a picnic in the park. So we raided Borough market of all their fruit and treats, then wandered around Covent Garden where stumbled upon the cutest cupcake store called Crumbs and Doilies, which won my heart with their miniature versions of every cupcake on sale. Oh and we also found heaven on earth, which, it turns out, is the first floor of Anthropolgie, on Regent Street. Go there if you value your life and ultimately aspire to be a long- haired bohemian hippy.

In true British style, during our picnic it lightly rained, twice.

I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my last night in London than drinking Pimms while watching an incredible sunset over the London skyline. Frank’s rooftop bar in Peckham is a must, but watch your footing so you don’t trip over all the hipsters.

On my next trip I really want to explore North London, especially Shoreditch, and generally cross a few places off my list of coffee shops I follow on Instagram. 

London, you never let me down.

Ps, follow me on instagram if you want to see more pictures of my quick trip