Weekend in London

This post is something I have never written about before. This week is a day in the life post, or should I say a weekend in the life?

This weekend I had the chance to stay in London overnight. All images I have included in this blog post were taken on my iPhone. 

I love being in London, there is always something new to see and do. As it was fashion weekend there were lots of fashionable people around! It used to be an overwhelming feeling being in the city but the more visits I have made, the more comfortable I have become. However, I recently spent a week in London, travelling around by myself on the tubes and I managed it pretty well. There were a few times when I did get lost, but other than that everything went smoothly. 

Just being back for this weekend reminded me of that week- especially hearing the announcement in the underground "all tubes are running on time", something that I heard a lot when I was travelling on the tube for so long! 

Please be warned this blog post contains a lot of images.

Day 1: Travelling and Tower Bridge. 

I traveled to London on Saturday morning, the journey was very easy journey, it's only one hour and a direct train. To keep myself hydrated I bought a big bottle of "Smart Water" I hadn't ever tried this brand of water before but I really enjoyed it. 

London Luggage

"Smart Water"

After I had arrived in London and had dropped my luggage to my hotel room it was time for lunch. A restaurant that I really enjoyed eating at when I was in London in July was a place called Vapiano. You can visit their website here. I ate in the Southwark branch of Vapiano which is located a 5 minute walk away from the Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe. 

Share a Diet Coke with Bestie

Pappardelle Bolognese at Vapiano

What I like most about Vapiano is the amount of choice they offer. The food is cooked  in front of you in a fast food service style. The menu shows all the different sauces available, which you can pair with any shaped pasta. The Vapiano menu also includes Pizza, Antipasti & Insalata and Dessert. For lunch, I ordered Pappadelle Bolognese with a side of bread and Diet Coke. I can definitely say it was delicious.

Vapiano in Southwark

The decor of the restaurant was rustic yet modern. 

Vapiano Menu

After my lunch in Southwark, I visited the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.  Currently at the Tower of London, there is an art installation called 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red'. 888,246 ceramic poppies surround the tower to mark 100 years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War. If you look at the tower from a height it looks as though there is a pool of blood encircling it. You can read more about the poppies here . 

Poppy Installment at Tower of London

Tower Bridge Opening

Tower Bridge

The centre of the bridge, where it opens to let boats pass through. You could see the water down below which was quite scary!

Located next to Tower Bridge are the St Katharine Docks. Around the docks are a few restaurants, hotels and shops. I ate in the small chain restaurant Café Rouge. The menu offers lots of french classics. After the meal we travelled to Covent Garden and had dessert in the small crepery called Creme De La Crepe. It was a perfect end to the day. I opted for the sweet crepe 'Lady Loves' which includes fresh strawberries, dark chocolate and extra thick double cream.

The Shard looked very eerie disappearing into the mist in the evening.

Creme De La Crepe Crepes

Day 2: Sherlock and Selfridges.

As my hotel was only a short walk away, on Sunday morning I climbed the Monument. The Monument commemorates the Great Fire of London and was built to celebrate the re-build of the city. We climbed 311 steps to the top and although it was very tiring, the view was worth it! When we reached the ground I received a certificate for climbing all the way to the top.

A long walk back down to the ground

The view from the top of the Monument

To continue with our sightseeing walk, we visited St Paul's Cathedral. This was definitely more relaxing compared to climbing the Monument and it gave us a chance to rest a little whilst we regained our energy.

St Pauls Catedral

A long esculater ride down to the tube line

The last stop on the sightseeing list was the Sherlock Holmes Museum. I hadn't ever visited before but I have read the Sherlock Holmes books and watched Sherlock on BBC. I really enjoyed looking around the home and seeing all the homeware that they would've had in that time.

Sherlock Holmes Museum

Sherlock Holmes Business Cards

To finish the trip we visited Selfridges. Selfridges is one of my favorite department stores in London, there is so much to see.  I ate lunch in their restaurant on the top floor, this is an idea place if you are in a group as there is so much choice from Salads to Fast Food and Chinese to Pizza and of course dessert. Everyone can choose what they want, you aren't bound to a specific cuisine.

I had half a roast chicken and chips for lunch in Selfridges.

Of course we had some Meringue Girls meringues for dessert!

I couldn't resist having a look round the homeware department! It fantastic to see all the new products they have. I particularly enjoy looking at the neon lights and wall fixtures, they are so bright and colourful, I love them.

After I finished shopping in Selfridges I returned to the hotel to collect my luggage and hopped on the train back home! I loved being in London and I hope to be back again soon. Follow @emilylockey on instagram for images from my London trip. If you liked reading this style of blog post, please let me know or if you have any requests I would love to hear them. 

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