Hello! I’m back from London and have finally sorted through some of my photos. It was so nice to have a break from everything and enjoy the amazing weather- yes, I said amazing weather. In London. In March.
This isn’t necessarily a guide of things to do in London, I just wanted to share some of the things we did/what we loved/share a few of my photos! I realized after sorting through that I’m going to have to break it up into a few posts. So, here’s Day 1 of our London trip!
Yes, that is what the sky looked like. We couldn’t believe our luck, I didn’t even end up packing my rain boots because we got away with no rain!
Technically this was our second day in London, but after arriving Tuesday morning we mostly just got unpacked and wandered around our neighborhood to get our bearings. But, I’m counting this as ‘Day 1’ since this is when my photos start.
We wanted to get most of our ‘tourist’ stuff out of the way on the first day. Obviously we had to wander around the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and snap all the photos we could.
I stole this cape from my mom we arrived and got tons of compliments! It’s BCBG and was perfect for the weather- it’s a thin wool so not too heavy but perfect for keeping out the wind! And yes, I know the shadows on the ground are….funny looking.
Finally, on to Westminster Abbey! I didn’t get a chance to visit the last time I was in London so it was at the top of my list. Unfortunately, you can’t take photos inside, so we’ll have to settle for pictures of the gorgeous exterior.
I 10/10 recommend a visit to Westminster. If you really wanted to you could knock it out in an hour, we didn’t spend much more than that. An audio guide is included and really helps you to understand what you’re looking at as well as the history of everything, as there aren’t really any signs to read or follow. Also, Jeremy Irons narrates the tour so you know it’s legit, right?
Luckily, the queue was only 5 minutes when we arrived, but the line had snaked along the building by the time we left! Get there early before the crowds!
When you come out of the abbey, you can wander around some of the grounds, including this beautiful park behind it. I mean….
Again, England. In March.
Once we finished up at the abbey, we wandered through St. James’ Park to Buckingham Palace. We didn’t arrive during the changing of the guard so the crowds were minimal! Personally, I accidentally stumbled across the changing of the guards on my last trip to London and I was….unimpressed. But, if it’s something that you want to see, go for it! But be prepared for the crowds.
While we were waiting, this carriage pulled up to the gates and picked up someone from the palace! It wasn’t a royal (our royal sighting comes later….) but still interesting to watch.
A quick stop through Trafalgar Square on our way to the National Gallery. I split from my family at this point- while they went to the gallery, I met up with Lydia in Chelsea. This is probably the extent of my recommendations, but we had fantastic drinks at The Phene and a lovely dinner at The Cross Keys (where Prince Harry held his 31st birthday party!).
Our first full day in London was perfect and quintessentially ‘London.’ Stay tuned, as I have photos from our little day trip coming up next!