Chucking

Just across the English channel lives a lively little town called London.


On the high speed chunnel, it doesn't take long to get from one cultural jungle to the next, but you sure do feel like you're in a whole new world.


I won't waste time putting Paris & London head-to-head or playing favorites. BuzzFeed's got that covered. Instead, I'll recap my English experience that was very short but even more sweet. 

It only made sense to make a trip to London while William was here. I got four days to show him my summer home, so he deserved at least one to show me his stomping grounds from last summer.


It only took one hour after stepping out of San Pancreas train station for me to decide I was in love with London.

Perhaps it was the novelty; maybe it was their warmth toward Americans or the familiarity of the English language buzzing in the tube on the 'way out'. 

We got to the train station and stepped foot into torrential thunderstorms--only fitting for the city whose sky spills more rain than sunshine. Soon enough, it all let up just in time for us to meet his flatmates from last summer, Harriet and Rod. Also fitting was our first meal of fish and chips. 

Serendipitously, our route to the park he planned for us to walk through led us to Portobello Market, which came highly recommendation from Nicole, my roommate for next year who went to high school at the American School in London. 

There were vendors and musicians, food stands and that friendly barista mentioned in yesterday's post. I couldn't let myself walk along the entire avenue without snagging something so a scarf it was, an ode to my Parisian roots. 

The market ended right where Notting Hill started, and it was even more charming than I imagined.


I wanted to buy a flat right then and there, but I know that'd cost me a pretty penny, or a pretty pound I should say. 

Gardens are gardens but the the London's Kensington Gardens seemed to flourish in a different way than what I had seen in France.


Their patches of flowers bloomed more vertically, so much so that you'd get lost in them without even trying. My mum would have fancied it quite a bit.



And you could literally hide away in this upside-down tree in Hyde Park we crawled in and out of.


Swans diving in and out of the waters made our path leading to Buckingham Palace made even a sidewalk seem royal.


Mirroring our previous day, we switched our vantage point from the bottom of London to the top at Madison tapas bar and lounge.



William had frequented this rooftop spot while interning last summer since it was only blocks away from his office.


The views of St. Paul's, the Eye and the entire London skyline at dusk were a spectacular sight as we sipped cocktails before being seated.

Odds are I'll be back in July before my return to the States, but I'm chuffed up (extremely pleased) that William was my first tour guide. As they'd say the trip was ace (awesome); the people was brill (cool), and the company was brilliant!

Cheers!