Highgate Station and Talieh picks me up - I couldn't have been happier to get out of there! Talieh is the daughter of my friend in Adelaide and she lives in Muswell Hill with her sister, Natalia. Neither have met me before but they invite me to stay while I am in London and I couldn't have felt more blessed. Such warm, loving people who welcomed me into their home and instantly became like family. Their apartment is stunning and the area is so peaceful and pretty. Still buzzing with atmosphere and people but nothing compared to the CBD.

Thanks to my solid 9 hour conk-out on the plane, I have seemed to avoid jet lag completely and so I go for a walk down the high street looking around and taking it all in as my first day draws to a close in London town....

Wednesday the 18th and I'm up raring to go on my first adventure on England soil to a place Talieh recommends called Hampstead Heath where everyone goes hiking or walking with their dogs. I've got my day-pack, water bladder, first-aid kit, food, camera and my hiking boots (a bit excessive maybe!) ready to go! On the way, I had to walk through a street called Bishops Avenue where literally every single house is more like a palace with big black and gold gates guarding the grounds. It was absolutely breath-taking. Some of the houses even had security guards and cameras out the front. Impressive.

I finally arrive at the forrest (called a 'wood' over here) of Hampstead Heath and make my way through the little paths. To my surprise, I soon come to a little landscaped garden area which then opened out to the most magnificent cream and grey coloured mansion perched in the middle of these tranquil landscaped gardens stretching over acres of land. I remember Talieh mentioning something of the sort but I was definitely not expecting this! A huge (understatement) 3 story, pillared Villa with the subtle name of Kenwood House. I had no idea it even existed and as I noticed all these people coming in and out, I thought I too, would go inside. Apparently it was built in the early 1700's (OMG!) and was once a home to Lord Mansfield and his family, including his niece Belle which has actually just been released as a movie! (A must-see for me now I think!) I can not describe the beauty of the architecture, historic monuments and paintings inside this place and I almost feel like I have stepped inside the middle of a movie. I end up spending at least 2 hours exploring this place but here is a great website I've found if you do want to know a bit more about it; http://m.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/kenwood/history-and-research/kenwood-history-portico/

After discovering this little secret gem tucked away in the middle of Hampstead Heath and then exploring the forrest, I head home to lay on the grass of our own little garden (a rarity for London apparently) and relax in the sun for a while...

3 hours later and I realise it's bordering 9pm! I had no idea as I figured it would be dark by this time! It's so confusing but in summer here it doesn't get dark until around 10pm or even later. This at least explains why I'm so tired so I head back inside to enjoy the last few hours of my second night in Muswell Hill before my friend arrives from the Midlands in the morning...