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Day 1- London
Our trip started much like any other - checking in, passing through customs and boarding our economy seats. Seemingly thousands of duty free stores, sighs, terrible in-flight movies and equally tough/soggy noodle and rice meals later, our Air China flight landed in London. Carl and I were so excited! That is, until we saw the customs line. Bloody London.
One hour after our 5:45pm arrival, we were ready to collect our bags. When about to
board the Heathrow express, we realised we had left Carl's carry-on bag at the
baggage counter. There was another hour of negotiating and explaining that the bag
had no identification or tags (seeing as it was a carry-on after all). Finally a
staff member went to the area that we know we left it, came back and stated "it's
there". No s***, buddy! He was apparently not allowed to handle the bag so he
finally allowed Carl in and after ensuring that all was in order, we went to board
the Heathrow Express. "Where are the tickets?" I asked Carl. "I gave them to you" he
replied. In line with our fabulously smooth sailing start to our holiday, I had lost
the tickets! Refusing to believe they could be totally missing, I scanned the
airport floor and lo and behold... Found the tickets!
Getting to Alex and Ness' apartment at 52 Chelmsford Rd Notting Hill was a breeze
(after the commotion!) with a quick Heathrow Express ride to Paddington and a black
cab.
It was so exciting to arrive in picturesque Notting Hill where Alex and Ness
welcomed me, a relative stranger, as an old friend.
We were desperate for showers and food at this stage so walked through the streets
to a mexican place called "Crazy Homies" where we were promptly told there was no
room for us at this late hour. After being rejected from 2 more restaurants, Lala
came to meet us yay!! She took us to a bar/restaurant named something Robot where I
devoured some pumpkin ravioli (which, days later, Carl was still devastated that he
wasn't offered a bite) and Carl had a wagyu burger. Delicious! We were soon falling
asleep at the table so made our way back to Chelmsford for a lovely deep sleep.
Day 2 London
The day started with a lie in and a trip to a stunning cafe for breakfast. Natural
light flooded the large and vibing parlor, complemented by the yellow decor and
large mirrors dotting the walls. For future reference, I need to remember not to
order the scrambled eggs which were overly yellow and sloppy, and did not resemble
Australian eggs at all. Constrastingly, Carl's omelette both looked and tasted
divine.
A short walk landed us in Portabello Rd, where, just like in the movie Bedknobs and
Broomsticks, you could find "anything and everything a truck can unload". It was
absolutely jam packed- both of people and treasures. Here we could buy just about
anything from a gas mask to silver candlesticks, to the World's Best Brownie which
we happily ate much, much later that night.
Alex and Carl were keen for a pint so we stopped at the nearest watering hole where
Carl bumped into an old friend (well, an old friend's sister really, but it's all
the same now) and we all got some great ideas for London's must-do's.
I was not feeling well so sadly went home for a long nap while Carl patiently
waited, all the while getting texts from Alex wanting him to come meet them. He
obliged after waking me from my 3 hour slumber to tell me he was off. He enjoyed the
afternoon on the rooftop bar of the Queen of Hoxton in East London were I later met
him, although upon arrival was informed I was not allowed upstairs as it was about
to close! We all then made our way along the street to a funky bar with a boho
outdoor/indoor vibe, awesome music and bustling lines for a pint.
A very long and traffic-filled ride home in an unmarked "cab" took us four starving,
tired and well, let's face it, beyond tipsy Aussies back to Chelmsford (thank
goodness we pre-negotiated the ride fare at £25!) were we desperately scoured the
cupboards for food, settling on a slice of bread with salami and cheese under the
grill each, followed by the aforementioned World's Best Brownies!
Day 3- London
Our rumbling stomachs woke us at the crack of dawn, so we decided on an early start.
We snacked on some berries and grapes while organising for Lala to join us for a Yum
Cha brunch at Royal China on Queens Way. I'm not sure if it was the hunger or the
holiday fever, but Carl and I swear it was the best Yum Cha we ever had! Carl and I
then said our goodbyes (for now) and promised to meet Alex and Ness at Hyde Park
later in the day.
We caught the tube to St Paul's where we visited the cathedral, a breathtaking
experience where I lit a candle for Poppie and Carl lit one for his late
grandmother, Molly.
Deciding that the walk from St Paul's to the London Eye was simply too long and
difficult, we caught the tube to Westminster. What an area! Our great intentions to
hop on the London Eye were quickly diminished with one look at the mile-long line.
Deciding it was far more important to enjoy the beautiful day than to waste it in a
line, we embarked on our lengthy walk past Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament,
through St James Park, past Buckingham Palace and through Green park. By that stage
it was evident that my gorgeous wedges were the wrong choice of shoes (and I have
the blisters to prove it!) so we jumped in a black cab to our final destination at
Hyde Park near Queens Way where we were greeted by Alex, Ness and a couple of their
Aussie friends enjoying the park with a few scattered newspapers, and some beer and
wine. The strangest sight for sure had to be the hundreds of Londoners sunbaking in
bikinis when there was no beach to be seen! Carl's cousin Jo joined us and it was so
lovely to meet her and share some wine on this beautiful day.
After we had all had enough sun, Jo made her way home and the rest of us went to
dinner at a pub called The Mitre on Holland Park Rd where Lala met us all.
Unfortunately by then we were all a little too merry and had had a little too much
sun.
We sadly had to say goodbye to Lala after heading home to give her the belongings
she had left at my house. She promised to try to meet us later in our travels... We
hope so!
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