London, Liverpool, Autumn, Travel Dream
I have always dreamed of traveling to London and the UK after seeing the movie Peter Pan. Flying into London with my husband for our 6th-year anniversary trip couldn't have been more like that feeling Wendy had, when Peter swept her off her feet to Neverland over Big Ben and past the North Star.
our first day
Let the adventure begin
We left Denver International Airport on a mild autumn day for a non-stop flight to Heathrow International Airport. While flying into Heathrow, the clouds covered enough of the city that you could only see just the tip tops of skyscrapers poking through. Getting out of the airport felt like forever with a mass of tunnels and wayfinding that I am happy my husband had been there before.
or I would have been super lost. We finally got to the Heathrow Express Train platform that would take us to Paddington Station and the ride on the train only took about 15 minutes. The train cars are quiet and run smoothly. Paddington Station is breathtaking when you first pull in on the train. The historic iron work and mass of rails is worth seeing. Also if you have a chance
to walk around the corner of the station you'll find the statue of Paddington Bear which makes a great spot for kiddos. When you exit the station the London Tube Line is just outside if you need to connect to another part of the city quickly, as well as locations to purchase your tube cards called Oyster cards, and reload them. This was one of the first things we did when we arrived.
Little Did We Know
that we would walk about 2.5 miles to get to our Air BnB flat just on the edge of Hyde Park. Just as we entered our flat, the wheel on my luggage I've owned since 9th grade completely fell apart. The lift to the flat was so small that the two of us had to go on separate trips to the second floor of the building with our luggage. We got settled in and ready to explore and as we set out, the weather was just as you'd hope for on an autumn October day in London.
Exploring Hyde Park
Once we set foot into Hyde Park we took the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk through the park and ended up at the Kensington Garden and pond where I couldn't imagine just how spectacular the swans were. Knowing that they were just calmly sitting on the water, I went into full photographer mode in a crowd of people and I lost my husband. Luckily he is a patient man and enticed me away with finding our way to our lunch spot.
The Churchill Arms
We continued our journey to the Churchill Arms Pub. I got a pint and we sat in a window booth and admired all the unique items hanging from the ceilings. Inside there is a Thai Restaurant, which, hands down you gotta have the pad Thai, it was absolutely delicious. They operate separately from the pub but will take your order and serve to your table on the pub side. This location was a beautiful building and was first on our pub list.
Portobello Road
Portobello Road was our next destination. With our hunger satisfied we began the next leg towards the street market on Portobello Road. There are so many vendors, colorful buildings, booths, and stores with antiques, vintage clothing, jewelry, knick-knacks, and uniquely found items that you could spend hours here. If you enjoy thrifting or finding unique souvenirs that won't break the bank, this place is perfect and also hosts a wonderful array of restaurants, and pubs with outdoor seating to sip a pint and people watch.
Fish & Chip
After our all-day walking adventure, we headed back to the flat for some warmer layers and back out for dinner. We stopped into the Bayswater Pub for a Fish & Chip. This culinary dish was a high priority for me on this trip, and trust me we tried a lot of them. The peas got left behind, but the food and atmosphere at this pub was wonderful and delicious.
Westminster
As I still had no idea how to navigate the tube system, Jesse was my main tour guide. We got off the tube at Westminster station and I had no idea that this was the sight I'd be seeing as soon as I walked onto the street. Big Ben was right there standing tall and gleaming in the night sky. So I did the only thing a girl would do, excitedly asked my husband to take a selfie with me and then one of me infort of the monument.
Scoops Of Happiness
After getting out of the madness that was Westminster and dodging all the other selfie-takers, we walked across the River Thames and meandered along, we saw a skate park tucked along the river and watched for a bit and then wandered into a gilato spot. We happily walked and ate our gilatos taking in the night lights and reflections off the river as we enjoyed each other's company for the night. I am not a hopeless romantic but this was a walk I won't forget with my husband.
Blackfriar Pub
Just as our gilato was starting to disappear we ventured across the River Thames again and saw this very old-looking pub called the Blackfriar. It was not on our list of pubs, but we decided to sit on the outdoor patio and enjoy the night a bit longer. I enjoyed a cider pint while the night slowly moved along. Together we got on the tube again at the Blackfriar Station and made our way back to Hyde Park on the tube. We both were tired from all our walking and were asleep before we knew it.
