Having just recently returned from London, I thought there was no better post to begin my new blog with, than a post dedicated to the amazing time I had in my favourite city. London is a city I have always loved and dreamed about living in. From it’s remarkable never ending history to its endless opportunities, I just think it has so much to offer. For many people, the constant hussle and bussle of London life is too much. But for me, it is for this very reason that I am so in love with this city. There is never a quiet moment. Everyone is constantly rushing around and there is always something exciting going on. For someone like me who comes from a rather quiet city, this is definitely one of the main things that appeals to me. Although London is so big and the main attractions (or shopping districts in my case) are spread out, getting to and from everything couldn’t be simpler. Each time I visit London, I seem to fall more in love with the city and the general way of London life.
So, why was I in London? Well I was meeting one of my best friends, Kerstin! I met Kerstin when we were both studying Politics at university. Sadly, during our first year Kerstin decided to move back home to Germany. Although we always made the effort to keep in touch, we hadn’t seen each other for over a year! Around Christmas time, we both decided that we wanted to meet and catch up since it had been so long. We’d both had such a busy time at our universities with deadlines, assignments, and of course exams, and decided that a shopping trip to London would be the perfect way to reunite, relax and unwind from all the stressful things going on in our lives. The last few times I’d been to London, I’d travelled with school or family, and always felt a little restricted to what I could do and where I could go. Before going to London, Kerstin and I both agreed that we wouldn’t do too much “tourist things” as we both had done these things before. And therefore, we had six days and five nights to do as we pleased which was amazing!
The hotel we stayed in was really central. It was directly next to the London Eye and therefore not only were we next to two major tube stations, we also had incredible views and had the opportunity to walk the London Eye Pier nearly everyday. Directly across from our hotel, there were many restaurants, small stores and coffee shops which was really convenient. The room we got was adequately sized and the bed was also really comfortable. In general, the hotel we chose was perfect for what we needed.
Since Kerstin and I wanted to spend our week mainly shopping (typical girls), we visited Oxford Street, Bond Street and the surrounding areas many times during our time in London. Victoria’s Secret on New Bond Street and the Topshop on Oxford Street are a must! We also made a trip to Knightsbridge to go to Harrods. Although neither of us actually bought anything, it was still worth the trip. We took many pictures, especially of the famous Food Hall. Look at all the chocolates and cakes!!
And of course the obligatory Harrods selfie ..
There was also a Laduree in Harrods. These famous macarons certainly did not disappoint! I recommend the Praline flavour mmm. I really could have got a huge box of these, but instead I resisted and only bought two.
And now for my purchases...
I didn’t buy too much in London. Mainly because most of the stores there are the same as the stores here in Aberdeen, and I had a huge “Spring” shopping haul only a week before I left. I did buy a few pieces though, mainly jumpers and shirts and a few bigger pieces such as my new Fossil bag.
I love all the pastel colours that are around for Spring at the moment. When I saw the bag in this mint colour, I just loved it and got the matching wallet, too. I think it is really nice to have a matching wallet, it just makes wearing the bag a little more special I think. Which brings me to my next purchase. Perhaps this was my “biggest” purchase and it was from the Louis Vuitton store. On the last day, I decided to take the plunge and buy the matching coin purse for my Speedy30. I’ve wanted a matching purse for quite some time and although I could’ve just purchased it online, I think it’s much better to go to the store and get the full experience. I am so in love with it and can’t wait to use it!
As you can tell, I am slightly obsessed with bags! I think bags (if you spend money on quality ones), are investment pieces and something that will last you forever. And its amazing how much they can “update” an old look and make every outfit look slightly different.
When it came to eating, we wanted to experience different food and restaurants in London, so we tried to eat in different districts and areas as much as possible. On the first evening, we ate at Nando’s. This was just a casual dinner as we were both quite tired from our early morning flights and we’d planned to go out for drinks later that evening, so just wanted to eat something quick. Kerstin and I have a “tradition” of eating at Nandos since it is something we always did in Scotland, so it seemed fitting that we ate here on the first evening. We also found a lovely Indian restaurant in Soho (Masala Zone), it was so good that we ate there a total of 3 times. Twice in Soho and once in Covent Garden (we thought we’d mix it up a little!). Ok so I know I was saying that we tried to eat in different places, but this restaurant was just too good to not go more than once! We also went to Chinatown, Covent Garden and various other areas within the city for small snacks or meals. Whilst in Chinatown, I discovered Mochi. These are too good and I am now addicted. Thankfully there is a Chinese supermarket in Aberdeen where I have found these so whenever I crave them, I can just go there! Green Tea or Pandan are my favourites, but the Peanut Butter flavour is good too. Covent Garden is also a lovely area with many unique restaurants. They also have a Laduree (yes, we got more macarons) and a frozen yogurt bar called Snog. Many British people will know Snog, as it has become quite a “craze” in the UK, with a huge celeb following.
As London is a city that never sleeps, there are endless things to do at night. However, most of the evenings we just returned to the hotel as we had been out for the majority of the day and we were just so tired. Two of the nights we went clubbing. Once to a club called Rumba and once to TigerTiger. Both clubs had a great atmosphere and we had great nights out. We also had an evening at the theatre where we saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!
Overall, we had a great week and it was so nice seeing each other after such a long time. I think it is so nice when you can see a friend after such a long time and reminisce on memories and most importantly, make new ones! We had so much fun and laughs in London and definitely plan on seeing each other again sometime soon - hopefully it won’t be as long as a year next time! Thank you for a great week Kerstin!!
Now that I am home from London and still have some of my Easter Break left, I plan on focusing my energy on fitness and university work. Since being back in Aberdeen, I have been going to the gym a lot more as I want to get more fit and lose a little weight before summer comes. And as for the university work, well if it was up to me I wouldn’t be doing this over the Easter Break! But as I have important exams in May, I don’t really have much choice, so I am using the next week or so to catch up and become more “familiar” with everything.
Hope to blog soon!
Love,
Brooke
