8 hours of sleep! Yes! I sure needed that. I got ready to meet my airb&b excursion group going on a bike tour around London. I was nervous to join as I was not totally comfortable on a bike but I ended up having an amazing time. James, our tour guide from Tally Ho Experiences, took us to visit some touristy places mixed in with some off the beaten track places too. I had a moment on the tour when I felt like I was a contestant on “Um, Actually.” James stated that when Taylor Swift comes to London she stays at the Savoy. As a Swiftie, I wanted to say, “Um, actually she lives here now and doesn’t need to stay in a hotel.”

During the tour, I struck up a conversation with a couple visiting from PA. We chatted about our travels, where we had been and where we were going. I told them about the couple I had met while I was in Paris and mentioned that my mom had prayed for angels to take care of me on my trip. The woman smiled at me and said, “I’m one of your moms angels,” and proceeded to hand me a 20 pound note. I had mentioned that I had no cash on me since everything had been cashless so far, and was worried about how I was going to tip the tour guide. I was so shocked by her kindness. After the tour ended, I looked to say goodbye to the couple and they were gone! Angels, indeed.

The coolest part of the bike excursion was being able to cycle underground through The Graffiti Tunnel to check out the street art and graffiti covering the walls. We were even able to put up our own tags! It was never a place that I would even think about visiting on my own (I didn’t even know about it) so I was so thankful that we were able to view it on the tour.

After the bike ride, I sure was hungry so I popped into a pub (The Hercules) for lunch. What do you think I ordered? If you guessed a pint of beer and fish & chips with a side of mushy peas, you’d be correct! Gosh, do I love me some mushy peas!

That evening, I joined another airb&b excursion. This one was a Jack the Ripper tour. There were a ton of people and it didn’t seem very organized. Something about the evening gave me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t shake it but I knew I had to get out of there. So at the first chance I got (when I was close to the tube station I needed) I bounced. As a solo female traveler, I have to be in tune with my feelings all the time to keep myself out of harms way. Now, I’m not saying something bad would have happened if I’d stayed with the tour (I have no way of knowing) but as soon as I left the group, the icky feelings I had were gone, completely vanished. I’m glad I didn’t ignore the feeling. It’s always important to trust your gut.

Something felt off with me. I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know if maybe I was just tired, or I missed being in Paris, or that I didn’t like London anymore. But I wasn’t feeling it. As I went to bed that night, I replayed the days events in my mind. On the bike tour, we cycled by Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and Buckingham Palace. It was great, but I didn’t feel like going back to see them up close. I didn’t even feel like visiting Abbey Road which is what I had planned to do the next day. I felt like maybe I was ready to move on to my next stop on this trip. I hoped the feeling would change. I hoped that a good night sleep would help me get some clarity.

Tip, Links, and Locations

Bike Tour AirB&B excursion This is the one I did.

Jack the Ripper tour– It was an Airb&b excursion but I can’t say whether it was good or not as I left partway through it.

The Graffiti Tunnel Leake Street, London SE1 7NN, United Kingdom

Mushy Peas The Hercules 2 Kennington Rd, London SE1 7BL, United Kingdom