I was so sad to say goodbye to Bath and my hotel, but I was so excited to move onto my next bit of adventure…London! It was time for for some pomp and pageantry, tons of people, and most importantly, a friend was joining me! After 2 weeks on the road alone, I would finally have some company. And not just any company, my best friend. My heart and soul! I couldn’t wait. I had just two days alone in London before she arrived, but plenty to keep me occupied and entertained while I waited.

I arrived at Paddington Station and made the short walk to my home for the next week: Lancaster Hall Hotel. I was slightly disappointed at first when I checked in and saw my room because it was snug (completely normal by European standards of course, but compared to my last room it was like a closet.) It must have been newly renovated too, because the room smelled of fresh paint. The comforter had a stain on it, and the TV didn’t work. Delightful. Regardless, I was happy to have a roof over my head for Coronation week! Since I was staying in the Kensington area, I decided to go for a walk in the garden. I explored areas I had never visited before and walked for miles. I picked up a takeaway sandwich and gobbled whilst I strolled. After a few hours, I made my way back to the hotel and called it a night. I did pop into an Indian restaurant around the corner from my hotel first though. So good.

The next day, I woke up early and grabbed some breakfast in the lobby before heading out for the day. I was set to visit my favorite place in all of London: The Tower of London! This is was my third time visiting the site and probably my favorite time. I was much more mature and aware of the historical nature of it all. For five plus hours, I wandered in and out of the historic buildings, meandering along the cobblestone paths, stopping every couple minutes to read signs and take it all in. I stepped into the chapel housing the remains of thousands, which included Anne Boelyn. My eyes filled with tears as I silently apologized to her for the toxic masculinity that killed her. Damn patriarchy.

No longer was I alone today. My best friend Kathy arrived in the morning. It felt incredible to have her there, not only because she is my heart, but because I had someone to talk to and explore with. Kathy and I did a bike ride with Tallyho London throughout the streets of London. I had done this same tour my last time there and was excited to share it with Kathy. We rode for hours, cycling past all the London landmarks and even visiting some hidden gems. We grabbed a bite to eat and a pint of beer afterwards and turned in early.

We visited the town of Windsor. The main event was, of course, Windsor Castle. It was our first time visiting the castle and we could not have been more excited. We booked a 9:30 am ticket so we could get started first thing. Strolling the castle grounds was so picturesque and beautiful. We visited a souvenir shop (or a few, lol) and perused the merchandise. As Kathy filled her basket with trinkets and treasures, I eyed a bottle of Windsor Gin. I chatted with a guy who said I would regret not getting it. Forgetting that I still had a couple months abroad, I opted to forgo the purchase. Within minutes, I WAS filled with regret! I felt like I was chasing that bottle of gin the rest of my time in London. My favorite part of the Windsor visit was, for sure, the church holding the remains of the late Queen Elizabeth II (her husband, mother, and sister too.) I teared up as I paid my respects. After our castle visit, we went to dinner at an Italian restaurant called Bizzarro. I got a ham and pineapple pizza (stop, it’s good!) and tried pink gin for the first time. OMG it was so good. I have a new favorite drink now. Delicious.

I was so proud of how well I planned our next day. We went to Kensington Palace for a tour of the Crown to Couture exhibition before afternoon tea at the Palace. The exhibition compared the life of a courtier in the palace to the role of celebrity now. There were outfits from from the palace days as well as gowns and suits from the Met Gala and various awards shows. They even had an Oscar statuette! On display, was the iconic gown that Blake Lively wore to the Met Gala the year that she hosted it. Simply stunning. I felt so lucky to experience this exhibit with my best friend. Red carpet and royalty, the very things that tie us together. So special.

After touring the exhibit, it was time for afternoon tea at the palace. To celebrate our 40th birthdays, we wanted to do something special, so we splurged on champagne and gin & tonics in addition to the three tiered dish of assorted finger sandwiches, scones & clotted cream, and tasty cakes. My first experience with afternoon tea was a success. Delectable finger sandwiches, minus the salmon one (gross) began the journey. Next we devoured our scones with clotted cream and jam. In researching where to get afternoon tea, I learned that there is a heated debate between different regions in England, “Which goes on first, clotted cream or jam.” Having no idea myself, I tried them both, thinking for sure, it would be cream first and then jam. Dear readers, in all honesty, jam first then cream for the win! After scones we ate our scrumptious desserts. A delicious day indeed!

Tips, Links, and Locations:

Home away from home Lancaster Hall Hotel 35 Craven Terrace London W2 3EL England

Delicious Indian restaurant Flavours of India 46 Gloucester Terrace London W2 3HH England

My favorite place The Tower of London London EC3N 4AB England

Bike ride through London Tallyho London 213 Carlisle Lane London SE1 7LH England

Castle time Windsor Castle Windsor Castle Windsor SL4 1NJ England

Pink gin and pizza Bizzarro 18-22 Craven Rd London W2 3PX England

Fashion & Tea Kensington Palace Kensington Gardens London W8 4PX England