travel log: london

Sunday, June 17

we loved London!
what can we say...it was everything we had expected and more. 
besides all the lineup of regular ol' touristy activities
(which are awesome...that's why they are touristy!)
we also got the rare privilege of staying with friends who lived in London,
therefore being exposed to so many hidden gems we never would have discovered otherwise!

we stayed with our friends in London's East End, which is about as diverse as it gets...
immigrants and hipsters thrive in this little neighborhood.
we sampled such an international cuisine at the street market,
got crazy lost in the bubbling flower market,
and also managed a peak at the olympic stadium
{the olympics are in just a few weeks...soooo excited!}

We also had pretty much the best weather London's ever seen!
The week we were there it was 80+ degrees every day.
we hear that's kind of a miracle, some claimed we even brought the sun!
i'm okay with that rumor!
as a result, the entire british crown was out picnicking in the park.
it was glorious!

Lastly...and this was epic...
we were in the UK for the Queens Jubilee!!
(which was the celebration of her 60 years of reigning as Queen. Now THAT is impressive!)
to celebrate, every store, house and window had up the union jack flag and bunting to match!
at first I remarked how patriotic England is, only to discover that the hoop-la was all for the Jubilee.
It was pretty amazing:) I wanted to take a picture of every storefront!
I had to use some self control for time management purposes:)

enjoy the pics (I have SOOO many more, it was hard paring them down!)


 aaannnddd....
here are a few of our favorite places: 
I love getting off the beaten track,
and discovering the local gems...here are a few!

Broadway Market in the East End: this is a tantalizing street of some serious culinary goodness. On Saturdays, this street transforms into a foodie market delight (i'm hoping to do a food post, so i'll share more on that!). But besides the market, this quaint lane boast fabulous food diversity and picturesque shopfronts that will guarantee to have you snapping pictures and outing yourself as a tourist. Just make sure to raid your grandma's closet before hand so you fit in with all the hipsters.

Churchill Cabinet War Room Museum: london's tourist drag is quite impressive, but our absolute favorite favorite was the Churchill Cabinate War Room Museum. For any WWII history buffs (or just those that want an interesting museum), this placed was off the charts! The museum is quite actually the rooms that Churchill and his staff fought the war with Germany. The offices were literally boarded up in 1945 with the end of the war, uncovered not too long ago, and stand exactly as they did then! Great audio guide as well. Kev literally had to drag me out I was so enthralled.

Columbia Road Flower market in Shoreditch: if you are looking for something off the beaten trail where locals congregate, then this is your treasure. On Sunday mornings, flower mongers display their plants like nobody's business and shout wagers on why their flowers are the best to buy! Mayhem on the most adorable street. The best part is, right off the main drag are some of the cutest coffee shops i've ever seen...so even if you don't buy any flowers (which will be hard to resist!) then at least you can treat yourself to a scrumptious brunch and delicious view of all the floral action!

love love love,
Katie 

7 comments :

  1. Looks like fun guys! Can't wait to hear more about it in person!

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  2. Hey friend!! I am SO glad that my home country did my proud and gave you a nice time!! I am also so glad to see that the weather was ok for you....phew...I do get a little ashamed sometimes at the amount of rain it pours down on visitors!! Hope you are well! Many blessings, Sally xoxo

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  3. hey there! new to your blog... i forget how i stumbled here but WOW! i love it! the last time i was in London was when i was 15 with my parents, so i definitely NEED to go back! looks just as amazing as i remember ;) cant wait to read more from u!
    xox
    ellen
    thishive.blogspot.com

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  4. these pictures are beautiful!! I'd love to be able to go there sometime. I love the pic of your two smiling at each other - so cute!

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  5. Wow love all these photos! You are very talented! I have never read your blog before! But I am going to explore some more! I love London, I love the vintage side of London. And the shopping! You get some really good boutiques in London! I always try and fit some shopping in when I visit London. My serviced apartment always ends up with bags of clothes and bits of pieces all over the place!!

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  6. I love London! And you definitely got great weather! It rained nearly every day I was there last summer, but I am hoping to catch better weather this summer.

    http://elle-alice.blogspot.com/

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I LOVE hearing from you friend:) Your comment will make my day!