Please Mind the Gap, Love

If my stay in Paris wasn’t enough to fill my heart with joy, my memorable trip to London made it burst. This was my first time to the city known as “The Smoke,” and although Lisa had visited a couple times before with her daughters, this would be the first time she was child-free. We were both determined to have a fun girls getaway, and I think we succeeded.

After our short train ride through the hills and valleys of France and England, and through a somewhat ear-popping excursion under the English Channel, we found ourselves in London’s King’s Cross/St. Pancras station. The packed stations was a little daunting at first, but after figuring out what kind of Tube pass to get, we were on our way to the hotel.  Lisa, being the metro-guru that she is, knew exactly which line to take. And luckily for us, the Piccadilly Line to our Gloucester stop was super easy. And, what was even better was that our hotel was a hop, skip, and jump from the Tube station. The only difficult moment we had was lugging our luggage up two flights of stairs. (It was a good work out nonetheless.)

Once we got settled into our hotel room, we started getting ready for our afternoon tea reservations at The Wolseley – apparently a well-known (and dare I say swanky) spot for a traditional English tea experience. Lisa and I had the basic tea service – our choice of tea (I chose the The Wolseley Afternoon Blend) and two scones with homemade jam and clotted cream (also known in America as butter). It was delightful and astonishingly very filling – a perfect cap-off a first afternoon in the city.

With a little shopping after tea, purchasing gifts (including tea and jam) and enjoying the scenery, we heading back to the hotel for a little rest. That evening we stayed near the hotel, traveling only a block or so for dinner at an Italian restaurant. The weather was a little wet and chilly that first night, but being from Phoenix, I enjoyed it tremendously.

The next day was heralded “Tourist Day.” Lisa and I decided to hop on a bus tour of the city. It was the easiest way to see all the sights for a somewhat affordable price. We took copious amounts of pictures of all the landmarks and hopped off near the Thames River across from Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. What amazing architectural and historical sights we saw! I was in awestruck by the intricate work of each structure and the significance they have not only in England’s history but also in America’s.

We also saw many other unique and ornately designed buildings throughout the City of London and surrounding boroughs. We drove over the London Bridge, saw the London Tower and The London Eye (which I didn’t make it to this time around), snapped pictures of numerous pubs, and took note of the shopping areas we wanted to visit the following day.

After a full day of sightseeing, we got ourselves ready for a fancy evening at Gordon Ramsey’s Maze Grill on Grosvenor Square. After a humorous and lively taxi ride to the restaurant – one filled with talk about polka-dot knickers and the happenstance of “finding” a hotel – we found ourselves in a very exclusive-feeling establishment. Those Londoners really know how to make a lady feel special. From the courteous hostess to the nice bartender, and to a wonderful (albeit expensive) meal, it was another lovely London experience. (Sorry I have no pictures of it – I didn’t want to come across as too obnoxiously touristy.)

Lisa’s  and my final full day in London was spent shopping. We made our way to Notting Hill’s Portobello Street Market. And what a market it was! Never before have I seen so many people all in one place and speaking so many different languages. It was like being at the United Nations of Flea Markets.

There were so many goodies and goods I was in shopping and eating heaven. Baked goods galore, fresh fruits and vegetables, and all sorts of delicious smells wafted through the streets. There were also an array of stalls devoted to antiques, souvenirs, clothing items and accessories. I was drawn to some of the antiques – particularly an old bookstall that had 19^th century books ranging from an old Bible to tiny pocket-sized books of Shakespeare’s plays. A book that caught my eye was a 1880s edition of a Keats poetry book. I grabbed it up and had no qualms paying full price.

I also found an antique stall that carried old letterpress letters, which I had been looking for in Phoenix for quite some time. I found the letters I wanted – my initials T-J-K – and a stand to house them on. I even haggled the price down a little bit.

After getting our fill of the market scene, we made our way to Oxford and Regent Streets for real store shopping. It was crowded crazyville and I was a little overwhelmed. (I think Lisa can attest to that.) But Lisa found some great deals and I found several things I put on my mental list of things-to-get-when-I-come-back.

We then somehow found ourselves back on the bus tour from the previous day (the tickets were good for two days). We gave our feet some time to recuperate and my introverted mind a moment or two to decompress. After my crowd-induced mini-meltdown settled, Lisa and I made our final shopping stop at Harrods – the mecca of department stores. Lisa described it as the Caesar’s Palace of shopping centers. She was right. From its ornate interior to its luxurious designer offerings, it was quite a remarkable structure to behold.

Before we left our beloved London, we were given one last gift from this hospitable and gracious city. A very strapping young man offered to help carry Lisa’s and my luggage down to the Tube platform. We both watched in swooning gratitude, as he lifted our luggage in each hand – tattooed muscles bulging – and carried them down the stairs for us. With much appreciation and a warm heart for this city that seems to keep on giving, we thanked that kind Londoner and made our way back to Paris.

Both cities have found a special place in my heart – Paris for its effortless beauty, scrumptious food, and amorous spirit; and London for its convivial atmosphere, sardonic humor, and awesome history. Although my stay was filled with a sufficient amount of memorable experience, I know that these two places have burrowed their way into my soul and that I’ll never be quite complete without visiting them again and again.

Until then, love, cheers!