London Calling

TL;DR - We napped, looked at art, and drank. Also met up with an old friend we met on a trip in 2019.



After a relatively smooth flight full of movie binges and micro naps we found ourselves in in the great city of London! We made our way to our Airbnb in the heart of the Waterloo district and promptly took a 30 minute nap.... which lasted 3 hours. 

Finally conscious and refreshed we strolled around the South Bank Center, finding a sea of patios, food stands and beer gardens. Our ultimate destination that evening was the famed Sky Garden at the top of the "Walkie-Talkie" building to catch the sunset over England's largest city.

Day two in London began with us enjoying a home cooked breakfast in our Airbnb's oasis of an garden. Then we set off for a full day of walking the city. Oxo tower was our first stop, which is essentially a vertical Grandville island for those from Vancouver. The Tate Modern came next and despite not being able to get into the Infinite Mirror Room by Yayoi Kusama (sold out until September 30th!!) three hours melted away as we explored the multitude of free galleries. 

Next stop was the Soho Otto Lenghi Restaurant NOPI, for the worlds' best aubergine. After spending three days of food budget (worth it!) in one sitting we window shopped around Regent St and Mayfair.

We were running late to meet a friend from our 2019 trip to Montenegro and attempted to save time by jumping on the tube at Piccadilly Circus. Turns out "circus" was an understatement. After descending half-way to hades, we cramped on to a platform with half of London. As the train arrived we realized it's packed to sardine levels. When we failed to squeeze in we elected to take the heel-toe express the rest of the way after all. Fortunately, our friend was similarly stymied by the crowds. 

Catching up with our friend was a great reminder of the best part of travel: finding great people, sharing unique experiences, and making connections which last long beyond the trip itself. Also drinking, drinking in new place is a key part of travel coincidentally, this formed the backbone of the rest of the night. From the slightly underwhelming Luggage Room, to the unexpected elegance of Disrepute, we spent the rest of the night trying creative cocktails and watching Londoners at all levels of inebriation. 

Finally bringing us to today, typing up this essay on the train to Edinburgh to meet the rest of the Millars for our Scottish travels.

Top Hits

• NOPI! - We can't recommend NOPI enough (though we're guessing the other Otto Lenghi Restaurants are just as good) it's on the pricey side, but worth it for one meal.
• Our AirBnB - If you're ok with an place where you share the living space with the host, I can't imagine a better place (or better host) than Jake and his Georgian Garden Apartment.
• The Tate Modern - We went when we were in London on a layover in 2019 and I'm sure we'll be back next time we're here, it's awesome and free! (Next time we'll look up the ticketed exhibits as soon our flights are booked...) 
• The Jilted Kilt at Disrepute, Gabi's perfect drink -  smoke on smoke on smoke on coffee, all rounded out with a touch of sweetness. Oh, and it's served in s smoke filled bell jar
• Wandering around South Bank on sunny days with open plans and minds
• Sky Garden View

Top Misses

• Picadilly Circus underground station at 6pm on a Saturday (for that matter the tube in general at peak hours)
• Getting to Milroy's of Soho / The Vault too late to be let in 😢, we were recommended the Vault by multiple people, but sadly weren't able to get to it this trip
• Sky Garden drinks and food - Its absolutely worth getting the free tickets to go up to the Sky Garden, but if we were to do it again, we'd skip the table reservation and overpriced beers

Until next time!

Gabi & Dan