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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

London Recap: Part II

{Gorgeous Flowers in Spitalfields Market}

Welcome to Part II of my London recap! Our days were filled to the brim with activities. We walked for eight hours or more each day, visiting the sights and taking in as much as we could of what London has to offer. I still find myself dreaming about London and I really wish I were still there with the city unfolding before me. I still can't get over how much I loved it. I expected it to be a wonderful place, but never expected to fall so deeply in love with it, which was quite a nice surprise.



One day, we decided to take a double decker bus tour. It may sound cheesy, but it is a great way to see the major sights, get a lay of the land, and hear a brief history of the places tourists usually flock to. Included with our ticket was the option to participate in some walking tours. Seeing as how most of the sights close pretty early, we decided to go on the "Ghosts of London Pub Crawl" one evening. It was very fun and our guide was fantastic. One of our stops was the Sherlock Holmes Pub on Baker Street, as seen above.


We strolled through several neighborhoods on our tour and saw many beautiful buildings along the way. One of my favorite things about London is the bright colored doors!

Flowers literally spill out of so many buildings in London. How gorgeous is this?

The Beautiful (and haunted) Somerset House
High Courts of Justice
Sweeney Todd's House on Fleet Street (This was creepy!)

Beautiful Horse Sculpture near Hyde Park and The Marble Arch

Marble Arch

The entire city is so elegant and well-manicured. We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch one afternoon in the Embankment Gardens pictured here.


This building is gorgeous, but I am not sure what it is. It is off the river bank east of Parliament near the big police headquarters.

Westminster Abbey- so beautiful and filled with history

Locals at Spitalfields Market

This building in the East End caught my eye because most of London is so gorgeous and well-maintained. However, I think it's still beautiful in spite of the decay.
Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London

The Exact Spot where Queen Anne Boleyn was Beheaded

These quaint homes were once home to the kings and queens of England. They are now occupied by Yeoman Warders and their families.

I loved the turquoise doors!

Posing with a Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater

A Small Changing of the Guard Ceremony at the Tower

Londoners Enjoying their Lunch Break near St. Paul's Cathedral

Pretty Buildings

The Exquisite Baroque Interior of St. Paul's

Sir Christopher Wren's dome is the second largest in Europe after the dome of St. Peter's at The Vatican.

We climbed more than 500 steps each way to get to the top of the dome!

The view was definitely worth it.
Fabian and I at Buckingham Palace

We were blessed with perfect weather during our trip. It only sprinkled for about 20 minutes one day during the entire week, but I just had to show off my cute new umbrella!

Our Favorite Pub, The Gloucester Arms in Kensington

Fabian and I were lucky enough to enjoy an incredibly decadent dinner experience at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's. (more about this later)

The Gorgeous Lobby at Claridge's

Fabian and I at Claridge's


The British Museum

15 comments:

LindsB said...

What a lovely review of London, I LOVE that city! I cant wait to go again soon and visit some of the places you went that I didnt get to see.

Meg said...

Paloma! I just LOVE your photos! I've looked at them twice now! They are so pretty! London is just so fabulous! Tim always teases me because Paris has always been my favorite city since I studied there, but in recent years I've been to London more and now he teases me that London is my favorite, but I honestly can't choose, they are both amazing! I can't wait to see more and hear more about it!!! ;) Glad to have you back too! xxx M

Megan Lee said...

Wow, your pictures are amazing and make me want to go soooo bad! I would love to take a trip there. I hope there are more pictures to come :)

Bonnie- amour amour said...

Great photos! Looking forward to hearing more about your dinner at Claridges.

thoughts running through my head.... said...

I live in London,so its nice to see it from a visitors eyes!Its not all like that but there are undeniably some beautiful interesting places to visit.

BALLET NEWS said...

Can't wait to read more about Claridges - I've eaten there myself and it was the best meal I've ever had ! Lovely post, really enjoyed it - & I'm loving your blog ! Best wishes..

carlee {deliciously organized} said...

I've never been to London. It looks amazing. Your photos are beautiful. I love the ones of the little flower shops :)

Louisa said...

Paloma! Your photos made me miss London so much. I lived there for a year and it's so nice to see it all new again through your perspective. So glad you enjoyed it so much! :)

Averill said...

Love your pictures! I believe it was Samual Adams who said "he who is tired of London is tired of life!"

You're making me want to go back (and I just got back from a trip in July!).

Anonymous said...

Looking gorg!

Katherine said...

My, oh my, oh my... what an amazing trip you had!!! I am so happy for you! Lovelovelove your photos and documentary! You look amazing... (no signs of jet lag or any other travel-related ailments). Wow.

Erin Gates said...

OK, London is next on my list!!!! I was just watching The Other Boleyn Girl last night- can;t believe you saw where she was actually beheaded!!!

Anonymous said...

london looks amazing! thanks for sharing your great pictures. love your stylish umbrella!!

-stephanie
designcocktail.blogspot.com

Sarah La Rose said...

Paloma, what hotel did you stay at? My husband and I are going to London at Christmas. I prefer to stay in boutique hotels but can't seem to afford all the ones that i've found online so far. Can you help a girl out?

annette said...

You made me miss London so much! I can't believe you had a picture of Glouster Arms! That was my favorite local hangout when I lived in Kensington. Brightened my day!

Also, interesting tidbit: the picture you took of Ten Bells (the old crappy looking building) is actually the place where Jack the Ripper found his first victim.