London, baby!

Hey guys, 

So, as it was reading week at university, I decided to go back home, as, to be honest, I needed a break. I mean, come on, sleeping and eating all day is hard work! (Only joking, the occasional book is read somewhere within that time frame, I promise!)

However, when I was travelling home, my mum told me that we were going to London for a couple of days during the week. I was so excited, as a bit of retail therapy was just what I needed to de-stress, plus I LOVE London. I love seeing the sights, the cityscape of the towering sky scrapers, and obviously the masses of shops that are located there. Therefore, I thought I would write about my time there, as it was really fun, and I actually met someone famous. (Read on to find out who!) Hope you enjoy it!

Day 1

We arrived in London in the evening, so naturally our first thought was 'let's go for food', because why not? We ate at Jamie's Italian, and it was amazing! I've inserted pictures of the meal, and it's literally making my mouth water looking at them. If you're in London, and are looking for somewhere to eat, I would highly recommend Jamie's Italian. There's a fair few in London, so wherever you are, you will probably be within walking distance of one.

Starter

Main

Dessert

After the meal, we went back to the hotel and decided to go up to the Sky Lounge. Even though I'm not a massive fan of alcohol (I know, I'm a terrible excuse for a fresher), I'm a sucker for a good cocktail, so decided to get one. I'm sorry, but I can't for the life of me remember which cocktail it was, as I had never heard of it before, but next time I will definitely get the name and the description! I've inserted a picture below so you can see what mine and my mum's looked like (don't worry, they weren't both for me!), and I can honestly say mine was really good.

Cocktails in the Sky Lounge

Day 2

The following day, my mum and I went for an explore round London. We aimed for Covent Garden, but got a bit distracted on the way...

My mum is terrible at following maps and directions, so I had to take charge on directing us round London, and I assure you, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. However, even though we got lost multiple times, it meant that we got to see places that we wouldn't normally get to see. Plus, we normally stay in Westminster, yet stayed near Tower Bridge this time, so got to see more of the city.

Leadenhall Market

The Royal Exchange Shopping Centre, which was built in the 16th century, was honestly the most beautiful shopping centre I have ever been to. We were stood outside for ages, as we couldn't believe that this building was a shopping centre.

'Royal Exchange Shopping Luxury Shopping'

The inside was just as breathtaking. It had a variation of shops, including Tiffany, Omega and a Paul Smith outlet store. If you love a bit of high end shopping, or are just a lover of beautiful decor, then I would highly recommend taking a trip to the Royal Exchange, whether it be to engage in a little retail therapy or just to stare in awe at how amazing it is!

Inside of the Royal Exchange

After wandering around the City of London for a while, we finally arrived at Covent Garden. We went in all the usual suspects, such as Mac, Charlotte Tilbury and my mum's favourite shop, Agnes B. (The things I bought will be up in a separate post, so keep your eyes peeled!)

So, I thought that I would take a couple of pictures of the places that we visited within Covent Garden and the Seven Dials.

The phone cases they sell in Skinny Dip are so cute!

I always try to visit Neal's Yard when I visit London, as it is honestly the cutest place to see. As well as loving the products from the shop, the place itself is just as good. If I didn't know that it was there, I honestly would have walked straight past it, but I'm so glad that I didn't. The colours of the buildings and the greenery that surrounds them just makes it look so lovely, and is something different to the stereotypical London buildings. If you're in the Seven Dials, you should definitely take a look, even just for the picture opportunity. Also, Neal's Yard Remedies is another reason to visit Neal's Yard. Their produce is all natural, and their products include moisturisers, face masks and even tea.

Neal's Yard Remedies

Neal's Yard

I also found this inspirational quote on the wall coming out of Neal's Yard, so thought I would include it to show you guys. (Just for a cheeky bit of inspiration.)

Our next stop was this sweet shop, which honestly had the coolest window display I have ever seen. Plus, seeing this in the window meant I obviously had to go in...
I bought strawberry and apple fizzy laces, and cherry lips, because even though I'm 19, I'm still actually a child. Plus, who doesn't love sweets?!

How cool?!

On the night, after eating noodles at Itsu, we went to The Playhouse Theatre. You may have heard of 'The End of Longing', a play by Matthew Perry, as it's been mentioned in the media quite a bit recently. Even though the reviews weren't great, we decided to go and see it, because I love Matthew Perry, and I really love Friends. However, despite the reviews, I thought it was really quite funny and insightful, and would recommend it!

Outside 'The Playhouse Theatre'

Plus, to top off a fab 2 days, I actually met Matthew Perry! I've never been one for fangirling, yet when my parents asked if I wanted to go to the stage door, I wasn't going to refuse! As someone who has watched Friends for about 8 years now, I literally know every episode backwards (I'm sad, I know), and was so excited to finally meet the man who played Chandler. Even more so due to the fact that Chandler was always my favourite!

When he came out, he came straight to me and signed my programme; you can imagine how happy I was! He was honestly so nice, and even when my pen didn't work, he was asking around the crowd for a sharpie so he could sign my programme for me.

So there you go, that was my trip to London! I'm actually going this weekend as well, so may do this again, as I will hopefully be exploring other parts of the city. Plus, if you have any suggestions of where to visit in London, then feel free to leave them in the comments and I'll go and check them out! Thanks for reading, and hope to see you again soon!

Much love,

Grace x