LONDON ADVENTURES

We are BACK to share our London adventures!

Hi all! We have taken quite the hiatus from the blog (studious academics that we are), but DO NOT FRET! We did not forget about the updates we promised weeks ago from our big Reading Week excursion in London. This week spent frollicking around London before coming back to St Andrews and hitting the books was truly amazing.

Day 1

Chelsea shopping & Chipotle

For weeks Lauren and I have been dreaming about our shopping adventures and they truly came into fruition on this afternoon excursion. We spent a glorious afternoon popping around different stores before ending the afternoon in the most perfect way: lunch at Chipotle! One thing that St Andrews does NOT have is chain restaurants and truthfully, we had been craving some comfort food. 

Camden Market

Camden Market was packed full with tourists and shoppers ready to score some finds! This was pretty overwhelming, but it was all worth it when LaurG picked up her new favorite pair of clogs which she has been stomping around in for WEEKS now! After the bustle of the market, we were ready to curl up in the comfort of a pub. 

Pub hopping & Pizza Pilgrims

We went to a couple of cozy and lively pubs in Camden (one even had an old Nintendo with Super Mario!!) and worked up quite the appetite!

For dinner we hit up one of Morgie’s beloved London spots: Pizza Pilgrims. I know what you are thinking: isn’t that just a tacky chain pizza restaurant? On the outside, you may think so, but in fact Pizza Pilgrims is a delightful pizza place that serves the best barbecue chicken pizza ever (just ask Morgie’s friend Olivia, she will back her up). There happened to be a Pizza Pilgrims in Camden and it was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up (LaurG says the vegan pizza was yummy, too).

Day 2

TOWER OF LONDONNNN

LaurG was chomping at the BIT to see the Tower of London in all its glory. This was the very first medieval historical landmark I had ever learned about, so it was really special for me to have the opportunity to see it in PERSON! We got coffees, hopped on the Tube, and got to the Tower right around opening time. We spent a good couple of hours hitting every exhibit in the Tower walls- there are centuries of history to be discovered in those walls! They do a really good job of presenting it all, and I definitely could’ve scurried around for much longer there if I didn’t have a certain Indian restaurant on my mind… 

Dishoom

Ugh Dishoom. The lights were low, the service was impeccable, and the potatoes were seemingly cooked by magical chef fairies. We simply cannot put into words how delicious the food was here. We had been looking forward to this stop for weeks, and it certainly didn’t disappoint! As always, gluten free and vegan options were shared, and both were greatly enjoyed!

Spitalfields and Brick Lane

Although we were tuckered out by the time we arrived at Brick Lane, the amount of vintage stores was quite reviving. This was an AMAZING part of the city where LaurG would love to visit again (perhaps directly after a cold iced coffee and with a full wallet of cash). There were so many amazing stands/shops all around and it was OVERWHELMING but so cool. 

Day 3

For our last full day in London, we could not have gotten luckier weather wise with gorgeous clear blue skies and mid-60s temp. It really set the mood for our last day!

The Wallace Collection

The day started strong with a stop at Morgie’s favorite art museum in Marylebone! This gorgeous and underrated art museum is full of bright and colorful Rococo style furniture, decorative objects, paintings, wallpaper, and more! Morgie’s favorite room is the collection of miniatures from the 1800s, and LaurG’s favorite part was the medieval collection, which included lots of figurines and illuminated paintings!

Notting Hill brunch and shop

It’s not a perfect sunny London day without a trip to Notting Hill! Morgie and LaurG met up with their pal Valerie and her friend Simone for some classic brunch at Farm Girl! After brunch, we meandered through the colorful street, stopping at shops and stands, and taking lots of pictures (obviously)! 

Kensington Gardens

It was in these gardens that Morgie could not restrain herself from saying multiple times, “I cannot believe how perfect of a day it is.” And indeed, the gardens and park looked absolutely stunning with clear blue skies and bright orange and yellow foliage! It was a delightful walk for a delightful fall day. Obviously, we had to stop by the pond for LaurG to visit some birds.

LaurG’s V&A experience and dinner

This evening, LaurG had booked tickets to a little concert in London, so for a little solo excursion before the concert she decided to stroll around the beautiful Victoria and Albert Museum. The V&A boasted the most insane and diverse collection of art and artifacts I’d ever seen, and I truly need to return to be able to make it through more of the exhibits (had to leave since they were closing)! Then I took the Tube to Hammersmith where I stumbled upon- wait for it…… wait for it….. A PUB WHICH SOLD THAI FOOD WITH A CAT SITTING ACROSS FROM ME. You heard that right folks. I got to sip on my favorite cider, eat pad thai, and pet a cute cat all in one establishment. Duke of Cornwall Hammersmith I love you <3 Anyways, I ended the night with a solo concert experience!

Morgie’s Daunt Books and fish and chips experience  

When I studied abroad in London I left with a broken heart to leave a city I loved but also…lingering regret that I did not buy an iconic Daunt Books tote bag. So what is a girl to do when she returns to a city that has half of her heart? SHE FINALLY GETS THE NAVY TOTE BAG OF HER DREAMS (and also three books that she absolutely did not intend to buy but was talked into by the super nice worker who persuaded her to buy not one but TWO nonfiction books). 

To keep the high going, I went to The Mayfair Chippy, an iconic fish and chips restaurant, for some GF… you guessed it…. Fish and chips! I Googled GF fish and chips and this was the first place that showed up so naturally I made a reservation, but little did I know that this was a HOT LONDON SPOT. When I arrived I found a line already forming outside the restaurant! It turns out that every night there is a huge line because people are that desperate to get in! The fish and chips were superb and I had a lovely solo dinner!

Overall, our London trip could not have been more perfect! We were lucky to have fantastic weather and delicious food, and it is safe to say we made the most of every day! 

Morgie’s official rating: 100/10 (London will forever and ever have my heart)

LaurG’s official rating: 11/10 (London exceeded my expectations and I need to return!)

Xoxo,

L & M