London (Day 2)

 Day two in London was no day of rest either.  Plus, it was New Year's Eve and I had no official plans...yet.  On this day, I got to see St. Paul's Cathedral, The Globe Theater, Burrough Market, HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge, enjoy an Afternoon Tea, and spend NYE partying at a club in Islington.  B was amazing at navigating the Tube.  We zipped all over London with ease.

First stop of the day was St. Paul's Cathedral.


St. Paul's Cathedral, done in the English Baroque style, looks pretty normal outside but has a lot going on inside.  You have to pay to get in and there are audio guides included.  There is also a crypt and you can walk over a thousand steps to get to the top of the dome.  I had no idea there were so many steps and I was going cross eyed by the time we got to the top.  But seeing the view of London at the top of the dome was nice.

Next I wanted to see Shakespeare's Globe Theater.

The Globe Theater is south of St. Paul's Cathedral near the Tower Bridge. I'm not really a theater person, but you can't deny how great his written plays are.  Having studied an entire semester of Shakespeare's works, I had to see the Globe Theater which today (because of multiple fires), is a replica of what the stage would look like in Shakespeare's time.  Back in the day, plays used to be illegal and definitely not a place where women were allowed. If you head to The Globe, make sure to check out the nearby Borough Market which is full of local food stuffs.


Also near this area is the HMS Belfast, which B wanted to see.  The HMS Belfast was a Royal Navy warship that had a long history in WWII.  It is now a museum that floats on the River Thames.  We didn't go inside the museum, though this is obviously an option.


Right next to the HMS Beslfast is the Tower Bridge.  You can literally see it in the same picture above.  It can be a very pretty sight, especially when illuminated at night and it leads to the Tower of London.


For my last day in London, I wanted to make sure I experienced an "Afternoon Tea."  I found one near the Tower Bridge that wasn't super expensive.  You get a layer of scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam which is delicious, a layer of finger sandwiches, and a layer of sweets along with your choice of tea.  The price wasn't bad at 18 GBP (some can be very expensive).  I loved it!


If you'd like to try an Afternoon Tea at the Quarter Bar and Lounge, head to:

London Bridge Hotel, 
8-18 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG, United Kingdom
+44 20 7855 2200

We made some last minute plans to spend New Year's Eve at a crazy night club in Islington called Passing Clouds.  It was one of the strangest clubs I've ever been to but  a lot of fun.  I'd describe it as a reggae space odyssey night club.  We met up with some of my college besties that we hadn't seen since our wedding (over a year ago) to ring in the New Year.  It was a fabulous night.

 



13 comments :

  1. This looks like an awesome way to spend the day! I really, really want to go to london....Hopefully this summer I'll be able to visit. Sounds like you had a great new years eve!

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    1. It was such a good time. I knew I would like London because, well who doesn't but it was really a lot cooler than I thought. I definitely have so much more I could do if I ever return.

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  2. The food at the tea looks so yummy! I really hope a trip to London happens this year, looks like you had a great time there.

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  3. The food at the tea looks so yummy! I hope to make a trip to London this year, looks like you had a great time.

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  4. Brittany this is a lovely account of your day in London. Enjoyed reading it.

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  5. Very interesting! :) I saw the castle post too...imagine sleeping in a bedroom like that ...:)

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    1. Yes, a tour guide at another castle once told me that the beds were so small because they slept upright for fear of their bodily fluids becoming stagnant or something to that affect. Weird huh?

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  6. The Globe! Love that part of London. Nice and busy itinerary here.

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  7. London looks so cool. So many great photos but I really like your red checked scarf, lol. Did you buy it in Britain??? Pinned

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    1. Thanks for pinning! The red checked scarf actually isn't from England, it's from the States, but I did get to buy a wonderful English plaid wool throw while I was at Stonehenge. I love it!

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  8. Wow you managed to see and do a lot in one day - London is such an amazing city, I don't think I have ever been bored or without something to see when I am there - looks like you had an amazing time and the cream high tea - yum yum
    Just popping over from Travel tuesday linky

    Laura x
    www.sidestreetstyle.com

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  9. What a wonderful trip you had! Great photos, and great storytelling, I can at least pretend I was there:) Thanks so much for sharing both posts at History & Home this week. Next party on Tuesday morning (US Eastern time) Take care - Dawn @ We Call It Junkin.com

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I love to hear from readers! Questions and comments welcome. I try to respond to everyone (I respond back to your comments on the comments page so check back for a response). Thanks for reading!

-Brittany Ruth