September 18-22, 2014 - Gabby and I traveled to London to visit her best friend from SIS, Annabel, who moved to London at the end of 7th grade. Lucky for me Annabel's mom, Jayne, is a good friend of mine.
What struck me immediately is how much bigger London is than Stockholm. The entire population of Sweden can fit into the greater London area. Everything is more intense - the crowds, the neighborhoods, the traffic! We had a great overview of London and plan to return for more.
Friday - Gabby and I explored Trafalgar Square, found breakfast at Pret-a-Manger, walked over to Buckingham Palace, Picadilly and Regent St. (Hollister!) where we met up with Jayne. The three of us continued to Carnaby St. and lunch on Great Castle St.
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| Trafalgar Square |
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| Trafalgar Square |
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| love this Tube ad |
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| Pimm's! |
Saturday - Most of the day was spent immersed in Harrods... the food hall, Shoe Heaven and lunch. A successful mission to find Krispy Kreme donuts ($8.95/dozen) followed by a tour of Covent Garden market/entertainers and Annabel's birthday dinner at Jamie's Italian.
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| Jayne ordered a special Saturday treat for the kids |
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| Annabel and Jayne on the way to Harrod's |
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| Harrod's beautiful decor |
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| the amazing Harrod's food hall |
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| lunch at Harrod's |
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| the Egyptian stairway... or stairway to Shoe Heaven |
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| Manolo Blahniks |
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| the girls hanging out in Shoe Heaven |
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| Covent Garden |
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| birthday dinner at Jamie's Italian |
Sunday - We explored Greenwich, walking around the Maritime Museum and Royal Naval Academy and the Market. We hopped a boat, seeing the Tower and London Bridges, on the way to the London Eye.
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| Greenwich - Maritime Museum |
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| Gabby and Annabel |
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| Royal Naval Academy |
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| Tower Bridge |
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| Big Ben |
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| London Eye |
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| parliament and Big Ben |
Monday - Gabby and I loaded up on English goodies (Hobnobs, etc.) and had lunch with Jayne at Queen's Head Pub for traditional fish and chips. We picked Annabel and her brother, Simon, up from school and headed to the airport.
Can't wait for our next visit!!
