London 2018 - Day 1 #Travel

Hi guys! How is everyone? I'm sitting in my room writing this travel blogpost and it feels so different! I haven't done one of these in a really long time and to tell you the truth I miss them. Therefore, I decided that for 2018 I am going to put more effort into my travel posts PLUS I also posted a travel vlog! Yep, you heard that right, I will be splitting the London vlogs into three days. Please don't be so hard one me - this is actually my first time vlogging and also, I know I am not the best at editing! This is very nerve-wrecking for me because it's the first time I am actually sharing more of my life rather than just outfit or makeup posts so I hope you like it and I would love it if you were to give me some constructive criticism! Obviously, if you want to watch the video you can do so by clicking here.

I will be going through the places we visited on our first day in the order that they were seen in the video and share with you a little bit on each stop.

London Eye

I apologize if not all the photos are clear but as you can see it was snowing during our trip that at times it was even difficult to see where we were heading. We decided that for our first day we were going to visit the popular and famous landmarks of London. The first one was the London Eye. The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. We decided not to go on it and thank god we didn't pre-book the tickets because the visibility that day was crap and we would not have been able to see a thing. However, if you are planning a trip to London and you want to purchase the tickets you can do so here. There are also offers on their site where you can pay for multiple attractions at a cheaper price. I suggest you purchase the tickets online beforehand because you'd be able to get them slightly cheaper (this applies to all other attractions in London!). 

Big Ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London and is usually extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower. The tower in which Big Ben is located is officially called the Elizabeth Tower. Unfortunately, while we were there the Big Ben was under construction so we couldn't see anything!

Jubilee Golden Bridge

The Jubilee Golden Bridge is a pedestrian bridge meaning that it can only be accessed by walking. To get a better idea of where the Jubilee Golden Bridge is situated I decided to include a map. The Hungerford Bridge crosses the River Thames in London, and lies between Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge. It is a steel railway bridge – sometimes known as the Charing Cross Bridge – flanked by two more recent, cable-stayed, pedestrian bridges that share the railway bridge's foundation piers, and which are named the Golden Jubilee Bridges.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. I had been to London with my parents a couple of years ago in a much warmer weather and I remember I took a photo with the lions at Nelson's Column but this time it was under construction too! Despite the fact that some landmarks were under construction or could barely be seen with all the snow; the view of Trafalgar Square covered in snow was breathtaking! I'll include some photos of when I went to this same square about 3 years ago!

3 years ago at Trafalgar Square!

National Gallery

The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square. The collection in this gallery has over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. Its collection belongs to the government on behalf of the British public, and entry to the main collection is free of charge. It is among the most visited art museums in the world, after the Louvre, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although I am not a fan of paintings and arts in general, the interior of this National Gallery was exceptional from the paintings that can be found there to the architecture and the style of the gallery itself. 

Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster. It was built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with Piccadilly. I don't know if it's just me but I had so much fun recognizing all the streets and stations that I saw in London that I got to know about through the game of Monopoly, Piccadilly being one of them! We also saw a guy singing in front of Piccadilly Circus whilst playing the guitar. You can find so many of these 'street musicians' in the streets of London. Their voice is always impeccable!! 

Buckingham Palace Gardens and Buckingham Palace

The Buckingham Palace Gardens is situated in the back of the Buckingham Palace. This is the garden where the queen hosts her parties! Obviously, while we were there it didn't look like a garden at all but rather a Winter Wonderland as it was covered in snow!

We also visited the Buckingham Palace (from the outside). This is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. It is located in the City of Westminster and is usually at the centre when it comes to state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning.

Novello Theatre

This theatre is one of the MANY theatres that there are in the city of Westminster. When I had visited London with my parents I watched The Lion King Musical at the Lyceum Theatre. While in London, it is a MUST to watch one of the many amazing musicals that there are! In the evening of our first night, we opted for Mamma Mia at the Novello Theatre and let me just tell you - I pity the people that were next to me because I sang so loud and so happily during the entire show that I might have annoyed them just a bit hahah! But I mean come on, I know all of the words to the songs in Mamma Mia !! The set was just like the movie and the actors were so talented! If you want to purchase tickets to see the Mamma Mia Musical while in London you can check them out here.

As for our dinner that night, we had some traditional fish and chips from a restaurant close to our hotel and man was it delicious!!

I had also posted my London Lookbook a couple of days ago so if you haven't checked it out, you can do so here!

And that brings us to the end of the our first day in the city of London! Make sure to check our my vlog right here and make sure to tune in again on Friday for Day 2 of London vlog as well as the travel blogpost. 

Love,

Deborah X