It’s been quite a while since I’ve checked in, but I’m posting from London, England! I arrived a couple weeks ago, a day after American Independence Day (which is ironic, I know) and spent the entire week excitedly (yet nervously) familiarizing with my new surroundings, spontaneously meeting new people, and more importantly starting my summer courses at the London School of Economics. For the approximate week I’ve been here, I’ve visited some typical tourist destinations: Big Ben, the London Eye, the Buckingham Palace, various pubs, etc. but if any of you are trying to inch everything there is to do in London in a day, keep reading.
My friend, Samantha, back from the university temporarily visited from Dublin, Ireland (where she’s interning) and we woke up bright and early on a Sunday morning to go explore the vast regions of Central London.
We woke up around 9 in the morning, gently opened the blinds, and got dressed for our day ahead. I’m not a morning person as I would like to be, so we took the London Underground (or the Tube as the locals call it) to Camden Town, home of famous weekend markets and Regent’s Canal, and went to a café for coffee right away. We decided to ease into our morning at Falla & Mocaer, a locally-owned bakery and cafe located in the heart of Camden Town.
This beautifully lit store is owned by two brothers living close by and I was quickly greeted with a smile and a detailed layout of what was offered specially for today. I decided to order the quiche with chorizo and bacon and Samantha got a foccacia flatbread with ham and cheese. Did I mention everything on the menu is homemade?
Falla & Mocaer blew me away once I saw the beautiful seating area in the back of the establishment with a central atrium. The morning light effortlessly lit the room and created a warm, inviting atmosphere (something I desperately needed).
It was definitely comforting to hear a familiar voice from back home, especially being so far away from the states! I haven’t seen Samantha in a while so we slowly drank our coffee, exchanged travel stories, and admired the aesthetics of the cafe.
It was definitely comforting to hear a familiar voice from back home, especially being so far away from the states! I haven’t seen Samantha in a while so we slowly drank our coffee, exchanged travel stories, and admired the aesthetics of the cafe.
Just a few blocks away, Camden Market was our next destination. Camden Market is an outdoor flea market open everyday of the week. This place was bustling with people (both travelers and locals) and offered a variety of merchandise. My favorite aspect of this particular market was this constant flow of energy, vibrant colors, and distant sounds of stall owners convincing you to purchase their items. Almost like stepping into a completely different world.
This market offered stunning sights with every turn. One section would be street food and vintage collectables in the next. While we looked around for anything that would catch our eyes, we noticed interesting street wall art and couldn’t help but snap a picture.
If you continue walking further north of the market, you slowly enter a residential area with English style homes and quirky little neighborhood numbers. If you have some additional time to spare, consider walking around and taking it all in. With only one or two residents walking at your every turn, it can serve as a quick escape from bustling London life. You never know what you can find when you’re walking aimlessly.
We walked until we reached the nearest Tube station and ventured over to the Natural History Museum. This museum is located within walking distance of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Science Museum (all free admission) and is perfect for those traveling on a budget. The train ride was around 30 minutes and we arrived around 1 in the afternoon. The structure of the Natural History Museum is somewhat reminiscent of that in Los Angeles but one noticeable disparity was the extravagant somewhat Gothic architecture that made up its halls. This building was built in the late 19th century and features a large dinosaur fossil in center of the lobby (which is itself an amazing piece). Incredible right?
If your goal for the day is trying to visit as many places as possible in a short span of time, try grabbing a map and noting which specific exhibits you particularly like to see. We saw several ones before leaving but I will definitely be visiting this place again when I have more time to spare. Next, we walked to another celebrated museum in central London, the Victoria & Albert Museum located a quick walk away.
A museum of decorative arts, luxury, and design, the V&A can be an interesting museum destination in London. They offer a variety of exhibits from design styles, Asian ceramics, to collective architecture, that it’s probably more understandable to make multiple trips here to really see everything. But Sam and I were experiencing a time crunch so we looked at which exhibits might interest us the most and started there. Make sure to walk around the surrounding neighborhoods for flush white architecture and dessert shops!
It was around 3 in the afternoon by then, so I took Sam to a little quirky part of town called Shoreditch. It holds an abundance of thrift shops, street food pop-up shops, underground markets, and younger London dwellers. We killed a couple hours here visiting multiple thrift shops and record stores before her flight in the evening.
Looking back at this day, I would undoubtedly say I saw so much of London within a span of several hours. With warm, inviting company and a good cup of coffee in the morning, it's almost too easy to appreciate your surroundings and everything at the tip of your fingers.
Looking back at this day, I would undoubtedly say I saw so much of London within a span of several hours. With warm, inviting company and a good cup of coffee in the morning, it's almost too easy to appreciate your surroundings and everything at the tip of your fingers.
"I want to take good photos. Drink dark coffee. And travel the world." -Nina H.
Falla & Mocaer
82 Parkway
London NW1 7AN
020 7428 7586
Camden Market
201 Camden High Street
London NW1 7BT
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 5BD
020 7942 5000
Victoria & Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL
020 7942 2696
Blitz Vintage
55-59 Hanbury Street
London E1 5JP
020 7377 0730
