“London bridge is falling down” was the song that was played in my head as I was on my way to London.

City

The city was quite like what I’d imagine. Busy with a touch of class. I did observe the long coats, “Sherlock Holmes” style and the gloomy weather; just as most people described it to be. Although I was there during the summer, the sun was hiding the behind the clouds most of the time. I fell in love walking through the city though, observing modern buildings with a twist of good old English heritage.

I tried to catch the changing of guards and I was really disappointed. There were too many people crowded in front of Buckingham palace. I partly blame myself for being late and also, it’s summer! A popular season for tourists all around the world. Nevertheless, Buckingham Palace was still a sight. It is great to know that royalty still exists, reminding us a little bit of how it was in the past. It only makes me want to come back to see it once more, when there is a smaller crowd.

London is a big city so I found it very useful to start my visits from Victoria Station. When I get off, just wandered along the streets, following north along Thames river and eventually found myself at Westminster Bridge. If you maintain this route, you will eventually pass most of the iconic buildings, completing your London tour.

The London Underground also known as the “tube” is a really convenient, great way to get around. You may choose to get an Oyster Card or just use the contact-less service on your card. It’s worth finding out more – it definitely made my trip a breeze.

POCKETS OF DISCOVERY

CANARY WHARF

We stayed in Canary Wharf during one of our last trips to the UK. We really liked this area of London. There is a great walking space next to a mall called Cabot Square and surrounding it, a massive and impressive food court Cargo Markethall. The night scene is fantastic with lots of local beers going around and roars from the local football matches. Just above the North Dock, there is a row of cute pubs and with affordable local beers. We stumbled upon the Ledger Building which is a pub by the Weatherspoons group, which serves decent and very affordable British pub food (the usual bangers and mash, fish and chips).

SOUTHWARK

Like most tourists, I came to Southwark to visit Borough Market. Even though it’s crowded with loads of people, I still enjoyed my visit very much. They really do have a lot of interesting items to look at. I didn’t bother to purchase any food items though as it was more expensive than elsewhere. While I’m not a fan of British food, I do know I enjoy a good Sunday Roast and I came across The Royal Oak nearby, a cute pub tucked in a corner and has decent reviews of their roasts. I ordered their Scotch Egg and Sticky Toffee Pudding on the side to try as well. It’s probably one of the best sticky toffee pudding I’ve had – highly recommend.

While here, I also took the opportunity to catch an act inside the Shakespeare’s Globe and I highly recommend this! It was absolutely surreal, to be standing inside the globe and to be taken back hundreds of years ago where Shakspeare was played. The play I watched was done with a modern twist, so do not worry if you don’t understand old English, you’d bound to laugh anyway.

Just about 15 mins walk away, is the iconic Tower Bridge (not to be mistaken as the London Bridge). It is quite a nice sight and something you don’t want to miss visiting London. We took a nice walk across and managed to catch one of the buses back.

CONVENT GARDEN & SOHO

Probably the busiest part of London but also one of my favourite! I have never been to New York but everything about Soho is what I thought New York would make me feel. Just the vibe, the countless cafes, restaurants, flagship stores were stealing my attention 100% of the time. I usually hate crowds but for some reason Soho just vibed with me.

If you haven’t been to a 7-storey toy store, then you should make your way to Hamleys in Soho. Walking in to that store does make you feel like a kid again. I was itching to buy a toy but reality got a hold of me. I’ve been to a few Chinatowns in my life but I think there is nothing quite like the Chinatown in Soho, London. Besides the usual pub food, the British are also known for their salt beef brisket sandwiches and there is one nearby Soho we tried at Tongue & Brisket. It’s your grab and go food stall and something I’d recommend to try to tick off your British food list.

FOOTBALL

Like any sports in the world, English football (also known as soccer in some places) brings us together. It also brings out the best and worst in us. Inside all that elegance of the British high tea, royalty and fancy long coats, there is a hidden passion and fire that burns within them when it comes to football. A walk in any pub and you’re almost guarantee a TV screen showing football matches. The atmosphere is really something else -chanting, dancing and loud cheers. A truly English experience.

It also said that you’ve never truly had Guinness until you’ve had the Guinness in Ireland. Well, London isn’t too far from Ireland in my opinion. The imported Guinness I’ve been having all my life tastes a little different due to the chemicals added to maintain its quality during the long hours of transport. While technically an Irish beer, it is said that the Guinness in London do not need those additional chemicals which comes close to the original taste of Guinness (Creamy, with a hint of chocolate and just so delicious). A perfect pairing to go along with your local football experience.

Other ENGLAND things

Probably nothing to shout about but I absolutely love Marks & Spencer. It’s the one thing I really look forward to coming to the UK. I spend most of my time and money in the Marks & Spencer food section. Honestly, their biscuits and tea are pretty decent.

I am a coffee lover and I’ve been spoiled by the coffee culture back when I was residing in Australia. I was so lucky that when I was back in Malaysia, the coffee scene was just booming and we had many talented baristas who explored so many different takes on coffee (one of my favourite is a yuzu coffee combination). Since I’ve moved to Canada, I haven’t had a really good cup of coffee. Coffee culture here is a bit different that sees more of a grab and go rather than a sit down. Our love and curiosity for coffee have lead us to follow a professional barista, the great James Hoffmann (also known as the Hoff). When we came to London, we made our way to Prufrock Coffee – which is one the cafes that uses beans from the Hoff’s roastery. Truth to be told, we were fangirling a bit when we sat down and we felt rewarded to find his beans being sold here. If you’re looking for another nice sit-down coffee experience, WatchHouse is another place I highly recommend.

Can you do anything in London for free? Yes, in fact you can visit Sky Garden for free! But it is a bit tricky as you will need to reserve a time slot and it is not always available for reservation. It is recommended you visit their website frequently closer to the date you want to visit to book. That was my experience. Alternatively you can choose to walk in but that would mean starting at the back of a long queue.

London can be quite a handful but it also have it’s beautiful parts. If you are thinking of something outside of London, you can read about my visit to Salisbury and around here.