A Lazy Last Weekend in London

I really can't believe this was my last weekend in London; it really has gone by terribly fast. I've had so many great times, been to so many memorable places, ate so much delicious food, and met so many interesting people.

Although I am excited to come home, eat a salad with some iced tea, and exercise my butt off. The hotter weather will definitely be a weird (but welcome) adjustment. In case you couldn't tell from my pictures, it averages 55-60 degrees here. It's colder in Liverpool and even colder in Edinburgh. It's perfect weather for comfort food, but five weeks straight of meat pies and bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes) puts a damper on your vitality and waistline. 

Also, nowhere in Europe are iced coffee drinks a thing. It's bad enough having to pay for coffee over here (#firstworldproblems) but Starbucks is the only place that serves iced coffee drinks. I may be a Starbucks snob, but it's really only because I am guaranteed a tall iced coffee for 1.50 at every location! Europeans also kind of discourage just plain coffee. They prefer espresso drinks like cappuccinos and lattes, which are a pound or so more expensive than "filter coffees." Coffee with milk is called a flat white, and is half weak coffee and half heavy cream. They charge more for take away (take out) and you actually have to ask for a to go cup. Although I could get used to croissants being everywhere.

Ah, the things you learn as an American caffeine addict in European cafes.

So on Friday, we went to the Tower of London. I'm said to say that I was underwhelmed. It was very touristy and the workers weren't very helpful. They got snippy when we asked about torture and prisoners (since the tower wasn't meant to be a prison, that's just what the world has taken from its story) and denied seeing any ghosts. At the Tower of London. It also took very quickly to get through. It was probably due to the masses coming in for the Olympics.

Or that the fact that I was supposed to go on a guided audio tour went over my head.

The omnipresent Olympics are more of an influence than I expected, however. With each passing week, security and the long arm of the law get tighter and the number of clueless, loud tourists painfully grows.

So we went to Wetherburn's (a pub chain that we frequent in London and Scotland) and I got, of course, a meat pie with mash. It was good, but the steak and ale pie with chips I got as my first meal in London was the absolute best. I compare every meal in this city since to it. 

We meant to go the British Museum for the rest of the afternoon, but quite honestly, we were too tired. We went home and napped in preparation for the Ministry of Sound, the biggest nightclub in the world. Well, we all overslept and ended up staying in that night. It was actually a great time: 10 Things I Hate About You was on, which is funny, since Dr Stewart is back in town and taking us to see Taming of the Shrew (the Shakespearean play that 10 Things was based off of) at the Globe tomorrow.

Saturday was another great day to sleep in. By mid afternoon, Ardath, Andrew, Kaidy, and I made our way to Picadilly Circus and got last minute tickets to see Les Miserables. It. Was. Beautiful. I had never seen a professional live production before, and I was blown away. Every character was played amazingly, and the music was so symphonic and spot-on. I cried throughout the show. It was that good.

Before the show, we caught an Asian buffet in Chinatown, which was...authentic.

Ardath found a pub crawl in Camden last night, which is what we decided to do. Overall, it was awesome! Like I've said before, if I lived in London, it would be in Camden. It's literally the one neighborhood on planet Earth that is most suited to me. It just oozes cool. The crawl was a flat 12 pounds and we got a free shot at each bar with free entry. Not bad.

The first bar we went to was okay – just normal. We then walked to a bar in Camden Lock. That's where the awesome market is, and also where the old stables are. So the private rooms in this club were old stables. It was way cool. The walls were adorned with quirky paintings and decorated deer heads. Black lights and neon lights were everywhere. It was a great atmosphere.

The next club was my favorite. It looked like an old bar off of Rt 66 or something, smack in the middle of Camden Town. After a few lame instrumental songs, I saw that the DJ specialized in oldies and soundtrack music. Okay for me, but will it translate to a club? 

Oh hells yes, it did. 

In what surpassed Scotland in my favorite nightclub experiences,  we danced the night away to, yep, Jailhouse Rock, Jolene, Sweet Home Alabama, I Wanna Be Sedated, London Calling (quintessentially Camden, if I do say so myself), and of course, Take Me Home, Country Roads. I had such a blast! 

The last club, The Lovebox, was awesome like the Scottish club. We stayed in the alternative section, but there was a Top 40 section and an untapped 80s room, which I desperately wish we made our way to. We also took the wrong bus...into the burbs. We finally got home after 3 a.m.

On our last weekend day in London, we went back to Shoreditch for the markets. It was nice to come full circle. The first issue of Made In Shoreditch came out this week, so I picked up a copy. I'm proud of the work that went into it! I showed the group Boxpark and got the greatest smoothie I ever had.

As we walked through the crowded market streets, I was again baffled by the phenomenon of so many different people and cultures in one place. I almost got some fresh fruit for a pound. There were really great deals. We went vintage shopping again along Brick Lane. We eventually made our way down to the food section, which was so amazing, as expected. I got some chai that was being made in front of me from scratch. I also got some freshly squeezed kiwi juice! We also got asian food (a go-to around here). I probably won't eat Asian food for a long time – we get it way too much here, and it's overpriced and not as good as at home (coincidentally). We checked out Old Spitalfields Market, where I got a cute ring!

After, we came home. Tonight will be chill. Everyone else went to a pub theatre, but I'm enjoying my lazy weekend in London.