Living it up in London!

My time in London is coming to an end and yet, here I am with my first post ever on this fabulous, metropolitan city. I’ve always loved this place and so when it came to deciding my next location, it was not a difficult choice to make.

regent street
Sadly, my third time in London was not met with a very warm welcome as my stay kicked off with the theft of my phone. Two men on a stolen scooter snatched it right out of my hands while I was attempting to locate my Uber. How did you know the scooter was stolen? Well, this is a common phenomenon, I am told and usually, the culprits are juvenile delinquents who steal scooters in order to zip around town stealing phones.

…

Don’t even ask. It’s beyond me.

However, despite this very unfortunate mishap, the rest of my time here has been rather enjoyable! I got to do all the cringey, touristy things while living amongst Londoners.

london bridge
I’ve been to the London Eye and Westminster Abbey, but also shopped in Morrison’s every week for groceries. I’ve had drinks at the breathtaking Sky Garden but I’ve also grabbed a quick beer at the local pub. I’ve spent an afternoon in a swish South Kensington boutique hotel having high tea but I’ve also spent an afternoon crouched over shelves of hardcovers at a second hand book store in Stoke Newington. I’ve spent Saturday nights out in town meeting people on the dance floor but I’ve also spent Saturday nights at home, chatting with my flat mate over Chardonnay about life. Chuckle*

number sixteen hotel

I am grateful to the kind lady on the Eurostar who offered me a place to stay after overhearing my telephone conversation about how I might not have been able to retrieve the keys my friend had left for me at his office building reception.
I am grateful to the various people who offered help (and their numbers) “if I ever needed anything in London” and to the peace and quiet I found on the streets. It is an utter relief to wander about the city without an untasteful comment from a poorly educated member of the opposite sex. I’d been living in Paris for so long, I’ve forgotten how freeing it feels!

Most of all, I am grateful to my lovely Airbnb host, Sophia, who not only rented me a room but gave me a home and also to my flat mate Stella, who filled this home with her warm presence.