Super cheap vols courtesy of Ryan Air got us there in a timely fashion and it was rather fab to see our hosts Katy and family in their accommodating South London home. Up early the next day, toast and Marmite for breakfast and heavy sight seeing on the agenda. Much more gratifying than I'd realised, we packed the day with all things tourist and can highly recommend it. Punctuated with Pimm's, pints and ploughman's, these were excursions to cherish.
The weather was the best of the year, the flowers were in bloom (crazy technicolour beauties), the streets and buildings were clean and the locals friendly. We thought the Queen was home, but perhaps she wasn't - the Union flag was flying not the Royal standard.
Soho House, my haunt of many a long, hard night, we learned is no longer the cat's whiskers and we didn't get to the cool sister Shoreditch House. Next time. We inhaled curry and mainlined coffee. Interesting that Yacine and Aurelie loved both, too. Highly recommend the English Market Cafe in Spittalfields for their genuine Flat Whites.
Travelling on the Tube was fun, cheap and easy. The Tate Modern turned out to be big fun and Shakespeare's Theatre is best visited as a groundling as you will get to see the whole place and a play for five quid. Don't bother with the tour.
Fortnum & Mason is still Posh and I can't help but wonder if it's the only place on earth where one can find chocolate fish and chips (we sampled both the original style and the confectionary).
The London Eye will be enjoyed with Emily and Mark in August - come on down!!
South Bank and Festival Hall were majorly cool and quite different from my expectations. Splendid to drink a Pimm's and look over the Thames whilst tossing up which street food vendor to visit for a culinary voyage. We miss such food inventiveness here au Sud in our corner of France. Thanks to Minky for escorting us in the right direction - we'd have been missed out on serious treats without you!
There were many things we wanted to do but did not have the time, however I am so chuffed to know such expeditions are only a 20 euro flight away. The cultural/fun mini break is what I missed in Australia and intend to profitez-en here in the Euro zone. It helps to have lovely friends who will put you up / put up with you (thank you Katy, Rob and family), but good to know we can forward a Languedocian counter offer albeit less Hip and less Happening, but very probably more Hot...
All I can say is London surpassed itself and it didn't rain once! So go visit on an empty stomach with a full purse and an open mind and prepare to leave replete.
