London: April 19
The first stop on our trip was London. To be honest, it was the city I was least excited for. I had depended on London boy to craft an itinerary, and when that fell through, I spent the week before the trip panic-researching. I consulted the expertise of my best friend Eva, who studied abroad in London during her senior year fall at Richmond, and together we devised a plan to make the most the most out of our 1.5 days. I was beginning to get excited again.
Liv and I flew on different airlines to London but arrived within 30 minutes of each other. We reunited in the Heathrow baggage claim just before noon on Friday, April 19th. Neither of us had slept on our journey across the Atlantic, but we were prepared to run on adrenaline and coffee.
We refueled at Cafe Nero, a London-based coffeehouse that I recognized from Eva and I’s trip to Boston last summer, before making our way to our hotel in Holborn. My first culture shock of London was the impressive speed of the Tube escalators. After conquering my PTSD of escalators after falling down the Chicago O’Hare escalator as a child, we rode our way down to the Underground. According to my last-minute chat gpt-assisted planning, we were supposed to take the Heathrow Express or the Elizabeth line from the airport to Central London. Instead, I had misled us onto the Piccadilly Line which doubled our transit time. That was the first and last time I tried to navigate on the trip.
Tube to Central London
Minutes before I could toss up my Cafe Nero parfait on the Tube, we made it to Holborn. Liv had arranged for us to stay at the posh Z Hotel which was conveniently located next to a Cafe Nero and a pharmacy that I later purchased a box of tampons at and shoved the contents into my crossbody bag. Liv and I’s acquaintance status expired the second we opened the door to our room. Who needs windows when you can have the incredible view of Liv showering without leaving the bed? Culture shock #2: “private bathroom” does not mean on-suite bathroom. We “quickly” got ready to explore the city for the remainder of the day.
Z Hotel Holborn Room Tour
Our first stop was Borough Market. We grabbed a prosecco drink and wandered around the vendors in pursuit of the viral (and overhyped) chocolate-covered strawberries. Our hunt was a success and we stopped to eat/take photos of our strawbs on a side street away from the crowd. Instead, we were mocked by drunk hooligans at the corner pub.
We hopped back on the Tube to the London Eye. -$55 USD later, we soaked in the panoramic views of London from the massive wheel. Just a short walk away were the iconic Big Ben and Westminister Abbey. By then, the rain clouds had dissipated and we got some cool flicks.
I had seen a Tiktok of Gordon’s Wine Bar, London’s oldest wine bar, and made it a non-negotiable dining spot on this trip. I’m glad this Tiktok had reached its target audience since the vibes were immaculate. While waiting in the queue (British term for “line”), we chatted with a friendly Canadian woman who had been living in London for the last five years. She recommended that we go out in Shoreditch one night. We already had plans to meet one of Liv’s friends out in Soho, but saved her rec for night #2. Tip #1: always take the local’s advice.
At Gordon’s, Liv and I indulged in the cheapest bottle of white, a charcuterie board, and hummus. Our jet-lag made us especially vulnerable to the wine and we drunkenly walked back to our hotel in Holborn to get ready for a night out. Our phones had both died while on route, so we left it to luck and memory to get us back to our hotel. By some miracle, we made it.
No crumbs left….literally.
We met up with Liv’s friend Javi, his boyfriend Naqib, and their friends at KU bar in the Strand. We then hopped to Freedom Bar where we had amazing cocktails and screamed our lungs out to “Party in the USA.” Liv attempted the pole there and absolutely bodied it. Leaving the bar, Liv was courted by the first of her many British suitors. Unfortunately, young Romeo’s approach had been too forward and he left without a kiss. We sealed the night with drunk falafel at Maoz in Soho and hit the hay to scrap up energy for London Day 2.
Liv putting in werk on the pole
Live look at Mr. London getting curved
