London In October

Why London in October? Because I got invited. 

Now, Reader, I don’t give much life advice because I don’t have much figured out. However, one thing I have done my entire adult life is keep an emergency travel fund. You never know when you may need to bolt from a bad roommate situation or a toxic love affair. Or, on a more positive note, you may receive an invitation “to go on holiday” -as the British say.

Last month, I received such an invitation from my daughter and her girlfriend. They thought I was the expert because I always layover in London. But they didn’t need my expertise because most of what we did was brand new to me. The experts were, in fact, TikTok and Instagram.  

Much of our itinerary was planned around visiting spots popularized by social media, such as… 

Borough Market

-an outdoor food market dating back 1,000 years, but in its current location (under some train tracks and close to London Bridge) since 1756. This market includes both produce and food stalls. Some of the more popular vendors include the mushroom risotto (awesome), the paella (fair), and the chocolate-covered strawberries (winner!!!).  

Notting Hill Totes

I’m still not sure why this place is so popular, but it is, so I bought two.

Gordan’s Wine Cave 

It’s expensive and a wait, but the candle-lit ambiance in this 130-year-old cellar is worth your time and money. 

The Poetry Pharmacy

In the corner of a light-filled cafe, a poet sits poised with her typewriter, ready to listen to what’s weighing on your heart and turn those emotions into a custom poem.

But if you don’t want to wait in the queue for her wise and comforting words, you can shop the shelves lined with bottles of prescriptions to treat all sorts of ailments, such as heartache and gloom.   

We stayed in a great part of town, Kensington. A four-star neighborhood but a two-star hotel. My daughter summed up our accommodations as “the worst place I have ever stayed.” It certainly wasn’t the worst place I’ve ever stayed. At least there weren’t any cockroaches in the bed or poo in the toilet. At least the check-in desk wasn’t behind bulletproof glass. But those stories are for another time. 

The Days Inn in Kensington is just a very cramped, dingy hotel with a depressing vibe. 

But, hey, the price was right.  

From our budget-friendly lodgings, we dashed all over the city. We made several royal stops: The Tower of London -where they keep the Royal Jewels; the Royal Mews -where they keep the coaches and the horses that pull them; and Buckingham Palace for an abbreviated Changing of the Guard ceremony -due to the rain.

Fun Fact: The gold coronation coach took three days to remove from the carriage house for King Charles’ coronation. After removing the building’s door and window, the carriage only cleared the doorframe by mere centimeters. The pressure!

We also did a bit of shopping,

took in a West-End show, 

and enjoyed a few teas.

The day we arrived, I suggested a sunset tea aboard a double-decker tour bus. This seemed like a perfect activity to follow a 12-hour flight. We could sit and sip tea while driving through London, taking in her famous sights. But… my grown daughter booked a Peppa The Pig-themed tea. So off we went, with a bus full of pre-schoolers singing Peppa the Pig.

Most of our fellow passengers fell asleep before the tour ended, but we stayed awake for the entire lovely and memorable experience despite our jet lag.

 Our other tea was likewise kid-friendly. Knowing my daughter’s girlfriend loves Harry Potter, and because it was close to Halloween, I booked tea for three at The Wizard Emporium. 

A resident witch regaled us with spooky stories and corny jokes as we concocted potions of tea using ingredients unlocked from a chest by a magic wand. 

We chased our afternoon tea down with cocktails. One was color-changing, another they set on fire, and mine was served in a smoking cauldron. 

The three of us found this ridiculous experience (and our witchy hostess) completely charming. It was the unsophistication of the entire operation that won us over. In fact, my daughter declared the wizard tea one of the trip’s highlights.  

At the end of our trip, she asked me to name my highlight. I had a hard time answering her, not because the trip wasn’t fun, but because it was all fun.  

However, if I had to choose one experience… 

It would be the laugh she and I shared as we watched a little girl feeding the squirrels in the park. I know that probably doesn’t sound funny, but the girl wasn’t just feeding the squirrels. She was petting them, picking them up, and practically cuddling them. I thought she might kiss one on the lips and pop him into her bag. 

My park-ranger daughter and I laughed so hard that we were crying. 

Squirrels? They’re rodents!