The final leg of our 2018 European adventure was London. This was the quickest part of the trip– we only had 24 hours– but we made the most of it.

Neither of us had been to London before, and figured we’d tackle the trip the best way we knew how: pretend we live there.

We stayed at the Ace Hotel, and spent our first day exploring Shoreditch. The fashion-forward and industrial vibe was very much up our alley. If we were to live in London, this would be the neighborhood. We’re fans of Ace Hotel in general– Palm Springs in particular– and the London set up was lovely. This location felt modern and full of energy, with amazing views from the rooftop bar.

After we had gotten settled in, we went to Dinerama, a street-food market in an old warehouse. There were tons of food and cocktail booths set up, and great music playing overhead. The plus side of this being an English-speaking country (for the first time on our trip) was that I made a few friends as I wandered around. Everyone was so friendly and relaxed, as many of them were coming out for happy hour after the workday.

We spent the next day exploring the neighborhood and walking over to the Thames river. The weather was perfect, nearly 80 degrees and sunny, so I now have a picture-perfect view of London 🙂

One surprising element of this trip was how much smaller London was than I realized. It was full of art, history and energy, but as we explored the city, it occurred to me that I’d always imagined London to be an overwhelming place. The reality was that it felt quite inviting.

Our time in London flew by, but I do think we’ll be back. Living in New York City has made visiting the world’s other famous cities so fascinating, as I think about the big and little differences of each.

This entire trip was so refreshing, and I can’t wait to return to some of the stunning places I discovered.

xo,

T