Sunday, 20th of May
We got up early(-ish) and bright today to make most of our day.
After the biggest breakfast we had so far, to keep our feet moving the whole day, we headed out in the glorious Sunday sunshine.
A Greek family is sitting next to us at breakfast. We are not sure if they realised we can understand every word they say. The grandpa, who was visiting London for a couple of days is shouting at the daughter and grand-daughters. He is bored. He wants to get out. He wants to get that piece of beef he liked (I think he meant Beef Wellington) to take with him back to Greece. Who on earth wants to get food from here to take back to one of the countries with the best food in the world?
We have a giggle when they leave.
On our way to the tube station we see him walking around outside the hotel until the rest of the family is ready to go.
First stop: The National History Museum. God I love this building. Beautiful, striking, it takes your breath away before you even walk in. And then you walk in and you are in owe! Dinosaurs, rare animals, rare rocks, enormous whales in the most gorgeous surroundings one can imagine. I could stand there for hours just to admire the architecture but hours of wandering has taken it’s toll, so it’s time for a little break.
The nearest place we could have a rest was Kensington gardens, so after a quick detour to get salted caramel ice cream (salted caramel is undeniably one of the best flavours humans ever invented) we sat on the grass, in the sunshine and demolished our ice cream in minutes!
I couldn’t stop watching a group of seniors, all dressed up (I imagine they were probably heading in the Royal Albert Hall to enjoy some classical music) having an ice cream whilst chit chatting. What would I be doing in my 70s? I hope I’m as happy as this bunch.
After our short break we headed to the Science Museum. Which is amazing and fascinating. But by that time we were exhausted so we had a quick look and headed to Harrods instead to imagine for a little how it feels to be rich, what wonderfully bizarre things one can get and pretend to afford we can buy a £4,000 TV and a £1000 Rollex.
I loved the planet, satellite and other extra-terrestial object display at the Science museum. And I managed to take a gorgeous snap of the moon.
My advice: Do not visit both museums in the same day if you want to see all the exhibits or you have other plans. Each takes 2-3 hours to see. At least.
After hours of wandering we grabbed some snacks from Harrods (one of the few things we could afford) and headed to Hyde park to lie in the sunshine.
On our way there we passed by a fancy restaurant, one of those you only see in the movies, with white table cloths, superbly groomed waiters and equally posh customers. I wonder if I’d ever afford to go there. Do I want to though?Mmm maybe once. Dress up and have a ridiculously expensive meal in Kensington. Why not.
Here we are at Hyde Park, lying on the grass, sunbathing, talking about our lives, thinking of what to do next, dreaming of holidays and fun days, with beautiful views all around us.
After a couple of hours we head back to Shepherd’s Bush for some Italian, a glass of Red and a well-deserved sleep after a gorgeous, fun-filled day.
Tomorrow is my birthday. I’ll be 32… And just before I fall asleep, I’m desperately trying to make up my mind how I feel about it…
Lessons I learned after I turned 30 