It’s been a while, but life sometimes just gets in the way…too many things happening at once, or nothing happening at all. But that is another story…
In October I visited a friend of mine living in London and I spent two wonderful days wandering around a city that feels like no other. I don’t know what it is about London, but even when you don’t know you’re there specifically, you can just FEEL that you’re in London. I really love this city.
So one Friday morning I headed into the city centre to find some breakfast and ended up at “The Breakfast Club” in SOHO. I won’t go into detail, but let’s just say….the movie is way better. 😂 I mean, it wasn’t horrible, but I’ve eaten better food for cheaper, the hype is way out of control, in my opinion. But walking around SOHO afterwards, goin into some of the small shops and exploring the alleys was worth the trip.
One highlight of the day was definitely my guided visit to Highgate Cemetery, an absolute gem that isn’t too popular for some reason. There are two parts to this cemetery, East and West. You can visit Highgate Cemetery East on your own and visit the graves of such well-known people like Karl Marx, stroll around the garden-like area and enjoy the tranquility.
But what I would highly recommend is going on a guided tour of the West Cemetary. It’s only 12GBP and lasts about an hour. You get to see the intricacies of a victorian cemetery, learn a lot about the history of the place and get to know some of the characters buried there. I don’t want to spoil the tour, but if you’re interested in traveling circus owners, the ‘fastest knife in London’ or the underrepresented minority of pennyless girls in the vicinity of the cemetery, then don’t hesitate and book the tour.
By the time I made my way back to the realm of the living, it was past noon and I was hungry. Luckily, my friend works in central London and was able to meet me in Chinatown for some Dim Sum. So yummy, and cheap! We picked a random restaurant and lucked out. The portions were big, taste was great and service was quick. Do you have any recommendations for places to eat in Chinatown? I’ll be sure to check them out next time…
After saying goodbye to my friend, since she had to get back to work, I didn’t really know what to do for the rest of the afternoon, so I fell back on an old classic….movie time. 🙂
Somehow, I really enjoy goint to see a movie whenever I’m abroad, so that’s what I did….with some detours… I settled on watching Maleficent 2 in a gigantic movie theater close to Piccadilly Circus and was actually really excited to watch it. After about 5 minutes into the movie, I had to get the hell out of there… It wasn’t the movie, but the sound. I have no idea what the hell they were thinking, but the volume in the theater was INSANE!!!! I plugged my ears and it was still almost painful to sit there. So I left the screening and luckily got a full refund.
With that movie experience I was at a loss on what else to do and I kinda really wanted to watch a movie, now that I had decided on that activity I was set on getting it done. Thankful for modern technology and the fact that I could use my data plan without additional costs (pre-Brexit regulation), I was able to quickly figure out where to go and which movie to see….and I ended up at a tiny, very nostalgic movie theater, watching………. The Shining.
And I loved that movie. I know the hype, I’ve watched documentaries ABOUT the movie, but had never before seen the actual movie, so that was kind of a treat. Especially when they showed the exterior of the Overlook Hotel, which most people know was filmed at the Timberline Lodge. Seeing the spot where I had hiked twice along the PCT was just so nostalgic for me, it made me really happy (the kind of happy where yu get a twinge in your heart).
After the movie I jast walked along the busy streets of London, soaking in the city atmosphere, before finally heading to the train station to meet up with my friend. I really enjoyed the day, having some things planned out and others just developing naturally….sometimes letting yourself drift can lead to some unexpected joyful moments. I really hope I get to do it many more times.
Until next time…keeping you posted…
