It’s also overwhelming–especially for the first time visitor. Where to start? What to do first? What is “unmissable?” While I am hardly a London expert by any means (I’ve only been there twice!) but I do wish I had access to this list during my first time visit in London. Here’s the makings of a wonderful first (or second, or third…) day in the incredible city that is London!

1. Hop on a red double-decker. While cliché and touristy, this is one of my favorite activities from our time in London. It’s a great way to see the city and get your bearings, and it’s fun! Seeing Big Ben for the first time from the top of an iconic double-decker hits high on my favorite travel moments. (The buses usually have a covered area, too–as we all know, London can get wet!).

2. Hop on and off as you choose! I would recommend Westminster Abbey, especially first thing in the morning, so you can avoid some of the lines, or Buckingham Palace, especially on days when they are changing the guard–which is not every day. Big Ben is also in that area, as well as Trafalgar Square.

3. Hyde Park. While the weather may impact this one, even on a rainy day Hyde Park is lovely. It’s nice to break away from the crowds for a while and explore some green space. This will lead you to…

4. Afternoon tea at Kensington Palace. Specifically, in the Orangery. In lieu of a bigger lunch, order their full Afternoon Tea. It comes with an assortment of lovely food, including the required clotted cream and scone, as well as tea, of course. It’s in a gorgeous setting! You’ll feel like a royal yourself, just for a little while. Feel free to tour Kensington Palace itself. Much of it was closed during our time there for renovations, but the gardens are also so pretty, so explore! Plus, Will and Kate live there, so make sure to wave at Prince George and his new baby sister.

5. Visit the Tower of London. Hop back on a the red bus (it should take care of most of your transportation for the day) and cruise over to the Tower of London. Our hop-on hop-off tour included a boat ride down the Thames–so that’s how we went to the Tower. The Tower of London is so full of history, and I enjoyed just walking around the walls.

6. Cross the Tower Bridge. Not the London Bridge as many think, the Tower Bridge is yet another iconic symbol of London. We were blessed with beautiful weather–and if you’re lucky, you might see the Bridge open for a passing ship!–so we grabbed an ice cream each and moseyed across..after it closed up again, of course. ;).

7. Walk along the South Bank. After the Bridge, spend some time walking along the South Bank. This is the point in time where I simply fell in love with London–I’m not sure the views could get better than this.

8. The London Eye at sunset. This is an optional one, as it can be a tourist trap, but I loved getting a view of London from this giant Ferris Wheel. Buy your tickets ahead to save time!

9. Dinner in a pub. Finish of the day with a relaxing dinner in a pub. English food gets a bad rap–but I enjoyed every meal we had there, despite being prepared for some soggy fish and chips. Our hotel, the Chamberlain (a bit of a splurge for us, as it was my birthday), had a delicious restaurant, but the city is full of pubs for you to enjoy. Go ahead and pair your fish and ships (or steak and ale pie, or whatever you fancy) with a cider or a beer, for the full “British” experience :).

Need More?

Some of my other favorite activities in London included King’s Cross station (especially for my fellow Harry Potter lovers), the Harry Potter studio tour for even more hardcore HP fans, the British Museum (possibly my favorite site–but I would recommend a large chunk of time for this!), Oxford Street, a show at West End, grabbing Indian food, more time in pubs, exploring Notting Hill…to name a few!

Originally written as a guest post for Sara at Big World, Small Me.

Linking up with Travel Tuesday! 

The post The First-Timers Guide to a Great Day in London appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

I know.

I generally have very specific birthday traditions. One that I am generally very stubborn about is my usual birthday dress (defined: that one dress that will always make you feel beautiful and confident and wonderful because that’s what you deserve on a birthday).

For some reason, the birthday dress seemed of monumental importance last year in London. I think after spending the summer sweating away in the Sichuan province, and being a giant, pasty girl next to those tiny, adorable Chinese roommates of mine (not to mention my tiny, fit American roommates), I hadn’t felt pretty in a really long time. My suitcase certainly did not hold this elusive birthday dress (mostly because I was carrying too many Chinese souvenirs around Europe…my packing skills leave much to be desired) so the hunt began.

After several stops in H&M, Zara, and the like, in a fit of desperation (it was my birthday the very next day!) I dragged E into Topshop near Hyde Park in London.

I think E has never forgiven me for making us go in Topshop, and, let’s be real, I might be a little scarred, too.

The music, the hip Londoners, the many brightly colored clothes with holes in weird places. I felt strangely old and out-of-place, a feeling I did not relish during this brief quarter-life crisis. (I don’t know about you, but I have millions of mini-crises daily, so this isn’t that unusual).

So, in a fit of I’m-26-and-I-do-what-I-want, I found a dress that fit (well, and that I could afford–there are many cute ones if you don’t have much of a budget).

I didn’t really work with any shoes or other shirts I brought, and weirdly, even in August, London weather doesn’t always support a spaghetti-strap dress. Still, I bought it, triumphant, and wore it on my birthday.

^^the infamous birthday dress!

While I do believe in the power of clothes to improve confidence, my London birthday would have been just as special with or without this dress. (Maybe this is wisdom you learn from age).

I did look a tiny bit cuter, I suppose, as we cruised around London on a red, double-decker bus, stopping for tea at Kensington Palace. I felt more and more beautiful as the day went on, but not really because of the dress. E and I had a great time, and I fell a little more in love with London that day.

^^you will probably get bored with Big Ben pictures but, I just couldn’t help myself! I love that thing!

Before my birthday, I’d been a little skeptical about the city. It seemed huge, and impersonal, and all of the sights I’d always dreamed of seeing were stuffed with millions of other people who had also always dreamed of seeing this things.

(Why does this phenomenon continue to surprise me?)

But on my birthday, we stopped at very few sites, mostly just soaking up the city, having too many macaroons (for the first time ever!) from a French bakery, and going up to the top of the London Eye, where champagne awaited us.

^^(This guy!)

We strolled along the South Bank while the sun was setting, hand-in-hand, and the much-awaited Big Ben reflected in the water and hid the sun. I couldn’t help but fall a little in love with London then, and I couldn’t help but feel a little less sad about turning a year older.

^^I guess I was trying to get artsy here. 

Welcome to Travel Tuesday! 

Once again, I am thrilled to be hosting Travel Tuesday with Bonnie, Jessi, and Camila! I can’t wait to see what you all come up with this week.

Every week, Bonnie, Jessi, Camila and I each select one post from the previous week’s link-up that we particularly loved. Make sure to head over to their blogs to see who they chose!

This week, I am spotlighting Elena from Beautiful Hope and her post about the Castello di Amorosa in Napa Valley. I had no idea such a place existed in Napa, and I will make certain to visit there one day. I already love that area of the world, and her beautiful, sun-drenched photos will make anyone want to go!

Ready to link up? 

1. SHARE a post about travel! From road trips to trips abroad and from past travels to dream vacations. You can write about travel tips and tricks, favorite places to stay, or anything in between! Just make it about traveling somewhere!

2. GRAB the lovely button above. If you run into trouble, just make sure to mention Bonnie, Amy, Jessi and Camila in a link! 3. LINK-UP goes live every Tuesday at 0800 GMT. Make sure to comment here, on the co-hosts blogs, and visit around!

TIPS:

1. Please only one linked up post per blogger. Save other posts for future link-ups!

2. The last Tuesday of every month will be a themed prompt if you want to join in!

3. HOP around and meet new travel loving bloggers! Check back to visit some of the newer travel posts!

The post My Birthday in London {England} appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Oxford ended up being almost the highlight of the tour for me, although Stonehenge was amazing because, Stonehenge, and its always a ball to see another castle, and Windsor includes a useful museum and many gorgeous, furnished rooms. For a random throw-in, Oxford was so adorable and scholarly.

(And, bonus: scenes of Harry Potter were filmed here! What.)

We wandered around the city, explored the university a little–it’s gigantic–and took a lot of pictures.

As is a common problem when traveling, a taste of Oxford made me wanting more. I sometimes think the first time you visit a country is when you suss out the places you want to come back to and spend more time, and Oxford is one of those places! I mean, can you imagine going to university in Oxford, a school so old it has no specific date of foundation, but potentially dates back as far as 1096?

^I could not get enough of the doors in Oxford. You’ll see.

^A store with Harry Potter souvenirs, of course.

^Walking down a skinny English street and suddenly, there appears an amazing landmark.

^Even the lamps are pretty!

^This little archway is modeled after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. Gorgeous, no? I took many pictures of this detail from a few different angles…

^Imagine If I Lived Here strikes again!

^I just…had to include another angle.

^What is it about statement doors?!

^Are you sick of seeing pictures of my feet yet? ^probably the smartest, handsomest guy in Oxford.

^And obviously, the best-looking couple to ever set foot in Oxford. Except Will and Kate have probably been here, and, let’s be real, they win.

^I was struck by the bright blue house peeking between all the old stone. What can I say, Oxford had my artistic, creative, and smart juices flowing.

I mean, look at these doors. Even reading Latin makes me feel smarter. Too bad we couldn’t actually enter any of these doors as we don’t actually belong to any of those schools…but small details.

This is letter O for the April A to Z Challenge! Click the image below to find out more!

The post (More) Oxford, Please {England} appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

To up the it’s-my-birthday-and-I-want-to-feel-fancy quotient, I chose the Orangery at Kensington Palace. (And only partly because that’s now where William and Kate live).

While we didn’t actually go into Kensington Palace for a tour (tea was quite expensive enough, thank you very much!) we spent a long time over tea and exploring the massive grounds at the edge of Hyde Park. In August, the gardens were pretty gorgeous, and I had too much fun taking a million shots of flowers, squirrels, and the lovely old English buildings.

(Hey, it was my birthday!)

The Orangery is a beautiful building set a little way from the main Palace. While we didn’t make reservations, meaning we had to wait for a bit, it was nice and sunny, so it wasn’t a big deal for us, although it’s something to consider with that damp English weather

. We went ahead and ordered the traditional Afternoon Tea service, complete with a variety of tiny sandwiches, scones and clotted cream, and an assortment of pastries. And, of course, tea is included. All of this for about 24 euros–each–so you will certainly pay for atmosphere as well.

It was the perfect birthday treat.

Especially since that was where we discovered clotted cream, and my life will certainly never be the same.

Which is exactly the sort of thing that should happen on a birthday, if you ask me. the full set up!on retrospect, wearing a jean shirt maybe wasn’t the fanciest thing. we snuck a selfie! classy.how gorgeous is the china? it has the little crown because it’s all on loan from the Queen.my handsome tea date.the front of the Palace.

This is the letter K for the A to Z Challenge! 

The post Kensington Palace {London, England} appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Today I’m taking a visit back to merry old England.

England was familiar, and yet different from I expected. London is a huge, metropolitan city–not exactly the the quaint city you see in the movies–but nonetheless that charm can still be found when you look for it, through the classic red telephone boxes and during a sunset on the South Bank. I was surprised by how much I loved Big Ben (also known as the Elizabeth tower), London’s most iconic symbol. I had to hold myself back from squealing with joy every time it popped up around the corner. (Full disclosure: most of the time, I did squeal…I’m sure I’m a fabulous travel partner…).

I was also surprised at the food!! English food doesn’t have a great reputation, nor does it always sound so appetizing…I mean, mushy peas? Fried fish and soggy chips? No thanks. Yet, we didn’t have a meal I didn’t at least enjoy–and those mushy peas can actually be delicious! Who knew.

Although we did not get much time in the countryside of England, this is what I loved the most, which is typical as I’m not a city girl. The sheep, the rolling green hills, the adorable villages…talk about movie-worthy!

Overall, my visit to England merely added more places to my list. A week there was just long enough for me to decide where I want to spend more time–like Oxford, the British Museum, and the Cotswolds, to name a few. London, too, would make that list, as there is so much to see and do there! We tried to cram in everything, and therefore, we got a quick taste of many things, such as Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, and the National Gallery. London taught me to travel at a more leisurely pace, and to pick a few top sites to thoroughly enjoy. The many famous sights of London and England make this extremely difficult! I wanted to see it all, and my feet did not thank me for it.

However, I can’t say I regret one minute of riding around in double-decker buses, slowly creeping to the top of the London Eye, or running to catch the Tube. It’s also so very British, after all, and isn’t that why we were there?

I hope you enjoy a few of my pictures from the trip–I can’t wait to go back!

**Instagram Travel Thursdays are hosted by Skimbaco Lifestyle, an online magazine, both in the form of a weekly link-up for bloggers, and through the hashtag #IGTravelThursday. I’m so excited to join them in sharing some of my Instagram photos again this week, and hopefully will again in the future! If you’d like to, link-up below!

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