A weekend in London

We took a (short) break from house hunting in the midlands this past weekend to explore the city of London. It was my first visit to the city and Scott's second visit. For a mere 2 days in the city, we seemed to hit all of the major land marks and attractions. We figured out we walked about 15 - 20 miles, and saw multiple London neighborhoods by foot, so our legs are pretty much tapped for the rest of our trip!

I would say I have a certain fascination with big cities and the hustle and bustle that comes with them. There is always a vibrancy and excitement about what's going on in a big city. Visiting London for the first time, made me think about how I used to view Chicago prior to living there. 

There was always an excitement that came from visiting my grandparents outside the city and taking the train into the loop to shop, visit museums, and be a tourist. I wondered if I were going to have that same feeling about London or if the city would offer such a sense of amazement as Chicago did to me when I was younger.

 

Scott at the London "eye"; Cassie Hyde Park

London did impress me with its "hustle and bustle" but I found myself noting the similarities between Chicago and London more than I expected I would. London felt much larger than Chicago, but I found the large sidewalks more like Chicago vs. New York, and found Hyde Park and the many green spaces to offer a sense of what Chicago tries to convey with its many parks and lakefront. The streets were surprisingly clean too. The shopping, of course, was more exciting to me in London (and MUCH more expensive!), and I also found it to be a fabulous treat to not only shop inside of Harrods, but also enjoy a gourmet lunch within their food area. Talk about a great afternoon!

 A perfect Lunch at Harrods. 

Wrapping up the weekend with fish and chips and a few traditional ales a local pub, we rounded out a quick but packed weekend in London.... We look forward to many more visits to the city from our little countryside town, for more sightseeing, shopping, and people watching as soon as we return to the UK as (temporary) residents here. 

Scott has his own restaurant in the Mayfair neighborhood. :)