Category: UK

Travel Guide: Brighton, UK

Published on by LostViivi33 Comments

I have finally decided to write the long waited for Brighton travel guide. My first trip to Brighton was about a year ago and after coming back home I couldn’t stop talking about returning to the idyllic British city.  And that’s why earlier this year I packed my bags and traveled to Brighton for the second time! I’m in love with Brighton and so should you. Most travelers only know about London not even looking for other possibilities in the UK. Read this Brighton travel guide and decide if the lovely seaside city only an hour away from London is the right destination for you. Skip to the end of my Brighton travel guide if you only want tips for day trips from London to Brighton.

Abandoned Pier in Brighton

Basic facts of Brighton for travelers:

When you start planning a trip to Brighton in Britain, remember to keep in mind at all times that there’re several cities called Brighton all around the world. Mixing these places up is easy (it happened to me so believe I know!) Britain’s Brighton is in fact only a part of a city called Brighton and Hove.

Population: 290 000
Language: English
Currency: British pound
Time zone: UTC/UTC+1 (they use summer time)
Summer weather: average day temperature of 21°C
Winter weather: average day temperature of 7°C

You can find idyllic & bohemian shops all around Brighton!

Should I travel to Brighton?

In my opinion: YES! The city is beautiful, easily accessible, and a real treat for anyone fond of small alleys or getting lost. In addition, there are so many things to do or see in Brighton. It mixes the best sides of shopping holiday, beach days and city breaks. All these within a walking distance! If this wasn’t enough to make you interested in traveling to Brighton, just check out their pier! (The new one, not the old abandoned one.) I love wooden piers and Brighton’s is my favorite. The gaming halls full of claw machines and coin games are like a heaven. Totally one of the must things to do in Brighton.

Brighton Palace Pier

When to travel to Brighton?

You can visit Brighton around the year but their tourist season is during summer because the winter weather would be too cold for beach life. The temperatures and conditions are generally the same as in London but the sea affects them a little bit. In winter you can enjoy snow days in Brighton while autumn and spring are perfect for those travelers who want to enjoy the empty color full streets of Brighton.

Both of my own visits have been in spring so I can’t really give a full opinion on this. However, there’re things to do in Brighton all around the year so no worries! You won’t get bored.

I recommend getting off the beaten path in Brighton

How long should I stay in Brighton?

A weekend is enough to get the feeling of Brighton but you can really extend your holiday as long as you want. London is easily accessible by train so you can even make Brighton your home base for day trips to the close-by cities. If you are a traveler who just wants to book her days full of attractions and things to do in Brighton, I would say that 4 to 5 days is an ideal time for the trip. For me, this city was more about getting lost walking the small alleys, drinking chai latte in bohemian cafes, and sitting half of the day on their beautiful beach enjoying the sun. Far from traditional sightseeing. If you want a relaxed holiday with not so many planned thins to do this Brighton travel guide is perfect for you.

How to get to Brighton?

The easiest way to get to Brighton is from London. You can take a train or bus to Brighton from all airports in London, however, some of them will have several changes or they will last for hours. I recommend flying to London Gatwick Airport. Gatwick Airport is halfway from London to Brighton when you take the train. The train journey to Brighton from London takes about an hour while from Gatwick Airport the trip will only last half an hour.

Is Brighton expensive?

The prices are at the same level as in London. You can find cheap budget hostels in Brighton but also better and more expensive five-star hotels. Food in Brighton is quite pricey if you want a real meal. Pizza and other cheaper options are available. Main attractions in Brighton are expensive but fortunately, most of the must-visit places in Brighton are totally free! So, you can have either expensive or budget holiday in Brighton. In the best case scenario combine these two.

Those travelers who are on a budget should continue reading this Brighton travel guide for more money saving tips for your holiday.

British Airways i360 in Brighton

The most important tourist attractions in Brighton

  • Royal Pavilion: This beautiful building is the true diamond of things to see in Brighton. The pavilion doesn’t fit in the rainy UK with its exotic Indian and Chinese heritage. Nowadays the Royal Pavilion is a museum where you can see the redecorated original settings from 200 years ago. As the old seaside home of the King, Royal Pavilion will charm you with its luxurious and dark past. It’s quite expensive but worth it!
  • Brighton Palace Pier: In the modern era word “palace” has disappeared from the name and most people call it the Brighton Pier. The pier build in 1899 sometimes goes by “the new pier” because a little farther away on the beach you can see Brighton’s abandoned old pier standing in the water. Brighton Pier is my favorite thing to do in Brighton. What there wouldn’t be to love in old wooden pier?
Brighton Pavilion
  • Brighton Pier Fair: There is a small fair on the wooden pier and it should be on your list of must things to do in Brighton. Their haunted house is a well-known attraction but unfortunately, it has been closed every time I have been in Brighton. The arcade halls are my favorite part. Claw machines, coin games, and other arcade games are kind of a big thing in my family. I’m blaming them for the lost money!
  • Brighton Marina: Brighton’s marina is the modern commercial center of the city. Bars, shops, restaurants, cafes, theaters, minigolf, and bowling. Brighton Marina was built about 40 years ago and it’s the biggest marina in the country. I wouldn’t recommend this place for claustrophobics because part of the marina is underwater! But the above water area is BEAUTIFUL. Maybe not the most important thing to see in Brighton but still worth of visit.
  • The Lanes: Brighton’s historic quarter has small alleys to get lost around but also cute cafes and bars where the locals meet. Just walk around to experience the idyllic atmosphere of Brighton that changes to something more modern and electric the closer the night comes!
  • North Laine: Colorful street art and small businesses with inviting fronts. This bohemian street is the heart of Brighton and paradise for all shoppers! Old record shops, flea markets, and cafes selling cakes from your dreams. If you don’t walk around the Lanes and North Laine, you can’t say that you have visited Brighton. Sorry, not sorry…
  • Museums: Brighton isn’t a city of museums like London but they have one bigger museum and several small interesting ones. I personally visited and liked the most important place aka Brighton Museum & Art Gallery where they show you everything from changing art exhibitions to archeological findings. Other museums that were recommended to me (and that I skipped, ups…): Brighton Toy and Model Museum, Booth Museum of Natural History, Brighton Fishing Museum, and so many more small galleries or art shops! Visiting at least a few of these museums should be on your must things to do in Brighton list.
  • British Airways i360: Every real tourist destination needs an observation deck. In Brighton, this has been taken to a whole new level. Their observation deck spins and takes you slowly to 138 meters. Again, this attraction is a little expensive but what observation tower wouldn’t be? The views are amazing and my favorite thing to spot up high were the graffiti paintings on the roofs of the close-by buildings. Clever!

Cool things to do in Brighton

  • Sea Life Brighton: If you love aquariums as much as I do, skipping the world’s oldest aquarium in Brighton build in 1872 isn’t a possibility. I have seen bigger, more modern and more enchanting aquariums but the old building has its own charm. Remember to book tickets to their behind the scenes tour early because when I went to Brighton it was already fully booked for every day. You get to see what happens inside the aquarium where visitors don’t usually go.
  • Undercliff Walk: If you are staying for a longer time in Brighton and want to spend a day walking/hiking next to the sea, 5 kilometers long Undercliff Walk on Brighton Beach is a perfect choice. The path goes between Black Rock (near Brighton Marina) and Saltdean. The cliffs on your way are made of chalk that was formed on the sea thousands of years ago. (Or something like that… Read more here.)
  • Police Cell Museum: You can visit this museum only by taking part in a tour that introduces you to the bloody history of Brighton’s old police cells. You will spend your day in the cells and hear interesting stories of prisoners, murder and solving crimes!
  • Walking Tours: One of my recent favorite things to do wherever I travel are the walking tours. Like all the bigger cities, Brighton has several free and cheap walking tours that teach you everything there is to know about the city. Take at least one walking tour to learn the basic things of Brighton and to get some unique tips from the local guides.
Ghost Walk of The Lanes around Brighton
  • Ghost Walk of The Lanes: Brighton is a city with a dark past and a lot of paranormal activity. I went to the Ghost Walk of The Lanes walking tour because it’s one of the most recommended tours in Brighton. I can agree with that statement. If you aren’t scared of ghosts and stories of murderers, Ghost Walk of The Lanes is a must thing to do in Brighton. Darkening evening, scary props, and the small alleys of the Lanes will make your experience extraordinary! (And your walk back to your accommodation deadly scary…)
  • Brighton Open Market: This is the place to buy your local souvenirs. They sell local handicrafts and food in permanent market stalls but also in changing stalls around the decked market square. Check before your trip if Brighton Open Market has any events during your stay. For example, when I was in Brighton for the first time they had Fairytale Market and it was magical!
  • Search for cool graffiti and street art: You can find art on Brighton streets where ever you walk in the city. The Lanes and North Laine are some of the best spots for graffiti sightings but any side street will do. I recommend doing googling before your trip so you don’t miss the most famous pieces of art like two policemen kissing.
  • Relax on the beach: My last tip is also the most obvious one: relax on the beach and just have a fun day playing by the sea! You can walk on the beach from Brighton Pier until the Brighton Marina. The walk is about 3 kilometers but on the beautiful settings that will feel like nothing. If you return after dark or during the sunset, the lights of Brighton Pier are must see.

Low budget holiday in Brighton

Can you make a low budget holiday to Brighton? Yes, if you are ready to skip some of the must to do things in Brighton and if you can contain your shopping needs, it will be easy. Hostels are a must choice for budget travelers. There are several of them around Brighton and the prices are super cheap. Just be careful because not all hostels are clean, peaceful, or near the main street. For example, on my first trip to Brighton, the hostel I was staying in had a bar on its first floor. They played music half of the night so loud that it felt in our room like you were part of the party. (May sound fun but not after a long day of sightseeing…) 

Cheap accommodation isn’t the only thing you can save in during your Brighton holiday. This student city offers many budget options. Museums, Sea Life, and the Royal Pavilion are nice but not necessary or must to do things in Brighton on budget. You can see the most important part of the Royal Pavilion from outside and the free walking tours (with voluntary fees) will tell you all the information you need to know about Brighton or its history.

The most important places to visit are also free – let’s not count the money you will use for shopping. The Lanes and North Lane are colorful, full of small alleys, and covered in small idyllic shops, cafes, and restaurants. All this is free. Well, if you don’t buy all the shops empty like I would love to do, it will be free. Brighton Pier is also free to visit and so is the beach. Just walk around and enjoy the Brighton atmosphere. Especially in summer you can find several free events, concerts, and plays all around the city.

Abandoned pier in Brighton beach

Useful tips for Brighton to remember

Brighton is a moderately safe city and there aren’t too many things to keep in mind regarding your safety. However, these things are good to know before your trip so you can get most out of the experience.

  • Drugs: Okay, don’t get most out of the drugs during your visit to Brighton. This city is well known because of its high drug usage. Mostly you will see marijuana. It’s used either secretly or so normally that you don’t even realize before people are doing it. Someone will probably offer you drugs but just say that you don’t use and there shouldn’t be any problems.
  • Homeless people: Regarding the government, Brighton has the worst homelessness rate in Britain (when we don’t count London in the equation). You can clearly see this while walking around the city at evening or night time because most of the doorways and parks are full of people in their sleeping bags. Even then generally speaking they won’t bother you and are just normal people who don’t have a home. If you have an extra penny consider giving it to someone who needs it and if you don’t have anything to spare just smile while walking towards.
  • It’s a party city: Staying in shared accommodation means that people will return in the middle of the night even during weekdays. If you are staying near a bar, the music may disturb you through the day. But it’s not only a bad thing! You can always meet new people or just take over the whole hostel room in the evenings because everyone else is at a party. Experiencing at least one wild party in Brighton is a must thing to do!
  • Check the events during your stay: It was a huge surprise for me how many events, concerts, and other things to do there happens in Brighton every week! Even better many of these things are free. Just remember to check them before you go because sometimes the tickets are sold out quickly.
  • Airport security after Brighton: If you’re staying in a hostel or shared accommodation while in Brighton, I recommend reserving a little extra time for the airport when returning home. The security may want to do a random drug test for your things or you may happen to meet one of those cute dogs. Even if you kept away from drugs the results are probably going to be positive. However, don’t worry! As long as you haven’t used anything and don’t carry anything illegal with you it’s going to be a simple package check. Tell them honestly that you were staying in a hostel so you think that someone was using something near your things. It will make the process faster and being honest is always a good thing.

Day trip to Brighton from London

Trains between Brighton and London operate several times per hour so you can travel to Brighton at any time. The journey lasts about an hour and will take you to the Brighton station. Just step outside the station building from its main doors and keep walking along the street. This will take you to the beach which is the best place to start your adventure around Brighton. After you have arrived at the beach and enjoyed the view, start your day in Brighton. Here is my Brighton one day itinerary suggestion:

  • Walk along the beach towards the British Airways i360. It’s the tall tower on your right side if you have walked straight to the beach from the train station. After arriving at the observation tower, buy your tickets. Check the time of your ride and then remember to go back to British Airways i360 at the right time.
  • After buying tickets and possibly visiting the observation tower, continue your way towards the Brighton Pavilion through the Lanes. Stop for coffee and shopping whenever you want. You can either buy a ticket to the Pavilion or just admire it from its park.
  • Right next to the Brighton Pavilion, you can find the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery.
  • Now it’s time to walk the famous North Laine. Remember to keep eye on interesting graffiti paintings on your way. Definitely, a must thing to do in Brighton.
  • If you haven’t yet eaten, find a restaurant or walk to the Brighton Pier and eat fish and chips with a sea view. Continue enjoying the pier on its fair and gaming halls or go to the world’s oldest aquarium that you can find on the other side of the street in front of the Brighton Pier.
  • As your last activity in Brighton go for the Ghost Walk of The Lanes and then walk back to the train station along the beach. This way you can see the sight of Brighton Pier’s beautiful lights in darkness as your last memory of the city.
The train journey from Brighton to London only lasts for an hour

I loved Brighton but what now?

Have you stayed in Brighton for long enough but would like to continue somewhere else? Don’t worry because you have an almost endless amount of possibilities! Here are some of my favorites:

  • London: Only one hour by cheap train and you will be in London. And then from London (even if it has always new things to see and experience), you can literally travel anywhere in Britain. With the cheap buses, you can travel around with only a few pounds.
  • Manchester: Well known soccer city is about 3 to 5 hours train trip away from Brighton but you can get cheap deals every now and then for the tickets. Bus from Brighton to Manchester takes a few hours more but the best prices are also under $10.
  • Paris: Does this recommendation surprise you? In fact, you can go by bus from Brighton to London and from London to Paris. It’s surprisingly cheap even if flying would be faster.
  • Bournemouth: Another seaside town worth seeing in Britain. Take a cheap bus from Brighton but be ready to sit for about 5 to 6 hours.
  • Bristol: Busses starting from one pound go between Bristol and Brighton. The trip takes about 5 hours but the night bus is always a practical decision. Bristol is an interesting city full of passion, culture, and things to do.

Have you ever visited Brighton or planning on going to see this seaside town? If you haven’t yet been to Brighton, I totally recommend it! I’m in love with this colorful city… Like always all comments and questions are more than welcome.

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With love,
Lost Viivi

Travel Plan: Bremen, London, Brighton & Rome

Published on by LostViivi14 Comments

I may have made new travel plan that will make some people roll their eyes (sorry, mom and dad…). It is not bad plan but it includes a lot of traveling around and picking up the cheapest option. Also I would have had university entrance exams just now if I hadn’t decided to skip them.

Because this is travel blog but I have never really written anything about my trips before going I decided to start new blogging series: Travel Plans. Nothing extraordinary… Just me telling you about my plan beforehand and maybe asking some tips if anyone has visited the destinations I am going to.

Where did this plan start?

I knew that I want to travel either in May or June but about a week ago I hadn’t done any plans yet. Then I got promotional email from Ryanair saying that flight from Tampere (near the place where I live currently) to Bremen would be only 30€. How could I not buy that flight ticket? After that I had a small problem aka flights back to Finland were too expensive.

I was thinking and thinking until I found out that flights to London from Bremen were only 10€. Of course I had to go there then! But I just visited London and even if I love that city, I really wanted to experience something new. Buying train ticket to Brighton felt almost like a natural thing to do. I have wanted to visit that city for the longest time. I am not even sure why but it just seems like a place I would love.

After booking hostels to my destinations and travel tickets, I still had one big problem… No plan how could I come back to Finland. I am not going to lie. Never coming back may have crossed in my mind. However, I have university entrance exam at the end of May and my sister’s graduation party at June. There is no way I would skip those so I had to come up with non-expensive way of travel from UK to Finland. That’s not easy.

I had to do some planning, desperate searching and counting my budget for too many times before I finally found flight from London to Riga and from there to Helsinki. Not the most easiest one but cheap and the timing was perfect.

This plan was now ready but it doesn’t mean that I didn’t plan more travels during the current week. We have had been speaking about trip to Rome with my mom. After traveling a lot during the last two years I have finally collected enough Finnair points to get free lights to anywhere in Europe. Surprisingly there was also deal to get free lights using lesser points than usually. So, Rome here we come in August!

What to do in Bremen & Brighton?

I really don’t have idea what to do in Bremen but I have some ideas for Brighton. But I would like some tips if anyone knows something about these cities. If I have understood correctly Bremen is quite artsy city with not so many things to do except walking around the city. And then there is of course a few museums I want to visit. After watching some photos it looks similar to Poland’s Gdansk I visited earlier this year.

Then there is Brighton, one of my dream destinations. I have wanted to visit here for the longest time. Mostly because of the huge pier they have. But also because Brighton just seems like a city I would fit in and totally fall in love. It seems like city full of cute shops, cafes, street art and atmosphere. Oh, there is also the world’s oldest aquarium! 

I have also been searching some cool walking tours and events in both cities. For Brighton I have found maybe too many options (oh, my poor wallet…) but for Bremen no luck yet. Any recommendations?

 

Sorry for the odd post but today is Eurovision day so I didn’t have a lot of time to write! Like always all comments are welcome. Does anyone have any recommendations for Brighton, Bremen, London or maybe Rome? (Also thoughts about Eurovision are more than welcome. Anyone as big Eurovision freak as me?)

With love,

Viivi Severina

Travel Diary: London pt. 2

Published on by LostViivi8 Comments

Hello there and welcome back to read about my London adventure! If you haven’t read the first part you can find it from here: Travel Diary: London Also if you are wondering where the day 3 disappeared it will have its own post later on.

Why? Because otherwise this post would have been too long and I really want to dedicate whole post for Harry Potter studio tour and Madame Tussauds museum. But now let’s continue the story! (And btw thank to my sister who took that crazy bird photo… She is fearless!)

Day 4: Natural History and Shopping

I recommend living in hotels with breakfast because finding something to eat sound easier than it is in reality. Once again buying breakfast was causing us unbelievably huge problems. You would think it’s easy to find breakfast cafe from London but that’s total fantasy. We walked the whole few kilometers to the Natural History Museum without finding any cafe for us to eat.

No breakfast here…

First we went through the security check where they didn’t check us properly like too often in these situations. Apparently Finns or our lost selves don’t seem dangerous enough to need proper security checks. After that we continued our mission to find breakfast and managed to find the most unhealthy but tasty looking chocolate cake I have ever seen. Of course we bought pieces of it for us to have as breakfast.

I have few words about the free Natural History museum. Dinosaurs, mind games and huge whale. Yep, that sums up our morning. Besides us there was a lot of school classes. When we left the museum we even accidentally walked in one of the school groups and got some wondering looks from the teacher.

After surviving out of the museum (we didn’t go to every exhibition because it would have taken the whole day!) it was time to go shopping. We went to a few shops but in the end did most of our shopping in the Primark. Don’t judge me, I’m student and live on my own so shop full of cheap clothes is like a heaven.

I bought two more pairs of the jeans I had bought the last time. Even if those jeans made me looks like a smurf after I took them off. That feature is still part of them. I don’t know if I should be worried of them leaving ugly blue color to my skin? Well, at least the jeans only cost like 7€.

But yeah that was our fourth day. The evening went planning our last day, buying some bubble tea and starting the impossible packing. I had totally forgotten how much I loved bubble tea. I even bought matcha one because it’s one of the foods I can’t get from Finland and I think I can’t live without!

Day 5: Hard Rock Cafe and Touristy Things

We didn’t have a lot of plans for our fifth day but ended up doing a lot. Our first stop was breakfast at Hard Rock Cafe. We had been arguing (well not arguing but just being indecisive together) should we use the metro or walk through Hyde Park. We ended up doing the last one and it was good decision!

Thanks for my sister who took this photo. I would have never been brave enough to be so close to the birds! And I should be the animal carer of this family…

We saw more birds on our way and even crazier tourists trying to hug and befriend the birds. (You shouldn’t do this. Bad for the animals and unhealthy for you..) 

When we finally found the Hard Rock Cafe it was closer us than we had tought. The staffs were kind and place amazing so definitely recommend for everyone to go when in London! It was meant to be our breakfast but we both ordered cauliflower burger. It was vegetarian dish where the hamburger steak was replaced by cauliflower. I would eat all my burgers like that if it was possible.

At this point it didn’t even matter that our breakfast was so fulfilling because we had eaten odd breakfasts everyday. Bento box, Fish & Chips and chocolate cake to name some of our crazy breakfast choices. But hey, we were on vacation so no reason to eat reasonably.

After the fulfilling meal we continued towards Buckingham palace and the royal shop we had promised to visit for our mom. Luck was on our side because once again the walk was shorter than we had expected. And on when we arrived to the palaces gates there was someone (probably important person) exiting the palace in horse carriage. So cool!

After the palace gates experience and realizing there was nothing to buy in the royal shop (just normal more expensive souvenirs) we decided to continue our walk. Next destination Big Ben!  I know we already went there once but my sister had forgotten her polaroid camera so we had to return to take photo for her.

Once again good decision because this time we decided to be more touristy than on the first time and lined to take photos of us with Big Ben and red phone booth. It was so funny how people would pose with the booth and even more people line up to wait for their turn to take the photo. No way for anyone to really use those phones to call. Tourist takeover!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLrOVBVgoZG/?taken-by=viiviseverina

Surprisingly even after taking some photos and buying souvenirs from stall next to the Big Ben we had almost half of the day left. It was time to head to get some culture experiences and what would be better place for that than Tate Modern museum?

The museum was huge. I mean I had known there was many floors and exhibitions but it was bigger than I would have never imagined. In my opinion too much art to see in one day. I have always loved museum and modern art and this museum immediately rose to one of my favorite museum. And one important point to mention is that the museum was free to attend.

We even found one exhibition from Finnish artist. We were wondering out loud why would there be Finn’s works in this popular museum when behind us woman said in Finnish “Why not?” and disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. I never get used to other Finns leaving our beloved home country and making contact on odd places.

After the museum visit it was time to return back to our hotel. We packed our too full suitcases and tried to sleep early because the next morning it was time to leave.

 

Day 6: Time To Go Home

We woke up too early to make it to our plane. First we had to take metro to the train station and then find the right train. I thought we would have more problems but fortunately the trains station has prepared for tourist and there is huge signs to find the right track.

We arrived early to the airport but then suddenly we almost had to run to make it to our flight. The airport really is huge. And the plains to Finland leave from the farthes corner possible. No, I’m not even kidding. We had to walk trough the whole airport to get to our gate.

This time I sat next to my sister but it was causing some problems. We wanted to see the same movie so if one of us was ahead the other one got spoilers before hand. Can someone make the plane TV’s sync and show the movies at the same time? Let’s just go back to the time where everyone had to watch Brain Games from the shared tiny TV.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMXS3WrAQoY/?taken-by=viiviseverina

So there was my London travel diary. I hope you enjoyed my long boring commentary. Have you ever been to London? And maybe done some of the things we did?

I will write again next Friday with the story and review from Harry Potter tour and Madame Tussauds. Have an amazing weekend!

With love,

Viivi Severina

Travel Diary: London

Published on by LostViivi17 Comments

5 days in London is far from enough. This city is full of places to see and things to experience. However 5 days is just enough to fall in love again with the lively city. London, I will return one day and hopefully that day will be sooner than later!

Day 1: To Harrods without sleep

Our bus to the airport left 3am so I didn’t get any sleep before that. We flew with the new Finnair A350 airplane and the movie selection was too good (Now You See Me 2 is everything!!) for me to even try sleeping. My sleepless night plan however backfired right away in London… We got safely and without problems to our hotel where the staff informed us that our room would be ready in four hours. Too much time to kill for me who hadn’t slept and for my sister who just happened to be sick.

We left the hotel with a map and no plan. Our first mission was to find food and then while having mini picnic in the Hyde Park we tried to plan our afternoon. The decisions was hard because both of us just wanted to go and sleep in the hotel. In the end we decided to visit the luxurious Harrods.

Maybe not our best decision…

If you haven’t visited Harrods let me tell you it is amazing fancy shop where you would imagine rich people shopping. Fortunately there was a lot of tourists beside us so our “travel day straight from plane” styles almost fitted in the huge department store.

I have three tips for visiting Harrods:

  1. Get lost. There is no way you can find all the sections, floors and places. There is so many rooms full of stuff that it just is impossible.
  2. Visit the food/tea/sweets floor. So beautiful!
  3. Get amazed by the toys they sell. It may sound funny to recommend Harrods’ kids’ floor but it is the dream of every human. Good looking girls and boys are showing how to use the different toys. There is anything kid can hope for.

So after a while my sister started to complain she was too tired (why is she always sick when we travel together?) so we returned to the hotel and surprisingly our room was ready almost hour in advance. It was time to rest for a while.

At the evening I left my sister to sleep and went for evening walk in Hyde Park. I would walk around there forever. The funniest thing in that park are the animals (and people taking photos with them). When you approach the birds with your camera huge gang of different birds immediately come for you to find food. Scary and cool at the same time!

My nature photographer side went crazy so here is some Hyde Park photos:

 

Day 2: Super Tourists Bus Touring

What would holiday be without hop-on-hop-off bus tour? Because my sister was still sick we decided to take our first day easy and go around the city on bus. It wasn’t as easy as we tought it would be… But maybe didn’t come as surprise for you because a lot of things go like that with me.

 

In the bus company’s website it said their office is in Baddington station. Well it wasn’t. We went to the station, saw place with the bus company’s logos and went in. Then I told I want to buy the tickets but the clerk informed me we were in the wrong place. The ticket counter was outside the station “next to the subway. The fast food subway.” With those directions we found the right place.

After that we bought the tickets, tried to find the bus stop and finally our touristy day was ready to began. First stop King’s Cross Station. Or the station known for its Harry Potter 9 3/4 platform. Our first mission was to find breakfast. Sounds easy but it’s not…

We went around the station trying to find something breakfasty (can your ever say it like that?). Somehow we ended up going to Japanese place and eating huge bento boxes. It was so good! I recommend. The restaurant name was Wasabi and they had restaurants all over London. Cheap and tasty.

All those people lining up to take photo with fake platform 9 3/4.

Conveniently we were able to see the ‘Harry Potter take your own 9 3/4 platform photo here’ -place. It was our next thing to do. We waited for 20 minutes and the line hadn’t moved at all so we gave up. It was good decision because when we visited the Warner Bros. studios there was identical photography point.

So it was time to continue our bus tour. We saw many interesting buildings and drove around London. Next time we meant to drop of next to Tower of London but accidentally forgot so our next stop was London eye and Big Ben.

Nothing eventful happened here. Just us taking some photos and looking all touristy, someone playing Star Wars songs with bagpipes and a lot of polices and protesters next to the Big Ben. After getting our cool photos we took the bus and continued towards the amazing shopping paradise called Oxford street.

It was almost hour of sitting in the bus before we finally we on the right stop. At this point it has started to rain and we had to run towards the shops. The luck was on our side because we found Primark right away and were saved from the storm.

Primark was heaven. Cheap and cool clothes. I bought fake leather jacket, cozy sweater and jeans (that will cause me problems later on…) After exiting the shop with too many bags it was already dark and we were almost dead. It was time to take metro back to our hotel.

 

Coming soon…

London diary pt. 2, review of Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour and additional photo diary for all the London photos I couldn’t fit to those posts. I release new post every Friday so I will write and publish them some time soon. And to end this posts here is some London photos from my Instagram:

 

Have you ever visited London and maybe the places I went into? And are you as in love with this city as I am?

I hope you will have a good weekend!
With love,

Viivi Severina