The next morning I got up well rested for my full day ahead of me. I wanted to knock out another museum, but first thing on my agenda was the changing of the horse guards. I made my way down to Parliament Square and got my first glimpse of Ben Big under construction. I couldn’t help myself with selfie shots. Lol. I also encountered the London Eye, a collection of statues of political leaders who shaped our government such as Winston Churchill, and the infamous Westminster Abbey church. I was enjoying my morning at Parliament Square when I noticed the time slipping away from me. It was already 10:45am and I was worried I was going to miss the changing of the horse guards. It took me a while to figure out where Horse Guard Road was, but I ended up finding a large group gathering in an open field. I walked over and sure enough, I saw horses coming towards us from the horizon in a single file line. I absolutely loved seeing the horses in full English tradition. People were in awe. The whole process took about 30 minutes before they headed their way. Mission accomplished!
By this time I was getting tired (again) for my 2nd cup of coffee. I knew I wanted to make my way to Tate Modern museum, but I needed my coffee fix as well as another charge up on my iphone. Luckily I found a Starbucks right outside the metro stop and took a rest there. I checked in on my friend in Italy. She was tracking my trip along with my check-ins. Now off to Tate Modern!
I ended up running into St. Paul’s Cathedral. I didn’t go inside but the outside of this church was pretty impressive. I had reached Millennium Bridge and had to walk over to get to the museum. That bridge was intense! It connects the north bank of St. Paul’s Cathedral to the Southwark of Shakespeare’s Globe and Tate Modern. Because of the distance you get a scenic view of the city of London. Again, pictures overload.
I found Tate Modern and purchased my ticket to see the exhibit of Fahrelnissa Zeid. She was an artist from Turkey who was an aristocrat from the Ottoman Empire. I learned how Turkey, Paris and London help governed the work she made throughout her life. She was a fascinating woman and her large canvas paintings of abstract Islamic, Byzantine, Arab and Persian influences are gorgeous. Unfortunately you could not take any pictures inside the exhibit but I did purchase my prized souvenir book to stare at her work from home.
I found Shakespeare’s Globe nearby and decided I wanted to have lunch. But I noticed storm clouds rolling in pretty quickly. I jetted across Millennium Bridge but by the time I passed St. Paul’s Cathedral it started to storm really bad. I took cover and waited for it to pass. I noticed a restaurant outside of the Underground stop and made my way there for lunch. The Blackfriar was perfect for fish and chips. It felt good to finally have some traditional English food. The night before I asked my new friends what restaurants they recommend in London but they insisted I have Indian cuisine. I was baffled because I knew I HAD TO HAVE fish and chips here. Even though I never made it to Poppies Fish & Chips (their choice), I enjoyed my meal at The Blackfriar.
I went back to the hotel to nap and shower up. Again I was facing the problem of where to go to for an evening cocktail on a Wednesday night. London is infamous for pubs, but unfortunately, I’m not a beer drinker. I decided to head to Sketch later on, but not before I ventured out in my area in Earl’s Court to kill some time. Most shops close around 7pm with the exception of Zara, H&M and TK Maxx (I’m assuming they’re affiliated with TJ Maxx here in the States). I shopped inside and found a cute down jacket in a maroon color.
Once I dropped off the jacket back at the hotel, it was time to find Sketch. I got off the metro station and found an amazing street with high end retail. This was London’s finest! I wished I had window shopped earlier around here but what can you do? Luckily I found Sketch and was immediately thrown off by the patrons entering in the restaurant. Everyone was so dressed up! I had on blue jeans and was upset I didn’t wear my black jeans instead so I could blend in more. I walked up to the door guy and asked if it was ok if I could sit at the bar and order drinks instead of dining in. He said, “Well of course!" and opened the door for me to let me in. Whew!
Sketch has multiple rooms for dining, but I had drinks at The Parlor. They had a dj too spinning house music. I was enjoying the vibe very much. I ended up making friends with a couple who sat next to me. We hit it off immediately. I also noticed as the night went on, more and more people were showing up. I guess I found a popular Wednesday night spot.
Afterwards, my new friends wanted to go somewhere else. They searched for spots online and settled on The Roxy which was a few blocks away. There was a line forming outside but we waited about 10 minutes before they let us in. Again, more and more people were showing up. Inside it was happening club with everyone dancing and having fun. We danced the night away before we called it quits. Londoners like to party! I love it!
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