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Our time in England was so special to share as a family, as it was a first for us all! I’m sharing our London recap first before sharing our countryside adventures. I had big plans for London – the essentials (changing of the guard, museums, historic monuments, etc.) as well as some extras, but was quickly humbled as I realized how long it took to navigate the enormous city. On the morning we attempted to see the changing of the guard, we ran late and instead ended up following their trail (IYKYN), unfortunately. Hopefully we can have that iconic experience next time! We ended up strolling through Hyde Park, and the kids really enjoyed getting up close and personal with the swans. Click to see more of our adventures…
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You might be wondering where we stayed…and in all honesty, our London accommodations were one of the highlights of the entire trip. My friend Chelsea and her husband Robert hosted us at their incredible home in West London – it was so lovely to spend time with them and their children. I did my best to capture the magic that they themselves have created (they’re quite the design duo), but alas, I didn’t take as many photos with my Nikon as I should have. I felt like we were living inside the pages of Architectural Digest the entire time, although they’ve achieved an amazing feeling of warmth and comfort amidst the elegance. I mean…I could go on and on. Check out this video for a more complete look!
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We were fortunate to meet up with our good friends the Montgomery’s – Annie (a talented artist) and I met years ago thanks to social media and got together in San Francisco before they moved back across the pond. It was such a comfort to see familiar faces in London, and they were so generous to show us a few of their favorite spots. We stopped at St. Pauls Cathedral and literally fed the birds, ha! Then they took us up to a rooftop club that had amazing views from above…the kids ran around together while we took in the sights. Afterwards, we walked to Covent Garden for lunch and some shopping…of course I had to photograph Frenchie for @thefrancophiles, and dessert at Milk Train was a blast.
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The next day was so jam packed that I didn’t even manage to get photos with my Nikon…but we visited the Science Museum, got ridiculously lost in Harrod’s, saw the Dior exhibit at the V + A and explored the museum with Annie and friends. We were exhausted, and made sure to be a bit more chill going forward. After all, I had planned a very special experience for us, at Sketch. I had high expectations after hearing about it for so many years and they were exceeded. We reserved the “children’s afternoon tea” and shared the treats…as we sipped our proper English tea we were serenaded by violinists, whilst the “caviar man” payed us a visit. It was one of the poshest experiences I’ve ever had myself, and to share it with Henry and Marie was amazing (and they made me so proud). You can see more in my Instagram Stories here!
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The restroom is world famous, by the way! Back to reality (le sigh)…after our teatime we wandered around the neighborhood, in search of the iconic telephone booth shot. Our mistake was thinking we should go inside. These (at least the ones we attempted) do not smell good. We almost lost our cookies macarons. I’ll leave it at that…and they are harder to find than you’d think! Do some research beforehand, perhaps on Instagram, to pinpoint the locations and best photo op…I wish I had! These two were right around the corner from Liberty, which was an obligatory stop (pour moi), and then we did some shopping in the area, to include Hamley’s for the kids – the oldest and largest toy shop in the world! We took a cab back to the house and admired the teddy bears they were given at Sketch as we passed by Buckingham Palace.
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Alas, our time in London went by entirely too quickly. All the more reason to return though, right?! I felt a bit defeated by the city as a first timer, but sometimes it just about a shift in your perspective. We are so fortunate to have had the experience, and it is worth every penny to give the kids that cultural experience. Henry is quite the Anglophile now, and has a special shelf in his room dedicated to all things British – it’s quite cute. We can’t ALL be Francophiles, lol. Next I’ll be sharing our time in the countryside, to include learning to drive (again), exploring a medieval town, and a castle tour!
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