Andrew+Bethany= :) the Life of the A&B Brown Family: London Town

London. Our Favorite City in the world. Makes me all sorts of speechless. I smile every time I think about it. It is the New York/LA/DC of England.....maybe even better. We had a wonderful week in the Royal City. Andy did a review for a couple of the days, and then we ventured out to relive some of our favorite memories.

Andrew and I both did study abroads at the BYU London Center: Andy in 2004 and me in 2007. We actually had the same director, Jeff Ringer. Kind of a small world. I also was on that study abroad with Andy's sister Bethany. World gets even smaller;) Andy and I love this city. There is so much to do, see, and experience. History, art, architecture, theater, shopping, markets, FOOD, parks, the royal family, classy streets, hippy streets, hipster streets, Notting Hill, palaces, music......everything! We were fortunate to see many of the tourist sites whilst on our study abroads, so we decided to revisit some of our favs and just walk the town. And eat food. Mmmmmm.

The first day, Andy need to work, so I checked into our hotel and made my way across the Thames from Waterloo, where we were staying. Of course, one has to try some street food while in London. I don't so much care for the traditional British cuisine, but one thing that is so wonderful about this place is all of the international foodie joints. Before making my way across the river, I found a Cuban food stand. I got some yummy rice, beans and plantains with a creamy garlic yogurt sauce and chilies. So yummy. As I continued walking, I felt like the clouds parted, and this sight was before my eyes.....

This sight makes me so happy!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. Isn't this just iconic London? This never got old when I was here those four months. It is just chic and sexy to me. Must be all that history or something......
I didn't really have a concrete plan of what to do before meeting up with Andy, so I decided to do a few things I knew he would want to forgo. Oxford Street and Picadilly for some window shopping! All of the main shops are there--H&M, Topshop, Zara, Lillywhites, yadda yadda--but my personal favorite is Liberty's. Have never really bought anything here, but I could be in this place for hours. Liberty's is this amazing Tudor-style building that is pretty uppetty (don't know how to spell that word.) It has more high-end clothing, accessories, home decor, outdoor decor, fine papers and journals, fine fabrics, soaps and lotions, fragrances......you name it! my favorite parts are the fine papers and home decor. Here is a snapshot of the interior:

Inside Liberty's. So gorgeous. Love the woodwork in this place.

Lovely Yes? After paroozing, I headed over to the cosmetics area. Makeover? They do have amazing makeup and fragrances that are hard to find elsewhere...

Richard E. Grant. British celeb signing his perfumes. Had no clue who he was, but found out he is going to be in Downton Abbey next season. He is famous people to me!

Here is the exterior. I always feel like Shakespeare is going to shout something out the window;)

Beautiful Liberty's!

I then made my way to Leicester Square to meet up with one of my mission companions and dear friends, Sarah Hamilton! Sarah is from Birmingham, and relocated to London earlier this year. Soooooo happy we got together. My only regret is that we didn't take a pic right after our reunion. Pic to come later on.....
Andy got to meet up with us for dinner at Muriel's Kitchen, a newer restaurant in London. We all just had fun catching up, laughing, telling stories and just being together. It has been a few years since we last saw Sarah when she came to the states to visit, so it was a blast to be with her in her homeland!

Sarah had some work to finish up, so Andy and I just walked around Leicester Square and Picadilly by night. We definitely miss having things going on at night in a city! We were pretty tired, and decided to save our energy for the rest of the week. But we did relive a memory: getting a cadbury chocolate McFlurry at McDonalds for one pound. This was a tradition for both of us, typically after seeing a show and walking the town.

Day 2. We had to make our way to the Notting Hill area to shed a few tears in front of the BYU London Center at #27 Palace Court! We got off at Queensway station, walked up Bayswater and had our eyes peeled for the turquoise-copper rooftop (that was the only way I KNEW I was going towards the right street. Andy even did some heel clicks to celebrate:)

On our way down Palace Court!

BYU London Center. We LOVE this place!

I think this was my face the whole trip. so content.

Good ol' #27

Oh the memories. Dinners by Tony and Tina, rolling out of bed at 7am for classes, sharing bunkbeds, dishcrew and sneaking down in the dumbwaiter, staying up late, going up and down and up and down all those flights of stairs, firesides, movie nights, Christmas Stories in the Ringers' flat, making lunches from leftovers.....the list goes on! Such a great place to live. They were doing some remodeling, but let us come in to take a look. So fun.

We continued down Bayswater and ran into a newbie. Jamie Oliver's Recipease. I am a fan of Jamie Oliver and him leading the world back to whole, healthy food. It was a little early to have lunch here, but I did try their GF banana bread. Delicious.

Jamie Oliver's Recipease. Yum.

They make GF banana muffins here. Wha!?! So delicious!

Love Jamie Oliver!

One of our favorite things about living in this area was the parks! Within just a few minutes, you have Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and Holland Park. Holland Park is very ecclectic: you have tree-canopied dirt paths, japenese gardens, an open green, artistic tulip gardens, and an awesome garden house! They also have temporary art exhibits put on by local artists. We love it here.

Holland Park, one of our favorites!

Boom baby!

Awkward turtle

Tulip Gardens in Holland Park

Sexy as usual.

In between Holland Park and Kensington Gardens is Embassy Row. Most of the embassies are here and the public can walk down this gorgeous road....as long as they don't take pictures. (Hence, no pics.) But each embassy is GORGEOUS! The Victorian architecture is to die for. It also makes for a pleasant stroll.

On to another favorite: Kensington Gardens. This one is closest to the BYU Center, so this was the place to go for a nice jog, all the games of soccer with our groups, and a nice walk towards Exhibition Road and the Royal Albert Music Hall. And seriously, everyone matches with their dogs (just like you see in 101 Dalmations;) Plus, you also find Kensington Palace, childhood home to Queen Victoria and the current London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: Will and Kate. When I was there, some of us were able to catch a glimse of Prince Andrew landing in a helicopter....another reason to loooovvvvveee this city. This is also a great place to go for High Tea. Good memories with Katy and Brookie!

Kensington Palace

Prince Albert Memorial

This park also pays homage to another royal couple: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Because of them, London has some killer museums.....most of which are free of charge. This is also where some of the cast of Downton Abbey has their park lunch in season 4's finale. Cool.

We then went down exhibition road, where the Science, Natural History, and Victoria and Albert Museums are. If you want to see amazing fashion exhibits, go to the V&A! Down this street, you also find the Hyde Park Chapel and the Mission home. The doors were open, so we took a peek, and actually learned that part of it is now a Visitor's Center. It was way cool! you get to learn a lot about the history of the Church in Great Britain.

We then went to Kensington High Street--another great shopping destination in London. It was here that we hopped onto a Double Decker....we were pretty tired.

One of the Old School Double Deckers!

We took the bus then the tube to the center of the city. I just love how beautiful this city is at every turn. Love Regent's Street!

Strollin' down Regent's Street (Hello Zara:)

One of our favorite things to do on the weekends or an evening after a show was Covent Garden. My Fair Lady fans, this is where you see Eliza Doolittle selling her flowers on the steps of St. Paul's church! What used to be a food and flower market is now some higher-end boutiques and shops, but you can still get some yummy food (amazing Belgian waffles!) and see the best of London Busking! We learned from Sarah that all buskers in London have to audition and get a busking license....so, you actually hear pretty descent music! We just stood and watched this one guitarist play....loved! And who can forget the Mimes!

The Mimes at Covent Garden

The Shops

The Food

The Man:)

After walking around Covent Garden and eating some Chipotle (yes, it has come to the UK!), we headed to the Phoenix Theatre to see Once! We had heard good things, and were excited to see it. We loved this show! It was unique in that the whole cast is also the orchestra and their synchronization and harmonies are stunning! It is not your typical Broadway-type show, but it makes for a refreshing change. A must see!

Right before our show!

Very excited to see this!

The cast singing and playing before the show. way cool.

After our show, we walked around town a bit, and got a little treat on the way back to the hotel. Another lovely day in London Town!

The next day, Andy needed to get some work done, so I headed over to the Bank area to meet up with Sarah. She took me to St. Ethelburga's Church near Bishopsgate. This was one of the few medieval churches that survived the London Fire of 1666, but took quite a hit when the IRA bombed part of it in 1993. Donations helped restore it and it was converted into St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. Its purpose is to build relationships across divisions of conflict, culture and religion. Here, people can come and have conversations of change and collaboration. Such a beautiful idea. It is very thought-provoking and inspirational. If you want a refreshing change from the normal historical church circuit in London, visit this amazing place.

The interior of the church.

This structure is in the back of the church. Anyone is welcome to enter to meditate or have meaningful conversations. We sat on the bench and talked for a looooonnnngggg time! It was awesome!

The only rule is you can't wear shoes. Pretty awesome

We met up with Andrew and Sarah headed to an appointment, so we got some lunch at Marks and Spencer's and headed over to Trafalgar Square. While in Amsterdam at the Van Gogh museum, we found out the one of the Sunflowers paintings was loaned out to the National Gallery. How convenient! It was worth the line! We were able to see the National Gallery's Sunflowers and Amsterdam's Sunflowers side by side. It was a great exhibit!
The National Gallery is amazing! I remember coming here almost every Sunday after church and taking it one wing at a time (nice that it is free;). There are some amazing Van Goghs, Monets, Degas, and other amazing impressionist works. We had a great time!

Right after our tour of the National Gallery

Trafalgar Square!

Trafalgar Square is just fun. It is the heart of Londoness: the architecture, St. Martins in the Fields, Double Deckers, Whitehall to your left, the Strand to your right, and of course the National Gallery. Always filled with lots of people, but we love the energy in this part of town!

Yay London!!!!!

He kind of ripped his pants attempting this kick. But I love this pic!

Our many London Faces:)

You mean we can't stay forever?

Live it up then!

We headed over towards Green Park to catch a view of Buckingham Palace! I mean, you have to right?

Lovely Green Park

1, 2, 3.....eat 'im

Is the Queen in sight?

Buckingham Palace

Lovely Tulips Here Too!

Love the clouds

After walking around St. James Park (another GORGEOUS one) we headed over to Whitehall. Love the historicity of this part of town. Around here, you can catch a nice view of the London Eye:)

just strolling down Whitehall

One must catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister's Downing Street residence.....

hoping to see the Prime minister. no dice.

After a nice Westminister walk, we took to tube to East London and met up with Sarah for dinner. She took us to a part of town neither one of us had spent much time in: Shoreditch. She was excited to take us to Brick Lane! Brick Lane is over by the Spitalfields market and it is where everyone in London goes to get Curry. Since this is where the Bangledesshi community expanded in London, yummy Curry houses line both sides of Brick Lane. And there are hosts lining the street, all tyring to court you and get you to come taste their curry. We all shared yummy curries, and had fun talking and laughing! We are so happy we got to be with Sarah! Unfortunately, this is where we had to say goodbye to her for now! Can't wait to meet up in London again soon!

Sarah and Me on Brick Lane!

The next morning, we went to THE favorite park for both of us: Hampstead Heath! for you movie buffs, this is where Julia Roberts is filming her period film in the movie Notting Hill (you know, when she gives Hugh Grant the snubb:( ) This park is awesome. I think the crazy trees, meandering streams and bridges make it for me. Also, my favorite painting in the world is housed in the Kenwood House, which is within the park. One of Rembrandt's final self'portraits. If you want a taste of the old Aristocratic estates and stately homes without venturing out of London, this is the place to go.

Hampstead Heath definitely has some of the best trees

Panoramic of Kenwood House and Hampstead Heath

Yes, these are real dogs!

We love Kenwood House!

About right here something got in my nose......

....oh itchiness.....

....ah-CHOO!

We could live in Hampstead

After a nice walk through the park and paroozing of paintings, we headed down towards Southbank and then over to Southwark. My beautiful friend Katy Lund Burgess introduced me to this beauty: Borough Market. A foodie's paradise. Just a stone's throw from the Globe Theatre, this is the place to go for delicious cheeses, olive oil, salted beef sandwiches, fresh preserves, real hot cross buns, fresh produce and big cauldrons of curry--sold by the plate. I definitely had the best grilled cheese sandwich I have ever had in my life here at Borough Market. We got lunch here--a game burger for Andy and a curry plate for me!

Borough Market. Oh the goodness.

Hot-cross buns!

He had to get one!

I hate olives, but these look gorgeous!

Andy eating his game burger. One of the many lunch choices at Borough Market!

You have to grab one of their jute shopping bags!

goose eggs. They don't seem that big until you compare them to the regular chicken eggs right next to them.

Oh, and don't forget dessert. Andy found himself a fudgey brownie, and I was lucky enough to find a GF baked goods stand where I had a slice of the most moist and flavorful GF carrot cake I have ever tasted!

The Shard. New since we were both there!

We walked a little bit more around South London and then took the tube to another beauty--Harrods. Harrods is all about ambiance for me. Gorgeous Tiffany glass, fine foods, fanciful goods....so fun. There was a lot of chocolate there in celebration of Easter!

I wonder which lucky duck gets this for Easter!

The ONLY place to buy your seafood right?

Don't drink it, but I am obsessed with vintage tins!

And of course chocolates!

Word to the wise: Harrods is CRAZY Easter Weekend!

Needless to say, we were ttttiiiiiirrrreeedddd. A lot of walking we did today. So we hopped on a bus form Harrods and got off near Green Park. It felt nice:)

Taking a quick snooze on the Double Decker

If you like the movie Notting Hill, this is the Ritz Hotel where Julia Roberts stays. Just sayin....

Tea at the Ritz? We felt a little underdressed.....

We then went further down Picadilly, where we hit up Lillywhites--the awesome sporting goods store. It was a little late in trip, but I found a match made in heaven--the world's best walking shoes EVER! I have always had a thing against Sketchers. Maybe it was because they were the popular shoes in Jr. High and my mom was a good mom and wouldn't let me buy every hot trend out there. But I let go of past prejudices, tried them on, they fit.....voila! happy day.

We then headed over to the Strand, where we would see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy. Aunt Rosamund from Downton Abbey was one of the stars, and she was hilarious! Plus, the Savoy epitomizes the class of London. If not to see a show there, at least walk up to the entrance and pretend you are a guest checking in for one second:)

Another beauty of the Strand is the Somerset House. If you want to see some great dancing fountains, and lovely view of the city from a grand terrace, and a killer art collection during the day, this is the place to be. I love it best at night.

Andrew and I both love walks down by the Thames. London is just magical at night. Many of the river walkways have lights strewn along them, so it makes for a romantic ambiance. Plus, you will always get a different view as you walk.

Strolling the Thames at Night. Ah.

lights:)

Houses of Parliment

During our romantic walk, we had a dude come to us lookin for some change. We kinda got roped into taking some pics. Wish I had Sarah's boldness to say "No Thank You."

this Charlie Chaplin mime was creepy.....and drunk

ew!

Iconic Phone Booths and Big Ben

The next morning was Saturday! My tradition every Saturday was to go to Portobello Road--the most famous market in London. The market is famous for its antiques, but you can find jewelry, clothing, prints, and food. On Study abroad, I found an amazing antique clock and a necklace. This time around, I found a print of a Harper's Bazarre cover of Audrey Hepburn. Love it:) Another good spot is the Hummingbird Bakery. My friend Katy also introduced me to this foodie spot--it is where I fell in love with Red Velvet Cupcakes. A MUST for the cupcake lovers.
Definitely a quirky, yet fun spot. Crazy packed and busy, but it is iconic London market. Plus, another Notting Hill scene: Hugh Grant taking a stroll, thinkin about life......Portobello Market.

Yummiest Cupcake Shop on Portobello Road

Afterwards, we headed to St. Paul's Cathedral. A Christopher Wren masterpiece. We love this place. There is St. Peter's, the Florence Duomo, and St. Paul's. The night before my study abroad finished up, a bunch us went to see Handel's Messiah here. One of my favorite memories. We didn't go inside due to our time crunch, but we enjoyed just being there and walking around. It is stunning!

St. Pauls

Feed the Birds.....Tupence a bag! (and yes, that is a two pence piece!)

After, we crossed over the Millenium Bridge, got some pictures and then headed towards Southbank. For the quirky foodies, this is the place to go on a Saturday afternoon. Different food stands cater to every kind of taste bud: Vietnamese BBQ burritos, hot dogs, vegan delights, ice cream, and salted braised beef sandwiches. We got a bite here.....our last for awhile!