mom and dad in london // part 2

We got back from Edinburgh LATE Sunday night…I'm talking it was practically Monday morning when we strolled back into my flat. We were all completely exhausted and went straight to bed. Well, mom woke up in the middle of the night and she was really unwell. There is nothing worse than getting sick on a vacation! So, she spent the entire day in bed trying to feel better for the rest of the week. Dad and I relaxed, watched TV, and went out to lunch together. We kept hoping that she would feel well enough to get out in the evening, but it just didn't happen.

On Tuesday morning she was ready and raring to go! (That's my girl!) We had tickets booked for the Tower of London and we made our way there first thing. We were there by 11 and let me tell you…it felt like every person in London was there, too. That's right - all 8.3 million people in London were at the Tower on Tuesday. No but seriously, it was mega-crowded and kinda put a damper on it. We powered through and saw everything we could though! I'm glad I got to experience the Tower of London for the first time with mom and dad.  We were out of there by 4 and feeling good about everything we were able to see whilst at the Tower.

mom and dad posing while on our walk to the tower

the shard                                                

no pictures allowed inside

tower bridge

tower of london

the white tower

After we left the Tower of London, we made our way to St Paul's Cathedral for the 5:00 Evensong service. This is actually the second time we've tried going and once again, we couldn't get in. So instead we went to the top of One New Change to see the beautiful London skyline. After a few pictures, we went to Bread Street Kitchen for a drink before going to Byron for dinner. 

inside the city

sunshine

st paul's

On Wednesday, we (mom, dad, myself, and Allie) went to Brighton on the coast of England. This was my first time there and I've been wanting to go for a very long time! I've always heard great things about it but nothing could've prepared me for how lovely the town truly is. We took the train for an hour and a half from West Hampstead to Brighton Station. As soon as we got there, we made our way to the Royal Pavilion. This is the palace built by King George IV in the 1700's. The history and story behind it is so fascinating; he loved to entertain and loved Asian/Indian cultures so the palace is made to reflect all of his fantasies. You weren't supposed to take pictures inside but I snuck a cheeky few. 

the palace

one of my sneaky pics

king george - what a legend

After a couple hours at the palace, we walked through the Lanes and stopped for lunch at Pizza Express. Once we had our fill of pizzas and salads, we made our way down to the beach. The weather was really nice; a little bit chilly but not a cloud in the sky! Brighton is famous for it's extra long pier which houses several bars, restaurants, and a fun fair. You can look straight down and see the ocean through the cracks in the pier - it's a bit scary. We walked down the pier and took loads of pictures. No one had the stomach to ride any roller coasters though! 

We grabbed some doughnuts (with Nutella) and a Banoffee Pie milkshake and started walking down the boardwalk and beach. Along the way we stopped at some of the artist's shops to check out what they had and sat at a lovely beach side table and enjoyed some Pimm's (mom's new favorite). After our Pimm's, we walked back through the Lanes in Brighton (a series of tiny streets which wind around and interlock…they are covered in street art). Eventually we ended up back in the park which faces the Royal Pavilion. 

After our long walk and a few more pictures of the Royal Pavilion, we were ready to head back to the station and call it a day. I would recommend Brighton to anyone who comes to visit, and to anyone who lives in London but has never been before! It's a gorgeous little city. 

Only 2 more days left with mom and dad in London! The weather has been absolutely incredible…I actually have a tan on my face. (This is a massive deal for people who live in London haha)

xx

K

edinburgh // with mom and dad

Ah Edinburgh…it's almost unbelievable that one city can be so beautiful. This is my second visit there and I honestly think I could go several more times before moving back to the US. There's this lovely charm about it…the people are incredibly friendly, the food is some of the best I've ever had, and there is loads to see.

this is a city of shifting light, of changing skies, of sudden vistas. a city so beautiful it breaks the heart again and again.

(alexander mccall smith)

We arrived on Saturday morning after a very long journey. We caught the train to Luton airport and I made sure I was extra early this time. (I missed my flight the last time I was at Luton - read about it here.) We made it through security with no problems and had plenty of time to wander around and have coffee before going to our gate. 

who i get my love of sleep from

and my love of coffee

middliest baby in the middle

We made it to Edinburgh around 11 am and went straight to the hotel to drop off our things. We stayed at the B+B Edinburgh and had enough time to get a cup of coffee before they gave us a room. It was a really lovely hotel (with a great breakfast) and I would highly recommend.

Anyways, after we got ourselves sorted, we made our way out to grab lunch at one of my local favorites, the dogs.  They serve mostly Scottish fare but have a few randoms on the menu too. Dad and I shared salt beef and mom got fish & chips. Dad tried his first cider and I had some wine. We had a really lovely meal, just the three of us! 

After lunch we walked down to the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens and past the Water of Leith. Unfortunately, the wind was really intense and they shut down the outside of the gardens right before we got there. There isn't much to see on the inside so we cut our losses and walked back up to the city centre. We walked down the major roads - Princes, George, and Rose - and finally ended up at Angel Shares bar for another round of cocktails. 

After our drinks we were all feeling a bit sleepy so we went back to the hotel for a rest and to get freshened up for the night. We eventually made our way out of the hotel to grab dinner at Gusto on George Street. We had a delicious Italian meal, further proving that Edinburgh does ALL food right. 

After dinner, we were completely whipped and ready to go back for a good night's sleep. I got all tucked into my bed and fell asleep. A couple hours later I woke up to what sounded like a chainsaw massacre…luckily it was only my sweet dad snoring. But it kept me up all night so I was pretty grumpy on Sunday! I kept joking that I needed an IV drip of coffee to keep me going and that's pretty much exactly what I had…a constant flow of coffee coming into my body. 

Anyways on Sunday we got our early so we could have plenty of time to do some sight seeing before our flight that night. We had our breakfast, and did the scenic walk down Princes Street, up Ramsey Lane and down the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle. This is such a gorgeous walk because you get to see Edinburgh from many different views. 

After our lovely (albeit very windy) walk to the castle, we finally arrived. It is such a stunning place and amazing to think about how they built this castle on top of a huge hill hundreds of years ago!

family shots outside the castle

There is so much to see at the castle - multiple museums, a prison, the royal apartments, the crown jewels of Scotland, a chapel, and the Argyle towers. We even had a little concert by a group of bagpipers. The wind was fierce and we tried not to let it ruin our time at the castle! We dipped indoors as much as we could.

After our trip to the castle we walked down the Royal Mile towards Monteith's where I booked a table for us. We were early, so we sat in the bar area and had some delicious bar snacks. I had wine and mom had her new favorite drink, Pimm's. Our lunch was SO good…I had a Sunday roast and mom and dad both had burgers. We were stuffed so we couldn't make any room for dessert which is a shame because they all sounded really nice.

We had time after lunch to check out one of my favorite places in the world, The Dome on George Street. Mom said it's one of the nicest places she's ever been and I would have to agree with her…it's absolutely gorgeous on the inside. 

After a couple drinks at The Dome, we made our way through the torrential rain and wind back to our hotel to grab our suitcases and head towards the airport. We took a black cab and it was mom and dad's first time in one of these British staples. 

We had a lovely trip together and I am so glad we are having the opportunity to travel together. Mom and dad are already talking about where they want to go next…I think they've caught my travel bug! 

xx

K