When a cancelled flight turned into a three-night stop in London, during the Jubilee, AND a French-Canadian gal-pal living in the UK countryside just happened to have a spare room in the city for my travel dates – I knew someone was looking out for me.

Thursday, June 2

I landed in London midday, literally as the celebratory events of the Platinum Jubilee* kicked off – with the Trooping the Colour (a big-deal royal parade) and the UK Air Force flyover (which only delayed our landing a few minutes). I found out later that the crowd of onlookers lining the parade route was intense, so I can’t say I’m sorry I missed it. Roads in and around London were closed, so I navigated the airport express train and the London Underground, plus my luggage, without any issues, and my dear friend, LC, was like an angel waiting for me when I eventually popped out of the Kensington Gardens line.

LC was staying in her friend’s two-bedroom flat while he was out of town. The Kensington neighborhood was fantastic, the flat was airy and beautifully appointed, and it had every comfort of home. But the BEST part was having time & space to catch up with LC, at our leisure, over tea, over tears, over wine. We talked for endless, the past two years were a doozy for… well, everyone. We covered it all, from the Covid pandemic, to life, love, and loss. Because guess what, video calls just can’t replace a hug, and I LOVE trading hugs when words just won’t do. What follows is the itinerary of our visit in and around London!

After a 10-hour flight, I was eager to get outside. We walked to and through Kensington Gardens park, then had dinner at The Shed, a “local and wild” neighborhood restaurant. It was a perfect spot for us to get caught up over shared plates of chorizo croquettes, tempura asparagus, mushroom marmite eclairs, bruschetta & burrata toasts, and a beautiful bottle of wine (let’s be honest, this is the real joy of a girl’s getaway!).

Wednesday, June 3

I felt obligated to sample a Full English Breakfast, so we started at The Ivy Victoria. It’s not my typical breakfast (nor LC’s), with streaky bacon, black pudding, baked beans, roasted tomatoes and more! We walked it all off, by way of St. James’s Park, only glimpsing Buckingham Palace from a distance. The palace was blocked and barricaded due to the festivities, but that didn’t stop true fans from camping out (literally, with tents), and lining the fence all along the Mall as they hoped to catch a fleeting glimpse of a royal or a celebrity.

We had no time for camping, and had sights to see, so we continued along the Mall to Trefalgar Square, then on towards Big Ben, the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey. We took a break for a pint at The Red Lion pub in Mayfair, then shopped for tea and biscuits at Fortnum & Mason before cruising the high-end windows of Bond Street. Then we headed out for dinner, Spanish tapas at El Pirata – where we sampled the boquerones, garbanzos con pisto, pan con tomate, alcachofas a la plancha, and of course, sangria.

Thursday, June 4

Still jet lagged, it was a slow start to the day for me, so I took my “cuppa” (hot tea!) in bed – which felt very proper, and English. We eventually set off to the Tower of London, crossing the River Thames at the Tower Bridge, and stopping for a Pimm’s at Potters Fields Park. I picked up Victoria sponge cake at Borough Market, then we walked along the riverfront, past Shakespeare’s Globe theater, eventually crossing the river again at the Millennium (suspension foot) Bridge, en route to the stunning St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Hunger kicked in, and I had to try fish & chips and mushy peas! We found it all at Long Acre – if you haven’t put it together yet, I’m always curious about local & regional food favorites. The Seven Dials quarter also offered plenty of shopping and people watching, plus easy access to a lovely cappuccino break on the rooftop of the Royal Opera House, overlooking Covent Garden. P.S. an unexpected treat, was seeing the Opera House ballet costumes on exhibit – oh my British luck!

We headed home, by way of Piccadilly Circus (which was indeed a circus, of tourists and people). And after a rest and a refresh, we taxi’d to the Ritz Carlton for high tea. We indulged in champagne, rooibos, and towers of tea sandwiches & sweets, all accompanied by a pianist. We wrapped the day watching the jubilee concert on the BBC (the “Platinum Party at the Palace”), thankful to be out of the cold & the rain, enjoying it all from the comfort of the living room couch!

Friday, June 5

My jetlag finally started to wear off, and I was grateful to have slept hours of solid, deep sleep, so we headed out early for a delicious breakfast at Eggbreak in Kensington. I had the Breakybab – flat bread, aubergine tahini, sesame, Mediterranean feta, and pomegranate, and a scrambled egg… what?! Yes – it was delicious, and I STILL dream about their accompanying thyme roasted field mushrooms (I asked for the recipe, no luck).

Then we were on the move again, with a walk through Notting Hill and a stop to buy wool hand warmers at the Highland Store. We ended up on Westbourne Grove, and that was when I wished I had more time – there were so many fashionable shops & cafes to see, like ME + EM, and Ottolenghi. But more importantly, when time starts to feel precious, it somehow also seems to move faster. I wanted more time, for everything… time with friends, time to mourn, time to celebrate, time in new places. But alas, we had to keep moving.

We spotted several “Big Jubilee Lunches” (jubilee celebratory neighborhood picnics) setup on our walk home. But there was no time to stop for those either, I had to hustle back to the flat to pack-up (while I caught a bit of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on TV) before heading to the airport.

I anticipated the Underground and the airport would be busy, with the jubilee wrapping up, and summer commencing. I had no idea that it would be the start of several months of travel fiascos for people all around the world. My flight to Johannesburg ended up being 2.5 hours delayed (modest by others’ stories). So, with a 10+ hour flight ahead of me, I walked and walked the airport until I happened upon the Fortnum & Mason tea bar and their signature sparking tea. It was a lovely way to cap off my London stoppover.

*The Platinum Jubilee was a four-day celebration, acknowledging Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years of rule. Think about it, a QUEEN, handling things, for seventy years. That is major lady-boss energy. And it definitely warranted a party fit for an icon. I heard that over 2.5 MILLION visitors turned out for the festivities. It certainly felt festive to me, with pub goers on bank holiday (and likely off of work), spilling onto the sidewalk and wishing us “Happy Jubilee!” And tiny tots skipping down bridge stairs while proclaiming “We’re looking for the Queen!”

It also felt like there were millions of people, well, everywhere. This was the first time I had flown internationally, since before the pandemic (March 2020). So the mobs of people were, notable. Some were masked, others weren’t. Most were joyful and jubilant. And I for one, was thrilled. Because after years of social distancing, I was happy to make connections with friends and strangers alike.

In the words of a dearly departed friend, “Chase the life, not the money.” DC

Now go, and make the most of the time, the life, the connections that you have.