For most of my young adult life I dreamed of traveling through Europe. All through middle school I yearned to go to Greece and in high school I became enthralled with Italy. When I found out I would be in Europe this summer, I spent the better part of May drooling over photos from the south of France, the Italian Riviera and the Amalfi Coast. The romantic allure of a small European coastal town sat in the forefront of my mind. Throughout all my research, I neglected to focus on the one place I would spend most of my time: London. While boarding my flight I had nearly forgotten why I was going to Europe in the first place.
Admittedly, I signed up for the Global Education Oregon Journalism in London program out of convenience. It is a five week summer program from the middle of June to the end of July and imposes no discomfort of language barriers. I appreciated how well the program fit my criteria but wasn’t as excited for London asI was for the month of travel I would be doing after. London had never been a destination in my mind because after living near New York City for a year big cities didn’t appeal to me. But here I am, two weeks into living in London, so enthralled that I am trying to work out how I can acquire a visa and move here.
My first week in London was that of any starstruck American seeing Europe for the first time. Accustomed to the mundane landscape of American highways and strip malls, my jaw dropped when I first emerged from the London Underground. I have always been a sucker for architecture, but in my hometown I’m lucky to find one unique building to take a gander at. In Europe, there is certainly no shortage. Even the fast food joints and grocery stores are located in stunning storefronts with towering pillars and curlicue archways. I spent my first few hours in London gawking like an idiot as I stumbled upon St. Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben and all of the churches from George Orwell’s “1984.”
Two weeks in and I have yet to find a street I don’t like. Little treasures and photo ops hide around each corner. I figured the best way to see all of London was to pick a new area to explore everyday, even if all my school schedule allows is reading for an hour in a new park. While this method can be disorganized, sometimes under researched and always responsible for leaving blisters on my feet, it has allowed me to experience London through what I would like to believe is a less touristy lens. Through this journey, I have come away with quite a few highlights.
Obviously, at the top of my list: Hugh Grant’s favorite bit of London, Notting Hill. On every street there are quaint little cookie cutter homes with overflowing flower boxes at shuttered windows, each boasting a different bold colored door to flatter their pastel facades. On saturdays the Portobello market snakes through the main street and while it is the most crowded you will ever see Notting Hill, it is worth the visit for mouth-watering street food, antiques, produce and more jewelry than anyone could ever sort through. My first souvenir in London was a pair of silver earrings a street vendor sold me for only 10 pounds “just for looking so beautiful today.”
A close second is the Victoria Embankment Gardens. Perhaps the most charming feature of London is its endless parks and gardens. Of course the famed Hyde Park and Regents Park is where you could spend an entire afternoon strolling and picnicking, but what I hadn’t expected from London was to find a lovely little space of green and a spot to sit around practically every few city blocks. The Victoria Embankment Gardens are one of the better known of the small parks and for good reason. The garden borders Victoria Embankment street, a busy road following the river Thames, but the interior is sheltered from the hustle and bustle of traffic by oak trees which shade park-goers from that rare bit of London sunshine. The lawns are perfectly manicured and green, besides the inevitable stray cigarette butt, and dotted with people lounging on blankets. I have not stopped thinking about this garden since that first day I spent there reading under a tree. I intend on returning many times to soak in the serenity of the garden, but more so because I didn’t have time to visit the aperol spritz cafe in the middle of the lawn.
While a morning in Notting Hill and an afternoon at the Victoria Embankment gardens is the perfect way to spend the day, one couldn’t possibly make it through without a midday pick me up at Monmouth cafe in Soho, just a five minute walk from the garden. My favorite part about travel is food, and London is the multicultural hub for excellent cuisine. But being a broke college student, a cappuccino and croissant suits my lunch budget much better than a Michelin star restaurant. As the daughter of a pastry chef, I feel completely certified to recommend that if you go anywhere for a coffee and pastry it should be Monmouth and it should be an almond croissant. With melty buttery layers, a flaky shell and the most decadent, mouthwatering and generous almond filling, this pastry hits every single box for my afternoon sweet tooth. Monmouth outsources their croissants from Little Bread Pedlar, which has several locations in London, but for the sake of aesthetic and delicious coffee I am recommending the coffee shop rather than the bakery itself. Monmouth roasts their own coffee beans and the espresso is smooth, nutty and perfectly paired with the pastry of your choosing. Because the shop is tucked away in a little cobblestone pedestrian alley, it is isolated from the tackier bits of Soho. Most afternoons their outdoor patio is comfortably filled and cushioned with light chatter. The experience was much like what I would imagine a Parisian cafe to be: romantic, perfect and delicious.
Obviously, my newbie status hardly grants me the expertise to know the best spots in London. I will discover new places that rival my current favorites, but for now my top three slots are filled. Whilst discovering these parks and neighborhoods and cafes I have fallen in love with London and its little pockets of peace inside this miraculous and beautiful city. But, my journey doesn’t stop here. This is only the first of a whole series I will be writing as I solo travel Europe. Stay tuned to discover new parts of England and stick with me while I explore France and Italy!
