I realised I haven’t posted a 10 on 10 photo post for literally years. As it was our anniversary on the 10th February, I thought that was as good as excuse as any to try and bring back the photo fun.
Our marriage turned 18 this year so I guess this means it’s reached adulthood! These days when it comes to gifting we’re more about experiences not things so this year we celebrated with a weekend in London and what a weekend it was.
We arrive on Saturday and head straight to Soho and it seems like everyone else in London has the same idea. We are country folk now and we really don’t know how to deal with all these people! We grab a bite at Chicken Shop and very tasty it is too. We order some chicken wings with hot sauce, some loaded K-fries and David tries the burger version of my Hoisin wrap. The coating is super crisp and crunchy and everything is delicious.
From Soho we catch the train to the O2 arena. Last time I was here the O2 was the Millenium Dome! Neither of us have seen it in it’s current incarnation and it’s very impressive. I bought these tickets for Snow Patrol just over a week ago and they are such a score – the seats are amazing. I can’t believe the size of the arena, I mean, just look at the standing area!
Fun fact: The O2 is only the third biggest arena in the UK. I can’t begin to imagine how huge the biggest ones are! Snow Patrol are absolutely amazing – the last time we saw them was in the State Theatre in Sydney. We’d forgotten how good they were live.
We’re staying at the Premier Inn Hub in St James Park which is what I call a value hotel. It’s not posh and it’s not particularly pretty but it’s well priced, quiet and in a brilliant location. We get off the tube at Westminster and take a 10 minute scenic walk ‘home.’ Big Ben has all his lights on and just look at that moon!
On Sunday, we take the bus to Marble Arch. We score the front seat on the top deck so I know today is going to be a good day. We do a bit of window shopping along Oxford Street – Sunday trading laws are very strict and the shops up town don’t open until 11 or 11.30am and are only permitted to open for 6 hours! After a quick shop in Primark we head to Frameless.
Frameless is an immersive art experience and is the largest permanent multi-sensory experience in the UK. There are four galleries with over 42 masterpieces all presented in new and mesmerising ways set to music. I wish my pictures could do it justice.
All that art worked up quite an appetite so we walk the length of Oxford Street and head to Yalla Yalla for some Lebanese eats. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and the food is decent too. We thoroughly enjoy our mezze plate.
Then it’s back on the bus with more top deck front seat action. Look at that beautiful blue sky – Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery to the rear are looking mighty fine.
After a quick pit stop at the hotel we’re off on the tube again and back to the O2 – this time to see James Blunt. Our seats are a bit further back tonight so Mr Blunt is looking even smaller than usual! It’s no bother though because he is on top form and has an incredible knack of making this enormo-arena feel really intimate.
We’re up bright and relatively early the next day because it’s home time. The sun is shining when we get to Kings Cross so we take a wee walk around Coal Drops Yard and along the canal. Not wanting to travel on an empty stomach and very much wanting to finish the trip on a high, we have the most delicious breakfast at Dishoom – a chain of restaurants famous for ‘Bombay comfort food.’ I have always wanted to go and Dishoom does not disappoint. The food, setting and ambience are all top notch and I can’t wait to go back sometime for dinner!
Then with full bellies and full hearts we hop on the train and head back home. Until next time, London!
If you went to two concerts on consecutive nights, who would you want to see? What’s the best gift or experience you’ve ever received?
