Semi-solo trip in London {Day 1}

June 5, 2016

So, Jeremy was in London/Paris for his incentive trip and since I didn’t want to join the Paris leg of his trip, I spent 3 days all by myself in London! Now I know why people love solo adventures so much. It’s liberating to make decisions on your own; simple decisions like what time to wake up, what time your day should end or whether or not to desert your original itinerary for something more spontaneous

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Taking a long-haul flight alone was like taking a very long bus ride, only inconvenience is when you have go to the toilet and you wonder if it’s safe to leave your bag at your seat.

My biggest worry was my 31″ luggage. I remember it was Jeremy’s and my greatest challenge when we were in Paris because our route to/fro the airport had zero elevator or escalators. Thankfully, there was only one flight of stairs I had to carry my luggage.

Hello, London 😉

the iconic London buses and taxis!

the legendary Primark

 >> Lunch at Pollen Street Social

Jeremy was still in London the day I touched down so we managed to spend one day together! I made a reservation at Michelin-starred Pollen Street Social, although it was one of our priciest meals in London, I would do it again. The food is awesome and service is top-notch. Our bill was about SGD 220 (inclusive of our 3-course meals and cocktails) and it’s so much more worth it than my birthday meal at Salt Grill. 😡

Reserve a table here >

Our other excuse to indulge? It was exactly one month after we said I do!

my yuzu-something cocktail and his gin&tonic

Our starters!

smoked salmon with pickled kohlrabi, burnt cucumber

slow cooked brown egg with turnip puree, parmesan, sage & kombu crumb

And… our mains

#omg #bestcodfishever

roasted cornish cod with cockle chowder

braised lake district lamb shoulder and tomato dashi broth

With such yummy starters and mains, naturally we had high expectations of our desserts. WHICH they managed to meet and surpass! When it was time for desserts to be served, they asked if we would like to shift to the dessert table so we can watch how our desserts are made and be closer to the kitchen. Of course we said yes!

yorkshire forced rhubarb cheesecake with granny smith apple sorbet

dark chocolate marquise, milk mousse and honey ice-cream

Rounded off our meal with this:

A fantastic first meal in London 🙂

>> Visiting Sherlock Holmes

Jeremy is a huge fan Sherlock Holmes so 221 Baker Street is right on top of his must-go list. It was only during this trip that I realized Sherlock Holmes doesn’t even exist?!

Entry costs £15 and if I’d known that Sherlock Holmes isn’t real, I may not have agreed to visit. It’s quite expensive considering everything is imaginary isn’t it??

The “museum” is actually this tiny apartment that’s about 3 storeys high. I had really high expectations! But .. I have to admit that it’s fun taking photos in here

>> Catching a musical, i.e. Mamma Mia! 

If you are not particular about your seat and want to catch as many musicals as possible with a limited budget, I would highly recommend that you book your (discounted) tickets online, about a week in advance. It would save you a lot of time!

We got our stalls seats at about £40 each and this is how close we were to the stage:

Would have been perfect if the guy in front of me is about 10cm shorter or if I’m about 10 taller. Can’t expect much since the seats we were at could have easily costed twice the price. I booked mine on SEE Tickets but I remember searching the reviews for our seats on another page. The reviews would tell you if your seat is blocked by some unknown pillars or if how much of the stage would you miss. Amazing right!

We skipped dinner because it was too late and Jeremy needed to wake up early for Paris the next morning. I headed back to the hotel alone and was so happy that my room looked exactly like its pictures on the hotel website:

I stayed at W12 Rooms throughout my London trip and I have zero complaints. It’s right next to the Shephard’s Bush tube station, probably just 100 steps away, and it’s just 4 stops away from Oxford station on the central line? Price-wise, I paid abouit SGD 200 per night. It’s not very cheap but what’s important is that it’s convenient and safe right?

W12 Rooms on TripAdvisor here >

 

Written by xiu Posted in Travelogues Tagged with europe, london, travel, united kingdom