I'm Finally Twenty-Fun!
Hello all! I hope you’re doing well. I apologize for not posting as frequently, but things are really starting to pick up here between classes, traveling, and exploring more of London!
This past week has been a pretty big one. For starters, I am now officially 21 years of age! I guess I don’t need to be in London anymore… Just kidding!
In order to celebrate, my friends and I headed to Babylon at the Rooftop Gardens in Kensington. It was only a few steps away from the Fordham London Centre, making it the perfect location! Our table wasn’t quite ready when we got there so we started the night off with some drinks at the terrace bar. I got a glass of Prosecco, but the real highlight was the view. Babylon was located on the top floor of the building so we had an amazing view of London! For my meal I got the pork belly which was delicious! It came with black pudding, which I did try but wasn’t a fan of. My only criticism is that the lentils it came with were a little too salty to enjoy fully, but overall I would go back! A very swanky atmosphere, which was perfect for my 21st.
As the weekend progressed, I spent a lot of time doing what I wanted to do and focusing on me for a little. After traveling for two weekends in a row, I was pretty burnt out in every sense of the word. In an attempt to mix homework and fun, I decided to take the bus to St. Paul’s, The Millennium Bridge, the Globe Theatre, The Shard, and the Tate Modern. I am working on a photo project for one of my classes, so I whipped out my camera and went to town! Unfortunately it was a bit rainy, but I still enjoyed my little excursion.
The next day I ventured to Kew Gardens, also known as the Royal Botanic Gardens. They were absolutely beautiful. Although it was typical London overcast weather, I absolutely loved the gardens. There are brilliant greenhouses and outside displays, so no matter the weather or season, there is something to see! I was fortunate that I went on Saturday because it happened to be the opening of their Orchid show, which was stunning. Thousands of orchids created a colorful flurry in one of the greenhouses and sent me running around for ages with my camera! I’ll definitely have to pay a visit again when the weather is a bit warmer and nicer.
My weekend was topped off with something that I really love: Vintage shopping. I had snooped around Timeout.com, which I highly recommend for people who are trying to see what’s going on in their city, and found out that a traveling vintage fair was going to be in London for one day only! After paying my phone bill, I hopped on the tube to just outside Shoreditch in West London.
The fair was called “Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair”, and it was wonderful. It was held inside York Hall, an old gym essentially, and was full of eager customers and vibrantly dressed sellers. I walked around for about two hours, absorbing as much as I could. The clothes ranged anywhere from£3 to£75, depending on the designer, quality, and style. Even though I loved a few articles of clothing, it was actually two vintage tins that caught my eye right as I walked in and kept thinking about! I’m soooo happy nobody had picked them up by the time I finally gave in because they are adorable. They brighten up the flat, too! Here are some pictures from the fair and of the tins:
Oddly enough, Monday night ended up being one of my favorites so far. My friends and I go to the Kensington Tesco Superstore on Monday nights after I get off of class, so we headed there as usual. They invited me over to hang out and eat, but little did I know what was coming… A surprise party! They were gone for my actual birthday due to a school-sponsored trip, so they threw a little bash for me on Monday with pizza, tons of balloons, cupcakes, and a heart shape sparkler that set off the fire alarm! Don’t worry, we didn’t get in trouble or anything. It was really so, so lovely and I’m so grateful to have such amazing friends here with me.
Well, that’s all for now! I’ve got essays to write and you’ve got a life to get back to so...
Until next post, see you later!
Regina
