London · Day 3
I experienced the most extraordinary weather in London on this day. Anyways, here is a summary of the Day:
Buns From Home, a bakery known for its incredibly tasty croissants
Notting Hill, a vibrant and charming neighbourhood with its colorful houses and quaint shops
Claridge’s English Afternoon Tea Experience, an Iconic English afternoon tea restaurant; the elegant ambiance, delectable sandwiches, scones, and pastries made it a truly memorable experience
Matilda, the Musical
On a delightful Tuesday morning, while the rest of London was rushing to work, I finally had some time to wander the streets of London all by myself (even if it was just for a morning). Dressed in comfortable attire, I unlocked my phone and opened that familiar black app. Within minutes, an Uber pulled up right in front of me.
This time, my destination was Notting Hill. Notting Hill was a bit far from my hotel, and I was hesitant about whether to go or not... but since I'm already here, why not?
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝔹𝕦𝕟𝕤 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 ℍ𝕠𝕞𝕖
As I stepped into the shop, I was immediately greeted by the irresistible aroma of freshly baked croissants. I decided to order the tiramisu crème brûlée croissant along with a cup of coffee, and it truly was a fulfilling breakfast!
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕝
Finally, I arrived at the much-anticipated Notting Hill and laid my eyes upon the legendary colorful houses. Perhaps due to the overall architectural beauty in the UK, these vibrant houses didn't give me the awe-inspiring feeling I had expected. I've heard that during weekends, Portobello Market takes place here, so maybe visiting then would provide a different experience.
Nevertheless, Notting Hill remains a delightful area to explore. The main street is lined with various vintage shops selling a wide array of clothing, decor items, tableware, and more.
I discovered a vintage jewelry store in Notting Hill, which sells a various luxury brand pre-owned jewelry. As I made my way to the store, the weather took a turn for the worse, and it started pouring rain. Thankfully, the tall trees along the way provided some shelter, but within just a short five minutes, I was half-soaked like a drenched chicken.
Inside the vintage shop, there were so many beautiful accessories that I wished I could take them all home. The Korean guy who was overseeing the store was busy repairing a few pieces of jewelry. Judging by his style, he seemed like someone who truly adored fashion. While my initial intention was to find Chanel's pre-owned jewelry, I ended up bringing home four pairs of earrings, including two from Dior.
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕘𝕖'𝕤 𝔸𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕋𝕖𝕒
One of the things I was most excited about during my trip to London was experiencing a classic British afternoon tea. To be honest, I've never been particularly fond of British afternoon tea. In Vancouver, there are many places that offer excellent British afternoon tea in Vancouver, but I usually go for social gatherings with friends. However, on this trip to the UK, I wanted to truly immerse myself in the charm of British afternoon tea, and the afternoon tea set at Claridge's Hotel completely transformed my perception of it.
Claridge's Hotel is a prestigious five-star hotel in the UK and a favorite among many dignitaries and celebrities. Their afternoon tea is considered one of the finest in London, and it's frequented by the upper echelons of society. Due to its popularity, securing a reservation for their afternoon tea can be quite challenging! My friend and I booked our table three months in advance.
Menu
On the table, there were several menus, including one for the afternoon tea pastries, a drinks menu, and a tea menu. The tea menu offered more than 40 varieties of tea from different regions and flavors. Each tea was thoughtfully marked whether it was suitable to be enjoyed with milk or not. In addition to the traditional afternoon tea, my friend and I also ordered a glass of champagne each. Unlike the afternoon teas I had experienced before, theirs wasn't served on a three-tiered stand but rather brought out in rounds.
Although Claridge's afternoon tea is considered one of the most expensive in London, they offer free refills. After finishing the first round, the servers would come and ask which pastries you would like more of.
To make the whole experience even better, we started our afternoon tea each with a glass of champagne! Because… why not?
PS. I absolutely loved their afternoon tea set (you can actually purchase a set on their official website for £1,800).
Shortly after we started our meal, a pianist came and sat on the piano stool next to me. Soon after, a young woman with a cello joined him. And just like that, the beautiful accompaniment began to fill my ears. I noticed the sheet music placed on the music stand—it wasn't on a phone or a large sheet, but rather a small, slightly yellowed and creased booklet. I'm not sure why, in this age of rampant technology, such an unassuming object could bring me such a wave of nostalgia and warmth. Due to the recent move before my trip, I had packed away my traveller's notebook, otherwise, I would have loved to bring it along and handwrite all the little letters and thoughts I come across during my journey.
To our complete surprise, after we settled the bill, Claridge's brought us two large bags. To our amazement, they contained potted plants! It was such a thoughtful parting gift. Unfortunately, we couldn't take them on the plane, so we had to let the hotel plant them in their backyard.
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕒
London is home to a variety of theaters, with different shows playing each week. The Matilda Theatre is located at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End of London, which is about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. As we made our way from the hotel to the theater, we passed through London's "red-light district." If there was time, I really wished to visit some of the shops in that area.
Matilda is a musical that is perfect for families with children. When we attended the show, there were many elementary school students in the audience, likely on a field trip from their school. It made me really hope that one day I could bring my own son to watch it.
The theater itself was beautifully decorated with a whimsical theme, and every young actor gave an outstanding performance! Especially the girl who played Matilda, she was simply born to be an actress! The last time I watched a musical was at the Broadway Theater in New York, where I saw "Phantom of the Opera." However, Matilda provided me with a completely new musical experience. Maybe it's because I'm a mom now? Watching this light-hearted show with a talented cast of young actors truly brought me a sense of healing and joy.
