It’s always a good day when you wake up in London! The Caledonain Sleeper Train arrived at London Euston and we collected our luggage and disembarked. Our hotel is in Covent Garden so we opted to take a taxi from the station as we knew our luggage would comfortably fit. It was a short 15 minute ride to the Waldorf Hilton London which is in the heart of the theatre district and a hotel I love returning to. I found the Waldorf London when I traveled through London last year and the location couldn’t be better! The hotel is a bit pricey but I don’t think it is any more/less so than other comparable hotels in a major city. Plus, you earn Hilton Honors points, there are restaurants and a bar in the hotel, and the location is super convenient. We checked in and went to our room. The plan was to nap for a while but my wanderlust could not be curbed that easily so, while R slept, I showered and embarked on a solo day in the city! (This is a shameless appreciation plug for all the supportive and encouraging husbands out there who need a nap when their wife cannot sit still!)

I pulled on my scarf and coat and walked through Covent Garden, browsing a couple windows en route to a lovely little bakery for breakfast. I stumbled upon Chestnut Bakery thanks to Google maps and what a discovery it was! This charming little café off Floral Street in Covent Garden offers hearty breakfast sandwiches and a wide array of deliciously tempting pastries. It was difficult to make a selection because everything looked absolutely amazing! The za’atar and Gruyere knots were tempting and it was hard to pass up the sticky cinnamon bun but I decided on the seared halloumi bagel for breakfast and was able to taste the Chelsea monkey bread sample. Both were mouth-wateringly delicious and I would be quite happy to go back again! On my next visit, I want to try the pistachio and raspberry croissant because Chestnut Bakery was voted the UK’s best croissant in 2023! 

Feeling satisfied after breakfast at Chestnut Bakery, I took the tube to Ladbroke and walked to a book store I spotted last week and wanted to check out. Books for Cooks specializes in … you guessed it! … all kinds of cookery books. The shop offers a wide array of baking and cookery books focused on everything from pub food to fine dining and drawing on influences from Mexico to India. I selected a cookery book about British pub food and picked up a Gordon Ramsay book. I think it is worth a visit for the culinary afficionados and it is fun to simply walk around the shop and appreciate the diversity available through our cuisine. Think about where the food is your local grocery store is grown … there is more of a global influence than many realize.

I took the tube back and enjoyed a quick walk through a couple more Covent Garden shops before joining R back at the hotel. He had enjoyed a nice nap and was ready to stretch his legs a bit and have some lunch. We opted for the Covent Garden location of The Alchemist which was a short walk from the Waldorf London. Having experienced The Alchemist in Edinburgh, we had a good sense of the theatrical nature of the drinks and enjoyed a few rounds, including the Laval Lamp and 3.5 oz of Happiness, with our lunch. I enjoyed the halloumi flatbread handheld sandwich as this is the last time I will be eating halloumi for a while … I wish it was more readily available in the US. As expected, the drinks were delicious and the theatrical elements were fun and entertaining. The food was also really good. The Alchemist is definitely on my list for future visits to Edinburgh and London! 

We returned to the hotel for a quick rest and I worked on packing a bit. I mostly needed to shift things around between suitcases to accommodate our souvenirs and try to distribute the weight evenly. I booked the afternoon tea at our hotel and we were soon making our way downstairs. The Waldorf London hosts a delightful Be Our Guest afternoon tea in the Homage restaurant on-site. The Be Our Guest tea is inspired by the French fairytale “La Belle et La Bête” which was retold by Walt Disney in “Beauty and the Beast”. The chef has thoughtfully curated the Be Our Guest experience combining flavor, texture, technique, and some much-loved characters. The elegant dining room and the tranquil sounds of the harpist transport guests to another time and place of elegance. Of course, the finger sandwiches, scones, and sweets are all perfection on the palate and the tea selection is a lovely compliment. There is also an option to have a glass of champagne with the tea. 

Our last event in London is to see a theatre show! I can’t visit London without catching at least one show and I tried to pick one that R would enjoy as well. This time we opted to see Back to the Future the Musical at the Adelphi Theatre. The theatre was a five minute walk from the hotel, certainly a perk of staying in the Covent Garden/theatre district area. As with every show I have seen here, the performance was positively top-notch. The story is familiar for anyone who has seen the Back to the Future movies but with an added twist of being a musical. The production is great, special effects are incredible, and the talent of the cast can only be matched in London. There is something almost magical about the theatre here. Run time is 2 hours 40 minutes with the interval included and it is well worth the time! I thoroughly enjoyed the show despite not being a huge fan of the films. Marty and Doc absolutely captivate you from beginning to end and the entire ensemble is simply amazing. The West End is a non-negotiable on any London itinerary! 

After a short walk back to the hotel we did a little more pre-packing before calling it a night. Tomorrow morning we will take a taxi to the airport and begin our journey back home. The past two weeks have been absolutely incredible and I am so glad we decided to take this trip! It will be a wonderful memory of celebrating our marriage, getting to explore the world together, and spending quality time with friends. I highly recommend the UK to anyone interested in traveling abroad for the culture and history and because it is easy to communicate and navigate. The public transit systems make travel within the country, and particularly within the cities, very easy and affordable. There really is no need for a rental car in the cities. 

For now, goodnight and goodbye London, at least until we meet again.