London part one - old haunts & old friends.

After a delayed flight into London Gatwick, we quickly trained it into central before jumping on the busy tube and getting off at Canary Wharf. In search of WiFi so we could connect with Tam, we finally found a Pret so he could meet us and give us the key to his and Bridie's Brixton apartment. Another busy tube ride took us to their neighbourhood and we found their flat easily. Walking inside we immediately felt at home in their adorable, clean and comfortable place! We showered & made our way to a sweet little mood lit wine bar down the back streets of Brixton. A few expensive but tasty glasses of red grapes at The Wine Parlour later, we ventured down into a market street which was lined with innovative bars and cafes! Giving in to 2 for 1 margaritas we tucked into some tasty tacos then called it a night. 

A dreamy sleep in a big comfy bed perked us up in the morning as we went to Soho area to meet up with a gorgeous friend Chloe for breakfast. One of my vaginas.. (She was one of my actresses in the vagina monologues in London), she has the most infectious and incredible energy & is such a darling friend so after a tasty English brekky & a delicious coffee, Sean and I walked away absolutely pumped with her inspiring energy and ready to tackle Oxford St.

In search of something to wear to Bridie and Tam's wedding, I was unsuccessful and super disappointed with the lack of 'pretty' dresses in London! We then made our way down to Victoria to meet my old housemate Gen for lunch! It was super nice to see her and catch up in a sunny spot in the park before she had to rush back to work! 

Adamant to find something still, we set off to brick lane (my old stomping ground) for a coffee at my favourite coffee shop 'Verde and co' and to rummage some opp shops.  Unlucky again we called it a day & went to my favourite pub; the Commercial Tav for a few wines and to meet another friend Amrita. Her gorgeous face came through the doors & took me straight back to when I was 19 & travelling India with her. She is a truly special person who I believe can change the world, she has a positive glow about her & we enjoyed each other's company over an average but cheap curry on brick lane like the good old days. After a successful social day, the wine had gone to our heads & I was left in bed with a big grateful smile to have such lovely people in my life on the other side of the world. 

The next morning after a little lie in we packed up our big packs & legged it in the rain for the tube station! Getting off at tower hill we raced down towards the gate to be greeted by my gorgeous friend Mikayla!! More like a sister we embraced in a big hug & we headed to get our passes. Unlike staying with most friends, we have to pass through security to get into Micky's house as she lives inside the Tower of London! Pretty damn amazing I know, & I still pinch myself when we get inside the walls! As soon as we entered her beautiful parents house which is decorated adorable with kitch English furniture, I immediately felt at peace, in a home away from home & in the best of company in a phenomenal castle/jail. 

Mickys dad, Chris, the raven master was at home, again so lovely to see him, the four of us caught up over coffee as the summers rain poured down! We decided that evening to head out to a cabaret club 'Proud' which was conveniently located just up the road. Dressed up & a little pre drunk as we surprised Micky with a belated birthday present of a bottle of booze to make tasty gardenia bellinis, we entered the large venue & were shown to our seats. The wine we ordered was tasty, the food hit the spot but the actual show itself was a little under whelming! It was a bunch of good enough dancers rattling feathers and slowly stripping.. They were all the same except one amazing act who was witty, talented, sexy, interactive & hilarious.. So she saved the show! Even still we had a lovely evening, & found ourselves back at the tower drinking the last of the gin before bed! 

In an absolute cloud for a bed as Chris & Jaz (Mick's adorable muma, and my English mum) kindly gave it to us, was tough to drag ourselves out of! We finally found out feet before 10 and joined Chris's tour of the tower! You would swear the man was an actor, he was captivating, entertaining & informative, & he kept everyone with him! It was about a 40 minute tour which gives you a brief history & some fun facts before finishing in the church. 

We then headed across London bridge to my favourite food market; borough market & one I used to frequent very often as I worked around the corner! Just like my fond memories the market was packed & everybody was trying to feed themselves with the small quantities of free tasters! We headed straight through to the rear and into an old faithful coffee shop! 5 years has seen it change & grow a lot in size but it still had its rickidy wooden tables and good coffee. 

Next up was to select a bunch of amazing cheeses, all varying in colour texture & taste! Then there was some cured meats and lastly the bread! We were all set for a sweet movie evening in, adding a bunch of sweets to the mix and stopping off a pub nearby for a big beers! Obviously we didn't stop at one so we went for another at the Towers very own beefeater club! A gorgeous homely night in doing something we hadn't done very often despite what you may think... Relax! Like the kind where you out your feet up, are in good company, have great food, are clean & have a comfy bed to sleep in.. Oh those creature comforts that we all miss when we are on the road!!! 

Return to rainy Roma and red red wine, Italy.

Arriving back in Rome just before the sun had set, we found our next AirBnB with ease. Checking into our room, we picked up some supplies from the next door supermarket, & had a healthy & very tasty tuna & feta salad for dinner, along with a few Aperol Spritz'. It was an early night, & after a movie in bed we were fast asleep!

Our next day in Roma consisted of hitting up the local Sunday market, before walking around seeing the sights. We shot up, gobbled down some toast & headed out into the stinking hot day. We strolled to our first stop, the market & made a couple successful purchases from the mountains of piled clothes. Our next stop was the colosseum, & after I recreated a picture Nicki took of me 7 years earlier, back when there wasn't nearly as much scaffolding, we snapped a few more pics & headed to a café institution Sean had read about. A strong espresso later, we headed towards the Trevi fountain, although we knew it was closed for renovations. It was definitely not as breathtaking without the water running, but it was still cool for Sean to see. We walked around some more, did some shopping at Zara before returning to our temporary home to get ready for the evening.

After chilling out at home for awhile, we changed into some nice fresh clothes & headed out for a night on Roma town. We found a cute little wine bar/restaurant, luckily sneaking in a day before they closed for the summer holiday! Sharing a bottle of rosé & a charcuterie platter, we were very impressed with the food & after downing the bottle, we were feeling great! Our next stop was a happening bar near where we were when we met Alex a few weeks back, & we finished the night with a couple of giant beers before catching an Uber home for a movie & bed.

We woke slowly the next morning, & after another toast breakfast, we were out again bound for the Vatican City & the Sistine Chapel. The city was absolutely rammed with tourists all braving the rain by standing in a line that nearly covered the religious city itself! Deciding against lining up In the wet drizzle for 4 hours plus, to see the inside of the churches, we headed off towards the centre. We stumbled upon 'Circus Café,' a funky place I discovered with my friend Silvia years before. We had a bagel each & after meeting a playful German Shepard, we decided to make the long walk back to our place.

We got home & packed up, ready for our flight to London the next day. After hanging out for awhile, we decided to grab a takeaway pizza & chill out at home that evening. We picked up a large anchovy & zucchini flower pizza from the pizza joint down the road, & retired home for more Aperol Spritz (we had to finish the bottle!) & also another movie. It didn't take long before we were drifting off to sleep, excited for London & all the people there who were awaiting our arrival!