Fickle Weather

If I've learned anything about London since I've been here, it's that you can never really be sure what to expect with the weather. If it starts to look sunny, don't get too excited yet-the clouds will come back out, oh, about five minutes later. It also makes choosing the appropriate outfit difficult-I started out in shorts and a tank top, but quickly changed back into jeans. But then as soon as I changed into my jeans, the sun came back out. It's basically a lose lose situation, and you must be prepared for all weather situations.

Breakfast was a bowl of mixed berries + sliced banana and an egg white omelette with mushrooms and tomatoes. Later, I doused my omelette with ketchup. My parents cringed, but it's like...so good. Ketchup=comfort.

After breakfast, we went to the 10 AM service at Westminster Abbey. My favorite part of the service was all the pretty music. I found it interesting that the choir consisted of only males ranging in ages all across the spectrum, even little children-I guess to hit all the soprano notes.

Scenic walk through St. James Park.

When we walked out of Westminster Abbey, the road back to our hotel was blocked due to the British 10k London Run 2011. My adrenaline started racing as I heard the fun music and saw all the runners, and I wanted so badly to be running with them. I thought about buying a pair of tennis shoes and joining in on the fun!

After reading about Pret A Manger on all my favorite NYC blogs and seeing how there's a Pret on literally every corner in London (it's like in the same league as Starbucks and McDonald's), I saw this as an opportune time to try it out.

I opted for a light lunch, choosing the Superfood Salad paired with a nectarine for dessert. The Superfood Salad was filled with hummus, tabbouleh, beetroot, roasted red peppers, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and omega sprinkles. It came with a tortilla and dijon dressing on the side and provided me with 3 of my 5 veggie servings for the day-I felt so supercharged after I finished my salad! I really like the concept of Pret and wish we had one in Birmingham. It's natural and freshly made food that you can either take to go and eat on the run or eat inside for a quick meal. It beats Panera for sure!

After lunch, we headed to Harrod's and the Topshop for a day of shopping. It was fun to look around in Harrod's, but I ultimately walked away empty handed. I had a little more success in Topshop-I got a few pairs of earrings and a headband.

After shopping, I was in desperate need of an afternoon pick me up, so I went back to Pret for a coffee. I also picked up a bag of yogurt covered Brazil nuts, almonds, and hazelnuts to snack on. While I was there, I saw they had sold out of my Superfood Salad-looks like I made a good choice!

Our evening activities included The London Eye and a cruise down the Thames River.

The London Eye is so cool. You're inside your own little glass capsule-best ferris wheel ever.

While I was in line for The Eye, I started to get really dizzy and sweaty and felt like I was going to get sick. That is never a good feeling. I think it was a combination of several factors, but I mainly attribute it to the claustrophobic quarters I encountered standing in line and possibly dehydration. It was about to get bad, but I guzzled two bottles of water and started to feel better. Once I got to the beginning of the line, I felt well enough to board The Eye. I really was planning on getting out of line and just waiting on my parents, so I'm glad that I didn't have to miss out. I also ate a granola bar that my mom had in her purse, which also helped. I'm feeling much better now but am still not 100%.

We also got tickets for the last cruise of the day on the Thames River. I think boats are the most enjoyable way to see the city!

Globe Theatre.

Tower Bridge.

By the time we got off the cruise, it was time for dinner, so we decided to walk to Trafalgar Square and look for a restaurant there. We couldn't find a restaurant we could all agree on, and we didn't even see anything that looked all that appealing. Fail.

So, we decided to take a cab back to Mildred's, since we know we like it. They're closed on Sundays. Fail.

It was starting to get really late and most restaurants were closing, so we just decided to eat at the hotel. It was a bit fancier than I was really in the mood for tonight (I had my heart set on grilled cheese and tomato soup). And by the time we got our food at 9:30 PM, I was about ready to fall asleep in my plate. I ordered the red onion tarte tatin, which came with curried potatoes and carrot puree. It doesn't look like much, but it was actually delicious! The curried potatoes were my favorite part. 

My parents both just ordered a tomato tart, and the waiter seemed very concerned that we were going to starve. He asked, "Have you had enough to eat? You must have already eaten somewhere for dinner?" My dad enthusiastically replied, "No, we're ok though. We had some snacks!" I don't really know why this was so funny, but my mom and I both died out laughing. We didn't really think a granola bar constituted as a very substantial snack to make up for a meal.

We did end the night with some complimentary hot chocolate and shortbread cookies that we were supposed to receive when we checked in but didn't want them then. The hot chocolate arrived after I'd already uploaded pictures for the night, and I'm lazy, so sorry for the lack of a photo. It was yummy though-prepared just the way hot chocolate should be!

I plan on sleeping really late tomorrow. I think the exhaustion has finally caught up to me. We're taking the Tube to Windsor Castle tomorrow, but it's on our own time, so no strict schedules.