Last weekend I jumped at the chance to spend a few nights with my best friend from home, Mia, in London. After settling into her flat in a ritzy South Kensington neighborhood (I was on Hugh Grant watch the whole time) we did the best thing I could think to do for my first night in London; went to a pub for fish and chips and a beer.
Being the fabulous host and tour guide that she is, Mia had a wonderful itinerary planned for us and our first stop was Portobello Market. It’s a giant antique market that goes on for blocks down Portobello Road, selling everything from china, to silver, to first edition books and even jewelry and furs. I couldn’t stop singing, out loud, the song “Portobello Road” as we browsed the vintage silver and china. For those of you who don’t know the song “Portobello Road,” it’s the breakout song from the worlds most underappreciated movie, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” which I’m sure most of you have never heard of. It’s fine, it’s just another reason why I will win the award for most dedicated Disney fan someday; just know that it’s the reason why everyone at Portobello market thought I was auditioning for “High School Musical.” We finished up the day with a ride on one of the iconic double-decker buses, a trip to the National Gallery, window shopping at Harrods, snooping in windows at Buckingham Palace, an evening stroll down Oxford Street and, in true British fashion, another trip to the pub.
We started our Sunday bright and early with a homemade breakfast of coffee and crumpets before heading off on Mia’s ultimate London tour. I got to see the London Bridge—which is downright ugly—and the Tower Bridge—which is much prettier. We also went to St. Paul’s Cathedral (where I made Mia reenact the scene of the beggar woman from “Mary Poppins,” where she sings the “Feed the Birds” song—such a classic) and then walked across the Millennium bridge to Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. After exploring an adorable Christmas market and a few used book shops (because my English major friend can’t control herself when she sees a 4th edition Charles Dickens book) we saw the London eye, the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben and, of course, Westminster Abby, which looked a lot bigger than it did when I saw it on TV at 3 a.m. for the royal wedding. We also made sure to sneak in a photo-op at one of the infamous red telephone booths. I thought I was going to look so “London Fog” in one of those phone booths with my trench coat, but I think I just ended up looking like Inspector Gadget’s female imposter.  Such is the story of my life.
After all of that sightseeing we decided to take a break, and what better way than to enjoy a little high tea? Hidden above a pub in Soho, set to a soundtrack of 1920’s jazz, we sat down for a classic English high tea complete with tea sandwiches, cake, cupcakes, scones and fresh brewed tea. And just when I thought I couldn’t feel any more British (it was almost enough to ask to be called Elizabeth again), we cleared our tea sandwiches only to find that they were served on top of a Prince Charles and Diana collectors plate. We couldn’t have been any more fabulously British if we had tried.
London was one of those cities that just felt right for me; it had all of the qualities of a major metropolitan city that I love, along with a rich history and eligible royals. Plus, a girl could get used to regular high tea lunches and low key pub dinners. But really, one of the best parts about London for me was being able to explore it with my best friend.  Plus, who else would have jumped at the opportunity to pretend to be a crazy bird lady from “Mary Poppins” in public, just to entertain me?