Being a North Eastern girl through and through it is rare that I travel all the way down South to the Big Smoke, however, for my best friend's birthday I was more than happy to make the journey to celebrate with her. As I don't venture to London often I was surprised by how lively and vibrant our capital city is and will definitely be visiting again.
Hopping off the train at London King's Cross at 4pm, I was faced with the hustle and bustle of London almost instantaneously; the crowd rushing off in all different directions. I managed to navigate my way to the exit and emerged into the glorious English sun (which was surprisingly tropical). My friends came to meet me and we were once again reunited, after living together at University long-distance friendships with your housemates really do hit you like a cross-country train (pardon the pun). After reconciling, and sharing a few hugs, we then dove into the sunless depths of St Pancras underground station to travel to our first, much-anticipated destination: Camden Town.
Camden Town is home to an eclectic and quirky marketplace, the main event of this part of the afternoon. Being one of the most well-known and popular markets in the city it attracts both locals and tourists alike, as evidenced by the bustling waves of people crowding the streets. We made our way through the collection of several interconnected markets passing crepe stalls, fresh orange juice counters and jewellery stands, a truly unique shopping experience. It made sense, being Harry Styles enthusiasts, that we visited the stall dedicated to him and we were not disappointed with the treasures it held. We picked up pins and tote bags in order to subtly warn people that we are, in fact, borderline obsessed.
With the scent of all of the street food vendors, it was tempting to stop and pick up some loaded fries or bao buns to help tide us over until dinner time. However, we refrained and settled for a couple of pints overlooking Camden Lock.
A few Aspalls, and a whole load of catching up later, we started to make our way to the tube station again. This time we took the Northern Line to Camden North. Exiting the tube here felt like I was emerging into a new city, the evening commuters strolling calmly back home along the streets of Clapham. This provided a welcome contrast to the rush of Central London. We made our way to our dinner location, Taverna Trastevere, a traditional Italian restaurant. We were sat inside but the bi-folding doors were opened to welcome in the warm summer night, creating a perfect setting for our delicious dinner.
We chose the beautiful and refreshing house white wine which was Trastevere's own and a selection of Rosemary Focaccia and Sourdough bread dipped in a large helping of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. For our mains, we went for Spaghetti al Pomodoro, Spaghetti Carbonara, and a Pizza Prosciutto Crudo di Parma, all of which we simply couldn't fault. We ended up skipping desserts and going straight for Limoncello and Amaretto after-dinner liqueurs. They also provided a long list of various Spritzers, from which the birthday girl sampled a Limoncello Spritz, the flavour of which she claimed to be reminiscent of a Lemon Sherbet sweet. I would definitely recommend booking as this place is very popular but very small!
Full up after dinner, we headed across London again to London Bridge. Now the sun had set the city lights were illuminated to create the perfect backdrop for our rooftop bar experience. We headed up the countless number of stairs to London Bridge's Rooftop Bar. With a range of cocktails and spirits and mixers on the menu, it was almost impossible to choose but after a long day of walking and travelling, I opted for a couple of refreshing gin and tonics. We were able to drink in the London skyline with a direct view of the Shard and the London Eye, both of which were radiating with light against the London night sky.
After this, we reluctantly decided to call it a night and head home, concluding, what I could only refer to as, the perfect afternoon in London.
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