London: Day One

When I last went to London in March to sort out my visa for moving to Chile, I assumed I'd be back in the city again a few weeks later for the same purpose. But of course, like nearly everything in 2020, that didn't happen as planned. Back then, I never imagined that the next time I'd visit the capital would be with my boyfriend, who'd travelled all the way from Chile! 

This year has brought a lot of surprises, both good and bad, but Claudio visiting me has definitely been the best thing that's happened, and perhaps something that wouldn't have happened in normal circumstances. So both of us feel very lucky, all things considered.

We decided to go to London shortly after our quarantine finished (which I'm glad we did, because now it wouldn't be possible to go) and spend a few days there in order to take in all the most famous sights.

When our train arrived at Paddington station, we had a couple of hours to pass before checking into our hotel. So we used the time to find a nice Japanese restaurant for lunch and also to go and see Paddington Bear. It was nice to meet another South American in London!

Once we'd checked in to the hotel and unpacked, it was time to explore! We were staying right by Piccadilly Circus, so it was very easy for us to get around to the major sights of the city. I was excited to be in the middle of the West End with all the famous theatres nearby!

On that first day, I decided it would be a nice idea for us to follow the route I'd walked last time I was in London (Trafalgar Square to Chinatown), but going in the other direction, starting from Chinatown. This time, the lanterns there were different, and everything looked even more colourful than before.

Next we had a look around Leicester Square, where we came across famous characters such as Mr Bean and Batman (it's hard to see him, but he's on the roof of the cinema).

And then we walked to Trafalgar Square, which is always so impressive. Every time I see it, it's like I'm seeing it for the first time. Of course, it was a great place for taking photos, especially as it was evening, and the buildings were lit up.

By that point it was getting too dark to do much more sightseeing, so we headed back to the hotel. But on our way, we took the opportunity to visit the Harry Potter shop and also see the theatre where the Harry Potter And The Cursed Child play had been taking place before the pandemic.

Our first day in London was brilliant and on our second day, we got to see even more of the city's famous sights. I'll be writing about our trips on the London Eye River Cruise and the London Eye (among a few other things) very soon!

Read about London: Day Two here, London: Day Three here and London: Day Four here!