Bath

london update

08.20

Churchill Arms, London | The Style Scribe

Kensington, London | The Style Scribe

Lily Vanilli at Columbia Road Flower Market | The Style Scribe

Bath, England | The Style Scribe

Royal Academy of Art, London | The Style Scribe

Kensington, London | The Style Scribe

Columbia Road Flower Market, London | The Style Scribe

Daylesford Organic, London | The Style Scribe

Chiltern Firehouse, London | The Style Scribe

Windsor Castle | The Style Scribe

While I’m waiting until the end of my London adventure to publish a comprehensive city/travel guide, I did want to give you a little update and share a few favorites (and photos) from my time here so far! Here’s a glimpse at what I’ve been up to…

Royal Academy of Art: Summer Exhibition – sadly this exhibition just ended on the 16th, but it’s a display that comes to the Royal Academy of Art every single year (and has for 247 years)! If you love art and/or museums, this is one you absolutely cannot miss if you come to London during the summer months. This year was all about color – did you see the floor? So fun.

Columbia Road Flower Market + exploring Shoreditch – this is something you’ve gotta do if you have a free Sunday in the city. Columbia Road Flower Market is a bustling spot with dozens of local vendors selling the most colorful peonies, huge hydrangeas and other beautiful bulbs and stems. Even if flowers aren’t your thing, you’re bound to find something to love in the shops and attractions around the market and throughout Shoreditch. Craving sweets on Sunday? Stop by 1235 Donuts, sold within a small doorway between two boutiques behind the flower market. Small batch donuts baked by a local fella and sold by his lady – so yummy! Also, be sure to take a stroll around the neighborhoods behind the flower market – cute flats with colorful doors make for a nice walk after breakfast!

Windsor Castle – if you have the opportunity to travel outside of London at all, the town of Windsor and Windsor Castle are a must-see. It’s always crowded with tourists (shocker), but if you get there early you can avoid the crazy-long line to get into the castle. Even if you get stuck in the line, it moves pretty quickly – there were about 300 people in front of us when Monte and I went, but the line only took like 45 minutes to get to the front. The grounds are just stunning (remember this garden pic?), but it’s also so fun to see the beautiful staterooms where Queen Elizabeth spends her weekends! If you can, try to plan some time after your visit to the castle to walk around the town. It’s a quaint little village with many a cute shop and good pub to visit!

Bath – one more trip outside the city that I have to recommend is Bath. I actually did this trip following the visit to Windsor on a tour, so I didn’t get to spend nearly enough time exploring. Believe it or not, I’m planning another trip back so I can wander around the adorable town and snap some more photos. If you are wondering why I’m going back, see exhibit A and exhibit B. While walking through the Roman Baths is cool, I found the town itself to be the most inspiring and captivating. Can’t wait to go back! When I do, I’ll be sure to share some good spots for food and other little tips for around town.

– Eats & Drinks – According to one of my British friends, everyone has a “local” (as in pub). My local pub is The Builder’s Arms in Kensington, right down from Whole Foods off of Kensington High Street. It’s just down from my place and has a bright turquoise exterior, with loads of purple and yellow pansies decorating the outside. More importantly, the food is AMAZING! I had the best fish and chips of my life on my first night in London at Builder’s Arms! They’ve got loads of other snacks and bites like a yummy cauliflower, kale and cheddar tart, poutine and are known for their burgers too. Another pub that’s pretty close to my flat is The Churchill Arms – you may recognize that name from my Instagram pic? It’s completely overgrown with flowers (gorgeous!) and they have delicious Thai food. Definitely worth a trip! For a lighter lunch, I highly recommend checking out Daylesford Organic – they have multiple locations and offer sit-down or ready-made gourmet food for take away. I ordered a quiche which gave me the option to choose two different salads as a side – it was the perfect meal! For a nicer night out, get yourself over to Chiltern Firehouse. You can always pop in for drinks without a reservation, but don’t show up after 9pm – they reserve the entire bar for their hotel guests for the rest of the night! It’s a very chic bar with gorgeous decor, and the waitresses are all dressed in hot pink jumpsuits by Emilia Wickstead (a fabulous local London designer)! I haven’t had dinner at Chiltern Firehouse yet, but I hear it’s spectacular. Hoping to get a reservation for when my family visits in October! PS – when I went for drinks a few weeks back, I saw Richard Simmons! It’s a great bar for celeb spotting  ;)

As always, be sure to follow along on my Instagram and Snapchat (username for both is merrittbeck) for real-time behind the scenes action and travel tips! I’ll be back with more travel content next Thursday!

{ all photography by The Style Scribe® }

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