Broadway and Kingham, Oxfordshire

Day four began with a train ride to Cheltenham to pick up our rental car. We definitely overpacked for our trip and luckily were able to take a cab to the train station and board the train with only a few issues. When we arrived, we were also lucky to get a large cab to the rental car pickup. Once all our luggage was in the car we were on our way! Driving was an adventure (it took awhile to get used to keeping left!) but we made it safely to Broadway for lunch at the Crown & Trumpet Inn. After eating we walked around the Broadway shops!

It was lovely to see everything decorated for the Queen’s Jubilee! Early evening we drove to Kingham and checked into our cottage which was by far our best Airbnb in the UK. There were so many thoughtful details and unique combinations that made it truly special. That night we walked to The Wild Rabbit for dinner and then took a short walk to explore the tiny village we would call home the next few days.

Kensington

On day three Sophie and I got up early to visit Kensington Palace. We knew it wouldn’t be open but wanted to walk around the gardens and at least see it from the outside. Afterwards, we headed back to meet my mom and Grace to get a black cab to The Ritz. Our afternoon tea was a highlight of the trip! After tea we changed and then did some shopping. We walked through Harrods and stopped in Zara to get Grace and Sophie some warmer clothes before visiting the Victoria & Albert. Visiting the museum was one of my favorite parts of London when I studied abroad and was so grateful to get to visit again! It was another quintessential, rainy London day complete with seeing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella in the West End!

Tower of London and Westminster Abbey

Day two started with breakfast at EL&N London before we took the tube to the Tower of London. We didn’t choose to go on the tour (I did in college and it’s great!) but walked around outside and got some great photos in front of Tower Bridge. Next, we got on a ferry that took us down the river to Westminster Abbey. It started pouring right as we got off the boat and the abbey was a welcome break from the rain. Afterwards we had a great lunch at a pub down the street and walked the mall to Buckingham Palace (as close as we were able to get with all the Jubilee setup going on). That night we had Indian takeout back in our Airbnb and got some rest before day three!

Hampton Court Palace (Part Two)

After touring the inside of Hampton Court Palace (both the Tudor and Baroque parts) we headed to lunch. The food in the restaurant was great, I would definitely recommend taking a break to have lunch before exploring the stunning gardens. We walked all around the grounds, taking a ton of photos, and even hopped on a carriage ride when we were getting tired. I’m so grateful I was able to experience all the blooms with my sisters and mom!

Hampton Court Palace (Part One)

I have wanted to visit Hampton Court Palace for years and was SO excited to spend our first full day in London exploring the palace and gardens! The contrast between the Tudor Court and the Baroque Palace is so interesting and is like visiting two different palaces in one. Here are my favorite photos featuring the palaces themselves, minus most of the stunning gardens. Enjoy!

Hello, London

I’m so excited to begin sharing photos from my family trip to England and Croatia! Sophie and I had an eventful flight out (and ended up missing our first day) but we were thrilled to finally land in London and got a full night’s sleep before our first full day! Our Airbnb was right above Mr. Fogg’s House of Botanicals and we fully embraced all the faux flowers around town. I have TWO posts coming to share our visit to Hampton Court Palace, but for now here are a few highlights from our first day exploring London and our dinner at Sketch!