Tea, Tube Rides, and Touristy Things

The past week has been filled with random adventures and visits from 2 of my closest friends, S and J. This past Friday, J flew in from DC and we spent Friday afternoon and Saturday catching up and exploring the city together. It was so much fun to be able to experience the city with her!

I finally crossed enjoying afternoon tea off my London to-do list. This was the first thing we did after J's arrival in London. We went to a place called Sketch, which is right between Oxford Street and Soho. I cannot even begin to describe my love of this adorable restaurant. The decor was right up my alley, with a feminine retro-glam style. Everything was pink, from the mod cloth chairs and booths to the walls and ceilings. Next to us was a rose gold bar covered with art deco styled lighting. It was the perfect place for our girls' day tea. 

The amazingly fragrant and delicious rose tea I drank

After enjoying tea sandwiches and lots of sweets, we strolled back to my flat, stopping into a few of the stores on Oxford Street on our way. When we got back to the flat we enjoyed wifi once again before heading to one of my favorite pubs down the street. After closing down the pub, we headed to a wine bar that's close to my flat before realizing that all of the pubs close extraordinarily early, usually midnight, for Friday nights. Instead we went back to my flat and caught up over a glass of wine, an ideal Friday night for me.

On Saturday we had a full day of playing tourist. We toured Parliament, walked St. James' Park, saw Buckingham Palace, and explored the Tower of London area on the Thames River. After this I also had my first experience trying Indian food in London, which is one of the requirements for living here. I love Indian food and have been anxious to try it since my arrival. Needless to say, my chicken tikka masala didn't disappoint.

Gatekeepers outside Buckingham Palace

J wasn't the only friend to pay me a visit this week. Last Sunday, while heading to the Monument of London on a beautiful sunny day, I spotted a man in a Chick-Fil-A jacket on the Tube. Considering there are no Chick-Fil-As to be found in Europe, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I whispered (or so I thought) to my friend Luke at how amazing it was to see someone donning Chick-Fil-A gear in London. I must've spoken louder than I thought because the man then leaned over to me and asked if I was a fan. After explaining how much I missed the wonderfulness that is peanut-oil fried chicken, the man introduced himself as Dan Cathy, the son of founder Truett Cathy and current CEO of the company. He then told me about a one-day pop-up shop that would be in London in 2 days. 

I immediately had to tell my closest friend group, the Five, because my friend S is Chick-Fil-A's biggest fan. After explaining my encounter and that Chick-Fil-A was going to be served for the first time ever in Europe, she booked a flight from Geneva to spend 12 hours enjoying Chick-Fil-A with me. We ended up spending the entire 4 hours talking with some amazing people, including Dan Cathy. After hearing him explain his values as a person and as a company, it made me fall in love with Chick-Fil-A so much more. It was also so nice to have a little taste of home while abroad.

S and me with Dan Cathy

I look forward to more visits from dear friends!

Lovingly,

Loren