In 2005, a couple of my girlfriends and I saved up to take a trip to Europe together. One of them was getting married in a few months, and it seemed like a good time to take a girls’ trip.
I didn’t know that much about the United Kingdom. My friends were more excited about visiting London than I was. My main goal on the trip was to see the ‘romantic’ countries, like France and Italy. I arrived in London with little in the way of expectations. But once I spent a little time there, I fell in love with the place.
I was most excited to experience the little differences. Having tea and eating the foods that go with it, the pastries and biscuits, was one of the first things I just had to try. My friends and I decided to go for something really special, tea time at Harrods! A warning though, trying to recreate the wonderful taste of Harrods cream here in the United States can be challenging.
The food was very different from what I normally eat in the United states. I enjoyed the desserts that were more traditional to American tastes, such as frangipane, with its buttery outer crust. But I also developed a taste for biscuits, similiar to cookies, but usually crisp and not especially sweet.
I loved the curved streets I saw in some of the London neighborhoods. Also, the parks in London are definitely must-sees. I especially liked Hyde Park, and Green Park, which is one of the parks by Buckingham Palace. Seeing the beautiful architecture of the Natural History Museum, with its relief
sculptures and statues, was one of the highlights of my trip. It was also nice to see the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is a beautiful old building.
Piccadilly Circus is also a fun place to go, with many people walking around and many places to shop and eat. When it is lit up at night is the coolest time to go! There is also nice architecture there and you can see the statue of Eros.
If you are not expecting to visit London any time soon, I reccommend sites like Fodors.com to get ideas of recreating the United Kingdom eating experience. (http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/an-american-alternative-to -clotted-cream.cfm) There are some examples of the curved streets in the movie, “Love Actually”. And of course, countless films and pictures that show famous British sites like Buckingham Palace.
Sources:
Fodors Travel Guide