The end of our adventures with Brooke and Drake were almost near now that we had all arrived back in their (new) home turf, London – but like all good travellers we couldn’t pass up the offer of free accommodation that was graciously extended to us by our travelling buddies. Soon enough we were off to their flat in Fulham, where a suprisingly comfortable sofa-bed in the living room was to become our home for the next five nights. We had visited London previously a few years ago and hit most of the major tourist sites so were looking forward to seeing a few other parts of the city.
Our first full day in The Big Smoke was a Sunday and so we started with a very delicious high tea at an exceptionally feminine and cutesy cafe full of sandwiches, scones, brownies and about 35,000 flavours of tea. Mat and I decided that the only way to compensate for the girly surroundings we found ourselves in was to step outside, drink some cheap whiskey, smoke some cigars and then bare-knuckle box each other in front of a pub, dump truck, car race, sports event or other equally manly location. Fortunately we were too lethargic from the ensuing sugar crash and instead we drifted off to Camden Lock and the surrounding markets to take in the hustle, bustle, sights and smells of the first place we had been to in about two months that used English as its first language – this place was truly HECTIC on a Sunday. After returning home and chilling out for a bit we managed to navigate the tube and bus to catch up with Lisa and Eddie at a pub for dinner to make it our third country we’ve managed to catch up with each other in about as many months!!!
The next day Mat and Brooke had to return to the real world, their jobs (you know, like real people), and so we ventured out alone to check out Brick Lane – site of a renowned and amazing bagel shop as well as a recently famous hyper-hipster cafe that serves only cereal – before doing a little bit of shopping around Oxford Circus. We followed this up by a visit to Kensington Palace and gardens where Beth was devastated to learn that Will, Kate and little George were actually away in the US. Truly devastating, believe me.
Another late morning and we were off to check out the Natural History Museum just down the road before negotiating the tube towards the South Bank Christmas markets where we kept it local and English by getting some bratwurst hot dogs and some French-style frites. We ducked over to Tate Modern, taking in the random street art which even extended to a WWI patrol boat on the oppostie bank of the Thames, before checking out the Conflict Photography exhibition I was really keen on seeing. Unfortunately this happened to be about the only thing in the Tate that actually cost money, and whilst the first third was reasonable, the rest was rubbish and so we bailed to The Gherkin for the best hot chocolate we’ve ever tasted (in the cafe in the base of the aforementioned condiment-vegetable nicknamed building).
Eventually it was time for us to catch up with our travel buddies for a delicious dinner in the West End before the girls went off to see a show (Billy Elliot) and us boys decided to try out a few of the local pubs. One pub managed to distract us for quite a while with a set of Jenga, earning a few more drinks in the process, and things got a little out of hand as we developed various Jenga construction drinking games.
Another day, another late start – this is getting way too repetitive. We ventured out to Notting Hill to check out the pretty colours and markets – and we eventually got there after three buses ignored us and we opted for the tube instead. We were feeling a bit peckish after our adventures and we had the type of craving that only Polish dumplings can satisfy – and so it was back to the Camden Food Markets to be served Polish Dumpings, in England, by an Indian Guy – good one, London. Twelve or so dumplings later we were almost full, but not before sampling a tasty Jamaican jerk-chicken wrap – delicious – although Beth’s mouth was on fire and I was severely chastised for answering ‘yes’ to chilli sauce. I still stand by my decision, it was utterly delicious.
It was now our last night in London Town and to celebrate our separation from our travel buddies after nearly a month together we headed out to Chicken Liquor in the Brixton Markets for a hedonistic, no holds barred feast of fried chicken like nothing you’ve ever seen – Colonel Sanders and his Kentucky recipe has nothing on this!! A great way to end our trip with our travel buddies – we were off home to digest, pack and get ready for our flight to Munich the next morning!
Beth & Steve's round-the-world adventures 
