10 Things I miss about London

London is one of those cities you simply fall in love with and never forget.
 

For almost a decade of my life I lived and worked in London. I used every opportunity to explore the city and became more fascinated with each trip. Many people do not like London for the weather but coming from a super hot country ,I enjoyed the drop in temperature and experiencing snow.

10 Things I miss about London :

1. I love the how efficient and effective the transport systems are. The underground Tube is super fast but in peak times it can be crazy with so many people getting on. It amazes me how people just get onboard do their make up, read or do Sudoku before getting off at their stop. It is the whole idea of being comfortable in your own company. There are night buses which operate after midnight when the Tubes stop specially for the night owls. Besides the Underground ,I love travelling on the DLR ( Docklands Light Railway) which runs above ground and in East and South London areas. There is no need to own a car in London.

2. London is home to people from around the Globe. When people relocate they take with them their culture and food. Therefore it is no surprise that London is a foodie haven and you can find food from every corner of the globe. From Bengali (Indian ) curries down Mile End to the 24 hour yes you heard right Jewish Bagel shop to the flavours of Arabia down Edgeware Road there is always something for you to eat that is different. It was here I learnt about food history and tasted food from around the world.And there are amazing food tours one can find here.

3. The parks of London are rather pretty be it in Summer or Winter. One of my favourite Parks is Greenwich which is located in South East London. It is home to Greenwich University ,Cutty Sark and the Greenwich Meridian. The streets are cobblestone filled with quaint eateries ,a market over the weekend ,2 museums and several bookshops. The park is so beautiful with spectacular views up on the hill.I love walking through the park as Autumn sets in kicking the browned leaves while sipping on my Vanilla Latte from Starbucks. In Summer the park is filled with families and couples having picnics.
4. The museums in London are filled with the most amazing artefacts from around the world. My favourite museums are the V&A and the British Museum both which are free. The exhibits are literally out of this world and many an afternoon I have gotten lost in time walking room to room of these museums.
5.Shopping ! London is a shopper’s paradise with a variety of shops to suit all budgets and tastes. The Pound store is one of my favourite stores where everything costs £1 only. From books,home care products,name branded beauty products and chocolates most things can be found here. There are several Markets around London specialising in Food,Arts ,Clothes and Raw ingredients.
6. The O2 Arena looks like a rather oddly shaped object almost from outer space. But is a one stop entertainment stop. Found inside the O2 is a large variety of eating places and places to drink. Spur a South African popular eatery is found here along with the most amazing Brazilian and Chinese eateries. So besides the eating and drinking spots the O2 is home to a Cinema Complex and is popular venue for concerts and Live shows.

7. Late night shopping at supermarkets is popular due to people returning home late from work. Tesco and Asda which are 2 supermarkets are open 24 hours from Monday to Sunday. This was so easy for me and so many ofmy friends. Supermarkets carried a wide variety of cooked food and ingredients from around the world. I loved walking down the aisles discovering new ingredients.Reduced sections are popular in supermarkets and things are really cheap often I would buy and freeze these items. There are always deals and bargains to be found. The bakery section where everything is freshly baked each morning has the most yummy treats. I found it hard to walk past before work without getting a freshly baked baguette for breakfast.
8. Mobile phone contracts especially data is something I miss a lot from London. The deals that are available are value for money and have great options for unlimited Data,calls and texts.The contract I had was one a yearly basis this meant I got a new phone every year ! How awesome is that ? !?
9. After work social scene is another aspect of London life. I loved how after work I would go out with my work friends for drinks during the week and Friday night was a late  night with drinks followed by a meal in the city. My current work situation means I don’t get to socialize with work colleagues. I miss those days.
 
10. The ease of travel from London. During my time in London  I travelled fairly extensively and spent my money on these experiences. I visited  12 countries. It is so cheap to travel with low-cost airlines and packages on sale always. The only problem was getting  Visas as I was travelling on my South African passport.
There are ten dozen more reasons why I love London , these are my top ten. London, I have fallen in Love with you and will always love you. It was here I discovered life ,love and heartache and grew as an adult in age and learned very important life lessons.
Have you visited London ? What is your favourite city in the world?
Be Inspired !
Ciao

PS….Dear Future Husband if you are reading this just to let you know, I love Tower Bridge at night. And I would love for you to propose to me there…..someday xxx