26th in London

Last Thursday was my 26th birthday. What better way to celebrate than to travel to London for the first time! Dustin and I had been eagerly anticipating the time when we would go; it has always been high on our travel list since arriving in Italy.

We arrived in London right around noon on Thursday, first stop: CHIPOTLE! It was the absolute best meal I've eaten since being pregnant. Before we sat down to eat, I ran to the bathroom (go figure) and upon return to our table, Dustin had surprised me with candles in my bowl!

I'll take a birthday bowl over a birthday cake any day ;)

After we ate, we checked into our hotel then headed back out. We ate an overpriced dinner that wasn't nearly as good as we hoped, but then headed to see "The Book of Mormon". It was actually quite hilarious and I must say, was all that it was hyped up to be.

The next day, I got my birthday present: a full day to spend at the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio! If you didn't know, I'm a major Potterhead! I read all the books, own all the movies, and will forever be a fangirl. #weasleyisourking

4.5 hours later, both Dustin and I were completely stunned at the amount of time, effort, and detail that went into making the movies. It was such an amazing experience and I will forever be grateful for the chance to go.

After we left the studio, it was time to devote a little portion of our trip to Dustin's biggest obsession...the Beatles! We took a short train ride into Central London and got to see Abbey Road Studios and [attempt] to take pictures crossing Abbey Road.

It was a quick stop on the way to dinner, but we are extremely glad we did it. Every time we travel to a new city our mantra on whether or not to do something is always "we may never come back". Stopping here was definitely something that topped the list and was worth making the extra effort.

Dinner was at a burger joint called MeatLiquor. We had an amazing buffalo chicken burger, a bacon cheeseburger, monster fries and fried pickles. We certainly can't get anything quite like that in Italy so it was special treat.

Our last full day in London was devoted to sightseeing. We kicked off the morning at the Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard! It wasn't the most exhilarating experience but like visiting Abbey Road, it was something we knew we had to do. We got there about 45 minutes early (our feet later paid for that) and got a prime spot right in the front.

This officially crosses off #26 on the bucket list! 

After that, we grabbed a quick bite to eat then headed to our walking tour. We booked through the same company we toured with in Berlin and again, it did not disappoint. While on the tour we learned a lot about London, its ruling families, and greatest attractions. 

Once the tour ended, we headed to an area known as Borough Market. Unfortunately we arrived as all the vendors were closing shop, but we could tell it was a fun, hip place to mosey around and catch a drink or two. Last on our trip itinerary, ride the London Eye. It was a great way to see the whole city and proved London to be as beautiful from the sky as it is from the ground.

Overall, we absolutely loved London. It's often known for unexpected weather, typically on the rainier side, but we 100% lucked out. It only sprinkled twice while we were outdoors, otherwise it was blue skies and great temps. Although we say it after every trip, London is going to be a place that is unbearably difficult to resist returning to!