Abbott Family Travels

One Last Stroll Today I woke up extra early to squeeze in a few last items on my checklist. I took off on my own to have breakfast at Cafe Phillies in Kensington. I chose this place because of its rave reviews and I was not disappointed! I then meandered around Kensington in the direction of the Natural History Museum. Karen and I originally had planned to meet there, but I did not realize we needed advance tickets! So we parted ways so she could finish her souvenier shopping and I could extend my walk a bit longer before heading to the airport. I found myself exploring the Victoria and Albert Museum and I was entranced by the fashion exhibits! I also got to see the Raphael Cartoons, which were his drafts prior to painting the Sistine Chapel. I am so happy I was able to see these exhibits before heading back home! Back Home I feel so fortunate Karen and I got to experience London together, we made so many wonderf...

Good Morning Westminster! After a good night's rest, I woke up bright and early and ready to go. I finished listening to my audiobook Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. After breakfast, Karen and I took the Tube over to Westminster to get classic pictures of the palace and tour Westminster Abbey . During our tour of the Abbey I enjoyed spotting some of the more gruesome statues and brushing up on my Tudor history. Both Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I are buried here, alongside various King Henrys and other notable royalty of the age.   Afterwards we took a stroll through the iconic Belgravia . The facades were beautiful and there were so many little pocket parks that added to the ambiance of the area. More Magic! We then had a very busy afternoon at the Palace theater where we got to experience both acts of The Cursed Child . The stage pr...

What time is it? Jet lag hit me hard today! I woke up at 3 and could not go back to sleep. I kept thinking just one more chapter on my Kindle and surely I will be tired…and then I finished the whole book cover to cover! ( The Pass by Rebecca Jenshak ⭐️⭐️⭐️) Despite my sluggishness, Karen helped keep me upbeat and we were able to see and experience some great places today! Off With Your Head! We started today with a visit to the Tower of London . I am pretty sure some of you should be concerned with how excited we both were to learn about the tortures and executions that went on there…it was like stepping into a Philippa Gregory novel! We went up many flight of windy staircases to see some of the most infamous towers home to: Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh, and the Two Princes (Richard and Edward) just to name a few! Another highlight, aside from the gorgeous views of Tower Bridge, was seeing the Crown Jewels . We weren't allowed to take pictu...

Magical Monday Today was our highly anticipated tour of WB Studios to see the sets of all 8 Harry Potter movies! We took the train from Euston station to Watford Junction . From there a bus picked us up to take us to the movie lot. Behind the Scenes The studio was absolutely massive. We ended up spending four hours touring the entire space. Some of the highlights for me were: the costumes (specifically the Yule Ball and from the attack on Gringotts), inside the Gryffindor and Slytherin dormitories, Dumbledore's office, and the Lestrange vault/attack on Gringotts. They also had an area called the backlot where you could explore Privet Drive, The Knight Bus, and the Greenhouse. It is honestly too much to list it all here, but it was absolutely magical and so well done! A London Evening After reconvening at the hotel to drop off all of my Potter themed souvenirs, we stopped by a lovely Italian restaurant for woo...

Arrival Karen and I arrived a little after 10am this morning! We decided to beat the jet lag by dropping our bags and exploring the city. We had a vague idea of following the West End city walk from our guidebook, but other than that we mostly decided to go down the roads with the most interesting architecture! Chinatown Our hotel is located right by the entrance to Chinatown . Guided by the bright red lanterns and delicious smells, we ended up at a Chinese bakery where we purchased pork rolls and Chinese donuts. These were the perfect snacks to munch on while we explored the markets and shops in this area. Covent Garden We next meandered towards Covent Garden . I have read about this place so many times in historical fiction and romance books, I was excited to see it for myself! There was an open mall area with shops, restaurants, and an art exhibition. Not to mention performers putting on shows for families! In all the bustle Karen even spotted a Peter Rabbi...