7–9 Nov / London
Park water, old stone, theatre lights and casual food. An easy start before heading north, and the first days never felt overloaded.
London was exactly the right first city: walk, look up, stop for food, then stay out for the lights.
Good to start easy when the rest of the trip gets heavier.
London wasn’t the most dramatic part of the trip, but it did its job. A soft landing before the cold roads, old stone and grey Scotland skies, and a calm start before the drive north.
What I remember is simple: water, buildings, lights, and food that made the city feel familiar. No need to pack the days.
London, in moments
Quiet arrival, evening lights, or skip straight to the food.
Slow moment
London feels busy even when you’re not doing much, so the calm views helped. The lake was a nice break, and the abbey was a reminder that London always has more history around the next corner.
Good combo for a first day: one quiet view, one big old building, and no pressure to make day one a big deal.
Calm park water, then old stone and carvings.
Evening
London at night felt totally different: wet pavement, bright theatre signs, crowds outside, the whole city in show mode.
This is when it stopped feeling like arriving and started feeling like a proper trip. The buildings still looked great, but the lights made everything warmer.
Some theatre lights, some food browsing, and London got easier to settle into.
Food notes
No fine dining here, and this isn’t a restaurant guide. Just the easy stuff that makes a walking day better: market bread, a pasta stop, warm bites, no big production.
No fancy meals needed. Warm market food was enough.
Personal take: London was an easy opener. Not the most exciting part of the trip, but the right place to loosen up before we headed north and the weather got moodier.