August was another month spent primarily in London! We did travel for the August Bank Holiday, but other than that we enjoyed the hot summer days and summer fun that London has to offer. With just a few months left in this city, we started more aggressively doing the things around London we’ve been meaning to do. It was a very nice and relaxing month, with very special visitors!
August in London
What could be more London than a picnic in Hyde Park? We kicked off the month using our awesome picnic basket that was a wedding gift from our friends, the Navigating Newlyweds! The lack of rain during this hot summer made it look a little more like the desert than the usual plush green park we love.
We got started on our London bucket list right away, using TodayTix to finally snag some tickets to see Book of Mormon. It was hilarious and the theater was beautiful and air conditioned!
I’ve been dying to go boating on the Serpentine and we finally did! It wasn’t as fabulous as I imagined, seeing as it is hot out there on the water and the pedal boat was too small for tall Andrew. Still, we got to see The Mastaba up close which was pretty cool and to see the park from the vantage point of the Serpentine.
Friends invited us to a polo match, so we took the train out to Guards Polo Club in Great Windsor Park. Wow! It was incredible. We didn’t get to see the queen, but we did get to watch a few matches, which were crazy. The horses are just beautiful and majestic and it is insane that these guys play a sport while riding a horse!
The highlight of the month was definitely my sister’s visit! My sister and brother-in-law came for a long weekend and it was so much fun showing them around our new home.
Their first morning we checked out the London breakfast institution: Duck & Waffle. I’m so glad we were able to snag a reservation here and highly recommend it. The views and the food were both great. Reservations open two months in advance and the best times go quickly so be sure to plan ahead.
Right before their visit, I saw a video on Facebook about a section of the London Wall hidden within a hotel courtyard by Tower Hill. My sister and I had checked out the wall back in the study abroad days, so getting to see an even larger, more intricate piece up close was just the thing to add to the itinerary. If you are visiting the Tower of London, definitely stop by and check it out in the Grange City Hotel. You can even climb through a section of it!
On our flat-finding trip to London in July 2016, we stopped by Galvin at Windows in the Hilton for a drink. On the way up, I noticed a Trader Vic’s and have meant to return. My sister loves mai tais, so it was the perfect time to get our tiki on. Too much fun was had!
One more snap from their trip – love this pic from the British Museum!
We had some rain this month, so the flowers at the Churchill Arms continued to be quite the spectacle!
Faux-flowers, resistant to the multiple heatwaves, have been popping up all over shopfronts throughout the city. I particularly liked this display at a hat shop on a quiet little alleyway in Kensington.
I haven’t spent much time in Fitzrovia, but headed over there one evening to get planning events for the American expat club. Pretty cool to see the BT Tower up close!
It is bittersweet to know our time in London is running out. Our month was spent enjoying this city we love and with people we love! Our future plans and move are becoming more daily considerations, which is further motivation to make the most of every moment we have left!
Jenn is an American expat living in London, spending her time freelancing, traveling and writing on this here blog. Thank you for reading. Are you planning a trip here? Tell me your plans in the comments!
