The end of any long journey is always a little bittersweet. You don’t want to leave but also can’t wait to be home. As the end of our 12 day trip came to a close we were sad to say goodbye to champagne at noon and mindless wandering down side streets, but at the same time I missed my bed and my dogs. We set out for our last day in London with “tea time” on our horizon and not much else
We decided to stroll past Buckingham Palace en route. The sky above the palace was like a major interstate for airplanes with one overhead every 2-5 minutes. It made for some beautiful sky shots.
When we got there we were confused as to why there was such a hubbub of people -there was music and people cheering. (We thought maybe *fingers crossed* we happened to be present when the royal baby was born,) but turns out it was the changing of the guards. Silly me, I had no idea people lined the streets all the way to kingdom come for it! It was quite a spectacle and it was exciting that we happened to walk up just as it was taking place.
As we strolled to tea, I couldn’t help but notice the sheer contrast in old and new, one of my favorite things about being in Europe. I remember when I was in Berlin being in awe in the 17th century building juxtaposed against 21st century skyscrapers.
We arrived at Richoux – Piccadilly for tea just in time, sitting down in a empty restaurant but leaving when the place was filled to the brim.
Always a sucker for mint tea, I ordered it immediately, Michael went for traditional earl.
I wish we’d been hungry enough for a full afternoon tea, but we weren’t and ordered the Richoux Cream Tea instead which came with four warmed baby scones, strawberry preserve, Cornish Clotted cream and our choice of tea. I could eat this everyday for ever, and ever, and ever..
Richoux was a wonderful laid-back place to grab tea if you’re not interested in getting all dressed up, making reservations, and paying the price of a fancy dinner. It was so relaxing and slightly indulgent that it ended up being one of my most memorable moments of being in London.
It came time to say goodbye to London and we reluctantly packed our bags, although it felt nice knowing our next stop was home.
What’s your favorite thing about coming home after a long trip?
See other photos from my trip: Paris Day One, Paris Day 2 & 3, Exploring Dijon, Mustard Making in Dijon, France, Wandering Through Reims, Champagne Vineyards in Champagne and Our First Day in London
