London: Siblings Edition
Laughing Our Way Through London
After coming back from India, I was back with my traveller spirit. I wasted no time planning my next trip. The next destinations on the list were London and Cambridge. I’d been to both places before, but it had been over a year, so it felt like the perfect time to say hi to London again. What made this trip even more special was the chance to reunite with my siblings, whom I hadn’t seen in over six months. The initial plan was to meet my brother and then later make plans with my sister. At the last minute, I was able to work my magic and convince my sister to join us as well. These types of trips, I must say, are the best.
We are very close and enjoy each other’s company a lot. We tease each other, discuss everything under the sun, and share our problems — all while making fun of them. Of course, we also give each other advice, sometimes even good advice! I feel quite fortunate in that regard and always look forward to these kinds of trips. This is also how I kept my spirits high last year; they were always around and, in a way, kept me sane.
This past Saturday, I arrived in London, where my brother was there to receive me. We were supposed to go to Cambridge, but we decided to stay in London for a day. Plus, my sister was going to join us in a couple of hours. So, we went around and had some good food at ‘Dishoom‘. For those of you who don’t know about this place, it’s a great spot to try good Indian cuisine. After stuffing ourselves, we decided to explore the area a bit.
We stumbled upon Shoreditch, and let me tell you, it was a pleasant surprise. Shoreditch is like an art epicentre, especially for street art. It is quite a hip place, with a lot of flea markets and food halls brimming with different cuisines. It also has a lot of galleries, pubs, and restaurants and open spaces for singing and dancing. On top of that, it had the largest vintage market that seems to be never-ending. The market was great not only for vintage pieces but also for various small designers selling their work.
I was super excited about all of it, but we were running short on time because, by the time we went inside the market, our sister was already about to arrive. But we did spend a good two hours just wandering around, trying on quirky pieces, and soaking up inspiration. It felt like time well spent. I’ll be sharing a ton of pictures to inspire you all to visit Shoreditch too — it’s now one of my favourite places in London.
The next stop was the most famous street in London, Oxford Street, where we met our sister after grabbing a refreshing iced latte to keep us energized for the long day ahead. We went around Oxford Street, enjoying the crowd and just catching up with each other. We finally decided to sit down for dinner at a good Italian place. The weather wasn’t half bad, so we opted to sit outside at a place called ‘Conchiglia’, known for its homestyle pizzas and Italian dishes. We sat for a good amount of hours just chit-chatting about whatever we could think of. I don’t think we ever run out of topics, to be honest. We’re blessed that way.
The following day was another day in London. We decided to start our day with a good brunch at Apple and Butter. The place had an interesting name but also a good interior. Truffle scrambled eggs were a good surprise. I always enjoy discovering new brunch spots. We didn’t have any specific plans, and the weather could have been better.
We mostly spent time going around the London Eye and the Thames River because I love that area and feel that a visit to London is incomplete without that and, must I say, shopping as well. My sister had to leave in the evening, and we had to move on to our next destination, Cambridge.
I can’t say much about Cambridge because the weather was terrible. It was very moody, with sunny and rainy spells every five minutes. However, we didn’t let that stop us from going out. We went out to get some good coffee and meet my brother’s friends. I also had the chance to visit one of the universities there. They had some beautiful gardens.
Overall, it was a trip filled with cherished moments and new experiences, and with my siblings, it was a laughter-filled escapade, proving that sometimes this is all you need — good food, great company, and the magic of discovering (or rediscovering) wonderful places together.
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