EUROPE IN AUGUST 2019: 14.08.2019: LONDON

We woke up to a light drizzle and a very cold morning. Allowing ourselves more time in bed and eating breakfast leisurely, the light drizzle has come to a complete stop by the time we were ready to leave the apartment. Our primary destination today is the British Museum and once we are done, we would proceed with our shopping. But we can plan as much as we want to, but the weather had other things in store for us.

Off to the British Museum

We walked to Paddington Station, got on the Tube and stopped at Tottenham Court Station. The British Museum is located in Bloomsbury Once we were out of the station, we walked to the British Museum and literally stopped in our tracks. There was a long and winding queue to get into the Museum and looking at its closing time, we abandoned the idea all together. I made a mental note to myself, i.e. not to travel to London during the summer holidays.

• 

  Azwa with her new pose

• 

  Mnadatory photo

• 

  Waiting for the next train

• 

  Last stop before the British Museum

• 

  From outside, the queue

• 

  The British Museum … next time

We walked for a bit looking at the variety of shops along the way and I noticed the shops were unique to the area. It began to rain again and since we did not have our packed lunch with us, we decided to seek refuge in an eatery and have lunch. Our choice of restaurant is a Middle Eastern one where we ordered humus with flatbread, fish with buttered rice, a kebab roll and roast chicken with chips. As it is the norm, the servings here are huge, but we took out time since the rain does not seem to stop.

Mostly related to book publishing

With expensive titles

Humus, flatbread, chicken & chips

Kebab, fish biriani

Shopping in the rain

The rain did not come to a complete stop but more of a light drizzle. We then made our way Primark, a huge departmental store. This is my first time here and it was a convenient stop since it is nearby. We browsed and bought stuff that were not necessarily needed but more because they are cute. Whilst in the store, I received a text from my ex-schoolmate Eddie Lim who is now a successful restaurateur in London. I so wanted to meet up with him since he is in the vicinity but I had to turn him down since we were pressed for time and it was raining so heavily. Shopping completed, we had tea at Primark Cafe and headed to Hamley’s since we did promise Azwa that we will take her to the one in London. We browsed and Amelia and I decided to take refuge in their cafe. There were too many children but the place is huge. Azwa and her mum explored every nook and corner of Hamley’s. She selected a number of toys and by the time we came out, it was still raining. Selfridges is nearby but we dropped the idea of going there but instead, headed back to our apartment.

Outside Primark

Tea at Primark Cafe

Outside Hamley’s

Dinner with friends from Malaysia

We dropped our purchases, dried up and walked to Khan’s where we were agree to meet up for dinner with Khatijah Abdullah or Jah, her husband and one of her daughters with her family. Khan’s is a Indian restaurant and it’s within walking distance from our apartment. Jah placed a huge order of food and we had our fill. Odd right? Friends from Kuala Lumpur meeting up in London for dinner. We said our goodbyes with promises of meeting up in Kuala Lumpur or Kuantan or Shah Alam

Good food

Biriani, keema, chicken, nan – my fav

Us and Khatijah’s family (Photo courtesy of Khatijah)

Another day came to an end in London. If it’s not for the rain, it would have been a perfect shopping day. But then again, this was not suppose to be a shopping trip but a tourist type of holiday – savouring sights and food.  We also had more towns to visit with promises of more shopping and don’t forget our luggage space.