London

I have never had many dreams... except for one: to live in the United Kingdom. London is not among my favorite English cities, but as soon as you move away from the city center, you live in my dream. There is something magical about these places, something that makes me feel damn nostalgic. The Germans have a name for expressing this feeling: fernweh, that means "far-sore", "farsickness". So this is why visiting London is always a good idea. Of course, not everyone will enjoy London, cause unfortunatley you're not me (LOL) . However, the city has so much to offer that there is sure to be something for everyone. My boyfriend and I went to London for a long weekend (Thursday - Sunday) to see the concert of the music of Danny Elfman (from the films of Tim Burton) at the Royal Albert Hall theater.

Day one.

We arrived at "Victoria Station" around 7pm, so in reality the first day can easily be reduced to an evening. But would you like to spend a Thursday evening in one of London's most traditional pubs (The St. George's Tavern)? I do! Pie and beer. What else?

Fyi:

• Airline Wizz Air, direct flight from Naples to London- Gatwick.
• From the airport to Victoria station (which connects practically everything) we took the "Southern Railway" train.
• We chose to use our contactless credit card for transportation, you don't need anything else to travel by public transport in London. Whether it's a bus, train or metro, simply tap your card on the reader at the turnstile and the cost of the journey will be automatically deducted. The maximum amount you will spend per day is £7.00 (zone 1-2) or £8.20 (zone 1–4) ish after about 4 journeys.
• We preferred to book an Airbnb (a private room in an apartment) far from London city. And the choice was great! I felt less like a tourist, more like a Londoner, and then we had a view of the Thames --> private room.

Day two.

Even though I'm not a fan of romantic movies or comedies in general... 'Notting Hill' is a cult classic, and it reminds me of sweet moments with my mom, so... I couldn't help but head to the famous neighborhood from which the movie takes its name. The atmosphere here is so "lively" and "trendy", not to mention all the little shops and cafes that line the bohemian Portobello Road, where the crowded antiques and vintage fashion market is held. The morning passed quickly and the sun was strangely sunny!
Next stop 'Sherlock Holmes', or "Baker Street", the famous street where the famous literary detective Sherlock Holmes lived, at the fictional address 221B Baker Street. (Yes, I am a (huge) fan of detective movies/series). We made sure to spend the whole afternoon and evening in "Soho", where we did nothing but wander around the most characteristic neighborhood in London. "Soho" is a universe in continuous movement, original and cheeky. From "Oxford Street" to "Piccadilly Circus" to "Leicester Square" to "Chinatown" to "Neal's Yard" to "Covent Garden" to "Trafalgar Square". Cosmopolitan, non-conformist, cheerful, eclectic, trendy, "Soho" is a unique place in the world. Whether it's night or day, the atmosphere of "Soho" is definitely contagious. For dinner we chose Indian food (I love it)!

Day three.

Day three is 'concert' day!!! Yeeey. Obviously the concert was held in the evening (around 6pm), so we put on our backpacks in the morning and went off to visit the city. We arrived in "Camden Town" just after having a proper English breakfast. This is the most underground part of London, you can feel it right away, super crowded and chaotic, not my favorite, anyway. In the afternoon we spent our time walking in the "Rembrandt Garden" and then ending up in "Hyde Park". When it was time to go to the theater, I decided to take a detour to the "Natural History Museum": free entry and nice big bathrooms to change clothes (one suitable for the "Royal Albert Hall" LOL). The concert was amazing and I don't know how to describe it, 'cause an experience like this has to be lived to be 'understood'. We had the after party at Burger King (so classyyy).

Day four.

The last day is always the saddest, because it's the last, obviously... so it seemed like a must to go and say hello to the royal family... that is... a routine stop at "Buckingham Palace" and "Westminster". Photos of "Big Ben" and the "London Eye", and then we walked to "London Bridge". Lunch at "Borough Market" and then headed to the airport.
As I was on the plane, I thought about how much I can't wait to go back to England, maybe for a longer period of time, maybe to visit some more typical and not at all touristy English villages, maybe to...