London Arrival & First Adventures

After a long day of packing & goodbyes I headed off to the airport with my extended "family" to board our 6 o'clock flight to Heathrow. The three little ones & I started together while their mum & dad enjoyed their much-deserved first class time together.



Needless to say, things got a little silly after eight hours on a plane together.




We played musical seats so everyone got to preview first class for a portion of the flight. After a very smooth landing we were all thrilled to have finally arrived to our little cobblestone street in London.








Spring is in bloom in London right now. Our pretty blue door is beautifully framed by lavender wisteria. Almost every window is accompanied by some sort of plant. Gardens are fully dressed up with rose bushes, potted flowers, & white wicker tables. It's just lovely. (The pink door just made me smile.)

Once we were settled in to our home for the week we were eager to explore. Our first stop was Battersea Park.






We North Carolinians must have brought the sunshine to London because the weather couldn't have been better. We strolled through the fields, explored the playgrounds, & decided we could use a bite to eat.


We hopped on the bus to Chelsea & found one of my favorite casual restaurants in London: Pizza Express. This particular Pizza Express had a beautiful terrace for us to sit on while we sipped red wine & orange Fanta. (Guess who drank what...) H was very pleased with her Pizza Express hat.


While waiting for food, little miss H & I went for a walk down King's Road.




After a scrumptious margherita pizza I indulged myself with some unbelievable coconut & pistachio gelato from Amorino. Luckily we were able to walk it off on our way home, watching the sunset all the while...


Regardless of our lingering jet-lag it really was a perfect first day. I am thrilled to be back in London & am remembering why I thought about living here the last time I visited. But for now I am off to bed, enjoying the time I do have in this wonderful city.