Eurotrip 2015 - London Calling

Being able to get lost in big and small cities, to stroll around until my feet hurts, and to simply eat or drink somewhere pleasant and discuss about how wonderful it is to be doing what we are supposed to do and to be carrying on with the life we adore have always been a part of my bucketlist. But take note, it has to be in London. 





Let me rewind back to April 4, 2015. Coming from Paris Nord, we took a train bound to London St. Pancras. According to our tour brochure, "Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Avignon, Brussels, Lille, Lyon, Marseille and of course, Paris." It was super fast it only took us 2 hours and 30 mins to finally reach London. How surprisingly fast something can be in just a blink of an eye.

I used to say that I see myself living in New York but now I see myself in London more! Its architecture is nothing short of astonishing therefore each and every corner is worth taking a photograph of and when I say each and every one, I mean literally. Everything was so beautiful, including the chilly weather which the Filipina in me adores. I can’t wait to share more photos with you but for now, here's our day 1!



Day 1:
It's difficult to explore a mega city like London because it's covering over a thousand square kilometers with about 8 million individuals. I didn't even know where to start.

For our first day, we rode a coach heading to the Tower of London. On our way there, we passed by a lot of breathtaking sights such as the University of London, Soho Square, Piccadilly Circus, London Embankment, and the Mall. First day yet London was already making it so hard for me to leave. You could really see the hustle and bustle of the city life when at Piccadilly Circus, because according to our British tour guide, Lewis, (whom I like to commend for his kind attitude) that day was an international pillow fight day. Pillow fight day in London is when hundreds of people gather in the middle of Trafalgar Square for a mass pillow fight contest. The annual event sees competitors whacking each other with feather-filled pillows. How lucky were we to see it on our first day in the city? Would you even believe me if I told you I also saw a floating man dressed in a green costume?

Pillow fight contest in Trafalgar Square

London Bridge

Half of the day was spent in the Tower of London and a cruise ride to Westminster, where we sailed past the London Bridge and London Eye. After dinner, we transferred back to our hotel— Holiday Inn Regents Park.

Tower of London

This photo was taken after our cruise ride

Day 2:
The waiter of Holiday Inn Regents Park gave me and my sister two Easter egg chocolates as a complimentary dessert after having our breakfast. As soon as we got back to our hotel rooms, we saw a sock filled with candies, cookies, and fruits on the foot of our bed. Just when I thought our second day in London couldn't get any better, it did. The entire day was spent walking around the city and jumping from one coach to the other to get to UK's famous attractions. We first walked outside the Buckingham Palace and witnessed the changing of the palace guards. From there, to the well-known Trafalgar Square, to the ever so beautiful St. Paul Cathedral and Knightsbridge where the Royal Albert Hall is located, every area and even every street has its own story to tell.


Time is really slow in London with the sun setting at around 8:30 in the evening, which is why we get the chance to do a ton in a day even if we begin our adventures late. So far we've gone to the typical tourist spots the country is known for like The Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and we even wounded up inside the famous red telephone box.

London in one picture! (London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, big red bus)

These photos are not even .5 of what the place offers however I hope the charming pictures and stories I share to you will encourage you to make the little side trip we made. Our lunch was served at La Locanda Ristorante found in London's West End. It is an Italian eatery that serves pizza, pasta, servings of mixed greens and Italian specialties.

My travel buddies aside from my family :)

All of us had thoughts of how our story book towns would look like especially when we grew up with stories of princesses, rulers, manors and evil characters that attempt to obliterate romantic tales. Concerning me, I never truly got the opportunity to see any place that resembled the photo I precisely had in my mind till my parents brought me to Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour in the Watford, Leavesden.


You can already assume that I am a fan of Harry Potter by simply judging the name of my blog (The Making of Michelle). And yes! I've been invested with the entire Harry Potter series since I was younger. The Making of Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio in London is where majority of the studio scenes were shot and it is a place that houses all authentic props and sets that were utilized as a part of the motion picture. Each and every part of the movie was all there! I truly made my 13 year old self pleased by going there when it wasn't too late :) haha!


Help yourself out and GO HERE. Especially if you're a Potterhead. I'm certain nearly everybody who lived in our lifetime knows Harry Potter and has viewed a couple of films. So let me reveal to you this, the visit is worth each and every pence you have :) Don't forget to ride the flying broomstick and order a cup of butterbeer! It's going to be one of the best decisions you'll ever make! 😉



Day 3:
Third day's tour left me speechless the whole time we were in Westminster Abbey, the Royal Chapels, and Windsor Castle because as we went around for a total of 6 hours, it made realize once again that God truly created a number of great artists. These photographs didn't require much modifying as it was beautiful on its own and there were even circumstances when photos didn't do much justice.



There are really times when you won't be able to take much photographs during adventures because the captivating surroundings, the freshest air, and the radiant landscapes simply influence you to stop whatever you're doing and value what's around you. A considerable measure of occasions even made me mournful in light of the fact that I couldn't believe it was just right in front of me! We also saw the changing of palace guards in Windsor Castle for the second time and I even followed the guards on their way out! 

Find me! (PS: Some people took a video of me 😋)

For lunch, we departed Windsor Castle and headed to a Victorian gem in the busy area of Westminster. This pub, The Albert, is full of character and famous for its attractive footage and traditional interior. Plus they serve good food! We spent our afternoon shopping at Mayfair and returned to our hotel at night for our dinner and overnight stay.



Day 4:

Our last day in London was definitely bittersweet. Albeit our last day, it was still one of the best goodbyes I ever had. For breakfast, the hotel served us free Nutella flavoured toasts and hot chocolate. Here's the twist though: the hot chocolate had a smiley face on it! A simple act like this makes me fall in love with the Londoners more 😊


The rest of the afternoon was spent for shopping at Selfridges & Co and Primark. Selfridges & Co is located at the West side of Oxford Street; it is a chain of high end department stores and is the second largest shop in the UK. There are a lot of signature brands and the atmosphere is considered great! Primark, on the other hand, is also found in Oxford Street; the place is adored by fashion fans and value seekers. Primark is widely established as the destination store for keeping up with latest looks without ripping a wallet. This was also the place where I saw a Zayn Malik look alike lol!

There is no deficiency of sightseeing in London. You could spend seven days alone meandering around public parks and museums. There are, likewise, a couple of spots I wish to see again and again.


Unfortunately, we had our last supper before flying back to Manila. I had a burger that was madly enormous and a tremendous bowl of fries from Oriel, a restaurant found simply inside London Heathrow International Airport.

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We've come to the end of my posts from Europe. Tragically, all great things must come to an end. I've been making a decent attempt to think of the right words to describe UK to close this series properly, however they appear to have gotten away. When I returned from United Kingdom, the first thing my father asked me was how London was, compared to other European countries and cities I've been to. Is it prettier? Is it better? I couldn't give him a straight answer since London is truly similar to no other. It resembles a gigantic blend of everything cool. Indeed, even British individuals are difficult to portray. They are such a diverse blend of individuals from everywhere throughout the world, all existing together gently in spite of their disparities. I figure this is the thing that makes London unique thus hard to define– the way that this city can mean such huge number of things to various individuals at the same time.


London is a city in motion, a city whose populace and culture is affected by and, in turn, impacts the world. You can practically feel the creativity murmuring as individuals from everywhere throughout the globe blend to make an atmosphere unlike any other. Make a plunge and see for yourself!