Alexis Nichole: What We Did in London: Day 3

We are currently traveling by train through the English countryside on our way to Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-borough, in case you were interested. No, it doesn't make sense). Yesterday was jam-packed and since we didn't get back to the hotel until 1 AM and had to wake up at 5:00, I'm just now getting around to this. Thank you Virgin Trains for your free wifi!

So here's a recap of Day 3, entitled: "I'm Just a Girl, Standing in Front of a Boy, Asking Him to Love Her." Yep, we did Nottinghill today. I have to admit, though, that I am super disappointed in my sister because she has apparently never seen the movie Nottinghill and therefore does not appreciate the awesomeness of this day.

But I digress.

By the time we were ready to head out to breakfast at Raoul's (the first place I found that served french toast - a food Kalie will actually eat), we were pretty hungry so I decided it would be a good idea to book an Uber. I set up the app, plugged in our route, and got an estimate. Seemed sensible enough.

Then I started doubting the safety of Uber and decided that we should try to use Addision Lee, the car company that picked us up from the airport. 20 minutes later, the app still hadn't downloaded, so we decided to risk it and give Uber a go... until we plugged in our route again and were quoted triple the rate due to some kind of surcharge. We probably would have gotten the creepy driver, so it must have been fate.

We ended up switching back to our original plan and took the Tube.

After exiting at a rather sketch-looking Tube station, we walked through another rather sketch-looking neighborhood with a Google maps app that decided to function only when it felt like it. 10 minutes later, I was about to give up and scratch said breakfast place until we stumbled upon the street that led to it. We were so happy to see the restaurant, we almost ran in. But we didn't. We were totallly sensible and proper.

After ording our breakfast, I was looking around the restuarant and noticed that the girl across the room looked a lot like Kate Hudson. Then I realized that it was Kate Hudson and told Kalie to look but not right now. Kalie spent the rest of breakfast stalking her in the window, and I kept trying to simultaneously take secret pictures and not look at her.

I wanted to go over and ask her for directions to Nottinghill, but I thought it would be a little suspicious. Since she already caught us looking at her and all.

I wish I had had my video camera on the ready though because, at one point, she started singing (quite loud) to the song her son was listenening to on her phone. Complete with hand motions.

Anywho, breakfast was delicious, and I'd highly recommend eating at Raoul's if you are in the Nottinghill area. I had a bowl on greek yogurt with honey, fruit and nuts the size of my head, and Kalie had the french toast (without powdered sugar, much to her disappointment. It apparently is not much of a thing here as the waitress had no idea what we were talking about). I also tried my first ever cappucino there, and I am now hooked for life. Where have cappucinos been hiding all of these years and why have I never thought to order one?

After breakfast my Google Maps app decided to work again so we made our way down to Portobello Road for some shopping in Nottinghill (and to see the Nottinghill bookstore). You know, from the movie Kalie has never seen

We also grabbed a cookie at Biscuiteers (It was ok - I wouldn't recommend going out of your way for it) and cupcakes at Hummingbird Bakery because apparently our goal on this trip is to gain 30 pounds. The cupcakes, incidentally, were delicious and also great for crisis management (see later in day).

After doing some serious damage to our wallets, we ate lunch at Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Nottinghill: Recipease. Jamie Oliver is one of my favorite chefs, so I had to eat in at least one of his many restaurants around the London area. I'm glad we ended up at this one because it was pretty awesome. Plus, they were able to accomodate Kalie and her kid's "pasta with butter and cheese only" which is more of a victory than you realize.

We made our way back to the hotel to drop off our bags because I read (from muliple sources, including the Harrod's website) that Harrod's requires you to check your bags upon entry for 10 pounds each. Apparently, though, this is not enforced because we and all the other thousand people in Harrods had large (and sometimes multiple) bags and no one said anything.

Anyway, before we went to Harrods we were eating cupcakes and checking the balance on our Oyster (Tube) cards when a very strange alarm started to sound at our hotel. I wasn't really sure what it was (or what to do) until a very British voice came over the intercom telling us it was an emergency and to find the nearest escape route (avoiding the lifts).

My overactive imagination immediately went to the unattended bag we had just passed in Leicester Square, so of course I was thinking bomb. You know, like an optimistic person. Plus, as Kalie so sweetly reminded me, it's happened before.

So thanks, Kalie, for that mid-crisis encouragement.

We grabbed the important things: my blanket and Kalie's meds (she also grabbed her iPad which tells me she clearly has issues). Then we ran down the hall pretty much freaking out and thinking we were going to get trapped on the top floor of the hotel. Except Kalie was laughing because that's apparently what she does in crisis situations and I was yelling at her because IT IS NOT FUNNY.

After running through about a 1/2 mile of hallway (W - you should really rethink the fire exits on the 7th flood), we made it to the stairs with a very flustered gentleman and a very peeved lady with only half-finished nails that made the stairwell smell strongly of nail polish fumes. Halfway down the stairs, the very British man came back over the intercom to tell us that it was a false alarm. Which stunk for Mr. Flustered because his phone was now in pieces on the stairs due to his rush.

After locking our important things in the (assumedly) fireproof safe just in case, we hopped back on the Tube and made our way over to Harrods. The place was massive, and I doubt we even saw half of it. It was fun to walk around, but it wasn't a place I would necessarily frequent if I lived there. Mainly because I couldn't afford it.

They had some really pretty clothes, but once I realized that half of them didn't even have the price on the tag, I figured I should stop looking. Because that's just mean.

We did manage to find the most important things though: the toy store and the Disney store. Because 25 and 17 year olds have priorities. I also managed to get my hands on these gems to further fuel my Duchess of Cambridge obsession:

While we were in Harrods, we also stumbled across the cutest dog store in the history of ever: Mungo & Maud. Kalie bought Gracie some treats and according to the sales clerk (whose hair I wanted to steal), many of the owners also eat said treats.

I'm wasn't really sure what to make of that.

I also traveled back in time and met the Queen. You know, Dr. Who powers and all because we're in London.

For dinner we grabbed some picnic supplies at Whole Foods and walked over to Grovesnor Square for an outdoor viewing of Breakfast at Tiffany's. If you know me, then you know that Audrey Hepburn is my favorite and Breakfast at Tiffany's is a movie I never tire of. It was better than I imagined it would be, and even though we didn't get back to the hotel until 1 AM, it was worth it.