miss b loves ......... an unexpected stay in London (Part 2)

Day 2 in London .... and it seemed as if spring had suddenly arrived ....with blue skies and temperatures in double figures!

A perfect day for a walk along The Thames!  The Tower of London looked stunning against the cloudless sky......

The Yeoman Warders in their striking uniforms are a symbol of London and not only guard the Tower but provide entertaining tours. They are required to have served in the armed forces for at least twenty-two years.

Of course they are more commonly known by their nickname ... 'Beefeaters.' It is thought that the name was derived from their position in the Royal Bodyguard which apparently allowed them to eat as much beef as they wanted from the King's table! 

The Middle Drawbridge is being restored and I like the way they have screened the building work with boards showing a timeline of the history of the Tower.

Cute little peep holes for nosey people like me!

Take a closer look ......

I headed over to the other side of the river, across Tower Bridge ..........

My next stop was the Design Museum to see a couple of exhibitions which really deserve their own post.......

There are so many casual restaurants in this area along the Thames with outdoor terraces....

and some of the best London views ......

Of course the trip included coffee and cake ........I tried to get to Bea's of Bloomsbury in time for a duffin .....too late again! They had sold out but the 'killer brownie' made up for my disappointment!

Belgian dark chocolate, peanut butter,
 praline, pecans and toasted cocunut!

Back on the tube .... I was on a mission to find West Elm, which has recently opened on Tottenham Court Road ......an area which is full of home décor stores including Habitat and Heals. 

It was tempting to completely change our colour scheme but I opted for a couple of cushions which would coordinate with our existing Laura Ashley striped ones.......

Time was running out ......but there was a plan! I had read great reviews about Honest burgers and I decided to try the Soho branch before catching the evening train home. 

 What a good choice! I'm very fussy about burgers but these were without doubt the best I have ever tried. Made from dry-aged beef from The Ginger Pig butcher and served with amazing chips sprinkled with rosemary salt. They're presented on greaseproof paper in a retro white and blue enamel dish (the kind used by my Grandma to bake apple pie!) with vintage style cutlery too.

The menu is short and simple with beef, chicken and vegetarian options but a word of warning. Honest is popular! We arrived early and a table was available thirty minutes later but by the time we left there was a two hour wait. However, you don't have to hang around as they send a text when it's time to head back ...... and it's a good excuse to have a wander around Soho!

The perfect ending to a very brief but worthwhile stay in London!

Click here to read about my unexpected stay in London (Part 1)