Adult-onset King Henry the VIII-itis, French Braids, + the Best Souvenirs

Plus the one article of clothing I'm never traveling without again

Today we embark upon (lol) the final day of our little travel series, wrapping up with some England-specific recommendations, as well as a Grab Bag of fun little random questions you all asked on Instagram.

So let’s get started¹.

I like taking pictures of walls, windows, doors, floors where I go. Here are some of my faves. Top left to right: church window in Steventon, Jane Austen's home church, the fridge at the Kilns, CS Lewis's home, the floor of Lewis's bedroom. Middle left to right: tile floor in Hampton Court Palace, mosaic floor inside Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille, France, entrance floor to Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Bottom left to right: wall at children's education facility in El Maranon, Honduras, the carpet at Hatchard's Bookstore in Piccadilly Square, a wall in Oxford.

England-Specific

Q: Your London Top Five? - rbrogdon
A: This was very difficult, but momma tried.

A royal moment: If someone is interested at all in history, it’s got to be Hampton Court Palace or the Tower of London². Hampton is a little bit of a drive, but more than worth it, in my opinion, especially if you’ve got either childhood- or adulthood-onset King Henry the VIII-itis. If you’re more into the modern royals, a trip to see the changing of the guard in front of Buckingham is my one recommendation (although I need to tell you it does not do much for me).

A museum moment: It’s really the least they could do after they stole so much, but museums are mostly free in England. Until the British decide to give things back, you’ll never find a more centralized location for so many cultures and periods than in the British Museum. The Rosetta Stone is there. The Elgin Marbles are there. Ramses the Great is there. The Assyrian Bulls are there. The Easter Island Moai is there. The weights from the story of Daniel (mene mene tekel parsin) are there³. Every time you turn a corner, you get slapped with the history stick. If you’re looking for something in the more mid- to regular-sized whelming zone, the British Library is also a lovely option.

A bookstore moment: A great souvenir (more on those later) is a country-specific version of one of your favorite books, or one of its most famous offerings from a beloved national treasure. My London go-to is Hatchard’s, holder of the royal warrant since the 1700s (and right next to Fortnum and Mason, two birds, one stone, etc). If you’re looking for something a little quirkier, Word on the Water is a fun stop.

A shopping moment: If anyone I know is going to Europe, I beg them for return suitcase room for one thing only: Bio-oil. Bio-oil is ridiculously expensive in the States (even more so now), but it’s criminally cheap in Europe, due to something I don’t care to know about, but that deeply annoys me. I am a Bio-oil devotee⁴, and so a Boots run to snag a couple of boxes is a must. One thing I really love is a fancy department store and London de-li-vers. You can do Fortnum and Mason’s or Harrods; I prefer F&M’s just on aesthetics alone, but I also think their food hall is superior to Harrods⁵. There are also some lovely shops in and around Covent Garden that I love: the perfume stores, Choosing Keeping, Les Nereides, Ollie Quinn, Magma Books, Muji, Sass and Belle, Scribbler, and a lot more. Snag a cup of chocolate-covered strawberries from the grumpy dude selling them on the corner of Floral St and James St while you wander. It should be said that there are a million places to shop and explore in a city as big as London. I’m sure I didn’t include some of the best spots, so if you know of more, please add them in the comments!

A dining moment: The two best meals I’ve had in London have been at Dishoom and Bancone. There are several Dishoom locations, the atmosphere and vibes are unmatched, and I’ve never had a bad meal or experience there. Make a reservation. Bancone is a Michelin-starred restaurant, criminally economical, and the food is stunning. My advice is to always (in any restaurant, if possible) sit at the counter. Watching highly skilled people create your meal with care and expertise just levels the whole thing up, and sometimes you get to chat with the chefs (although I do not recommend striking up conversation, wait until you’re spoken to, they’re working). Also make a reservation at Bancone. If you take anything away from this essay, make a reservation everywhere you can.

A bonus park moment: St. James Park was originally meant as a deer park so Henry the VIII could feel good about his hunting abilities, and now it’s a charming little spot on the Mall near Buckingham and St James Palace. It’s home to pelicans and truly some beguiling people-watching. Swing by Fortnum and Mason to pick up a hamper before you go for a really lovely picnic, or visit one of the cafes or kiosks to get some food and chill in the middle of a huge, bustling city.