Gal-Pal Day Trip to London

Several of the women I've met while living in England have become good friends. A few of us decided we'd take the train down to London for a day of art, food, shopping, and more food. There may have been a glass of wine or two involved, as well.

Blurry photo of all four of us on the train to London

We left our local train station at 9:04 and arrived in London at 12:30. Our main destination was to see an exhibit of Chihuly glasswork in the Halcyon Gallery in Soho. I had never been to the Soho district in London; it was a lot of fun walking past the Channel, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, etc. flagship stores that are so high-end you'd expect to see a Kardashian or Oprah walking out of them at any given moment. I mean, they're really the only people who can afford to shop in these stores, right? 

Regardless, we made our way to the Halcyon Gallery without too many stops to look at our map. And the Chihuly glass did not disappoint. 

Ceiling full of Chihuly glass

All of the artwork had names, but I don't remember them, so I've decided to give them my own names in this blog. I hope Dale Chihuly doesn't get mad! :-)

Chihuly glass... I shall call it "Blue Trumpet!"

Chihuly Glass... "Yellow Orangey Seashells"

Bill and I went to the Seattle Chihuly gallery and got to see lots of his artwork a few years ago. This collection was by far smaller than the one in Seattle, but no less impressive. 

Chihuly glass... "A Whole Lotta Red"

Oogling the Chihuly

We had lunch at an honest-to-goodness Mexican restaurant!! I was SO excited about this part of our trip. I ordered the bean and corn salad and it did not disappoint. I ate the whole thing - even the tostada shell. YUMMMMM!!!!

Wahaca's corn and bean salad

We also visited a store famous for their high-end textiles and ready-to-wear clothing. Their signature fabrics are so soft and gauzy, I can't imagine it would be easy to sew. And at £20 per yard (about $35), I don't think I'll experiment with Liberty's fabric! They also sold scarfs, but the cheapest was £60 (about $100). As souvenirs, I bought two Liberty-print handkerchiefs for £22 - they're big enough to tie my hair back, tie around my neck, or around a purse/handbag. And they're super-cute without breaking the bank!

Liberty of London

Clock arch near Liberty 

After checking out Liberty's we had plenty of time to walk around and enjoy Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square, and grab not one, but two dinners! :-) 

Street in Picadilly Circus

Picadilly Circus skyline

We stopped at one restaurant for a glass of wine and an appetizer, but their liquor license wouldn't let us drink without purchasing a main dish. So, we ordered one pizza for us to split and enjoyed our yummy beverages of choice. About an hour after we left that location we found a different place for dinner and had a proper sit-down before our 3+ hour trip back home.  

Chinatown gate near Picadilly Circus

A nerd like me cannot be at London King's Cross train station without attempting to catch the Hogwart's Express at platform 9-3/4. Alas, I am a muggle (and 30 years too old) and didn't make the cut into Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Sigh... 

Off to Hogwarts!!

The train home was, nonetheless, eventful. I won't go into the details (too hard to do it justice), but let's just say the long, late-night train ride with a drunken gay guy who wants you to deal him into your card game was a hoot. A bit awkward, but a hoot!