Dreams Fulfilled: Our Magical Winter Journey to England

Back in London, we started our day at the Natural History Museum. What impressed us was that all museums are free here, except for special exhibitions, which you have to pay for. We walked miles across London, visiting the beautiful and busy streets. The next day was full of surprises. A few months earlier, we had booked a visit to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park for us and Ary’s family. Winter Wonderland runs for six magical weeks from November 21st, 2024, to January 5th, 2025, with a variety of attractions, activities, entertainment, food, drinks, and much more. From high-adrenaline rides to family-friendly performances, classic festive treats to the newest in London’s street food scene, and cozy fire pit bars to mythical ice kingdoms. We felt like kids, spending money on each attraction. We were all so happy to experience that. We won teddy bears, including a Super Mario one! We also ate street food and drank mulled wine. Great experience. We paid a total of £50 for entry tickets and four game coins for four adults and one child.

 

Something I must mention is that we took the tube and train a lot, and the discipline in the tube area is impressive. People are calm and very disciplined, which was greatly appreciated. I’ll later advise on all the apps we downloaded for navigation.We spent New Year’s Eve with Aryven, Emilie, and Otto! It was a great night, discovering a local pub in Chingford and meeting Ary’s and Emilie’s friends. We returned to Ary’s place and enjoyed a nice meal together before wishing everyone a happy new year. We could see amazing fireworks from very far near the London Eye. Great experience!

 

Another dream was fulfilled in January 2024! I’m a Harry Potter generation fan. Since the first movie, I’ve been a Harry Potter fan! Knowing that I was going to London, it was a must to visit the Warner Bros Studio in Watford. I booked our tickets in September, as it was quite expensive to visit the studio, and I wanted it to be special with all the add-ons. I paid £170 for both of us, which included the digital guide and Paperback Souvenir Guide. The tour was magical and above expectations. It took us more than two hours to visit the studio. We had so much to see. The feeling of walking through the Great Hall, seeing the Hogwarts Express, and visiting Diagon Alley was indescribable. It was like stepping into the world of Harry Potter. We bought a lot of souvenirs! We ended up eating there, and the food was delicious. We wanted to book a hotel in London and found Lansbury Heritage A Sunday Hotel on Booking.com! We booked for three nights and paid £450 for the hotel. It was a few minutes from Canary Wharf. The location was great, and everything was near, from the tube station to the Westminster shopping mall.Our next visit was Madame Tussauds. Again, we booked our tickets well in advance and paid £100 for both of us with a skip-the-line upgrade. It was very nice! We loved it. The concept is great, and we had a good time there. I was looking forward to seeing all the iconic singers and the royal palace figures, of course! We had a great visit.

 

In the evening, we went to Soho for a magical immersion. The Wizard Exploratorium in Soho, Potion Making - Christmas Special. I found this experience while researching Soho and what to do there. I booked directly on their website, and it cost £95.98 for both of us. It was a great magical experience. We made three cocktail potions, and we chose the ones with alcohol. All turned out excellent. Let’s say we were drunk afterward, as we had two shots on arrival, a special champagne, and then made three cocktail potions. Great experience. We were so hungry afterward and didn’t know where to go! We found the most amazing Thai restaurant in Soho called Patara! We had one of the best beef dishes ever! The food was delicious, and the restaurant itself was very good-looking. The food was a bit expensive, but it was value for money, especially after tasting that beef! You can book a table using the Open Table app.The next day, with Ary’s family, we headed to Brighton to taste the famous fish and chips. We drove for more than an hour from Chingford and arrived in Brighton. The weather was not great, but we enjoyed the view and the spirit of Brighton. I guess it’s a great place to go in summer. After eating the good fish and chips, we walked to the sea and ended up at a tea shop, Whittard Chelsea 1886 (https://www.whittard.com/). I love tea; I am a super fan of tea, and as soon as I entered this shop, I knew I was about to spend all my money there! From infusion teas to coffee to iced tea, this shop was full of surprises. I fell in love with one special tea, Coconut Truffle (flavored white tea), and bought a lot for my friends and family. I am still using it.

 

Our last day in London came, and we realized we hadn’t even visited the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Millennium Bridge, or Buckingham Palace. So, we decided to do a full tourist day on our last day. We woke up early, packed our luggage the night before, and prepared everything to enjoy our day to the fullest. We took an Uber boat from Canary Wharf and visited Big Ben, walked through St. James Park, and saw Buckingham Palace—amazing, amazing, amazing. It was a day full of discoveries and beyond our expectations. We bought a lot of London souvenirs for our friends and families and ended our last lunch at a French restaurant, enjoying an amazing meal together.  

 

And that’s where our amazing trip to England ended, where we discovered so many things together.