Last Updated on March 3, 2020 by AIFS Abroad Customized Faculty-Led
In England they celebrate Easter with a 4 day weekend. Luckily for us the long weekend was also the warmest it has been since my arrival. I knew I had to take advantage of the long weekend whilst soaking up as much sun as possible.
My roommate and I decided to visit the places in London we have not been yet. We wanted our four-day weekend to be relaxing, fun, and relatively cheap. First things first, we definitely used the sun as an excuse to bust out our California summer outfits. We had longed to wear them ever since we got here. However, I also took the opportunity to buy a pair of platform sandals, I have been eyeing for a while. We planned out our itinerary to start on Friday and end on Monday. This was all the time we needed to accomplish the activities we have been longing to do.
Friday
On Friday we started the day by strolling around London’s Covent Garden in search for a place for breakfast. After taking many pictures of the flower arrangements, we came upon the restaurant Avobar. Their menu incorporates avocado in all of their dishes. So intrigued, my roommate and I decided to dine there. However, it was not exactly “cheap” but the aesthetic of the place was really enjoyable. Once we stuffed our bellies and the city’s temperature raised, we caught the underground and made our way to Portobello Road in Notting Hill. On the weekend Portobello is filled with street merchants selling everything from clothes to antiques. Pretty much anything you can think of, there is a variety of options. There was nothing better than walking up and down the road, taking in as much vitamin D as possible and looking at the many interesting objects that were for sale.
Saturday
Saturday followed quickly after and I was looking forward to our plans for the day. I started the day going on a morning run with my roommate, which allowed us to admire the beauty of Regent’s Park and the many dogs who were also enjoying the good weather. Once I washed away the sweat from my run, I got ready for the high 70’s that were to approach. My friends and I met up in the afternoon and left to the Borough Market to pick up fresh produce (since it is cheaper here than at the grocery store) and lunch.
Note to self; never go to the Borough at lunchtime on a Saturday, especially during nice weather and a long weekend.
After pushing through many sweaty bodies we did end up getting pasta for lunch and picked up all our needed fruits and veggies (and maybe a macaroon or eight). Stopping back at our flat to sort out or groceries and gather some blankets because next on our itinerary is to have a picnic at Regent’s Park. The warm temperature gave the rest of London the same idea, the park was flooded by the city soaking up the sun, we ended up laying around the park for hours.
Sunday
Forgetting how much the sun drains, we were pretty exhausted from the previous days so we spent Sunday deep cleaning our flat, with all the windows opened, the warm air made cleaning feel so relaxing. Already in the productive mindset, I turned on some light music and started doing my homework.
Monday
Monday was a Bank Holiday, so I was not sure what to do but after talking to my roommates and friends we ended up at the Wallace Collection, not far from our flats, and enjoyed afternoon tea. It was free entry and the food was reasonably priced. Monday was calm and pleasurable and our outing was short because we did all have to get ready for our classes on Tuesday.
Sierra Esqueda is a Journalism student from Fullerton College studying abroad in London for Spring 2019. Sierra will be documenting her time abroad via blogs. While in London she wants to get practice with travel writing to be able to see the world and tell those who cannot, about it. Keep checking back for more of Sierra’s blogs here.
