Day 5! We’re almost to a week and what a GREAT week it’s been!!

Today started off nice and early again because I was joining my dad’s class on their tour for the morning!

So after scarfing down a light breakfast, I got ready for the day!

The class was going to the Tower of London. A perfect way to start the day with criminals, traitors, executions, war, and precious royal gems!

It was very enjoyable seeing my dad in his element and doing what he loves to do! His students were all very game and excited for the day and eager to hear what he had to say!

We hopped on the Tube once again and this time had the pleasure of riding a train with connected cars on the inside, we both thought it was pretty neat!

It took us a bit to get to the tower as the potential Tube strike was about to start today which caused some delays.

But we ended up arriving at the tower and saw our first bit of history, an original wall from the Roman era!

After admiring the old wall, we made our way to the queue for the Tower of London.

The tour of the Tower of London is lead by a Yeoman Warder! This is someone who’s served 20+ years in the British Army and lives in the tower. Our guy was hilarious and VERY educational!

It was interesting learning about all the different wars for taking power and hearing about the numerous public and private executions! They would literally hold the severed head in front of a crowd of people and everyone would chant, “God save the King!” … no thank you 😂

This picture is somewhat unique, as there’s around 1,000 years of architecture in one spot! You have the very old Tower of London and the tallest building in London. Pretty wild!

Overall, I really enjoyed wandering around this historical landmark. It’s definitely a little weird and dark, but it brings you into how the monarchy ran back in the day and allows a closer look into the past! You also get the chance to see some gaudy, lavish, and outrageously expensive gems/royal attire.

Outside of it being very cold (even with the sun out) it was a pleasant morning activity (and also need to reiterate how cool and fun it was to see my dad teach his class)!

Class ended and my dad and I went off to walk down the River Thames. I don’t want to jinx it, especially since we have a lot of walking to do tomorrow, but since day 1 it really hasn’t rained much which has made the cold a lot more manageable!

Our walk took us to London Bridge, which thankfully was not falling down, and it led us to my first market in London, Borough Market!

I love markets! And every time I go to one now I feel like I’m back in the hustle and bustle of Thailand (except… it’s a bit more expensive here).

My dad and I swerved away from our regular PB&J for lunch and gorged on a warm and flavorful mushroom risotto

And then to finish it off, we had some falafel and humus that were just stellar! (we got a little impatient before I took a picture)

The vibes of the market were great and so was the company! Also eating warm food outside on a cold day made things much better! I’d highly suggest checking out the Borough Market if you’re ever visiting London.

After another Tube ride home and a quick nap, we ventured back out to meet up with my dad’s colleagues at a pub!

We had our early dinner and beers at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. This pub is located inside a building from 1667! There was a big fire around that time and this building was built right after it.

It was also the favorite spot of Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson. In fact my dad was actually sitting in the spot Dickens used to sit in (he was geeking out about it of course)!

For dinner I got my first fish and chips! I wasn’t sure if I’d be that hungry since we had recently just had lunch, but this was so good I scarfed it down!

I was glad to be invited to hang out with all of the professors and throughout dinner there was great conversations being had! It’s fun getting to be on “the other side” of things 😁

After a brief pit stop back at the hotel, my dad and I made our way back out to enjoy some desert at a nearby Turkish restaurant! We also enjoyed a Turkish pint of beer as well (Efes).

Hands down, this was the best baklava I’ve ever had! It wasn’t too sweet or sticky and the pistachio was plentiful and perfect. They also just melted away in your mouth, so freaking good!

Another great day in London, surrounded by great people, and my loving dad! I’ve really enjoyed getting to hang out with him one on one (which is not something we get to do very often) and having it be in a new country for me and a country that he loves a lot makes it extra special!

We have more fun planned tomorrow so you won’t want to miss it! And… please send good vibes that I didn’t jinx the rain 😂

– Elie