It's London, BABY! (Part II)

(To read about my trip to London and my first day there, click here...)

I spent most of each day in depositions, so it was hard to find time to go see everything I wanted to see in the few remaining daylight hours.  Plus the jet lag, in combination with the fact that I was staying up until 2:00 a.m. most nights working, made it hard to want to do anything except sleep.  But I mustered up the energy to venture out most evenings, and I'm so glad I did.

Thankfully, my hotel was right across the street from Green Park, which was right next to Buckingham Palace, so when we finished early one afternoon, I ran upstairs to my hotel room, changed into my comfy clothes, and headed right back downstairs to explore.

(Stepping into the map.  I was channeling my inner Joey Tribbiani... :))

This is Green Park.  Isn't it gorgeous?

There are no flowers in Green Park.  The story goes that King Charles II had picked flowers from the park and given them to another woman and that the queen was so angry that she had all flowers removed from the park and ordered that no flowers should ever be planted there again.

Who really knows why, but the lush greenery was absolutely gorgeous.

I stopped at a little stand inside the park and bought some honeycomb ice cream.  I can't explain how delicious it was.

As I was finishing up the last few bites of my ice cream, I stumbled across this gate.

And can I just tell you guys something?  Despite the fact that I saw a very stately building just beyond the gate, it took me several minutes (and a check with the Google map on my phone) to verify that I was, in fact, looking at Buckingham Palace.

(You can take the girl out of the country... ;))

I loved the fountain just in front of it, which is apparently called the Victoria Memorial.

After sitting on the steps in front of the fountain for at least thirty minutes (like any good tourist would do), I started back toward my hotel, stopping in Green Park for just a couple more pictures...

(Looking at these pictures makes me ache for this city in a bad, bad way.)

After I left the park, I headed down the street to a restaurant I'd read about called The Wolseley.  Unfortunately, they prohibit cameras inside the restaurant, but I snapped this one of the outside.

I'm pretty sure I was incredibly underdressed, but they let me in anyway... ;)  My salad was delicious, and I manged to resist the temptation of dessert (although after the ice cream, I suppose I can't be too proud of myself... )

Apart from my last sightseeing day (pictures of which are coming SOON!), my walk through Green Park was probably my favorite part of London.  Although I also took one other walk which ended up being surprisingly fun!

One night, I set out for some yummy Thai food and saw on the map that there was one about two miles from my hotel.  I almost opted to take the Subway, but I ended up just walking, and I'm so glad I did.

I ended up walking down much of Regent Street, which is one of the best shopping areas in London.

All the buildings on this street were gorgeous, and it had a fun energy.  (Although I can't even tell you how many times I almost died trying to cross the street because I was looking the wrong way.  I never did really get used to the cars driving on the wrong side of the road...)

I managed to find the Thai restaurant (and enjoy some fabulous pad thai), and on the way back to my hotel, I took a random little side street and found a yummy little ice cream shop.

That banana split ice cream was heavenly.

And don't judge me, but I may or may not have also had a few of these French macaroons...

I mean, what could I do?  I had to try the violet-currant one.  And I couldn't very well skip out on the pistachio one (or the almond-marshmallow one, for that matter)...

The rest of my trip was pretty much monopolized by work (silly depositions), but I did carve out one full day for sightseeing, and I seriously can't tell you how wonderful it was.  But I'll try, I swear... in my next (and last!) London post. :)