London Calling

With Paris done and dusted it was time for our final leg of our spectacular five week adventure.

Just a little pit stop in London before heading down to Portsmouth for our last night together.

:(

Touching down in London was strange as I felt like I was home..... Well as close as I will get to home for the time being.

Unfortunately we only had two half days so a quick look at Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, a glimpse of the outside of Madame Tussauds (the line was 2 hours long), taxi rides through all of the major parks, exploring Harrods and Selfridges and strolling down Oxford street. Lunch at two typically English pubs, fish and chips and burgers on the menu and of course getting drenched in some typically English weather, it was a great taster of London. 

The highlight. Dinner at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant PETRUS. 

I was absolutely spoilt and completely lost for words. The level of fine dining was extraordinary and I never have and probably never will experience something as breathtakingly wonderful. 

We were treated like royalty and we felt like it too. 

Deciding to go for the taster menu, we were treated to all of the top dishes within the restaurant. All of which got better and better, until we reached the finale. 

A chocolate sphere with milk ice cream and honeycomb.

Now, when you think chocolate sphere, you think a ball of chocolate.

This was a silky smooth ball that looked like a metal container sitting on top of a small amount of melted icecream. THEN. The waiter proceeded to pour a hot chocolate sauce over the ball, gradually it melted away until you could see a tiny scoop of icecream through the crack in the top, which got bigger and bigger until all of the icecream was visible, and all of the melted chocolate surrounding it. THEN, as you dipped your spoon in underneath the icecream gave way to reveal a deliciously smooth chocolate mouse with snippets of honeycomb scattered throughout. 

UNBELIEVABLE.  

It was a truly incredible experience one which I will never forget. 

After a little more sightseeing the next day, we caught the train down to Portsmouth so that I could show H my home town for the last eight months and also load him up with some luggage to take home (cheeky aren't I). We went to Jamie's a Italian last night which was once again, a beautiful dining experience, and headed out for a traditional English breakfast this morning and some pie, mash and mushy peas for lunch, yet another signature English dish. Having travelled for nearly five weeks straight we were both exhausted so decided just to take it easy and enjoy each other's company. 

I am and always will be so grateful to have found someone so wonderful, that can share with me my adventures and share in the joy that we have found in each place we have spent time in. Five weeks with someone 24 hours a day is a good tester on a relationship.... Poor poor man.... What a champion. I can say that the time I spend away from him for this short time now, will be the hardest, because I have realised that I never want to be apart from him again. Grab the tissues. 

What a journey we have shared and what a fire it has ignited for our future travels. 

2015 holidays are already being planned ;)

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my time abroad these past few weeks as much as I have loved writing about it, there is no greater joy for me, than sharing and hopefully inspiring others to chase their dreams and explore the world. There is so much to see, everywhere.