London to Lewes: a Week in England

In early December, I took a trip to the UK so I could see the London I’ve always seen in pictures online. On the Wednesday evening, I arrived in London at around 2:00 am in the morning after taking three buses, having a delayed flight and missing my final bus due to the delay. However, my friend Jess, who I had met when she visited Sweden, greeted me and set up a bed for me to crash in.

The next morning, we headed into London to visit her family’s place and then went into the city so I could see all of the touristy sites. She showed me around while I raved over the beautiful architecture and sights I’d only seen on my Pinterest boards and in the posters in my room.

The next morning, I had to say goodbye and was sent off by Jess and her family. I took the train from London to a small town near Brighton to meet up with Leah, a friend from high school. We decided to head back into London for dinner and to check out the Hyde Park Christmas carnival. After walking through Hyde Park, we ventured around Oxford Street, admiring the beautiful Christmas lights.

When we returned to the quaint town Leah lives in, we had a relaxing night and went to a local theatre to watch the newest Hunger Games movie. The heating had gone out in the theatre, so they gave us a free ticket and a big tub of popcorn, and we ran back home to grab a cozy blanket to warm up under. The next day, I went into a local town called Lewes. I spent the day exploring the area and came across some pretty neat ruins. 

I had to head back early the next morning, but the train and plane rides were much more effortless than on the way to London. it was a nice experience to explore the area with people who live there because they showed me places I would have missed out on otherwise.

If you’re in London, check out the restaurants on the walkway near Tower Bridge, walk around Oxford Street and stop into the Costa coffee shops during the Christmas season for yummy gingerbread lattes.