London town wanderings

I get hankerings, and once I get them, they don't let go. I've been fortunate enough that most of this food cravings have evaded me during my time in Italy. However, with the promise of London, home to every possible type of food you could imagine, I needed something so exotic, something so foreign I could get it in no other place than the cosmopolitan metropolitan paradise of London. I needed........ a cheeseburger. 

Ok, so maybe it's not that exotic. Nevertheless, few things are as satisfying as a good burger (and few things are as unfortunate as a bad burger). Thanks to some internet-scouring I had a hunch on where to get a goodin' in ol' London town. On Sunday I found myself at the Byron Burger in Soho.

A tasty Sunday Burger seemed to be a popular idea, as the place was poppin'. Inside there is a very diner-esc atmosphere, though just a little more upscale, probably because proper British people seem to eat there french fries chips with a fork. 

The smell of the french fries and other fried tasties wafted out of the open kitchen as we waited for our table. Just as my stomach began to rumble our waiter seated us. 

The menu is pretty basic and I knew exactly what I wanted as soon as I sat down. I opted for a classic Byron Burger, but with the substitution of Blue cheese instead of Cheddar, because obviously blue cheese should be on everything and I don't understand why Italians don't believe in that. Ok, maybe I'm getting too sassy, but writing this is making me just a bit hungry. As is looking at this photo, just look at that sexy thing rocking that bacon. *TBO*

After devouring every crumb of my lunch, I took to exploring a bit of Soho.

Now I was recommended to try Argentinian gelato at this place called Freggo. I love ice cream period, but I was hesitant to try gelato anywhere, because I live in Italy. I have some pretty high standards these days. Now this is the bit where I would usually say how I was wrong and it was as good as they said (I was told it was life changing), but that's not the case here. I should have stuck with my gut. It was good, sure, but life changing? Nope. I learned my lesson. New life rule: no gelato outside of Italy.

There were some really excellent purple walls in the Gelateria, though, so kudos there. 

I peaced out of the gelateria and headed down the curve of Regent St. into Piccadilly Circus, where I just stood for a moment, taking it all in. 

I left the busy "circus" for the just-as-busy Trafalgar Square, where the National Gallery resides.  

The first piece of "art" I saw, even before heading into the National Gallery, was Hahn/Cock by Katharina Fritsch. The giant blue rooster sits, and will sit, outside the National Gallery until January 2015. I'm not sure I understand the artistic quality of this big guy, but at the very least it was entertaining.  

Luckily for the quantity of photos on this blog, there is a no photos rule in the Gallery. I spent around 2 hours within the building, and could have spent many more I'm sure had it not been closing. Unsurprisly, the National Gallery of London holds some spectacular works, my personal favorite being the works of the surrealists, as surrealism is my favorite of the -isms. 

Walking out of the Gallery I was met with the chilly evening air of London. 

I aimlessly walked (a common theme on my London-escapade) until I  came into Leicester Square, nearby to Piccadilly Circus where I had been earlier that day. It was a great place to find myself, because this heart of London becomes all lit up in the evening and there are people of all sorts bustling around, making the city feel even more alive. 

The other great thing about Leicester Square is it is abundant in movie theaters, the largest which is the Odeon Theater. I, however, picked a much smaller theater nearby where I treated myself to a trip to the cinema. Movies are my favorite way to end any day, especially in a theater. I love being tucked inside a cozy room, snacks in hand, surrounded by everyone enjoying an escape from reality. I've found you can sit inside a movie theater, anywhere in the world, and the feeling is the same, that perfect outlet of time where you don't think about anything but some fiction world. It's wonderful.

I love London, and I haven't even mentioned my Best Day Ever yet. 

Yours, Kenna