We made it to London (and so did our bags!). Lots of strategic packing for a 3 month trip so we will see how we did as we go along. 🧳
We planned to spend the first 41 days of this trip pet sitting in the Brent borough NW of the city. I didn't realize that London was organized this way:
Greater London (pop 10M) is made up of 32 boroughs and the City of London. The City of London, also known as the square mile due to its tiny area is in the very centre of Greater London but is not actually a borough. Traditionally it was the centre of the royal government and today is London's principle financial district.
The Brent borough was 16+ sq mi and 340k+ people!
We first met Louie the whippet in Auckland in July 2023 (he was our very first pet sit using Trusted Housesitters).
He and his family moved to London in 2024 so we were reunited. 🐾
The neighborhood was dense but just a 10 minute walk to the shops and tube stop so it was very convenient. 🚇
Anyone who has traveled to London already knows this but the train (aka tube) was a fantastic way to navigate the expansive Greater London area.
Our first visit outside Brent was to the London Eye in the afternoon. We took the option to reduce the number of people in the car from 28 to 18. Only 6 showed up so we had no trouble seeing the sights. 🎡
We got to join crowds under Big Ben on our way back to the train. ⏰
We took a trip to the Tate Modern art museum. Focus post coming soon. 🖼️
Another handy transportation option was Lime bikes (I called them Grime bikes). The good news was they get used a lot so there were many available. The bad news is that they got used a lot so you had to keep your Wet Ones handy! 🚲
We cycled over the Hampstead Heath for the afternoon. 🏞️
Pretty architecture around the heath. 📸
We made it to the Queen's Park farmers market at Salusbury Primary School yard. Sweet old Caretakers cottage. 🥦
I wasn't sure about this might have to try it. 🤔
Wimbledon was next (no, we didn't get tickets) and a heat wave was moving into London. More to come! 🥵
