Lady's Love - London

To be bitten by a travel bug is an amazing feeling. It only increases the urge to visit places endlessly without a break. But as this seems to be an unrealistic ask, I managed to go on a budget vacation to one of my favorite destinations - London. Travelling thousand miles and landing in this beautiful city instantly brings an energetic feeling.

View of the London City as I prepare to land in Heathrow

Landed early morning in Heathrow and deciding to take a tube to my place of stay is a brave move for a first time visitor. But the whole experience right from time go was exciting. I boarded a train from the Heathrow underground station to Gloucester Road station from where my hotel Kensington Rooms was just a 5min walk.

Kensington Street

Taken as a whole, London is pretty noisy and fast paced. People are very active. Every area, every street has a story to tell. From the most ancient first of its kind naked statue in London, to the most expensive London Hilton hotel, to the numerous gates to enter Hyde Park, there is nothing you cannot not love about London. The oh-so-chic people and the expensive city that it is, it's a good blend.

One of the many Hyde Park entrances

There's an influx of immigrants from around the world. It's this mish-mash of diverse culture of people which makes London vibrant and wonderful to explore. Walking the streets in the evening as the cold breeze brushes through your face, is an experience that cannot be described in words.

One of the best brownie's I had

The major attractions in London that you cannot miss are the London Eye. The mesmerizing view that is visible from the Barracuda from the massive London Eye leaves you spell bound. You witness the entire city from that height, the Thames river, the sky high buildings - you just cannot afford to miss.

The London Eye

The Big Ben and the Westminster Abbey are two destinations which showcase the ancient architecture in the best form. There's no doubt why the Westminster Abbey is such a lavish location for all the high profile weddings. The Big Ben - although you cannot go inside but hear the bells toll every 15 minutes and witness the tower to its best advantage.

The Big Ben

The next stop was at The Buckingham Palace. What I liked about the two hour long tour of the entire palace was that the palace is opened for 7 days to the public to see the lavish rooms and experience the royalty and get a peek into the life of her Highness. There is no photography allowed inside the palace but after taking a tour, the entire place and its royalty gets etched in your mind forever and doesn't need to be snapped.

I also visited the Madame Tussauds. Although I had extremely high expectations of this place, it did not live upto my expectations with respect to the Bollywood Celebrities. They seemed unreal unlike the Hollywood Celebrities which were so human in their looks. Taking snap with Gorge Clooney, Tom Cruise, my favorite football player Christiano Ronaldo and not to forget MJ was the best.

Sitting on the roadside like a typical Londoner and picking a pancake on the go from one of the food trucks and enjoying it as I see innumerable people walk, walk and walk some more makes you wonder about the immense strength they all posses.

Spotting the Red Telephone Booth, walking across the very famous Trafalgar Square is the real London for me.

The famous Trafalgar Square

For people who love dressing up and looking great no matter what time of the day, it's a delight to shop at London. Camden Market, Oxford Street are the main shopping destinations in London. Those who can afford splurging on some of the high end brands, Harrods is the place to be.

A great way for everyone to tour London is by walk or the tubes or the Hop-on-Hop-off buses. Buy an Oyster Pass and you're all set to explore London at your convenient best.

The only thing I missed in London is the snow. But as they say, whatever happens, happens for the best. Maybe not witnessing London snowfall this time is a hint for me to visit London yet again. Until then, I will enjoy the moment by singing the very famous rhyme standing on the London Bridge.

Free Spirited in Bulgaria

After a lot of Yes and No on the visit to Bulgaria, time flew and the day finally arrived when I would set my feet on the Bulgarian Ground in its capital city Sofia. The winter preparation had already kicked in. The city has a unique atmosphere with the feel of many different cultures in one place. It is vibrant and beautiful.

As I was picked from the Airport to check-in my beautiful Hotel room, the greenery of the place left me spell bound. If this is how the main city looked, I could only let my imagination run free spirited to see how the Bulgarian country side looked. The staff at the Hotel Vega Sofia were extremely warm and welcoming. Set at the foot of the Vitosha Mountain, the view from the hotel opening to this backdrop and seeing the sun rise every morning was a treat to the eyes.

Sunrise from my hotel room

The food of Bulgaria is extremely subtle on the Indian palate and pretty cheap on your wallet. You are served with a whole Bulgarian meal for just about 20 Bulgarian Lev. For a person like me who lives to eat, every cuisine is embraced with the same level of hunger. I tried a lot of chicken dishes in combination with potatoes, cheese, quinoa rice, basil. It was a feast. To all those who enjoy some beverages, the old in-house Bulgarian drink - Arakia (a man's drink) as it is famously called, is a must try. Don't forget to say Nazdravez as you clink your glasses.

Chicken and potatoes served with a lot of cheese

The Vitosha Street is the most vibrant street of Bulgaria. To have this street dedicate to a close friend of mine was the least I could do to make the memory of this place immortal. Young and old, pet's and street performers, open restaurants and local shopping stores - this place has it all. Almost 4 hours of my time was spent at the Vitosha street and I could still stay here all night.

Open Restaurant's on Vitosha Street

One of the world's most beautiful and famous cathedral the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia adds to the beauty of the city. The Gold and Green tombs of the Cathedral over the off-white body of the building surrounded by white roads was blending so well with the quiet surrounding atmosphere.

The famous Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Walking down a little, you witness the Life of Fire where there is always a fire light up in the memory of all the people who sacrificed their life for Bulgaria.

Life of Fire in the memory of Bulgarian

One of the most fascinating part in Bulgaria is the Yellow City Center. No it's not a mall. It's a way to identify that you are in the center of the city. I felt that was a very intelligent concept. For all those who are globe trotting, this surely helps you from being lost.

Yellow Lane street indicating the center of the city

Many asked me if Bulgaria is safe. Yes, for a single woman or a man, Bulgaria is safe. If you are afraid of visiting Bulgaria due to the reputation it once had for corruption and organised crime, then you surely need to know that it is now a thing of past. Bulgarians are extremely warm and friendly. I can vouch on this because every Bulgarian I met very politely agreed to make a picture for me. *blush*