Travel – Page 2 – My Foodie Trails

Fun & Free things to do in St. Louis

In my previous posts I have shared things to do and places to eat in St Louis. Since it was a 2 day trip where we did a lot of exploring, I made two different posts to do justice to the wonderful things that the city has to offer. But as I explored more about St. Louis, I realized that there are a lot of things to for free here and these are really fun things. So I have made a one day itinerary for St. Louis which only has things you can do for free in St. Louis. Because a penny saved is a penny earned 😉

VISIT CATHEDRAL BASILICA

Completed in 1914, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is a must visit attraction for its beautiful stained glass mosaics. If you enjoy art and history I can assure you that you will spend atleast an hour in the Cathedral alone and some more time enjoying its beautiful garden and its museum.

There are no entry fees for the cathedral or the museum however the Cathedral is closed for visits when the prayers are in progress.

FOREST PARK & ST LOUIS ZOO

The Forest Park of St. Louis occupies more space than New Yorks Central Park and the St Louis Zoo is located in the heart of Forest Park. The Park is beautiful and definitely worth a visit. It has several spots for picnics, long walks or just to lounge and enjoy yourself. This makes it an ideal spot for a family’s day out. The best part here is the free entry to St Louis Zoo which is home to a number of animals. It is divided into different areas as per the origin of these animals and this is a great spot to spend 2 to 3 hours exploring in St. Louis.

TIP – My suggestion would be..grab a takeout from Imos Pizzeria next to Cathedral Basilica and drive for around 5 minutes to the Zoo where you can have a small lunch picnic before exploring the zoo

CITY GARDENS IN ST LOUIS

Located in the Gateway Mall area, the city-gardens are developed and maintained by a non for profit organization named the Gateway Foundation. The gardens are not enclosed and can be accessed from any direction. There are 6 rain gardens including a spray fountain for children.

Beautiful sculptures are installed in the garden and you get amazing views of the Gateway Arch too.

You can also download their free app for an audio tour of the city gardens narrated by the prominent residents of St. Louis

WIND UP WITH A FREE BEER

Another highlight of free things to do in St. Louis is the free tour of Anheuser Busch Brewery. The very first Anheuser Busch brewery started in USA was in St. Louis and now they offer free tours of the brewery to show their beer making process to the world.

The highlights of this tour are –

walk through the beer making process where you see all the equipment in action from start to finish
the famous Clydesdale stables
free sample of beer during the trip
free tall glass of beer at the end of the trip

Plus, their Biergarten makes the perfect spot for a bite to eat before you wind up your day or hop on to the next location.

These are the free things which I tried while in St. Louis and I feel that one day is sufficient for exploring all these things. But if you want some more options of the free things you can do while in St. Louis, I went online..did some research and pulled out the following list for you all 😀

St. Louis Art Museum – having a large collection of around 33,000 art-works this will be a great spot for the art lovers. Especially because this museum has paintings by Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Monet and I’ve read that they are glad to organise the free tour if you call before hand. Located close to the Zoo in Forest Park you can easily work this into your itinerary.
Grants Farm – Originally home to the 18th President of United States, this is now an 80 acre animal reserve managed by Anheuser Busch. The admission, tram ride and all the shows are free of cost here. It is home to some exotic species of animals and you get to play with the goats and come face to face with the famous Budweiser Clydesdale
The Missouri History Museum – This museum features exhibits which helped shaped the history of St. Louis. This museum is also located in Forest Park and has extended hours on Thursdays
The Muny – The Municipal Opera is the nations oldest and largest outdoor theater. Every summer they stage live performances with 1450 free seats on first come first serve basis so check the schedule and seating here and start planning 🙂

There are many more free things you can do while in St. Louis but I have included those which I tried out myself and those which I found interesting. As far as food in St. Louis is concerned click here for all details about the delicious food St. Louis has to offer.

Do give this a try and share your experiences with me.

Weekend Ideas for Staycation and Book Marathon

This one is for all the homebodies out there (including me 😉 )…don’t we love the idea of staying at home on a weekend, doing hardly any chores, just curled up in your corner with a great book and hot cuppa? Let your mind travel, take you on journeys through the past ages, the magical worlds and lost kingdoms or be thrilled with the suspense and rush of a gripping page-turner!! For those who love to read, this seems like the perfect weekend idea 🙂

When the weather is rough or when I’ve had a long week I love to stay at home through the weekend and read. This staycation and book marathon used to happen a lot while I was in India. A lawyers life is never slow during the week…and luckily when the courts closed down for the weekend I would love to immerse myself in the world of books.

So what would you need for this kind of weekend –

A couple of great books
A relatively free weekend
Your favourite spot in the house 😉

I love reading my annual share of Harry Potter in my spot

Reading can also be meditative and refreshing. I have had many conversations with people who do not fancy the idea the reading a book. Their reason for not liking reading is because they simply do not have the right book. So it bores them to read things which do not interests them. Happens a lot with me too..when I don’t like a book I get bored reading it…but most often than not I complete that book anyways just to be fair to the author and thats just the way I am 😀 But I do not want you guys to be stuck in the same ‘wrong book’ dilemma so here I will suggest you some great books which I have read and I would love it if you guys give them a shot.

(PS – while creating a list of these books I have included Amazon Affiliate links for them. Clicking on these links will not incur any additional costs to you, but will help support this blog in a small way)

So here is my list of tried and tested Stay-cation Weekend Books

1. Harry Potter Series – Always the first on my list for reading and re-reading I can never get tired of the Potter-world. Read Harry’s adventure through the world of magic which starts in a cupboard under the stairs and goes on the be a marvelous journey. I have read these books numerous times infact, I now read the series every year (just a small little ritual of mine) and every time I read it, its just like the first time 🙂

2. The Book Thief – Recommended to me by my sister, this book is about the journey of a girl Liesel who lives under the care of her foster parents during World War II and is drawn towards the world of books. This is her story when reading books of your choice was a deathly risk and she decided to take it just for the love of reading. The most interesting part of this book is that the story is narrated by Death, from its perspective which is chilling and interesting at the same time.

3. The Bourne Series– Looking for a slick adventure series…Jason Bourne is here to accompany you. I remember starting to read the first book The Bourne Identity on a Friday night and I had finished it by the time the weekend was over. My tip…read this book in depth, you don’t want to miss out on the details here.

4. The Millennium Series – The award-winning crime novel series is something which will set you on a gripping adventure with Lisbeth Salander a woman with sharp mind, photographic memory but poor social skills and Mikael Blomkvist an investigative journalist and publisher of the magazine called Millenium. The first three books written by Stieg Larson are worth a read and I assure you, if you are a fan of crime fiction and smartly written books, this ones for you.

5. The Girl on the Train – This thriller fiction novel is something you will love to read on a weekend. This is now also a major motion picture movie, although I haven’t seen the movie I loved reading the book. The story-line is very fresh and unconventional, the novel has a good pace and you will enjoy this one throughly!

6. Memoirs of a Geisha – If crime fiction is not your cup of tea, try reading memoirs of the Geisha. The novel is written in a first person perspective of a Geisha – Chiyo who narrates her journey from her poverty stricken fishing village to working as a Geisha.

7. Last Train to Istanbul – For the romantics out there, this is a story about love, sacrifice and family ties set against the backdrop of World War II. Written by Ayşe Kulin, this is an uplifting story which send the message that nothing — not war, not politics and not even religion can break the bonds of a family.

8. House of Cards – The famous television series is based on this book. This is a great book for those who love political fiction. The characters are well written the book does not bore the reader at any point and you will truly enjoy this one.

9. The Help – Based on a true story, this book records the life of African Americans working in late 1960’s in Mississippi. As you read the book, you truly grow to like the characters in it, root for their freedom and happiness and this is one book which could move me to tears. This book too has been adapted into a movie but I would really suggest that you read this book before checking out the movie.

10. Me Before You : Another one for the romantics out there. This is a story of young and quirky Lou and Will a banker left paralyzed. Lou is hired as Wills caregiver and this changes the lives of both Lou and Will forever. Altough it seems like a typical romantic plotline, this book leaves you with a good message and a happy heart.

Go on and give one of these books a try, if you have any favorite books which you would like me to try do leave a comment!! Happy reading.

Explore for a day in Pune, India

Pune, (formerly spelled as Poona) is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra, India. Known as the cultural capital of the State it is often known as the “Oxford of the East” due to the presence of many well-known educational institutions in the city. The city is rich in its culture, history, its food and it is now a growing IT hub in the State.

I had visited Pune a couple of times in the past few years but that was for work. My first trip was once when my very close friend graduated from a fashion college there, I attended her graduation with my friends but in the graduation revelry we could not explore Pune to its full glory 😛 The next opportunity came in when I was visiting a city for a longer time, another close friend of mine was staying there at the time and she invited me to stay over so we could explore, enjoy and have some time off 😀 I was getting married soon and leaving the country so I didn’t know when will I get the another chance to spend time in Pune so I obliged. I packed on my Travel Essentials and we planned our weekend with one day reserved just for exploring the city!!

She is a fellow foodie like me, our mode of transport was a handy scooter and off we went early in the morning for our first breakfast stop at Cafe Goodluck

CAFE GOODLUCK

One of the oldest Irani Restaurants present in the city, Cafe Goodluck opened in 1935 on the Fergusson College Road in Pune (popularly known as FC Road) The cafe is most famous for its Bun-maska with Omelette and Iranian Chai.

Bun-maska is a traditional Irani – Cafe delicacy which is a freshly baked loaf of bread (the bun) covered with gracious amounts of butter. It is usually eaten dipped in their milky sweet Iranian Tea/Chai. We ordered this along with their Cheese Omelette which is again a famous dish served at Cafe Goodluck.

The Bun-Maska with masala cheese omelette

The Cafe is super crowded most of the times, they have a queue for seating, they do not really take reservations and they stop served omelette by 11:00 am…so if you want the best, get there early 😀

DADGUSHETH HALWAI GANESH TEMPLE

Next up was our visit to the most famous Ganesh Temple in Pune, Dadgusheth Halwai Ganesh Mandir. Constructed in 1893, this temple is the place with Indian leader Lokmanya Tilak was struck with the idea of a public celebration of Ganesh festival, a 10-day celebration which now takes place all over the state.

The temples construction is simple and elegant, you can even see the beautiful Ganesh Idol from the outside. There are no entry charges and devotees may give any offerings to the Lord as they please. The idol of Lord Ganesh is beautiful, adorned with almost 40 kilos of gold.

We could only manage clicking a picture from the far end of the sanctum

This is a prime spot for everyone who visits Pune, so this temple is always crowded. Visiting there early in the morning would be suggested as you will get to attend the morning prayers and experience the peace and calm of the temple.

SHANIWAR WADA

A short 10 minute walk away from the Temple is Shaniwar Wada, a fortification constructed in 1732 by the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire. The Maratha Empire was an Indian power which ruled in a major portion of the Indian Subcontinent in the 18th Century. Shaniwar Wada was the seat of Maratha politics.

Originally it was a 7 storied grand structure having a stone base and brick upper structure. The structure was attacked by British Artillery leaving just the stone structure standing. Today, Shaniwar Wada consists of the strong stone base and its grand doors.

Shaniwar Wada is rich in history, and its stories are displayed in different parts in the structure. The gardens in Shaniwar Wada are well maintained and this place is a perfect spot to explore in peace, immerse yourself in history and spend your afternoon. We explored Shaniwar Wada till late noon before heading to Tulsi-baug for some street shopping 😀

TULSI BAUG

Tulsi Baug is a centrally located shopping area in Pune. Famous for its street shopping and collection of traditional Maharashtrian utensils, Tulsi Baug is home to a temple constructed in the Maratha era by the Peshwas. The famous temple located here is an abode to Lord Ram, Godess Sita and Lord Ganesh. The statues date back to 1765-1781 when the temple was being constructed. When we visited the temple it was under a three year restoration project and we could visit only a part of it. After visiting the temple, you can also visit the stalls nearby and shop for some artifacts and traditional utensils.

Places to Eat

Pune is brimming with restaurants and cuisines which you can try. From the traditional Maharashtrian Food to international cuisines, you ask for it and Pune will give it to you 😀 . Here’s a list of my favourite restaurants in Pune –

1. Cafe Goodluck – this lovely Irani cafe is a must visit while in Pune. Do try their omelettes and kheema!

2. The Flour Works – Serving European and American Cuisine, I am a fan of their Pasta with spicy fresh tomato sauce! They even have a large variety of yummy desserts 🙂

3. Wadeshwar – Another breakfast favourite of mine, they have incredibly fresh food and amazing serving sizes!

4. Chitale Bandhu Mithai-wale – this sweet shop is extremely famous in Pune and I would suggest you take away as much as stuff as you can..trust me its difficult to find this taste away from Pune 😉 I love their Bakarwadis – spicy Indian savory snack and their Gulab Jamun – sweet dish made with evaporated milk.

How to Travel Around Pune –

While some of the tourist spots are within walking distance of each other, Uber available throughout the city and you can also rely on the local auto-rickshaws 😀

If you are travelling to India anytime soon or are visiting Pune soon do try out this Day out Destination plan and let me know how it went!!

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Exploring the Museums in Chicago

This was one of my most fun weekend. We had originally cramped a number of activities in two days but we didn’t realise that exploring just one museum can can take up so much of your time! Anyways…nothing went in vain…we did manage to finish all the things on our list..just not on one weekend. That is exactly when the idea of a themed weekend cropped in my mind..there are too many things to do…its difficult to do them all at once, enjoy them thoroughly and still have energy for Mondays 😛

I had been in Chicago for almost a month and the crazy winters had prevented us from exploring much of the city. But there was a weekend coming by on which we just wanted to get out of the house and do some exploring! So there was exploring to be done…but indoors and I hadn’t checked out the museums here yet…so it was decided…a museum weekend!!

To start out…we cover most of the tourist spots in Chicago in one weekend…but later we split them. We had purchased the Chicago City Pass for this. Here you get to visit the best tourist attractions in the city at a discounted rate. The Chicago City Pass give you entry to 5 of the following destinations

Shedd Aquarium
Skydeck Chicago
The Field Museum
Museum of Science and Industry or Chicago observation Deck
Adler Planetarium or Art Institute of Chicago

This pass is valid for 9 consecutive days from the first visit and all the visits are priority or express…so less waiting time and more fun time 🙂

DAY 1

So we started our Museum themed weekend with The Field Museum. Located in Chicago’s Famous Museum Campus, the Field Museum is home to a massive collection of exhibits from all cultures and eras. With the Chicago Citypass, we had priority entry into the Museum along with choice of one movie from the number of movies playing on that day and access to all paid exhibits! This museum is also home to the largest skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex ever excavated named Sue which is a major attraction here. Unfortunately Sue is on the move…they are relocating it to another floor in a new home so we got just a tiny glimpse of her 😦 (Sue will be out on display from March 2019)

The Museum has some really interesting exhibits such as inside Ancient Egypt where you get to view one of the largest collections of mummies found in any U.S Museums and get a view into the dioramas of ancient Egyptian workshops to see how the mummification process used to be conducted. Their Main Level has a huge exhibit of Nature Walk, where you will see numerous animals from different parts of the world and how they evolved.

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The museum is divided into Ground Level, Main Level and Upper Level with every level having at-least 8 extremely detailed exhibits, discovery centers and labs for the kids in addition to their 3D Theater and special exhibits which they change regularly. It took us more than an hour to complete the tour of each floor in addition to the movie which we choose to watch.

Another interesting exhibit in the museum is the Dinosaur Hall, which has a massive collection of Dinosaurs. Every exhibit is explained in detail and this makes it more of a fun learning experience for everyone!

The Museum has two cafes, the Explorer Cafe on the Ground Level and the Field Bistro on the Upper Level. Both of these serve some really delicious meals which is something you need on a day full of walking and exploring!! So day one for us was just the Field Museum, it left us tired but this place is something I can go back to again and again and never get tired 🙂

Day 2 – Shedd Aquarium

If you are an animal lover like me…be prepared to starting waving and talking to all the lovely fishies here 😛 . Also situated in the Museum Campus, the Shedd Aquarium is home to a huge variety of aquatic species. With our City Pass, we again had priority access into the Aquarium and a choice of one movie.

The Aquarium has a multi-level layout with different exhibits on each level. On the main level all the aquatic creatures are placed as per their regions of origin. Further these exhibits are made to replicate their habitat so they feel more at home.

As you move down to the lower levels you get to see the larger exhibits and check out their aquatic presentations. Make sure to check the daily presentations at the entry point and get your ticket from the kiosks situated at various points in the aquarium at the earliest. The dolphin and penguin presentation gets filled up pretty soon! This is because it is an amazing and entertaining presentation where you get to meet their dolphins, penguins and watch how they are cared for by the aquarium staff. This is also an interactive presentation so if you enter early and grab the seats up front you are in for a treat 😀

The Aquarium has a number of interactive activities which you can participate in and they are especially fun for the kids..these activity spots however tend to get crowded pretty soon so be patient for your turn 🙂 Our day 2 concluded with the Aquarium visit and a walk around Museum Campus where we got this amazing view!!

Pro-tips –

The Museum Campus is a great picnic spot so if you visit in summer or spring I would suggest make it a outdoors picnic at lunchtime
Don’t forget to check out Lake Michigan from 12th Street Beach behind the Shedd Aquarium…I will be visiting it soon in summer 😀
The Museum has its special free museum days for residents of Illinois, the next ones are on June 20 – 22 so mark your calenders!!
The Shedd Aquarium has free days too on June 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19…so an ideal plan would be to visit the Aquarium on June 19 and the Musuem on June 20th 😀 !!
The staff at both these places is amazing!! They are more than happy to help you out…so if you are confused which movie to watch or which exhibit to go for…just ask them they will guide you to the best one

Petting zoo with a difference: Lambs Farm Libertyville

As you guys know, starting today every week I will be sharing with you all one Day out Destination, which will have an itinerary for things to do in one day near your city…and so, my first Day out Destination is Lambs Farm, Libertyville, IL 😀

This is not a sponsored post..I visited this place last weekend, we loved the time we spent there and we genuinely want more and more people to know about it and try to visit this remarkable place.

Lambs Farm is located in Libertyville IL, very close to Chicago city. It is located right off Interstate 94 and you can even see it from a distance as you arrive. Driving from Chicago to Lambs Farm will take a little less than an hour depending on the traffic so this makes the perfect Days Out Destination.

What is Lambs Farm

Lambs farm is a wonderful organisation started in 1961 by two loving souls named Bob Terese and Corinne Owen. I was originally started as a pet shop with a motto that those with developmental disabilities deserved to lead productive and fulfilling lives and have meaningful employment. From employing just 12 special individuals in 1961, till date where Lambs Farm gives an opportunity to nearly 250 wonderful individuals to work in a safe and empowered environment. In the words of Lambs Farms, it is a place where people grow.

To know more about Lambs Farm, do visit their website http://www.lambsfarm.org

What will you find in Lambs Farm

IMG_20180428_101543 — Dixie will help you with your tickets and entry into Lambs Farm

Lambs Farm is a huge property well divided between their various activities. They have a their Farmyard – an animal farm + petting zoo, a Pet Center, a Thrift Shop, Magnolia Cafe & Bakery, Sugar Maple Country Store and Lambs Industries. They also have residential facilities for their staff and it is all located surrounding a picturesque lake 🙂

We started with a visit to the Farmyard. We reached there at around 10 am which is their opening time and started exploring the Farm Yard. They have a number of animals, each animal is given a special place to stay depending on its characteristic. So the horses have large grounds to run on, the lambs, sheep, llamas and alpaca have a fenced complex full of hay stacks, food and warm homes to rest. They have also constructed play areas for these animals, like little logs on wood to climb on or stacks of hay to play around 🙂 The Farm Yard also houses baby animals separately so they get more care. Plus it is also full of cats playing around freely, happy to sit in your lap if you want. There are more animals than what i am writing here, I can list them all out else it will be a super long post!! So you have to visit and check for yourself 😉

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The Dogwood Garden & Pet Center the original Pet Shop which later developed into the Lambs Farm. You will find a huge collection of pet supplies and accessories, gifts for your pets and some pet themed home and garden accessories. The Pet Center is also home to some dogs and cats who can be adopted once you complete the necessary formalities. You can visit these animals there and inform the staff there if you want to start with the adoption process.

IMG-20180428-WA0060 — All this little guy wanted was belly rubs and to nibble on my jacket!

The Cedar Thrift Shop and the Sugar Maple Country Store are the perfect locations to buy goodies for your home. The Thrift Shop has some really great, delicately used merchandise which can be a real steal for your house. The Sugar Maple Country Store is something you need to visit for your fix of jams, cookies, chocolates and more 🙂

The Food

Lambs Farm is home to Magnolia Bakery where we have tried the best soup, burgers, sandwiches and fries till date. I am not kidding!! The food here was so fresh and flavorful we had no struggle in finishing their generous serving size. The staff here is very friendly, they are happy to help you out with everything you need. The ambiance is very loving which is something I love the most 🙂 They also have ample space to host an event.

We tried the Spicy Chipotle Burger (which has beef burger or grilled chicken breast (as per your choice) topped with jalapeno peppers, guacamole, pepper jack cheese and chipotle mayo on a grilled bun) and Barn Burner Burger( which has an all beef burger or grilled chicken breast (as per your choice) topped with sauteed onions, swiss cheese, hickory smoked bacon, barbque sauce served on grilled sourdough bread) both the burgers were served with their homemade potato fries, their house recipe Cole Slaw and we added their soup of the day – Chilli Soup to go with it. The Chilli soup was full of flavour and had a warm homely taste to it..a perfect soup on a cold day :).

We also tried their Wisconsin Cheese Curds, we had been meaning to try these for a long time so we were glad to see it on the menu. The Cheese Curds were brought to us fresh off the stove, they had the perfect cheesy:crunchy ratio and were served with their cheese dip which made a perfect accompaniment to our meal.

Attractions for Kids

The Lambs Farm also has numerous special attractions for kids which I am sure your little ones will enjoy. They get a chance to ride a camel and a pony. There are regular train trips around the farm. They also have a carousel for the kiddos and mini golf for everyone. Tickets to these attractions can be purchased separately at the entrance or a Day Pass can be purchased which will have all the attractions included in it.

Cost

The Farmyard is free for all kids under the age of 2 yrs. A childs day pass is $12.00 in which your child will enjoy access to the Farmyard, Miniature Golf, Carousel, Bounce House, and Miniature Train ride. An adults day pass is for $8.00 where you get to enjoy the miniature train ride, mini gold and access to the Farmyard.

The individual attraction prices for adults and kids are as under

Farmyard – $5.00

Miniature Train Ride – $3.00

Carousel – $ 2.00 (only for children upto 12 yrs)

Mini Golf – $4.00

Bounce House – $2.00 (only for children upto 12 yrs, depending on the weather)

Deals

Groupon is having a great deal for Lambs Farm, do check them here

So do try and visit this place soon and let me know down in the comments how you liked it! 🙂

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London…its art and its quirks

Yesterday I shared with you a photo-book of my walk across London’s tourist attractions. But we did not just visit the tourist attractions, we also explored the fun, artistic and quirky side of the City. From the sign boards to the street art….if you look closely, London is full of art, and has a fun side waiting to surprise you! Here is a look at it…

You will find a number of such bright doors and matching flowers to add to the beauty!

Some smart person had scribbled this on the sign at Watford Junction. Check out if it is still there and let me know!! 😛

This beautiful work of art at Watford High Street! It is a delight to see and obviously a great spot for pictures.

These perfectly named drinks at a pop up bar at London Eye 😀

I had heard a lot about the London Underground Service Information boards and it was fun to find one detailing out information on the Invictus Games

This street artist performing with all her heart while her little pup happily naps! 🙂

You will find a lot of information inscribed on the tiles leading up to a monument or on the walls leading up to a monument. They are a work of art by themselves.

This frame in a restaurant speaks true story!!

Another street artist happily performing for everyone!

Yaayy I finally spotted the red telephone booth!!

This intricate work at the Admiralty Arch.

For some reason reading this and realizing that I was near Dickens home made me very glad!!

Finally an intricate pillar at London Eye. Every pillar on the river-walk leading up to the London Eye is a carved out work of art.

A photo-book of my walk around London

I was in London for a short time and I had very little time to explore London city 😦 I know…London is not to be explored in a day but still I decided to take up the challenge of checking out most of London City in one day. I did not enter any of the tourist spots, I walked through them all creating a lovely photo-book which I am glad to share with you all.

I did not do this alone, I had Google maps to guide me through the streets and my fellow explorer sister who tagged along with her husband to give me a taste of London in a day 😀

This is how we started!!

Sherlock Holmes Museum

Our first halt for the day was Baker Street Station from where we walked for around 5 mins to reach 221 B Baker Street, the home to Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson.

221B Baker Street is now home to the Sherlock Holmes Museum. The first floor of the house is maintained in exactly the same manner as kept by Mrs. Hudson in Victorian Times.

The museum is open everyday from 9:30 am to 6pm and the tickets are priced at £15 for adults and £10 for children (under 16yrs)

Next to the Museum is their Museum Shop and a delightful little Hudson’s Old English Restaurant. We decided to give the museum a miss because there was a huge queue waiting to get in ahead of us, they were letting in only a limited number of people and we had a long day ahead. We did visit the gift shop though to purchase a couple of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia.

London Eye

The London Eye is one of the most popular tourist destinations in London City. Located at the banks of Thames river, the London Eye gives a panoramic view of the city as it gradually rises up.

The Westminster Abbey

Cross the river from London Eye and walk for around 10 minutes to reach the Westminster Abbey. This Gothic Abbey is the most one of the notable religious building in London. It is the traditional place of coronation and royal weddings for the British monarchs. We walked through the Abbey observing the architecture and got on our way to the Buckingham Palace.

The Buckingham Palace

I would suggest that instead of walking from the main street to the palace, take the road that goes through St. James Park and comes out directly near Victoria Memorial in front of the Palace.

The first glimpse at the palace from St. James Park

This walk is much more pleasant the park is beautiful and a perfect spot for a small break!!

The Admiralty Arch
Usually the entrance to the Buckingham Palace is through an Edwardian structure called Admiralty Archway where you enter on the road called The Mall. The Mall is a road bordered by trees, used as a ceremonial route leading from Trafalgar Square to the Palace.

Since we visited the Palace from St. James Park, which is actually the exit road, we walked through the Mall and the Admiralty Arch on our way out.

The Trafalgar Square

A historic public square in London commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar is a perfect spot for your evening.

Covent Gardens
We walked from Trafalgar Square to Covent Garden which is a popular shopping place. The evening was setting in and there were a number of street artists around Covent Garden bringing the crowd together. We did quite a bit of shopping here before moving to Charring Cross station to end our day at Euston Station.

This is just a small glimpse into the time I spent in London, I will also be sharing with you more such pictures and off course details on what I ate!! If there is anything in particular you want to read about, do let me know!!