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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Travel ·

London 2022: Hamilton, Big Ben & More!


Whew!  It’s been a weird, wild and crazy last few days, but I’m back, all of the kiddos are back in school, Ashby is doing really well post-op (she had surgery #23 on Friday) and life feels back to normal-ish after the ice, snow and kids at home for four days.

I thought there was no better way to kick off our week than with PART ONE of our trip to London 🙂 !

A few weeks ago, Andrew and I boarded a plane and flew over the pond to our favorite city in the world.  We were SO excited to go!  As much as I love traveling with my kiddos, it’s always so much fun to just take a grownup trip.   We were only gone about six days, but we packed a lot in.

Grab some tea, settle in and enjoy this first peek…

And we’re off!  Our flight left on Wednesday evening, so we got there a bit early, grabbed a bite to eat and then we settled in for our non-stop flight to London.  We knew that once we landed, we needed to hit the ground running, so we were determined to sleep as much as we could on the flight.

We flew, we slept (as best we could), we landed and we headed straight to our hotel.  We checked in (we paid to have our room one extra night before so that when we checked in at 8:00 AM, we could go straight to our room instead of waiting until 4:00PM for checkin), we took showers and then took a one hour nap.  We woke up, took our COVID tests in our room (the hotel provided them) and grabbed a quick bite to eat before…

…getting dressed and heading out (My top is HERE.).  We had tickets to see Hamilton at 2:00 PM, so we didn’t have a lot of time to waste.  We decided to get a bit of fresh air (it was super chilly but sunny and bright) and walk a little on our way to the theater…

Oh London, you are so lovely.

After we did a bit of walking and enjoying…

…we hopped in a cab to take us to Hamilton…

I have been dying to see Hamilton since it first came out, and it was SO MUCH FUN to see it in Britain.  There is so much tongue and cheek dialog in the show about the US leaving England…and to hear the theater roar with laughter at all of it was just extra icing on the cake.

Eeeeeks!  We had jet lag but our power nap helped…plus, we were so excited to be there!!

The theater was GORGEOUS!

The entire experience was just phenomenal.  We loved it all, and, in my opinion, Hamilton lived up to all the hype.

After the show, we decided to walk down and say hi to…

…Buckingham Palace 🙂 .  I have been to London many times before, but this was my favorite trip because of the weather and light crowds!  I told Andrew that from now on, I only want to visit big tourist cities in the winter.  I’ve never been here before when it hasn’t been 85 degrees and crowded.  It was so lovely to see it like this.

FYI: My coat is 41% off today!  I’m wearing a size 2.

A Buckingham Palace selfie 🙂 .

We had a late dinner reservation that night, so we decided to walk around a bit more before changing for dinner…

…we had heard that The Nags Head had a lot of history, charm and character, so we stopped here for a quick drink.  It was super small and very quaint.  They had a fire going down below…it was all so charming.

London at night, you are magical.

After seeing the palace, a quick drink and some walking, we went back to our hotel to get ready for dinner…

…the name of the game that day was “staying awake”.  I changed into this jumpsuit (love it!!!), and we headed back out…

…to The Coppa Club for dinner!  Now, we were really excited about this first dinner because we had a reservation to eat in an igloo…but when we arrived, there was a problem with our igloo reservation and they had to seat us inside (bummer).  They were so nice and apologetic and told us we could eat in an igloo a few days later (super sweet!), but we had a reservation already for that night…so, no igloo but we did enjoy an amazing view from our table inside and a delicious dinner.

 

 

By the time we got back to our hotel it was after 11:00, and we were TIRED.  Hamilton plus Buckingham Palace plus a great dinner? Not a bad way to kick off our trip!

The next morning though, we were up bright and early ready to head out for the day! But first…

…a full English breakfast was served each morning at our hotel.  Yes. Please.

Speaking of which…

…we stayed at Rosewood London while we were there.  Andrew and I both agreed it was the best hotel we’ve ever stayed at on a vacation.  It was seriously spectacular…

 

We got dressed, bundled a bit and headed out for a walk to see some of the most iconic sites…

…we walked past the Eye…

…headed over to see Big Ben…

…who was getting himself a little face lift 😉 …

…saw Parliament…

…Westminster Abbey…

…and thoroughly enjoyed our morning so much!  We have both toured these iconic places several times in the past (and been on the Eye), so we didn’t feel the need to go inside this trip.  We walked over four miles on this day just taking in the city though and loved every step!

After we left this area, we walked over to Downing Street and then…

…Trafalgar Square…

…strolled the charming streets…

…visited the Seven Dials area of London…

 

…stopped for coffee…

…and then lunch at Crown & Anchor!

We split fish and chips and a beef and ale pie.  DELICIOUS!!!

This pub was super charming too!

After lunch, we had tickets to visit…

…The British History Museum at 1:30, so we arrived…

…and explored.

After we were finished exploring the museum, we decided to do some exploring…

…around Bond Street and all the beautiful shops.

Whew!  After a very full day of walking, exploring and looking, it was time to head back to our hotel…

…get changed for dinner (blazer//sweater//jeans//booties) and then head off to…

…Berners Tavern for dinner.

We enjoyed a lot of great meals while on our trip, but looking back, without a doubt, this restaurant and menu were both of our favorites.

 

Berners Tavern gets the #1 spot for dining in London 🙂 .

Whew!  That wraps up PART ONE!  Now, of course, this trip was created for me by me at Mix and Match Travel Agency. We are always so happy to plan custom vacations for our clients…and ourselves 😉 .  I’m sure you have lots of questions about COVID testing and things like that.  We do help our clients through the process with each trip, but a great resource for everyone to use is THIS WEBSITE HERE should you be traveling soon too.  Even though at the time of our travel, it wasn’t required to test prior to leaving the US, Andrew and I tested not once but twice before boarding the flight, once as soon as we arrived at our hotel and then once before leaving and heading back to the US.  We had all of the testing lined up before we left so it was easy to manage once we arrived.

PART TWO coming up!  In the meantime, I hope you all have a great Monday!  Sending you lots of warm cozy Monday love. xx

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Comments

  4. Peyton Cline says

    I have never had the desire to visit London until seeing this post!!!! Do you have a link for that beautiful khaki coat?

  6. Kelly Sites says

    I travel internationally all the time for my job (leaving Sunday for Seoul) and MAN, does Covid make it a challenge to get around. And knowing which country requires what, when, where and how often. 🙂 But it doesn’t stop me from going for it.

    It must be quite the challenge for your travel agency to keep up with it all. Great job.

  7. Dana P says

    So fun!! We never did get to London our whole time in France. ? Seeing your pictures makes it feel a little like we visited! It’s funny how similar it seems to Paris. Also, I’m so relieved to hear that Ashby is doing so well! ?

  8. Kristen says

    I haven’t done any international travel since Covid began bc I’m so worried I’ll test positive before, during or after the trip. Has anyone run into this? What did you do? Cancel your trip? Did you get stuck and couldn’t get home?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      We have had a few clients run into this prior to departure, and we’ve been able to cancel or move their trips around for them. We have not had any clients “stuck” anywhere to date.

  10. Ellen says

    Looks wonderful … London is such a beautiful city!

    A couple of questions … what’s your process like for picking restaurants? Do you read Trip Advisor, blogs, etc.?

    And how were COVID restrictions? Did you find that most shops and restaurants were open?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      We found everything open and at 100% capacity. We have a nice list here of great restaurants clients have enjoyed over the years, so we used that plus a little research on our own to find these great spots!

  11. Candice says

    Hi! I couldn’t figure out how to comment on your Miami post from a couple years ago. We’re going to the gator park today! Would you suggest flip flops or sneakers? Also, thanks for all the great restaurant recommendations!

  12. Heather says

    The Roswood is one of my favorites in London but you may also want to check out the Montague on The Gardens which is a boutique hotel very close to it and is probably my all time favorite in London. My daughter lives there so I am in London quite often.

  13. nicole says

    Looks magical! My hubby and I really need to plan and adult trip only with MMM soon!
    Also, love your tan coat from the first day – where is it from? So cute, Shay!

  14. Anna Jones says

    Yay!! Loved every minute of this, and cannot wait for more! Trip reviews are my favorite! Especially European ones. 😉

  15. Janice Lail says

    I loved looking at all the places you reported on. I am going to London with my granddaughter in June. I am really nervous but also looking forward to the trip. Any tips on what to do and not to do. This will be our first international trip.??

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      You will have the BEST time! London is a great city to begin with if you’ve never left the US. I would buy tickets to things in advance (museums, etc) and try to walk everywhere you can. You’ll have a wonderful trip!

  16. Leah says

    I absolutely LOVE how the museums there are free. I spent a few hours at the British Museum, and could’ve easily spent more time exploring. I went in the summer though, so it was also a nice way to escape the sun and get some AC.

  19. Keisha Dawson says

    This post makes my heart so happy! I’m hoping to get my husband over to the UK sometime in the next couple of years. London is my favorite place on earth!

  20. Joy says

    Awww, this was such a delightful post to read this morning! It’s dreary and snowy again in New England, so loved “escaping” with views of London for a bit. Thank you for sharing!

    It is wonderful to be able to experience such low crowds! Do you think it’s the time of year, covid, or both?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I asked everyone that question (seriously, everyone!) and they all kind of said that it’s most likely a bit of both but that January and February are great times to visit because it’s never crowded.

  21. Paula R. says

    Shay, What a wonderful trip recap!
    I had an odd question regarding “Hamilton.” Was it a traveling U.S. tour production… I would assume? Maybe I haven’t had enough coffee yet, but I was wondering how the Brits would handle the American accents if it were a local production. But it’s doubtful that the creators would allow theatres to perform it with local casts, or would they? I don’t know. Help me out. That theatre was spectacular! It definitely beats seeing it on Disney +, ha! Off to grab a cup of coffee.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I think that’s kind of the beauty of Hamilton…it’s all “rapped” instead of just spoken. My playbill noted most of the actors were British, but that didn’t seem to factor into my experience (although, I haven’t watched a lot of Americans do it…I’ve just listened to the soundtrack). Great question! Enjoy your coffee 🙂 !

    • Callie says

      Hamilton nerd here with an answer to this question 🙂 not a tour, it’s actually been open on the West End since Dec 2017!

  22. Jennifer Jaynes says

    Not related to travel… but I just bought Becoming Mrs. Lewis for $1.99 on Kindle! I knew how much you loved it, and wanted others to grab it! I love your book recommendations!:)

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I love Europe all year long…but yes, it’s going to be more crowded during the summer months. The weather will be lovely in June, and I would always suggest going if that’s the best time for you, but yes, it will be more crowded.

  27. Stephanie says

    This is a great recap! My husband and I are headed on a getaway at the end of March to Paris and London so we will be sure to check out your recommendations! So glad you had a wonderful time!

  28. Sarina says

    Clare is currently planning our trip to London in September and we CANNOT wait!! Getting so many recommendations from this post 🙂

  30. JoAnne L says

    I love your travel posts! One idea, have you ever thought about adding a walking (or driving) map to your post? Maps can be so helpful to have some perspective on the locations. And, a question about your travel agency. Do you help book/work with hotels with whom a client may have a points system? I have a credit card accruing points for Marriott; would I need to book that reservation myself or can your agency still help me with the reservation(s) (if booking a whole trip, ie hotel, flights, excursions, etc)? Thank you!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Yes! So, I did that over the summer when we went to Chatham, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. I also did that in 2018 when we went to Scotland and Ireland and then again in 2019 when we went to Greece. I had several maps showing where we sailed/drove/went for all three trips. For this trip, we stayed in a relatively small area, so I didn’t include maps. Our agency works with points in some areas (flights, car rental), but we do require that we book at least a minimum of three nights of your hotel stay without using points, so it depends on how long you’ll be gone and how many nights you’re using points.

      • JoAnne L says

        That’s perfect on the travel points info, thank you.

        For fun, I went on the maps app and looked at your walking route. I did not realize so much can be seen while walking in just one day. Love it.

  31. Tara says

    What a wonderful trip can’t wait for part 2! Question: As a Mama of 3 young’s kiddos twins (4) and singleton (7) who doesn’t LOVE flying……. any tips or tricks or mental pep talks when leaving the kids at home? My mind always goes to the worst and fearing for our kids if something happen to us. It’s a bummer and has held me back from traveling without them. Would love to hear your thoughts! And love your blog! 🙂

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Oh, I’m sorry about that, Tara. I for sure don’t want to minimize your feelings with any trite advice because I know they’re super valid. I would say that anytime I let my mind wonder to something bad like that happening, I remind myself that the Lord who loves and takes care of me, loves and takes care of my kids too. I once was a nanny for a wonderful family and the mom told me to always put yourself in the very worst possible scenario and then look for God there. The worst possible scenario is terrible, but God would be there. He would be there. My kids’ story would start with God was there.

  32. Allena says

    London is my #1 wish city to go to, I’m really enjoying this post. 🙂 Do locals guess y’all are from Texas by your accents? I’m a Texan too and always wondered how obvious it was across the pond, ha.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I would say that they don’t mention it if they do. They for sure notice we’re American, but I can’t remember any of them saying Texas. I hope you get to go to London soon!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I will say that typically, it’s the shorter flights that get me (all the up and down). The longer, more steady flights don’t bother me nearly as much. When in doubt, I eat crackers. When things get really bad, I close my eyes and try to sleep.

  35. Kristin says

    I haven’t been to London since 2009, so traveling virtually with you made me so happy! Thank you for sharing!

  36. Cyndi W. says

    I’m so happy to read your post about London. We are going early to mid- March. Thank you for giving the restaurants and pubs as well. Have you made the day trip to Windsor Castle? Is it worthwhile? Have you read the Wolf Hall trilogy? I’m loving it. It’s Henry VIII from Thomas Cromwell’s POV.

  37. Rachel says

    Looks like you had a great time!
    I went to Coppa Club about 2 weeks before you and you’ll be glad you sat inside, the igloos were freezing (with with the heater and extra blankets!)

  38. Andrea says

    I ordered the jumpsuit and the gold necklace for our trip to London this April! I’m assuming I’ll need to throw on something over it at night and was curious what you would recommend? This will be our first time in England so I’m not sure what works style wise. Your visit there could not have come at a better time for me so thank you! ?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Yay!!!! Yes! I would throw a leather/faux jacket on top, one with a little fur…or heck, even a wool or trench. Just be warm and enjoy your first trip! I hope you have so much fun!

  39. Kelly says

    London is my dream trip. Well, the UK actually. I want to do a “Royal Tour”, visit all the Queen’s homes, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Sandringham, Balmoral in Scotland and Holyrood Palace in Ireland. A girl can dream, can’t she? ;).

  40. Andrea says

    Don’t mind me here continuing to stalk your London posts to prepare for our trip! ? What did you wear on the plane? Our plan at this point is to go immediately from the airport to the train station. We are going to spend time in Bath, then the Cotswolds, before heading back to London to spend time there. I want to look cute since we will be going straight from the plane to being out and about, but I also want to be comfortable on the plane so I can take full advantage of the reclining seats and hopefully sleep!