Fish n' Chips n' Art n' Festivals n' Candy n' Souvenirs n'.....

Today was the best day we've had so far. From the Parliament Building to the best Fish n' Chips according to Yelp, I felt like my day was well spent and I've got the exhaustion to prove it.

The first thing Charlotte and I did was buy some 'sweat tops' (jackets) at a stall nearby the hotel. They're super soft and warm, and a souvenir that'll get some actual use. We did go visit the Parliament Building on our way to Westminster Abbey, both buildings extremely gorgeous with their architecture. Unfortunately we didn't go inside either despite the tours available. The lines were ridiculous. But I think we're going back for Westminster Abbey. Mom really wanted to go inside.

Afterwards we wandered toward the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square where some of Monet's paintings hung, as well as A LOT of religious paintings and portraits. (P.S. There was a giant bright blue rooster on side of the square, compared to a statue of a man on a horse and famous historical figures. 'One of these things is not like the other...') There was also a ton of really cool street preformers, like someone dressed up as the grim reaper floating about a foot of the ground. I really wanted to know how they did that.

On our way to London's best fish n' chips place (Masters Super Fish by the way) we practically stumbled into the two month long Festival of love. We had no clue this was happening when we came at all. Mom was postively giddy when she discovered it, and Charlotte and I had to almost drag her away from it to get the food. She, ironically, fell in love with the Festival of Love. But it did look pretty awesome! There was a bunch of free activities and colorful set-ups, along with a merry-go-round for all ages! (I didn't go on it, sadly. I did want to though.) Maybe we'll go back tomorrow. Wednesday and Thursday are the days we have plans, but there's nothing on Tuesday.

And yes, we finally made it to Masters Super Fish (but not before finding giant-sized furniture) where we ate some very delicious fish n' chips. Mom had the haddock n' chips, Charlotte fish cake n' chips, and I a fillet of cod n' chips. Strangely enough Charlotte's was the cheapest but the best. The haddock and cod were a little plain, while her's had vegetables and cheese in the cake. We got it to-go and ate the in the nearby park where the pigeons kept a very sharp eye out for free food. (I tossed them some, and the pigeons across the park came rushing over.)

After a long day of walking, we decided to call it and head back to the hotel via an actual neighborhood that didn't feel all touristy and stuff. I picked up a packet of Chocolate Orange candy bars and discovered that there's no tax (or something) because everything we bought today was exactly the advertised price. So now we're sitting in the hotel, tired but happy, and down another day.