Sometimes You Just Need A Little Spice In Your Life:

This weekend I got to play tour guide, innkeeper and London local for Alex Spice, college roommate and potential life partner, who journeyed from Paris to spend a weekend with me! Despite the unfortunate weather conditions, either pouring rain or permanently overcast skies, we trekked and tubed all over the city, stopping only for pictures and food!

As soon as she arrived we were on the move! After quickly dropping her bags off at my flat, and showing off my digs we headed immediately over to Harrods. Alex has never been to London so I thought Harrods would be a good introduction to British hospitality, culture and the Pound. We saw a casual pair of £ 350 blue jeans- totally steal! That seemed like our cue to leave and we headed back to my flat- it was 6:00 at this point. After a tough day of shopping I always relax with a large, traditional English Meal- Indian food! We went to my favorite curry place around the corner from my flat. I warned her that the curry stains on the tablecloths and the fact that the restaurant looks like a closet only enhances the food quality and ambience…. Hmm, I know, I know. It is disgusting but it is seriously the best! We gorged ourselves. It was marvelous. Spice and I share the special bond of loving food more than… there is nothing that compares. But it was fine because we danced it all away at WalkAbout, a European version of the Jug. Tired and happy we came back home to my twin bed and went right to sleep. In the morning we were both alarmed at how comfortable we were...

After a full English Breakfast (why am I not fat????) we headed over to the Tower Of London for a day of tourist fun! It was a blast! I love being a tourist “in my own city” and I was so proud to show off all of my newly acquired knowledge of London- for example: crossing the street is hard, a pound can also be called a quid and if you get a "take away coffee" you can, under no circumstances, consume it on the premise. The Tower of London is like a castle playground. We were running around through different towers, checking out torture galleries, crown jewels and the astounding numbers of Asian tourists (it was impressive). After the tower we had a romantic stroll down the Thames River. I feel bad- I think I walked Spice out. I was like a camp counselor on steroids- I made her see and do everything. We definitely earned our Ben’s Cookies that we ate later in Covent Garden. For those of you not in the know- Ben’s Cookies are magical and warm and I think visiting the cookie stand is way more important then visiting, say, The Cabinet War Rooms.

Having Spice here was great. I love London more than anything but you don’t realize how much you miss and appreciate home until you’re reminded of it. Even though we are in Europe things were exactly the same between us and that was refreshing. Our conversations included funny anecdotes from home and stories from college and it just made me feel connected to something. Even though I can now navigate London and not get as painfully lost, I’m still just a visitor but having a friend from home visit me, somehow, in my mind, validated my place here. It made London feel a little bit more my own because it was my city to show off and my responsibility to show her a good time. done done and done.