Little known fact about me: I’m in love with The Shard in London. Its shiny glass walls and unique triangular architecture excites me more than Buckingham Palace ever could. I remember the first time I saw it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in a first-year geography lecture, forcing myself to pay attention and take notes, when the professor suddenly clicked over to the next slide. Instantly, my senses came to full alert and my jaw dropped to the floor. There, in all its wonderful, magical glory was The Shard. Tall, strong and powerful: The motherfucking Shard. From that moment on, I was a changed woman.
When I went to London by myself back in 2015, one of the first things I did was go to see The Shard in real life. It was a magical experience. I stood staring up at it for a good 20 minutes. (Don’t judge me; I regret nothing.) I was too cheap, however, to spend the (approximately) £17 fee to go up to the top of it, so I left and continued on my travels around Europe.
Flash-forward to September 29, 2016 and I was back in London. When planning my flight over to London and subsequent trip up North to Durham for uni, I made sure to put some time aside to go visit my one true love: you guessed it, The Shard!!!!! This time, however, not only was I not alone, but I was feeling spendy. At approximately 1:00 pm, my boyfriend—who lives in England—and I walked up to the front doors of The Shard, stepped inside its magnificent lobby, got into the elevator and rode it all the way up to the 31st floor to have a Roald Dahl themed champagne afternoon tea. The tea was fragrant and comforting, the champagne bubbly and warming, the food genuinely magical and delicious, and the panoramic views of London absolutely breathtaking. Some people like sitting on the beach watching the ocean, I like eating sweets and drinking champagne overlooking the London cityscape. Needless to say, it was worth every single penny.
Next up: Durham.
See you soon.
