![](https://youngwayfarer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170902-IMG_7152.jpg)
On my long journey to South Africa, I took two overnight flights with a layover in London. If you can fly direct, I recommend it. It’s easier to just get that long flight over with. However, if you do have a layover, make sure it’s long enough for you to get out and explore!
I landed in London at 9 am on Saturday. Virgin Atlantic had only given us yogurt for breakfast, so I was starving by the time I got off the plane. I was planning on meeting my friend Abi (who I had met hiking the Inka Trail) for lunch, so I got on the Tube and headed towards the town center.
A few articles I had read said the ride would take an hour and a half, so I was pleasantly surprised when it only took about 45 minutes. I was early to meet Abi, so I found the nearest coffee shop to the Piccadilly Circus stop and was finally able to connect to WiFi while I got some energy from a cold brew.
Kingly Court
I met Abi at the coffee shop and we walked to Kingly Court, an adorable courtyard housing several restaurants with food from around the world. Since Abi and I had met in Peru, we decided to eat at the Peruvian restaurant called Senor Ceviche. When we arrived at 11:30, they told us they didn’t open until 12. We killed some time by trying the Acai bowls downstairs at Acai Berry.
![Entrance to Kingly Court](http://youngwayfarer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170902-IMG_7143-300x200.jpg)
Entrance to Kingly Court
After we finished our Acai appetizer, it was time for lunch. Senor Ceviche is a tapas style restaurant, so the plates are generally small. The waiter suggested that we get three plates each, but we were already half-full from the Acai, so we got four plates total and shared all of them. The best plate, and one I highly recommend if you’re ever in the area, is the pork belly chicharonnes. They were mouth-watering, and after we split that as our first plate, we wished we hadn’t gotten anything else.
![Pork Belly Chicharonnes](http://youngwayfarer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170902-IMG_7142-300x200.jpg)
Pork Belly Chicharonnes
![Abi & Melissa](http://youngwayfarer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170902-IMG_7852-1-225x300.jpg)
Abi and Melissa
Westminster
Once we had finished eating, we took the Tube to Westminster. Abi taught me that I could use my contactless card directly on the Tube entrance instead of buying tickets at the booth, which saved so much time! I parted with Abi and walked towards Westminster Abbey, passing Big Ben and the Parliament building on the way. When I got to the entrance, I was bummed to find out that the church closes to visitors at 1:30 and it was exactly 1:30 when I arrived. I had checked ahead of time online and the hours said it was open until 6, but I guess that is just for the church.
![Big Ben](http://youngwayfarer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170902-IMG_7147-2-216x300.jpg)
Big Ben
Buckingham Palace
I was disappointed, but still had a few things I wanted to see and was already getting tired. I walked towards Buckingham Palace, which is only about 15 minutes from Westminster Abbey. There were a ton of tourists taking pictures. I just passed through and admired the architecture.
Trafalgar Square
There aren’t any Tube stops right by the palace, so I had to walk down The Mall towards Trafalgar Square. The walk is along St. James’s Park, where many people were hanging out and enjoying the unusually beautiful London weather. As I passed through Trafalgar Square, I noticed large animal rights protests all around me. I avoided those crowds and headed straight for the Tube. My plan was originally to go to King’s Cross to see Platform 9 3/4, but I was fed up of tourists and jet lagged. I decided to go back to the airport instead. My friend Colin had just landed on his flight from LA, so we hung out until our flight to Johannesburg a couple hours later. The fun was only beginning!