Three days in Paris is just not enough! There was so much more to enjoy, including just taking in the lovely day-to-day lifestyle. At least we’ll be back again at the end of the week for one last pleasant day.

From a cute Parisian apartment to a swanky bachelor pad, we arrived in the Shoreditch neighborhood of London to this lovely loft:

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After settling in, we spent the day strolling through Hyde Park until the last of our girlfriends were to arrive.

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And the six of us are reunited again :)

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I know it’s silly, but I already find the red double decker buses and the Mr. Bean-like cabs adorable. The cabs are also brilliant: they don’t look large, but the back has seats facing each other which can fold up leaving plenty of room for luggage if needed. The four of us easily fit into this little taxi with all our bags and room to spare!

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By the way, you can easily tell the tourists here (ie. us) by who walks on the “wrong” side of the road and down the wrong side of the stairs. Thank goodness for these on every crosswalk:

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PRACTICAL INFORMATION: SHOREDITCH HIGHLIGHTS

Our neighborhood, Shoreditch, used to be part of London’s sketchier and slum-ridden East End (does Jack the Ripper sound familiar?). In the 1990s, some artsy and edgy thinkers moved in and transformed the area into a trendy neighborhood of funky lofts, hipster shops and bustling nightclubs. Since we could have spent our trip just exploring this area, we thought we’d share some of our favorites spots in Shoreditch:

  • Don’t Miss: Our favorite was Duck & Waffle, a 24h restaurant on the 40th floor of Heron Tower offering panoramic views of London. Must try their infamous duck and waffle dish.