London at Christmas…do i really need to say more?! Ok…if i must.
If you are a Christmas grinch, then good ol’ London town is not the place for you when jolly old St. Nicholas is prepping the slay. But if you love frost on your nose, misty streets, twinkly lights, hot fire places, mulled wine and the constant smell of Christmas spices…then London is for you.
I can not recommend enough going for a walk down Oxford Street at twilight. The explosion of Christmas decorations that adorn the popular shopping strip look like the crown jewels atop the manic street below. The beauty of this sight is not even impacted by the hustle and bustle of the regretful shoppers below lamenting their decision to purchase their gifts so close to Christmas Eve. With every shopper entering a shop, a little of the carols that echoing inside escapes into the street, composing a cacophony of sounds that somewhat resemble a new ‘POP’ cover of a traditional melody.
I was lucky enough to be there over the whole holiday period and when dawn drew near on the New Year, my sister and i decided to go and explore the aftermath of the epic and entirely exclusive party hosted by the world the night before. Walking the streets at 6AM was a peculiar experience. Had it not been for the dozen or so workers, Central London looked like a ghost town. Almost post-apocalyptic. It did, however, allow my inner photographer to go crazy with excitement. We had the London streets to ourselves…we stood outside the Big Ben - ALONE! For anyone who has witnessed the sardine effect of Parliament Square on tourists, will appreciate how incredible this moment was for me.
I give Christmas in London Town the two thumbs up!