London Baby and the two/four wishes!

Hi!
I'm back from my travels and back to earth with a gentle bump I say!
I went away to London by myself for a little adventure. I dont thing i can ever convey just how significant this was to me. it was something I wanted to do for over 11 years.
Have you ever actually travelled truly by yourself?
stayed somewhere in a strange place by yourself where you are miles from the nearest friend or someone to help you that you can call on?
I mean, sure I've travelled around the world and visited friends but never by myself. 
Here's what i wrote to some friends who asked me why i did it...

I went to London by myself as it was something I wanted to do for the past 11 years. i always wanted to do a bit of travelling by myself but been too scared to with my disability and just basically talked myself out of it every time as well as other reasons and timings. I just decided that in the end a life lived in fear or no direction or guidance was no life at all. 

being disabled where communication is a huge obstacle especially with the accident making me more impaired plus with a diagnosed mental disorder...i do not know what I now can or cannot do and so decided this was a time to push my boundaries and step into the unknown. It was just the timing and i knew if i didnt do it, i would regret it and that i couldnt live with. plus as an individual i needed to grow in myself...you cant be with your partner always and do everything together can you?

I just went for it i guess!

I was scared, but it was a great experience too and I've learnt things from it. It wasnt so much about the destination of London but rather the journeying. I've learnt I'm more disabled than i realised but I now know i dont want to let my life be governed by fear, my mental disorder and depression and my disabilities...I want to push my boundaries and become a better, stronger and happier person for it!

You see, as part of my therapy and some self motivated homework, I began reading up on a few things and started writing up a wish list of experiences I would like to experience in my life.   There's many things on there separated into groups depending on their themes, from reading a certain book, to trying a certain cuisine right down to visiting a far flung country.
No doubt I will write up more on this in the near future but right now, I'm going to enjoy the journey I had.

London was on my wish list but i planned to trip to rule off some more wish list items...

Like to visit China Town and eat at an authentic Dim Sum Restaurant. I love Dim Sum whereas my husband and family cant stand the stuff so it was very much indeed and self indulgence! 
I hit Gerrard Street in China Town which has a great selection of places to eat and ate at the best place voted in town, Dumpling's Legend
The food was sooo gooood!
I went for the specialty of their soup dumplings which were little dumplings filled with not only a filling but had a nice mouthful of broth that you dip also in a tangy soy/vinegar sauce....It was amazing to eat and so beautiful to taste. 
there was the big fluffy juicy BBQ pork buns that really were so very juicy and saucy! Glass like gyoza prawn and chive dumplings that looked so delicate and translucent that you could see the fillings through their glass like pastry.  Cheng Fun willed with crispy batter and spring onion which might be an acquired taste to some but delicious to me!

And lastly the rich egg yolk custard buns...I last tasted them when i was 17 when I first had dim sum...i really could have cried at just so how out of this world they tasted...I still drool at the memory of them now....so intensely sweet and rich in a wonderful way...they practically squirted out the custard when you bit into them, and you had to apologise to your neighbour profusely!

It was noisy, cramped, everyone spoke chinese and it was full of locals....which added to atmosphere and is a great thing meaning the food must be good to meet high standards!

I then had a nice surprise...I set out to London to complete two wishes there...but instead I ended up completing four by accident!

The next two wishes were a complete surprise  I was walking down the long Portobello Road, it was a quiet later morning and came across a Hummingbird Bakery...reputed to arguably sell some of the best flavoured cupcakes in the world. I knew there was a bakery in London but it was no where near where I was so to come across this small one was a nice surpise and i took home some strawberry milkshakes cupcakes complete with a little icing candy striped straw sticking out the top, a jam donut cupcake with a jam filling topped with lovely thick frosting and covered in sparkling sugar and glitter and a tiny little jam donut on top! And finally there was the black bottom, a marbled cupcake that my dad is happy to report tatsed very good indeed! Everywhere I went that day in London, the locals faces would light up on seeing the bag and ask me what flavours i have picked up and was there any left at the time I bought them...so they are clearly very popular in the big city!


I then walked on a bit further and came across Bubbleology which is amazing...like a crazy yet tasty science lab that makes the most delicious bubble teas...something I've never tried and is on my list!
So after talking with the nice man and tasting few samples...i carefully selected banoffee pie bubble tea and away he went to his crazy looking equipment, wearing a lab coat and produced a yummy drink with chocolate tapioca pearls sitting at the bottom...for a first try it was such a yummy result!

Bubbleology is a wonderful little place and I would love to see one pop up here in Plymouth in future!


Lastly I headed to Burlington Arcade which is just off Savile Row...its basically an area where money lives, works and parties and don't you know it! The street is lined with expensive cars, cafes and clothes shop.
I was here to pay a visit to the Lulu Guinness shop to pick up a little something for my mum as a treat (I ended up getting her a very nice purse and a present for her birthday!) but also to complete the last wish...to buy Laduree macaroons, the best you can buy!

These little babies are raved about the world over and many food critics say these are the ones to buy and try as the flavourings are delicate yet somehow intense...and it doesnt hurt they come in pretty packaging either!

I adore their Yuzu Ginger, orange blossom and candy sugar ones!

I'm just glad I got a chance to experience these wonderful moments and they are now crossed off, enjoyed and treasured.
Eventually I will move onto the next things on my list but damn, this is a great start for a girl who wanted to do everything there is in this world but didnt know where to start!
I already feel stronger in myself and  clearer in mind about what I would like.

Have you travelled alone?
What experiences would you like to have?


Birdie Love
xxx