Travel Diary: Post-Lockdown Time in London

IN THE SECOND week of May, just after the Bank Holiday, we decided to spend some time back in London. We normally visit several times a year, but since 2020 was the year of the Great Lockdown, the last time we had been was the May previously to meet up with a friend from Spain—it was hot then and perfect for traipsing about. P had heard that there would be a heat wave this time around (until now it had been unseasonably cold) and we thought it might be less busy after the holiday weekend and just before everything was set to open again on May 17th, so we booked our trip before then. As it turns out, the heat wave never happened and because the opening before the 17th involved only outdoor terraces, it was rainy and cold. In hindsight, we realised we should have waited a little longer, at least until indoor service at pubs and restaurants was reinstated, for sitting on terraces in the rain not what we had anticipated. We also really got a sense of the impact the pandemic had on the city, for some pubs were closed, never to return again, as running things as outdoor terrace space only was simply not an option for many places. We also had difficulty finding terraces to accommodate us, as many places only offered seating for pre-booked reservations, so brunch at The Ivy was out. It was not the London we knew, the one where you could find a packed Soho at 1:00 in the morning on a wonderfully warm spring night on a wander in search of dumplings; the one with cosy pubs with flickering chandeliers from wood ceiling beams filled with drifting conversations over perfectly poured pints; the London with parks scattered with people lounging about on blankets in the grass. Nevertheless, we still had a lovely time together, as we always do, visiting old haunts and discovering new ones, eating delicious food, the kind that can only be found here, and finding new places for morning flat whites. Here are a few shots of the time we spent in this beautiful city…