When we first visited London 35 years ago, people carried paper maps instead of smartphones and if you wanted directions, you had to ask an actual human being. Imagine that.
There’s something surreal about returning to a city after 35 years. In our memories, London still felt wrapped in foggy mornings, red phone booths, paper maps, and the thrill of riding the Underground for the very first time. Stepping back into the city after all these years felt like opening an old photo album. Once opened we discovered someone had added entirely new chapters while preserving the originals.
But first, how did we get here?
We did not plan on visiting England this trip. But, we decided on a whim to take another transatlantic cruise back home instead of flying back. So, here we are taking the Eurostar from Paris to London. Danny is excited to take the train through the Channel Tunnel, or Chunnel, for short. This undersea tunnel linking France to England didn’t exist the last time we visited London. Eurostar has interesting facts about the tunnel, completed in 1993. It’s about 32 miles long and approximately 24 miles of it is under the English Channel. It’s the world’s longest undersea tunnel and at its deepest point is 246 feet below the sea level.
I think of this as such a modern idea. Yet, did you know that a tunnel connecting the UK to France was first proposed back in the early 1800’s and supported by Napoleon? I didn’t know that either. In fact they started to build the tunnel in 1880 with a boring machine. It reached 1.25 miles out undersea by 1882. Despite the engineering success, the British government feared that the tunnel would expose the island to a potential French land invasion. So the project was halted.
The train ride from Paris to London is only 2 1/4 hours. You’re in the tunnel about 20 minutes or so. It’s a bit uneventful if you’re expecting to see anything while you’re under water. You go from a bright countryside into a dark tunnel. Only your own reflection is in the window. Then suddenly you’re back into the bright light and getting your first glimpse of the English countryside. A smooth and easy train ride.
Getting Settled
We checked into our apartment on the 28th floor of a high rise building. The views are amazing both day and night.
London
We awoke the next morning to cool, foggy and rainy weather. Oh, and the tube is on strike today, so many routes are closed or greatly delayed. Now this brings back memories from our last trip here.
We decided to find something to do inside that’s not a museum, to avoid the downpour of rain outside. Don’t judge, we just don’t enjoy spending hours in a museum unless there’s something we really want to see. So upon review of the tube lines that aren’t too affected by the strike, we went to an indoor antique mall today. Hopefully the weather tomorrow will be better for outdoor sightseeing.
Alfies Antique Market
Alfies Antique Market is London’s biggest indoor antiques and vintage market. There are approximately 100 dealers spread out over four floors and there’s a cafe and rooftop terrace.
If you love antiques, collectibles, and the thrill of the hunt like we do, this is the place to be. Housed in a former department store, this four-story treasure trove packs a lot under one roof. We wandered through a veritable maze of booths with silver, crystal, vintage jewelry, Art Deco furniture, quirky memorabilia. There are enough treasures to make our carry on suitcases nervous, since they’re already full. Even if you’re not buying, Alfies is pure entertainment. It’s part museum, part time machine, and a huge test of your self-control. I kept repeating to myself “no buying…we are downsizing when we get back home ”. Just remember, that “small souvenir” you fall in love with today might weigh 40 pounds and require its own airplane seat back home with you!
When in England, eat…Indian food
When we travel to England, we follow a simple rule: eat ethnic food, especially Indian. It’s not that England doesn’t have its own cuisine. But after a few menus featuring pies, mash, and mysterious items described as “pudding,” a fragrant curry starts looking like the wisest decision of the day. Fortunately, London serves some of the best Indian food outside of India. There are rich curries, fresh naan, and spices that wake up your taste buds, after they’ve spent the afternoon politely sipping tea of course. Besides, if you’re going to embrace British tradition, you might as well enjoy one of the nation’s favorite meals—a good curry.
We had an awesome lunch special at Kachori Indian Restaurant in Elephant Park, across from our apartment building. Our local host recommended it and we’re so glad we went. The two course lunch is £16, or about $21.50. Delicious! Look closely, you’ll see two of us in the background.
A slight reprieve from the rain
In between rain showers, we wandered through familiar streets. There are centuries-old pubs still leaning slightly with age, church bells still echoing through narrow lanes, and black cabs still weaving through traffic. Yet towering glass skyscrapers now rise beside historic stone buildings. Food markets serve flavors from every corner of the world. Neighborhoods we barely remembered have transformed into vibrant cultural hubs. London somehow became more modern without losing the character that we so enjoyed decades ago.
Returning to London after so many years feels like stepping into two different worlds at once. The city still holds its royal history, iconic landmarks, and timeless charm. But modern architecture, revitalized neighborhoods, and new attractions have completely reshaped parts of the capital.
Thirty-five years ago, the city seemed defined by historic landmarks. Today, modern skyscrapers compete for attention. Yet no matter how many shiny towers appear, the familiar sight of Big Ben still steals the show. Some things never go out of style.
Here are the places that stood out most on our return visit.
Iconic Landmarks
Palace of Westminster, Big Ben & Westminster Abbey
Some places simply never lose their magic. Standing in the heart of Westminster feels like stepping into centuries of British history, royalty, and tradition. Dominating the area is the Palace of Westminster, home to the British Parliament. The original royal palace dates back nearly 1,000 years, although most of the building seen today was rebuilt after a devastating fire destroyed much of the complex in 1834.
Rising above the palace is the iconic Elizabeth Tower, better known as Big Ben. While most people use the name for the tower itself, Big Ben is actually the great 13.5-ton bell inside. Completed in 1859, over 165 years later its clock remains one of the most recognizable and reliable timepieces in the world. Hearing its chimes echo across London while standing among nearly a thousand years of British history is one of those classic London moments that never gets old.
Beside Parliament stands Westminster Abbey, one of Britain’s most important churches. Founded by Benedictine monks around 960 AD, the abbey has hosted every coronation since 1066 and has witnessed countless royal weddings, funerals, and historic events. More than 3,000 people are buried or commemorated here, including kings, queens, scientists, poets, and writers, making it a remarkable monument to the nation’s history.
London Eye
Towering above the Thames, London Eye undoubtedly offers some of the best views in the city. Of course it didn’t exist last time we visited. It opened in 2000 to celebrate the new millennium. The giant observation wheel, initially intended as a temporary attraction, swiftly became one of London’s most beloved landmarks. Standing at an impressive height of 443 feet, it held the distinction of being the world’s tallest observation wheel at the time.
Buckingham Palace
No matter how much London changes, Buckingham Palace remains one of the city’s defining landmarks. No visit to central London is complete without a stop at Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the British monarch. Originally built in 1703, it transformed into a royal palace in the 19th century. It served as the monarch’s principal residence since the reign of Queen Victoria. With its 775 rooms, iconic balcony, and the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony, Buckingham Palace remains one of London’s most recognizable symbols of the British monarchy. Seeing the palace and its grand forecourt in person offers a glimpse into more than 300 years of royal history.
Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery and St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church
A short walk from Buckingham Palace brings us to Trafalgar Square, one of London’s most famous public spaces. Created in the 1840s to commemorate Britain’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, the square is dominated by Nelson’s Column and surrounded by historic buildings and fountains.
Overlooking the square is the National Gallery (1824), home to one of the world’s finest collections of European art, featuring masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Leonardo da Vinci. If you do enjoy museums, most museums are completely free of charge. Although you do have to pay a fee to enter major historic churches, unless you’re attending mass. This is because the UK government funds national museums, while active places of worship rely on entry fees and donations to maintain their buildings.
Beside the square stands St Martin-in-the-Fields, a beautiful church whose history dates back to medieval times. The current building, completed in 1726, became a model for countless churches around the English-speaking world and is known today for its music programs and community outreach.
10 Downing Street, Horse Guards Building and those iconic red phone booths
Just a short walk away, we went to see 10 Downing Street, the official residence and office of the British Prime Minister since 1735. Because there’s a lot of activity here today, we didn’t get to see the famous black door through the tight security gates.
Around the corner, the King’s Horse Guards provide a great photo opportunity. Members of the Household Cavalry, dressed in ceremonial uniforms and mounted on immaculately groomed horses, have stood guard here for centuries while protecting the monarch and royal palaces.
Here’s one of London’s greatest mysteries. Nobody uses telephone booths anymore. Nobody needs telephone booths anymore. Yet the iconic red booths, introduced in the 1920s, are still standing proudly throughout the city. They’ve survived smartphones, texting, social media, and probably several city councils that tried to figure out what to do with them. At this point, I suspect they’re protected by some ancient British law. These bright red kiosks have become lasting symbols of London. Sadly, these particular booths on this corner are in rough shape.
Another pub… another lunch
Danny isn’t a happy camper as we stood underneath stone arches for a while so we can get out from the unending rain. Once it slowed down a bit, we popped into a pub for a drink and lunch to dry out. We opted for traditional British fare this time. Danny had the bangers and mash, while I had the beef and cheese pie with mash. We actually had a nice meal. Although we still would have loved an extra kick of seasoning, like sriracha or tabasco. I guess that’s just the Cajun in us.
Borough Market
Of course, we make an exception to our “eat Indian food in England” rule: Borough Market. Dating back more than 1,000 years, this historic market near London Bridge has been feeding Londoners since medieval times. It is now one of the city’s top food destinations. We happily spent hours wandering past artisan cheeses, fresh-baked breads, sizzling street food, and desserts that somehow convinced us we still had room for one more bite. This is a “must see” (and taste) if you’re in town.
Borough Market proves that England’s food scene has come a long way from its old reputation. Between the market’s incredible variety and London’s world-class Indian restaurants, we never worried about going hungry—only about whether our pants would still fit by the end of the trip…and that’s still debatable.
Our favorite eats at Borough market
Well, we did have good intentions to just “sample” and share a few things that are raved about. But, it turned into a smorgasbord of sampling. Everything we ate was so delicious, so I see why there’s so much social media buzz about some of these food stalls.
Bread Ahead Doughnuts
OMG! The crème brûlée doughnuts at Bread Ahead are crispy, crackly magic. Think soft brioche pastry fried until fluffy. Then stuff it with vanilla crème custard, pile it high with light brown sugar and then coil fire burn the top to form a glassy caramelized sugar crust you crunch into when you bite into it. No wonder there’s always a line. This thing is phenomenally delicious and absolutely lives up to the hype. So good that we also had to try another one filled with coconut cream. Oh well, so much for sharing. P.S., if you happen to be in Manhattan they have a location there, so you don’t have to travel all the way to London.
The Black Pig
We ate the legendary Black Pig sandwich, “the best one with crackling” (or, cracklins as we say in Louisiana) at Borough Market. Wow, it’s piled high with slow-roasted pork, fennel and apple slaw, a rich honey truffle mayo, salsa verde, peperoncini sott’olio (Calabrian peppers in olive oil), crunchy bits of crackling, and smothered in 30 month aged grated Parmesan cheese. Unbelievable, every bite was messy, indulgent, and completely worth it. The toasted ciabatta somehow managed to hold together under the mountain of flavorful meat and ingredients, while the slaw had just enough freshness to balance the richness with that kick of heat from the peppers. The added crunchiness of the crackling is right up our Louisiana alley. The line isn’t too long today, but the bleacher style seating is packed. After one bite, it’s easy to understand why so many people consider this the best sandwich in London.
Frozen Aperol Spritz
We decided we needed to take a break from eating, as we are thirsty. We noticed a wine shop and then spotted their frozen margarita machine with Aperol slushies and prosecco. Hook us up! We felt right at home when the server handed us our glass and said self serve. It felt just like we are at home with our own machine. Another delicious treat. Danny started talking to someone next to us, Jill, who happens to be a flight attendant on a layover walking around the market with her flight crew. Small world as they shared flying stories.
We realized we hadn’t had dessert yet. We don’t count the doughnuts as that’s an after breakfast snack. 😉
Khanom Krok
Khanom Krok is a Thai street food cart known for their traditional foods and their coconut pudding mini pancakes. She poured the batter into a hot pan while they cooked. We split an order of 8, ok they are small. We recently returned from a trip in Thailand and when she handed me my order I told her thank you in Thai. Her eyes lit up. She said these are very hot and to wait a few minutes before eating them.
While waiting for them to cool, she brought us another order that had already cooled so we’d have something to eat immediately. Well, we attempted portion control, but we didn’t want to refuse her kindness, so we ate those too! These are soft, sweet, gooey, and full of fresh coconut flavor. Amazing, now I wish we had more room to try her mango sticky rice with black coconut ice cream. Maybe next time.
Don’t forget to sample while you’re walking around the market
We did get to sample while walking around. One stall had beautiful strawberries they packed into a cup and poured melted chocolate from a fountain on top. Yummy. Then there is prosciutto and Spanish ham, cheese, bread, olive oil, truffles, etc. so save room for munching.
The Ginger Pig
Ok, we had one final stop before we left the market. We are so full we decided to order a sausage roll from the Ginger Pig to eat with our salad tonight. Yes, that’s right I said salad. I think we may have oversampled today, so a light supper is on the agenda.
This isn’t your average grab-and-go pastry. The flaky, buttery puff pastry shatters with every bite, giving way to a generous filling of perfectly seasoned pork that’s juicy, rich, and packed with flavor. We ordered the sausage and Stilton roll. Made by a renowned London butcher, these oversized sausage rolls have developed an almost cult following among locals and visitors alike. One roll is substantial enough to be a meal, and after the first bite, it’s easy to understand why so many people consider it one of the best sausage rolls in London.
My immediate thought is this is similar to kolaches we have in Texas. However, this is buttery puff pastry instead and a gigantic sausage the size of your fist. So yeah, glad we split this delicious treat.
Tower of London & Tower Bridge
No visit to London feels complete without gazing at the mighty Tower of London and the iconic Tower Bridge. Although they sit side by side along the River Thames, they are often mistaken for the same attraction. The Tower of London dates back nearly 1,000 years, having been founded by William the Conqueror in 1066. Over the centuries, it has served as a royal palace, prison, fortress, treasury, and even a zoo. Today, it is home to the Crown Jewels and countless tales of intrigue, betrayal, and execution.
Just steps away stands Tower Bridge, completed in 1894 after eight years of construction. Its famous movable roadways, still lift around 800 times each year to allow tall ships to pass beneath. Together, these two landmarks tell the story of London’s evolution from a medieval stronghold to one of the world’s great modern cities. Even after decades, Tower Bridge still delivers that classic “we’re really in London” feeling. The views along the Thames have changed dramatically with modern skyscrapers rising behind the historic bridge, making it feel both timeless and brand new. Most of these skyscrapers weren’t here during our last visit.
Now for a bit of real nostalgia…before and after
The last time we visited, we not only didn’t have a smart phone, we didn’t even have a mobile phone at all. If you recall, personal cell phones didn’t really come out commercially until the late 1990s to early 2000s.
Here’s the one and only photo I happen to have on my phone from our visit decades ago. It’s not a very good one unfortunately. I’m posting this while we’re in London, so I don’t have access to my old original photo albums at home. By chance, I had imported this old photo into my phone some time ago for a photo book project, which is the only reason I have this copy now.
Here’s the before and after photo. Do we look a lot different today, than we did 35 years ago? Sure our waists are thinner and our hair darker and thicker back then, but that’s what decades of living will do to you.
The Shard
Thirty-five years ago, this skyline icon didn’t exist. Once the tallest building in the UK when it opened in 2013, it’s over 1,000 feet tall at 93 stories. We saw the top of this building peeking out as we walked all over town. The Shard offers one of the most breathtaking panoramic views of London on the open air sky deck on the 72nd floor. Sadly, the rain and cloudy weather is not the time for us to ride up to check out the sky deck.
Exploring Portobello Road Market
Walking through Portobello Road Market feels like stepping into one of the few corners of London that still carries the same soul I remember from decades ago. The market remains wonderfully chaotic in the best possible way — crowded sidewalks, colorful storefronts, antique treasures stacked high on tables, and vendors calling out to shoppers hunting for hidden gems.
The antiques section is still the heart of the market and one of the largest antique markets in the world, certainly the largest in the UK. We saw everything from vintage silverware and old maps to antique cameras, pocket watches, jewelry, and quirky collectibles that looked like they belonged in a museum. Even if you don’t buy a thing, wandering through the stalls and arcades feels like a treasure hunt through history.
Each street surrounding the market displays a neighborhood with rows of colorful and expensive homes, especially Notting Hill. It feels more polished and internationally famous now, but Portobello Market itself still keeps its slightly eccentric charm. Here, street musicians play on corners, cafés spill onto sidewalks, and every few feet you’ll hear a different language spoken by travelers from around the world.
We are shopping on Friday afternoon and it’s very busy. Saturday is surely packed with crowds. It’s reported that over 100,000 people visit here on weekends. My suggestion is to take your time, wander beyond the main tourist stretch, and don’t be afraid to chat (and bargain) with vendors. Some of the best stories in London aren’t found in a museum— they’re sitting quietly on the shelves of Portobello Road waiting to be discovered and brought home (unless of course you’re downsizing…dang it!). ☹️
Final thoughts about our return
Returning to London after 35 years felt like meeting an old friend who got a new wardrobe, learned a few new tricks, and suddenly started drinking specialty coffee. Sure, the city has changed, but underneath all that modern polish, it’s still the London we remembered—just with better food and fewer paper maps.
Speaking of maps, back then, tourists wandered London clutching folded maps the size of picnic blankets. Today, everyone follows a tiny blue dot on a smartphone. The result? People rarely get lost anymore. The downside? They also rarely look up. One of my interesting discoveries on this trip is noticing how many visitors walked past beautiful architecture while staring intently at Google Maps. Thirty-five years ago, getting lost often led to unexpected discoveries. Today, getting lost requires your phone battery to die.
We returned here expecting a familiar city filled with old memories. But we discovered a place that had evolved tremendously while still holding onto its history, character, and charm. From iconic landmarks, bustling markets and memorable food, London gave us plenty of reasons to get reacquainted with it all over again. This nostalgic return wasn’t just a trip down memory lane—it was a reminder that some destinations are worth revisiting, no matter how much time has passed.
This city easily balances history and reinvention. One moment we stood in awe of landmarks that have watched over London for generations, and the next we found ourselves exploring trendy riverside walkways, hidden courtyards, and bustling markets packed with locals and travelers alike. Every turn revealed another layer of the city.
The biggest surprise
Perhaps the biggest surprise Is the food. Thirty-five years ago, London’s culinary reputation wasn’t exactly legendary. Even the British joked about British cooking. Today, London may be one of the world’s great food cities. You can find incredible cuisine from virtually every corner of the globe. Street food markets, international restaurants, and creative chefs have transformed the city into a food lover’s paradise. So, perhaps the old joke about bland British food has officially expired.
However, despite all the changes, some things remain the same. Take the weather for example. It still enjoys keeping us guessing. One moment you’re enjoying the sunshine. Ten minutes later you’re buying an umbrella. Fifteen minutes after that you’re carrying the umbrella while standing in sunshine again. I guess some traditions deserve preservation.
Today we do have a different appreciation for the pace of travel. Back then, we rushed to visit and photograph the top 10 famous sights. This time, we slowed down a bit. We walked the neighborhoods daily (when it finally stopped raining), watched the city come to life along the Thames, and spent the evening tucked into a cozy pub. London no longer felt like a checklist of top attractions. It felt personal, familiar, and somehow even more exciting than we remembered.
For two travelers returning after 35 years, perhaps the greatest discovery of all is not that London has changed dramatically. Of course it has. The city became more modern, more diverse, more connected, and certainly more expensive. Yet beneath the skyscrapers, smartphones, diverse food and contactless payments, the same character, beauty and magic remains.
Let’s hope we don’t wait as long to visit again…
Join us soon for our next post as we travel to Southampton, England to set sail on our transatlantic cruise to New York City on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.