“Look, look, look! There’s a fox!”It’s around one in the morning, and we’re strolling back to our hotel after a night out in London. Suddenly, a fox appears just a few metres away, right in the middle of the city. We knew London had foxes, but we’d never actually seen one. Naturally, we stop in our tracks, completely fascinated. Running into a wild animal on our way home from a night in Soho is not a surprise we saw coming. And yet, this weekend has already been full of them.
It’s February, and we’re back in one of our favourite European cities. This time, though, Matthieu has secretly planned the trip for Sébastien. Hotel, activities, nights out: almost everything is arranged, with the itinerary revealed one surprise at a time. As soon as we arrive, we head to Middle Eight, our hotel conveniently located near Covent Garden. We drop off our bags, enjoy a little glass of champagne, and head straight back out to explore London. First stop: Brick Lane, one of our favourite neighbourhoods, with its vintage shops, street art and, above all, its famous rainbow bagels. Getting one has become a little ritual whenever we visit. Later, we head to a pool hall where Matthieu has booked a table. A few games, a few drinks and plenty of laughs: the trip is off to a good start.
But Matthieu has another place up his sleeve: Cahoots Underground, a cocktail bar designed to look like an old London Underground station. We head downstairs into a 1940s-inspired setting, complete with vintage posters and a wonderfully retro atmosphere. Even the cocktails are unusual: some arrive in vessels shaped like Winston Churchill or Queen Elizabeth II. Drinking a cocktail straight out of Churchill’s head is certainly not something you do every day. And it tastes fantastic, too! We keep the night going in London’s bars, including our obligatory stop at the Duke of Wellington in Soho. It’s one of those places we love returning to every time we’re in town.
The next morning, after a good workout at the hotel, it’s time for another surprise: afternoon tea on a sightseeing bus. Yes, it’s about as touristy as London gets, but we have so much fun! Matthieu has booked the two seats right at the front, giving us a perfect view of the city streets. We sip our tea and enjoy little pastries while London’s landmarks roll past the windows. The other passengers are almost all women, and we’re the only two guys on the bus. We laugh endlessly and discover a completely different way to see a city we already know so well. Afterwards, we wander around Big Ben and Covent Garden before heading to the next surprise.
That evening, Matthieu takes us to the enormous O2 in Greenwich. Sébastien still has no idea why we’re here. Then, as we approach the entrance, the signs finally give it away: Mamma Mia! The Party. As two huge fans of ABBA and Mamma Mia!, we couldn’t have wished for a better surprise. Inside, we step into a Greek taverna, with an impressive set and performers moving among the guests throughout dinner. The food is good, though nothing extraordinary, but the show is brilliant. The format is especially clever: the courses and performances take turns, so we can enjoy the entertainment without having to choose between watching the artists and finishing our food. Whenever the show starts up again, the energy rises another notch. The songs keep coming, and the audience is particularly enthusiastic that night. Everyone sings, claps, gets to their feet and dances to ABBA’s biggest hits. The whole taverna turns into one big party, and we have an absolutely memorable evening.
The following day, we head to Broadway Market in Hackney. This historic market, set along a shopping street for more than a century, has become a real destination for food lovers. Between the street-food stalls, independent makers, vintage clothes and specialities from around the world, it’s hard not to stop every ten metres. Of course, we sample a few treats before continuing our walk to an urban farm. Seeing farm animals in the middle of London is quite unexpected! We end the afternoon near Tower Bridge, just in time to catch the last light over the Thames.
As night falls, we head to Canary Wharf, a business district we’ve never really explored before. Every winter, the neighbourhood hosts Winter Lights, a free festival that turns its streets, squares and waterfronts into an open-air gallery of illuminated art. International artists create installations, some of them enormous, combining projections, colours, movement and light. Some works are also part of the area’s permanent collections. We wander between skyscrapers discovering the artworks, whose reflections in the water give the whole place an almost futuristic feel. It’s cold, but the walk is beautiful and shows us a different side of London. We finish the evening by passing through Chinatown before returning to Soho and our beloved Duke of Wellington. Given how often we come back, you’d almost think we had a loyalty card.
And since we clearly aren’t ready to call it a night, we move on to Village Soho, a gay bar and club literally next door to the Duke of Wellington. This time, we swap relaxed drinks for the dance floor and spend the rest of the night dancing until the venue closes. We certainly make the most of our last night in London!
The trip is already coming to an end. Matthieu had planned a whole series of surprises, each one helping us rediscover London in a different way. We’ve revisited favourite places, explored new neighbourhoods and, above all, laughed a lot. As for the fox we spotted on our way home, that definitely wasn’t part of the plan. But perhaps that’s what we love most about London: even when we think we know the city well, it always finds another way to surprise us.