Making the most of my surroundings I started the day with a quick run in Hyde Park! As always it was full of people and dogs and although Londoners aren't always the friendliest I was smiling from the inside out as I ran.
There's something magical about nature in the middle of a bustling city and as much as us Capetonians take the beauty of our city for granted so do the countless Londoners walking around with their heads down staring at the ground. I on the other hand was taking it all in! I ran past Kensington Palace and asked a tourist to take a picture of me before heading back for home. Luckily for me The Royal Albert Memorial serves as a great landmark as my sense of direction is almost non existent so I was able to find my way back out the Queen's Gate and to the flat with no troubles.
After a quick shower and change we headed out to meet Peter at Sloane Square.
Mum and I both needed to add to our outfits for the dress up part of the wedding so after a lot of hugging and squealing we started off down the King's Road.
When I was little mum and I used to do the occasional shopping spree down the King's Road and more than the clothing my favourite part was the people watching. Bags in hand we'd find a little cafe with tables spilling out onto the road, order a drink and sit back and watch. One of my favourite things about London is the incredible array of people. There's no judgement here, it's a case of be who you are, boldly. From punks to Sloanies and everything in between you can find it all walking around the streets of London. Our first destination embodies all that is weird and wonderful about this town, a punky dress up shop called Ad Hok that's been around for as long as I can remember.
We managed to find pretty much everything we needed. A wig, feather boas, glitter and gloves!
Peter and mum yay'd or nay'd my choices as the shop owner helped me find the best options for each. Bags in hand we headed back up the road for lunch whilst still in search of a faux fur jacket to go over my dress. By the time we got to Jigsaw we were too hungry to make decisions so decided to put shopping on hold and make eating the priority. We found a lovely Italian close to Zara which we'd decided was our next stop and ordered salads and wine!
It was so sweet to watch Peter and mum together. When she first moved to London, Peter was one of the first friends mum made.
Being far from her family and with a man that every other woman wanted, friends weren't that easy to come by but in Peter she found an ally and to this day their love for each other transcends the vast distance between them. I hadn't seen him in over a decade but I have many memories of him as a child and not a month goes by without mum recounting one story or another, often for the twentieth time! Through out lunch Peter would randomly look at her and say "it's my friend Lindy!" before giving her yet another squeeze.
After running into very good friends from South Africa that were also going to the wedding we got back on our way.
Zara delivered exactly the jacket I was looking for and Office provided mum with wellies and me with cheap sparkly sneakers I could throw away if ruined by the mud we were predicting for the after party. We made it home just in time to welcome one of my oldest friend's and Peter's partner, Carlos for yet more wine and snacks.
We cried with laughter many, many times before finally calling it a night after what was an incredibly happy day!
Love,
Daisy xx
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