I wake up to an array of goodies from The Bread Shop or Gail’s Bread both on/near St. John’s Wood High St.  These must be consumed with a delicious, frothy, cocoa-doused cappuccino.  My baby girl, Isla, is talking to herself in her bed and I walk in to see her beautiful smile, brighter than the morning sun.  Hubby isn’t working…so off we go, to soak up London.

Honestly, I’d be completely happy just walking all day, stumbling around cobbled-stoned side streets seeing where London takes me.  But since, today is particularly perfect, I’ll hit a few of my favorite spots.  We’ll start in our area, roaming around Primrose Hill, past pastel-colored homes.  I always think this neighborhood feels particularly European and less English.  Then, off to Regent’s Park to Queen Mary’s rose garden where all the roses are at their peak.  Gorgeous colors, and literally, breathtaking scents.  Isla loves to crinkle her nose, smell the flowers and laugh. Very sweet.

It must be approaching midday by this time, so we head south of the Thames to Borough Market for lunch.  It’s an amazing space under some train tracks in the same place that markets have been held since the Roman occupation.  You can feel it too.  Roaming through the stalls and tables, we pick at various stinky cheeses, fresh rosemary bread rounds, big brownies, scrumptious pies (and by pies, I mean savoury not sweet).  We check out beers from around the world, take pictures of the colorful fresh produce, and get dumped out in front of my favorite coffee shop…ever.  Monmouth Coffee Company.  A filter coffee while standing on the old, dusty, worn wood floors does us well and we continue our walk.  We pass Vinopolis which I still haven’t taken the time to explore, but maybe today I’d have a few hours to do so.  My husband loves the whisky shop in there.  We then head under an old archway walking on cobblestones, peeking at the river from time to time, tempted to eat at kid-friendly Wagamama‘s.  We continue this lovely walk along the river, passing Shakespeare Globe Theater, continuing to Millenium pedestrian bridge where Isla can drag her feet on the ridged metal making funny sounds.  We take in the sight of the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Catching the tube to Liverpool Station, walking towards Spitalfields market, we pop into one the greatest little shops: A Gold.  It sells all sorts of Britishy goods, we pick a new one to try and head onwards to Brick Lane for some outstanding Indian food. Ahhhh.  I’ve tried a handful of places and, really, I have no favorite, they all satisfy my craving.

{Photo by fylin}

The evening has arrived and it’s a date night.  Naturally, Mary Poppins arrives at our flat by brolly.  What?  A girl can dream.  Off we go to the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill to see whatever movie is playing, drink wine, sit in actual arm chairs with more space than we have in our ‘reception’ room and put our tired feet up on ottomans, for real.  Afterwards, we bundle up for a chilly, drizzly London evening, catch a cab, and take a walk on the river…perhaps crossing the Waterloo bridge (spectacular at night) and even stopping into fancy schmancy hotel, The Savoy for a nightcap.  Heading home, it’s somehow become a warm, still-light summer night, we stand outside at any local pub, drink a pint and then call it a night.

Thankfully, all of the food and alcohol consumed today is completely calorie-free and in fact, I’ve lost a few pounds.  Thanks perfect day.

Lauren is a freelance photo editor who lives in London with her husband and one-year-old baby.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}