London Trip Day 6 (June 7, 2011): The Perfect Day

We have officially given up trying to wake up at any sort of reasonable hour. Even though we are averaging 11-12 hours of sleep a night I don't think Jenn and I have got going once on this trip before lunch time. Today was no exception.

The plan of today was a simple one. Go down to St James Park where I proposed almost three years ago (July 3, 2008), hang out on the bench down there, walk around the massive park, and head out to dinner at Gaucho Sloane the restaurant we had reservations for the night we got engaged but decided not to go to, to rest up for the rest of the big trip.

Jenn Directing us to St. James Park

We ended up getting up at around noon time and walking to Fullham Underground and taking it to St. James Park. It is about a 15 minute walk from our hotel and luckily the weather cooperated all day. Jenn being the navigator got us to the Tube Station quickly and on to the park with no trouble at all. We walked straight into the park on what looked like a mirror replica of the day I proposed chances of rain but the sun shining through. We made it back to the same bench I proposed on, took pictures, and just sat and talked for a good half hour. Also nearly identical to that day three years ago a squirrel came up and joined us on the bench looking for food.

Beautiful View of the London Eye from St James Park

Sitting on the Bench Where I Proposed

Jenn Sitting Just As She Was 3 Years Ago

From there we stopped at a small food stand for lunch, I got a hot dog and a coke and Jenn got a waffle with whipped cream and syrup. We then walked over to some lounge chairs spread out around the park and sat there for a good hour talking, eating, and enjoying the sun shine. It wasn't until we saw the guard collecting the money for sitting in those seats that we decided to head out and take in some of the main tourist attractions in the area. We walked around Buckingham Palace and then jumped back on the underground and came up on the Westminster Tube Stop and took pictures around Big Ben, London Eye, and Parliament. We then jumped back on the tube and headed back to our hotel. This time instead of going to Fullham we took the Tube to West Brompton and then switched to the Overground to take us literally a minute from our hotel at Imperial Wharf. I didn't believe it the first time I came with Jenn to London many years ago but she is the master of Tube travel.

Eating Waffles in the Park

Standing in Front of Buckingham Palace

Jenn Standing In Green Park

Standing By a Tree in Green Park

Beautiful Day to Be Walking in the Park

London Eye

Big Ben

At that point we had about two hours until our 7PM dinner reservation at Gaucho Sloane so we went back to the hotel room and relaxed. Once Jenn got ready in her beautiful dress we walked back to the Overground and took the Tube to South Kensington and had a five minute walk to Gaucho Sloane. You may be wondering what is so special about this restaurant. Well first off we have been wanting to go back ever since I made reservations for the night we got engaged. Secondly it was highly recommended from the American Express travel agent I went through a few years back. Lastly it is a world renowned steak house and if you know Jenn and I you know we both love our meat.

Jenn Getting Ready for our Dinner Date

So we made our way to the restaurant they opened the doors as we walked in, got us seated and walked us through the different cuts of meat they offered. Jenn started with a Cosmo (her new favorite drink) and I had a glass of sauvignon blanc. We started off with King Scallops which looked like anything but "kind scallops". They also had baby scallops on the menu which we joked we would have loved to have seen how small those were. Regardless for the small portion that was offered they were delicious. There was a really interesting seasoning to them that made us go through them within seconds.

Jenn Loving Her Cosmo

Ready to Go with the Wine

King Scallops

Our main course we go the 500 gram Rib Eye for two. We got a side of potatoes and a salad, and I switched over to a red wine for dinner. The steak was the best piece of meat I have ever eaten and Jenn concurred. Not only was it extremely tender but the flavor was out of this world. The pairing of that with the red wine that the waitress recommended really made me feel like I was in heaven.  We finished off the meal with dessert, Jenn got a slice of cheesecake and I had a chocolate tart cake with ice cream and a glass of dessert wine. This was by far the best meal I have had in London and one of the best meals I have ever had, it was worth the wait.

Delicious Rib Eye

Side of Potatoes

Side Salad

Delicious Desert

Jenn's Cheesecake

Jenn Standing In Front of Gaucho Sloane

We ended up taking the Tube/Overground back to the hotel and it worked out perfectly with no problems at all. Today was one of those days that six months, a year, maybe even five years Jenn and I will look back and talk about and smile. In a lot of ways today was a perfect day.