With Love, From London

There is nothing quite so inspiring as wandering through London in the early hours of a Sunday morning as the city slowly come to life. In that first golden hour, as the majority are still recovering from their Saturday night shenanigans, one can find a tranquil escape wandering along the cobblestones and tarmac.

There is never a dull moment in London. The vibrant city feeds on the life buzzing within it, which is one reason why the quiet moments are likely to hold the most promise of excitement, for it is within these moments that the unexpected can and will occur.

Exiting Westminster Station to the stunning backdrop of the nation's most iconic image contains an element of magic in and of itself. The beautiful clear blue sky speckled with the occasional flirtatious cloud created an idyllic setting to take in the grandeur of the Palace of Westminster with its unforgettable Elizabeth Tower which holds Big Ben.

Yet the view, despite all its glory, was not the highlight of the moment. Walking towards Westminster bridge in order to cross over towards the London Eye, we noticed a commotion on the other side of the road. A massive Panavision crane was in motion focusing on a crowd moving on cue. We stood and watched as Rebecca Ferguson filmed a mini scene for Mission Impossible 5 in awe at the process unfolding before us. Though strangely surreal it was thrilling to watch this small frame of filming take place and it took us quite some time to pluck up the courage to give up hope of watching the next frame occur and walk away from the recurring scene before us.

Walking on past the London Eye and crossing back over the Thames on the Millennium bridge, we watched the street vendors prepare to open for the day and the taxis begin to prowl. Passing the old home of Scotland Yard, we eventually found ourselves at Trafalgar Square where police were holding back traffic for an approaching military parade. Brass band trumpeting away at full force they marched towards us from Buckingham Palace passing through Admiralty Arch and disappearing off down the road.

Passing under Admiralty Arch, we were soon in the heart of St. James' Park and tummies rumbling ready for breakfast we were happy to find we weren't far from one of my favorite stops. Just nest to the waterfowl pond, sits a little restaurant called Inn the Park. Here we sat down for some heart warming tea and a scrumptious breakfast which disappeared quickly. Sitting outside, admiring the fountain and watching the number of people in the park quickly multiply we  finished off our drinks and headed back into the busy city of London we know so well.

London is a magical city which is heaving with people 85% of the time, so if you find yourself lucky enough to be exploring London, make the effort to wake up early on a Sunday morning to experience the city in its true glory and maybe even experience some of the unexpected magic that will undoubtedly occur.