Bougie On A Budget- Solo Travels

01/06/2026

If you're looking for the best fish and chips in London, try Oli's. Soooo much food!

31/05/2026

Yall today has been a day! All done SOLO! I left the hotel at 7 am. Started off my morning with iced caramel late and a chocolate scone. Biked to Buckingham Palace to ride in the gardens- so peaceful. From there ended up seeing Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. Stumbled upon Chinatown where I fueled up on spring rolls and a coke. Picked up a couple of souvenirs and headed to Borough Market. Bought donut peaches, cherries and strawberries for my lunch. Yummy! Fruit outside the US is a whole other level. Went all the way back to hotel to freshen up and drop my bags (and p*e 😆) Then headed back out to bike to Skygarden (lemoncello spritzer). Took Uber to wrong Orangery (who knew there was another place called the Orangery...and no where close to Kensington! 🤬). Another Uber was summoned to take me to the Orangery I wanted. Well, the Palace Gates where I sp*ed walked to the restaurant and was 15 minutes late to my reservation. I had the best tea ever, then grabbed another bike and headed to Abby Road. Passed it twice because its just a normal crosswalk! (where cars stop if they feel like it 🙄) From there biked to Camden because it was the closest docking station for that dang bike 🤪. Called an Uber to take me to what I Googled as the best fish and chips place in London. Then Ubered back to my hotel. My neck is killing me and so are my legs and dont even mention my feet! Hardest part of the day? Right turns and not drinking much fluids because I didn't have pounds to pay for the public loos!

Step count: 23,259
miles biked: 22
Hips that will need a cortisone shot: 1
Toes with blisters: 2
Feet that are useless: 2
Times I almost got hit by a car or bus: 6
Times I was cussed out- just the one surprising
Times I was honked at for being in the wrong lane: 10
Dreams that came to fruition: too numerous to count
Below is a video of why my neck hurts 😆 and this wasn't even the heavy traffic...believe me, it got way worse! I finally figured out left turns, but right turns got me close to becoming roadkill. To prevent that, I would pull onto sidewalks. walk my bike to the pedestrian crossing and try again. 🤷‍♀️

31/05/2026

31/05/2026

Skygarden was a whole experience!

31/05/2026

The Orangery at Kensington Palace Gardens

31/05/2026

Salty and Snotty Scones Still Taste Delicious

This was a moment I'll never forget. Tea time at Kensington Palace- The Orangery

The "are you expecting someone?" stung a second. Looking around at all the tables with 2 made me frown a bit. The classical music playing in the tune of the Ed Sheran played at my wedding made my eyes drip and my nose run. I had to use my hands to wipe everything away because they had those damn white expensive embroidered linen napkins and yall know I wear that makeup lol.
Nothing classy about wiping your nose over and over hoping it will stop.

The wait staff catered to me with the precision you'd expect. They moved flowers to my table. They took my picture. I felt like a princess. I even put my pinkie in the air when I sipped my tea. The food was phenomenal. I haven't had a tomato sandwich that good since childhood with my pawpaws tomatoes.

Did I order the tiered tray made for 2? You betcha. Did I take the 2nd and 3rd tiers to go? yup. Did they get squished and jostled as I carried them in my bookbag while biking miles through London? Unfortunately.

But for an hour I felt like royalty. And it was worth every penny. OK, SOMETIMES you have to be Bougie OFF a Budget!

Lesson from tea time at Kensington Gardens...

"Life is like a cup of tea; it’s all in how you make it, but the sweet parts are found when you steep through the bitter moments." – Author Unknown

"Sometimes all you need is a good cup of tea and a moment to realize you can handle whatever comes next." – Author Unknown

31/05/2026

When you happen to come across Chinatown in London, grab some spring rolls and keep it moving!

31/05/2026

If you are a solo traveler I HIGHLY RECOMMEND London! Easy to navigate, speak cute English, and felt safe everywhere! Do it IMMEDIATELY! No regerts!