I like this place & willingly could waste my time in it

Shakespeare wasn’t talking about London when he wrote that, but I saw it written in tiny graffiti along Southbank yesterday, and it stuck.

Whenever I go to London, I have a plan. I’m either headed up to see a play, show friends around, family vacation, etc. I’ve never really had a day in London where I could waste time. Until yesterday, that is.

I was headed into the city to stay overnight for my early morning flight from Heathrow – but decided to take the earliest train in so I could have the whole day. It seemed a waste not to – but when I landed in London, I realized I had no plans (besides a brief lunch date with my old housemate on her work break).

So I spent the day following Shakespeare’s advice.


^^ view from Waterloo bridge over the Thames after meeting up with George for lunch

^^ it’s gorgeous, even if it was already getting dark at 3pm!


^ pretty graffiti on south bank

^ walking along Southbank

^^ pop up installation on the refugee crisis

^^pop up craft/boutique stalls

^^ love the light of the setting sun…St Paul’s Cathedral in the distance

^^Shakespeare’s Globe, the open theater is closed for the season

^^ borough market, my favorite London market, decked out for the holidays

^ Southwark Cathedral peeking through… I didn’t even notice the “drunk cheese” banner til looking back at this photo!!

^ I couldn’t resist buying some stocking stuffers, my favorite GF onion bhaji, oh and mulled wine…

^^ The Shard, Tower Bridge… Basically testing my monument naming skills.

^^pretty white lights surrounding St Paul’s

^^courtyard of St Bart’s hospital… Random, but I thought it looked pretty!


^^panorama of the seven dials in Covent Garden


^and finally, the perfect example of willingly wasting time. Parked at the depths of the Leicester Square station, this gentleman playing the most beautiful harp melodies. It reminded me of that email chain that went around years ago, about a famous violinist playing at Carnegie Hall in NYC where tickets sold for hundreds of dollars…he spent the same afternoon of the concert busking in the NYC subway and everyone ignored him. I always think about this when I pass buskers. What if they’re a prodigy? And even if they’re not, what if I rush by and miss an opportunity to savor what’s around me?

I hope you all have the chance sometime soon to find a place where you’re happy to willingly waste your time. What’s your place?

Sarah xx

Pin it for later…


Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Looking for more?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *