Luckily the check-out of the hostel in Kensington was a little later at 11 so managed to get a decent lie-in on Sunday morning (although this meant accidentally I left my beloved microfibre travel towls behind – devastating!). The Meininger hostel location was really great (and I couldn’t take enough pictures of the gorgeous terraced houses in the area), the rooms were cosy enough, showers were okay, there was space to eat (but not cook) and chill out so it was a decent place but had a slightly clinical-y less social atmosphere. I still had time to kill before meeting one last friend from my Italian teaching days so I stopped by Kingly street in a gorgeous little courtyard (which had some amazing restaurant I would definitely visit next time) to grab a filling breakfast smoothie. There obviously wasn’t much going on in the morning, meaning it was the perfect place to just relax and enjoy the mild silence for a while.

From there I left to go through Soho & China town back to covent garden (decked out in all its valentines gear) where the crowds had suddenly doubled overnight, most of them watching the various street performers strategically located all around the cobbled streets and including one who sandwiched himself between a bed of nails (that one in the patriotic pants in the photo below). A quick coffee later and a bite to eat in Flesh & Buns around the lovely area of seven dials – the non-alcoholic fruit drinks are great as are the sushi (although a little on the small side) and edame beans (which I braved again following my last experience) – and I was back on my way to the airport. London you were lovely but if I stayed there longer I would be fifty times the size I am now and broke to boot!