Can you believe that the first quarter of 2024 is already gone? Time flies so fast! I was looking at my photos from the past few months and figured it would be a good idea to summarise all of those memories in one post. I have actually managed to visit quite a few places! So, sit back and enjoy the sights of London in January, February and March 2024.

Daffodils

One of my favourite things in London in January are the daffodils. In general, I find January and February to be the worst months in the year – cold, dark, with early sunsets, the Christmas decorations already gone but spring still miles away. The one thing brightening the landscape are the daffodils. They typically start to appear in the first week of January and can stay around until late March.

It always makes me happy to see an ocean of bright yellow daffodils in the parks when I come back to London after the New Year’s, and this year was no different.

Horizon 22

On one of the first January weekends, I managed to visit Horizon 22 – the highest free to visit viewing platform in the City. Opened in the autumn 2023, it’s still a hot talk in town. You can book the free tickets online 60 days in advance. Tickets are added daily and they sell out quickly – it took me a few weeks to get my hands on a weekend ticket. I booked it in November for an early January visit.

As far as viewing platforms in London go, my favourite remains the Sky Garden, but I still enjoyed the view from Horizon 22. I wasn’t particularly lucky with the weather, with dense fog blurring the views. Nevertheless, I still managed to take some photos, and now I have an excuse to visit again – in better weather, hopefully.

If you’d like to visit Horizon 22, check out its website: https://horizon22.co.uk/.

Central London

Winter is one of my favourite times to visit tourist areas in central London. The views may not be the best with bare trees all around, but at least you can enjoy a walk with relatively small crowds (for London standards). I managed to visit quite a few of the most popular areas last quarter, and caught some great moments on camera.

Pelicans of St James’s Park

The pelicans of St James’s Park went on a stroll! They usually sit on their island in the middle of the pond, but this time they decided to chill in the middle of the pavement, completely ignoring the dozens of humans around them. It was great to have a chance to admire the beauty of those creatures up close.

Majestic Heron in Regent’s Park

There are always some herons strolling around the pond in Regent’s Park, and it was no different this time round.

Buckingham Palace – and the King is home!

Did you know that you can tell whether or not the reigning monarch is present at Buckingham Palace by looking at the flag on the mast? If you see the British flag (red cross on a blue and white background), it means the monarch isn’t there. If you see the red, yellow and blue Royal Standard, it means the King or Queen are present in the Palace.

Buckingham Palace – contrary to a popular belief – isn’t home to the King on a daily basis (and neither was it for Queen Elizabeth). The monarchs typically visit Buckingham Palace for official meetings. In the 4.5 years of living in the UK and occasionally walking past Buckingham Palace, this was the first time I saw the Royal Standard indicating that the King was in!

London Eye At Night

4.5 years in London, and I still love the sight of the London Eye illuminated in pink at night.

Big Ben

Is there a more famous landmark in London than the mighty Big Ben? Here it is, in full glory – in daylight, and at night.

Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park

I had looked at the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park on Google Maps many times but it was only this year that I finally decided to visit it. This tiny oasis in a highly urbanised area has already become a must-visit for me any time I’m in the area and have 10 spare minutes for a peaceful stroll.

You can read more about the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park in this blog post.

Greenwich Park

On the penultimate weekend of March, I went to Greenwich Park in hopes of catching a glimpse of the cherry blossom season… and that was a complete fail! I’m always caught off-guard with spring starting so early in London, I completely missed the blossoming trees. Never mind! Instead, I saw a beautiful fox resting in the tall grass.

Holland Park

I also visited Holland Park, which – in my opinion – is one of the best of the less known parks in central London. The Japanese garden is beautiful all year round. I also love searching for the park’s resident peacocks. This time, one of them found a lovely spot to rest – on a bed of flower petals fallen from the tree.

You can read more about Holland Park in this blog post.

Notting Hill – Portobello Road

It had been a while since I last visited Notting Hill, so I used one of my free weekday afternoons to have a walk in this charming, posh neighbourhood in north-west London.

Mudchute Farm

Mudchute Farm is one of my favourite places to visit when I don’t fancy going too far away from home. I’ll take every opportunity to get up close with animals – big and small – so visiting a farm that’s home to adorable creatures including sheep, goats and llamas is one of my top pastimes. I usually visit Mudchute Farm once a month or so, so of course I’ve stopped by a few times this year already.

Richmond Park

It had been a while since I last went to Richmond Park, and the start of the year is a great time to visit it. Hundreds of deer and does, grazing on the vast meadows of a London park is one of the most surprising – and breathtaking – sights I’ve experienced in London. If you haven’t been to Richmond Park, I strongly recommend you visit it when you have a chance.

You can read more about Richmond Park in this blog post.

Canal Walk – Little Venice to Camden

In the second half of March, I enjoyed a walk along one of London’s many canals. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day and I decided to finally check out London’s Little Venice. I had heard of it before, and it was finally a good time to visit it. It’s a lovely hidden gem, although the Little Venice itself is pretty small. However, I decided to follow one of the stretches of the canal that runs towards Camden, and I’m sure I’ll repeat that walk many times in the future. Beautiful views, in a tranquil setting in central London… it’s got to be a hit.

Ending the walk in Camden Market was also pretty convenient – there’s plenty of options if you fancy a pick-me-up bite or a cup of coffee after the stroll.

Daytrip – Walk From Ramsgate To Margate, Kent

Besides enjoying London at the start of 2024, I also went on a couple of daytrips, not too far from the capital.

At the start of February, I went on a walk along the southeast coast, between Ramsgate and Margate. You can read more about that trip in this blog post. I got to experience some stunning views and it was one of my favourite UK daytrips so far. I’m still thrilled with the wildlife encounter – such a nice unexpected bonus!

Daytrip – Southend-on-sea

On one of the March Saturdays, I went to Southend-on-sea. I hadalready visited that town (you can read about it in this blog post) but fancied going again – mainly to revisit the aquarium/mini zoo, making second (and probably last) use of my annual ticket. It was a lovely day and I could feel the spring in the air. Taking a walk on the longest pier and searching for seashells at the beach are some of my most relaxing and favourite activities.

And that concludes my summary of the first quarter of 2024 in London! I’m always amazed with how much I get to experience every month, and posts like this are a great way for me to collect all of the memories in one place. I actually do come back to them in the future. I’m already looking forward to all the new adventures in the coming months, and I’ll make sure to share them here.

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