Cold as ever.

The day after I got back from Norwich saw me exploring where I was staying in, a little town just outside of London called Watford. It takes about 20 minutes by train or just a little shorter if you catch the fast train. 

Morning cafes.

And that handsome husky. 

Maybe it was just my luck that I walked around a little too early, but most shops didn't open till much later so I got glimpses of closed cafes and unopened stores. It was also rainy that day, so the weather got ridiculously cold in addition to occasional winds.

Old school charms.

And spaces for good looking blokes.

 

Empty streets.

And unseen spaces.

What was enjoyable about Watford was that it held a charm of its own, encapsulating the old and the new all into this little town. People were generally friendly when they came out, and I felt a huge difference between being in Watford and being in London. I guess when you're a city person, you'll always enjoy being away a little more.

My road to warmth.

The Holy Rood Roman Catholic Church.

It feels a little rude to say this, but my only thought when entering the church was that I needed warmth. While the sights inside were quite something to behold, it really didn't awe me as much considering how I had already seen St.Paul's Cathedral and glimpses of Westminster Abbey, as well as the St.Margaret's Church. Still, the history of The Holy Rood Roman Catholic Church isn't something you could ignore, having been one of the longest serving churches in Watford since 1890. 

This building was opened by Sir Henry J. Wood in 1931!

Cafe flowers.

And Autumn leaves!!!

Wet grounds and orange trees. 

My pictures come really random, mainly because I didn't have a clear set mind of where to go in Watford. But I really enjoyed the day, having just no worries at all for what I had to do or which train I had to catch at whatever time it was. (Yes, peak hours carries more expensive fares for tubes and trains, so sometimes I do look at the time when I want to travel!) 

 Watford's public library.

A reading session for slower children was in place inside the children's library!

Been here. Done this. My hair was ridiculous, being wet and limp most times!

Again in search for warmth, I shamelessly sought out what I could do in Watford and stumbled across the fact that they had a library. I guess one of my biggest regrets in London was that I didn't walk into their national library but heading to Watford's public library felt alright too. The place, as expected was warm and cozy. I loved the smell of books, and what made it even better was that I got to watch several volunteers read books to children who had intellectual disabilities. These volunteers were kind, they had the sweetest voices, they were ridiculously patient, and most of all I could see nothing but love in their eyes for these children. It made my walk into the library feel so worth it, because it was actually on the other end of where I was. 

Lots of self love inside the photo booth, sorry. 

Spent £2 on these prints! 

Before I had to go home, I decided to walk into... Intu Watford or formerly known as the Harlequin Shopping Centre. From what I've heard, Harlequin was first opened in 1990, with an extension happening in 1992. This meant that the freaking mall was even older than me, before being bought over by the Intu Group in 2013 and subsequently renamed Intu Watford. If you could just recall, I had been at Intu Norwich too, much to the annoyance of my BFF. But malls as malls are, everything felt the same. I was still torn about the Build-A-Bear Workshop, I was still amazed at the Disney shop that sold tons and tons of TsumTsum soft toys, and I was still in a "let's not shop" mode.

I did however walk into a photo booth and spent £2 on 2 pieces of prints that came in colour and black and white shots. I guess it wasn't necessary, but little things mattered to remind that I had once walked... Intu Watford. I shall now sit back and wait for Terrance to roll his eyes at my never ending need for that pun.

Ridiculously enthusiastic tourist.

It was also after my entire day at Watford did I fall sick, because the rain just wouldn't stop. My jacket was thoroughly soaked, my socks were wet and my Converses were drenched, but the entire adventure was worth it. I mean, you would need to know the place you're living around, right? And now I could say, I've been in Watford. Tick.

Getting here: Watford, Hertfordshire is reachable by train or tube, with the former being just a little more affordable. You could opt to get off the Watford Junction station if you're on the National Rail or Watford High Street if you're on the London Overground. If however it is more convenient for you to switch to the Metropolitan line on the tube, you should then look out for the Watford tube station.

Bonus: Watford Junction is where you'll want to be if you're going to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour! I'll hint you on that in my next post. Because yes, the next post is purely made to induce jealousy and I cannot wait for the hate to spew on how I've been to the Warner Bros. Studio.