by Not the reaction I expected from a man who described himself as “not really a museum person”
I suggested Buckingham Palace’s summer opening as a date idea half expecting to be laughed out of the group chat, and instead found myself standing next to a grown man, six feet tall, self described rugby enthusiast, genuinely misty eyed in front of the Ballroom’s ceiling, a reaction that has fundamentally rearranged my sense of what actually moves people.
Why I Suggested It In The First Place
Honestly, mostly because the tickets were already booked from a group outing that fell through, and a slightly touristy, structured activity felt like a genuinely good way to fill an early date without the pressure of an entire evening of unstructured conversation to sustain.
The Moment Itself
He stood in front of the Grand Staircase for a genuinely long time, longer than felt entirely normal for a third date, and admitted afterward, slightly sheepishly, that his grandmother used to talk about visiting London her whole life and never managed it, a confession that recontextualised the whole tour rather movingly.
What This Taught Me About First Impressions
I had, admittedly, mentally filed him under a fairly specific type before the date even started, and watching an unexpectedly genuine emotional reaction to a room full of gilt and chandeliers taught me, not for the first time, that the categories we assign people after one drink together are almost always considerably less interesting than who they actually turn out to be.
How The Rest Of The Day Went
We wandered through the gardens afterward, considerably more relaxed than either of us had been at the start, and ended the day somewhere I will keep charmingly vague, except to say the palace was, by some distance, not the most memorable part of the entire afternoon by the time it actually ended.
Further Reading
For the practical details on visiting yourself, ticket prices, timing, what is actually open this particular summer, my earlier notes on the palace visit cover the logistics properly.
Where Things Stand
Fourth date already scheduled, and I have been warned, affectionately, not to suggest anywhere else with a chandelier given what happened the first time.
Closing Thought
Sometimes the most touristy possible date idea turns out to reveal the most about a person. More unlikely London romance at my author page on The London Prat.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com
