I don't even know where to start. First off, I am becoming so cultured and into history, which is so different. This trip to London, I felt like I walked straight into a tourist book and accomplished seeing and doing EVERYTHING. I was SO BUSY the entire trip wandering around London snapping memories left and right.
Stephanie and I flew into Luton airport Friday and had to take an hour train ride to our adorable tie dyed walls, bright colors everywhere, all girl hostel, seperate from other hostels under the same name. We were lugging our luggage around in the rain with umbrellas and coffee before we found the very laid back happening reception room with computers, young people, and a bar called Belushi's all encompassed into the joint. Free breakfast in the mornings. I like free, especially when pounds is the currency at hand.
Stephanie and I dropped off our stuff and began wandering around London. We walked over to london bridge, which isn't really that pretty. We wandered over to this cool looking building so close to our hostel and discovered it was the first gothic church built in London, the Southwark Cathedral built from 1220-1420. It was absolutely beautiful and all day Sunday its bells were ringing. We smelled food and wandered over to the Borough Market. People just kept giving us food samples, so that was fantastic. Everything from turkish delight (Narnia anyone?), Baclava, cheese, cake, oils, some dip that tasted like Colorado herb? We were full and continued walking.
...over to London Tower Bridge which is actually the bridge that everyone associates London with. It has two beautiful towers and even looked amazing through the persistant rain that kept me permanently wet the whole weekend. Right next to Tower Bridge is this ultra modern square with huge glass buildings styled with funky architecture. There are mini fountains built into the ground in this one area that periodically get taller. Water was everywhere.Walked across the bridge over the Thames River, bought a london umbrella, and went to London Tower. London Tower is old. Not super beautiful, but still cool to see becuase of all the history. Built in 1078 by William the Conqueror. Saw Traitor's Gate where Anne Boleyn entered through among other offenders.
Stephanie and I were walking trying to find St. Pauls Cathedral when my map blew away followed by my umbrella and as I was looking ultra touristy and graceful running around with my camera flailing Stephanie was asking IN ENGLISH for directions. There were many great things about London. Not only did they speak in English but BRITISH ACCENTS are the sexiest thing. and london men are beautiful. with their mouth closed (london:dentists wanted.) On our way to St. Pauls this woman had a fantastic umbrella, so I asked her where she bought it and then went to House of Fraser to buy the perfume that the umbrella came with as a free gift. When we finally got to the cathedral we snapped a few pics then sat down in front of the doors that were closed. A Japanese man came up and pointed to my now three umbrellas and asked me how much. I was offended at the thought of being an umbrella lady, but still shamelessly said ten pounds, very goo price for you?! nada.
We stopped in a pub and got the famous "fish n chips" that London has to offer while an Irish band played and excessive beer drinkers posed as entertainment.
After walking for so long my high heeled boots were doing awful things to my feet and the cobblestone streets were doing worse things to my boots. We unsuccessfully searched for some cheap flat shoes (210 pounds was the best offer) and proceeded to go to a pub crawl that our hostel put on. It started at eight, which seemed so early for night plans to start! Usually we haven't even eaten dinner at this time! How quickly I've adapted to the Spanish lifestyle. Everyone met in the basement for a little pre pub party and then we all went out. Almost accidentally committed a felony by not realizing I needed a ticket and casually walking through the tube doors. Would of made it but Stephanie was at that point in the night not as discreet and the cop explained that we were in the process of committing a crime. After apologizing profusely he showed us how to properly enter with a purchased ticket.
Started the next morning with walking through Green Park (saw Brits playing croquet in suits and sweaters-so posh) and went to the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. CROWDED. Police men on horses everywhere. Large spectacle of guards in fuzzy black hats entered in, band played, they came out. GRAND spectacle. Steph and I got seperated so I met some fantastic people from Ireland, Australia, all over. I feel like my grandpa chatting up people everywhere I go-terrifying. I kept handing my camera to people who were closer to the gates than I so they could take better pictures for me. The band played fantastic music for about half an hour before their grand exit. someone fainted? i snapped a picture.
Stephanie and I wandered towards Trafalgar square and went inside the National Gallery for a minute. On our way we saw Piccadilly Circus, which basically has statues of people and some guards walking down the street that kept smiling at us, even though thats so unallowed-they were HILARIOUS.
We walked toward Big Ben- I thought it would be bigger but it was VERY cool to see. Parliament buildings.
Went into Westminster Abbey Cathedral-said a prayer inside. Enscripted on the wall outside of the entrance was "May God Grant:To the Living.Grace. To the Departed. Rest. To the Church and the World. Peace and Concord. And to us Sinners. Eternal Life."
We went to Camden market afterwards, bought too many fantastic items including vintage dresses and tassle black ankle boots. Some guy tried to buy me? Stephanie said I wasn't for sale?
Catie, my house mate from last year, her mom was in London with her sister, and so we met up at a pub for dinner and chatted for HOURS while having a delish meal complete with pudding cake and fantastic desserts. SO good to see a familiar face but bittersweet to part. I was incredibly homesick for one of the first times since I've been abroad. During our dinner these men in ridiculous outfits-Mario, Gorilla suit, etc- came in and apparently were part of a pub crawl. They were going to thirty bars and this was number twelve for them. Fantastic.
The next day we saw the Tate Museum-modern art is NOT my thing. Saw Picasso and Andy Warhol pieces. Couldn't understand any other works, so decided it was time to walk across Millenium bridge. Took the tube ("mind the gap" was written to caution people of falling in the tracks) to Oxford street-shopping capital. Window shopped becuase after Camden we were broke and got lost in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. It wasn't raining! Beautiful. Green. Sculptures, monuments, Kensington Palace, fountains later we traveled to Notting Hill (just becuase of the Julia Robert's movie.) There really wasn't anything notably there it was just the name of the area. We ate at an Italian Restaurant overlooking the Thames River and Tower Bridge which is beautifully lit up at night. Our waiter was so cute and Hungarian and he kept telling us to talk to him becuase he loves American accents. He said he learned English from South Park and other shows and is infatuated with America. All the waiters kept stopping at our table and chatting us up and the food was incredible, the view was perfection.
We walked along the thames and met one of Stephanie's friends she knew who was living in London in a pub and had wine and chips. I was exhausted and just grateful to be sitting down. I only brought high heeled boots. I overestimated my feminine ability to walk miles upon miles in cobblestone streets. In rain.
We took the train and spent the night in the airport. There were actually a lot of people in comfy chairs, on the floor, everywhere just passed out. Party.
We went next to this little cafe and I put together four chairs. I drank a beer from the cafe and slept for a few hours only to get woken up by the cafe guy, "excuse me miss i need my chairs." never have felt more like a homeless person in my life, especially becuase I was in the same clothes for the past twenty four hours and showerless. Oh the traveling life of a college student.
carried my three umbrellas through check in but had to pawn one off on a romanian so i could make it through-stict luggage regulations. he was very nice and apparently had learned english from south park as well. good show to learn english?
i feel like i saw all of london. we were so busy, did so many things, i am utterly exhausted.
spain feels like "home" to an extent so it was nice to get home and fall asleep not on a bar chair....
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