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Published: April 28th 2010
Union Jacks line the street to the Palace
And you thought 'The Shire' was patrioticLondon - I made it.
After an extra week in New York due to the Iceland Volcano that I cannot spell or pronounce, I finally made it to London - just a week late. So, I continued on my journey as planned, just missing out on the week in Ireland.
LONDON. After pulling an all-nighter flight again, I resumed night shift mode and with the ease of the Oyster Card travel system, I dumped my backpack at my run-down but centrally located Piccadilly backpackers hostel, grabbed a map and a coffee and went walkabout (it is here that I will tell you I hate those suitcases on wheels things that are everywhere - that's not backpacking people!)
When I first emerged from the underground, what hit me most was the sight (and age) of all the buildings, and the fact that there is just so much history all around. It's utterly gob-smacking! I felt privileged just walking around.
Anyway, while deliberately getting lost in a city is what I enjoy, my brain just wasn't working properly. There was a little bit of getting lost on my way to find all the sights of London but while the
Me & Ben
Token photo but had to be done! sun shine was out I wanted to make my way to everywhere in case the next day had crap weather. So, I zoomed around and found Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, 10 Downing Street, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, The London Eye, Waterloo Station, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London (and other bits and pieces I can't remember).
I thought, how do I end an amazing day in this city? By going back to my first employment and grabbing a last minute ticket to the theater. I saw The Lion King for the first time (since Taya said I had to) and was blown away especially by the visual aspect of the show - fantastic set design, props and lighting. After the show I got my third wind (after being awake for goodness knows how long) and explored more of the city at night.
The following day was equally sunny so I explored more and spent hours inside Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London soaking up history. I loved both of them and got my dose of Tudor History (my favourite). I also realised why everyone flocks to the parks in the city when the
Buckingham Palace Gates
A very popular place to visit (too many damn French if you ask me) sun pokes its heads out - for once I was not the whitest person around.
Being a sunny Saturday, London was packed and getting ready for the London Marathon the next day (must be the season for them), so I was happy to leave the city in the afternoon and made my way by train to Oxford to see my long lost mate Dave who I used to work with at Outbreak (sport & rec camp). A slow trip through the rolling Green hills of English countryside and I was soon crashing a 4 course roast dinner with Dave's family where we swapped stories and talked into the morning over a few drinks.
The following day I woke up to a Bacon sarnie and some typical English soggy weather, before Dave and his wife Vicky took me up to Warwick Castle where we played in the dungeons. I had a ball catching up with Dave as we have been writing letters to each other for the past 8 years, but it was soon time before I was put on a train back to London (thank goodness some lady woke me up at Paddington Station or I may have
In the stocks
Dave and I in tacky stock position (I was quite comfy actually) ended up back in Oxford). Another second wind kicked in and I again explored the city at night, this time Leicester Square and the Theater district, before heading back to the backpackers and trying to converse with the giggling French girls in my dorm.
I left London the next morning bound for Scotland on the train (since I wasn't in Ireland to make my intended flight - damn you volcano). All in all, I loved London. It is very busy, and I loved how walkable the city is, and the transport system is brilliant (Sydney should take note). It is very grey though, so the splashes of colour with the red buses and telephone boxes are welcome to the eye. You could spends weeks here just soaking up all the history it has to offer if you were into that, but I enjoyed my short time here and felt I got a good grasp of the city, which will always be a good stopping over point from home for future trips.
I hope all this isn't too boring for you all back in Oz - too bad if it is really.
Next stop - SCOTLAND
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luce
non-member comment
london
I love London too, could live there, infact.... should live there!!! Cant wait to hear Scotland tails... dont worry if you missed out on an Irishman... plenty of hot accents in Scotland!