A typical picture of the city of London.
Traveling There
We first took the bus from our campus into the City Centre in Liverpool. Then we took the train from Lime Street Station for about an hour and then transferred trains to Euston Train station in London. From there we needed to take the underground and transfer lines before finally getting to our destination where our hostel was located near the Kilburn station. Navigating the Underground takes a lot of time to figure out and it can be quite nerve racking especially during high travel time which seemed to be between the hours of 4pm and 8pm. We got an Oyster card which allows us to put money on it and then all we have to do is swipe it at the gate whenever we go on the underground. Allow yourself enough time to figure out the maps and where you go and have a plan in place in case you get separated from your group. When we were traveling during the high travel time, it is very easy to just get carried into the crowd. I am glad I had the experience of traveling on the Underground.....however, I don't think I would by choice travel on it again. Too many crowds and way too easy to get lost.
Things To Do And See
Big Ben and Parliament. I promised a little boy I baby-sit back home that I would take a picture of Big Ben just for him. I didn't realize that Big Ben was actually connected to the Houses of Parliament. But it was so beautiful to see as we were crossing over the Thames River. While I was not able to go inside the Houses of Parliament (though there are tours you can take, but you must pay for a ticket) it was very beautiful to look at from the outside. Big Ben is just as magnificent as the books show and is a must see.
Here is Big Ben!
Westminster Abbey. We were able to get a guided audio tour through the Abbey with our ticket. Though we could not take pictures inside the Abbey, but it is very beautiful and so is the area surrounding it. We were traveling a few days after Veterans' Day, so there were still very big memorials set up in the yards of Westminster Abbey with poppies. It was a very touching memorial. Inside the Abbey, we were able to see where Kings and Queens were buried and we were also able to see how different monarchs decided to restore and add onto Westminster Abbey. We also saw where Charles Darwin is buried and Sir Isaac Newton. We saw where the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Katherine took place and we got to see the coronation chair that every king and queen has sat in. What was really nice was that my friend Ana and I were able to go to a church service there. If that is something that is of interest to you then when you go there you should check to see what times they offer service.
The outside of Westminster Abbey.
London Eye. This was the only thing we bought our tickets in advance for. There are several different options for the London Eye and the option we chose was to go on it twice. See the view in the daytime and then come back the same day and see the view at night. Again, I am not fond of heights, so it took some convincing to get me on. The London Eye does not stop moving for when you get on and get off, so that can be a little tricky although if someone has a disability they will stop it to allow time for that person to get on. There is a bench in the middle of the pod that you ride in (which I sat very comfortably for the entire time) but you can walk around and see the city from different views. It looks out over the Thames River so you can see the boats that go by as well. I don't know if I can actually admit it out loud, but even though I was very stressed with the height I am glad I was able to have that experience and go out of my comfort zone. At least now I can say I have been on the world's biggest Ferris wheel and I will never have to go on another one in my life.
Here is the London Eye.
Globe Theater. I love that there is a theater that has been built to replicate the type of theater that would have been around during Shakespeare's time. Though it is not exact it is quite fun to go inside and tour it. This theater does however do exact replicas of costumes from Shakespeare's time and we were able to some of those in the museum. We learned a lot of history about how plays were performed back then on the tour and we were able to see what the inside of the Globe Theater looked like.
The Globe Theater.
Broadway Show in London's West End. Turns out pretty much everyone goes to London to see a show while they are there; including the tourists. So my friend Tiffany and I were able to get really good seats (for a reasonable price I might add) to see Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theater. We did not know it at the time but it was the 3000th performance of Wicked at that theater, so there was a lot of celebration and confetti and balloons at the end of the performance. It was a spectacular show and a great performance!
London's West End Theater District.
Harrods Department Store. Quite famous and old....(little like Macy's in New York.) though it is very expensive, it is a lot of fun to just walk around and look at everything. There were models on the make up floor and the clothing floors. There was an Egyptian themed floor and there was an opera singer in a balcony on the way up one of the escalators. Plus, they had their Christmas lights up and decorations, so that was a lot of fun to see and walk about.
Harrods all lit up for night time.
Hyde Park. This is one of the biggest parks in London. Even though we were there in the middle of November, it was still very peaceful and pretty. While we were there we stopped in a little café that is in the middle of the park overlooking the water. It was beautiful and the food was very good with exceptional tasting tea! There is a rose garden dedicated to the late Princess Diana and when we were there, people were beginning to set up a big Christmas Market which is not something that is as popular back in the States.
The Rose Garden pictured above; a path in Hyde Park.
Tower Bridge. My friend Ana and I were able to see the Tower Bridge (not to be confused with the London Bridge a few kilometers away) during the day and at night. We had to cross it to get to the Tower of London. The bridge is really amazing and to get tot he bridge we had to walk through a little Christmas market which was fun to see. At night the bridge is all lit up, so it is worth seeing it at least twice, once in the daytime and once at night. You can also go up inside the Tower Bridge, but that requires getting a ticket in advance.
The Tower Bridge.
Tower of London. I do believe this was my favorite part of the trip. I love history and museums and this was all that in one. Ana and I got there about a half hour after it opened and we stayed until we were kicked out and still were not able to see everything! We were given a guided tour by a Yeoman, who is a retired military personal. The Tower of London is still active and we saw several soldiers who are there to guard the Crown Jewels and such. Though they were not in their red jackets (they had changed over into their winter uniforms which are long blue-gray coat. We walked through the White Tower and saw the Bloody Tower where prisoners were kept before they were beheaded. We also saw the Crown Jewels which were absolutely breathtaking. Definitely make time to explore this wonderful historical landmark of England if you ever visit London.
The Tower of London with the Tower Bridge in the background.
The Tower where the Crown Jewels are kept.
Things I Ran Out Of Time To Do
Buckingham Palace. I know, I know.....who goes to London and doesn't see Buckingham Palace? Well, I do apparently, but all the more reason to come back to London, right? Pretty much because of the timing of the trip, we were not able to tour the Palace. It was a bit out of our way and we were not able to make it in time to see the Changing of the Guards, which is worth seeing if you can get there early enough to get a good place to see and take pictures. I will just have to say "hi" to the Queen next time.Winston Churchill's War Rooms. Being the history lover that I am, this looked like a really fun place to visit. You can actually see what the rooms looked like and the maps and a lot more.
British Museum of History. My friend Ana was able to visit here, while I was at Wicked, and she absolutely loved it. She didn't['t have enough time to go through all the floors because there was so much history. I guess we will just have to come back. There is so much in London worth seeing and never enough time to see it all!
Travel: Taking the train and Underground to London
Adventure: Learning how to take the Underground
Discover: I discovered I really wanted more time to explore the city of London. I don't feel like I was even able to uncover half of what London had to offer. And no matter what.....I will stay in a hotel the next time I visit London.
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