London Part 1

Friday July 9, 2010

London: Where do I start? Well this is my trip to London in short: I got on a train, I got off. I went up stairs, I went down stairs, and rode escalators a lot. I got on a train and then got off. Repeat.

Well that’s London! Just kidding. Let me start with the weather: London was so HOT this weekend! In Brighton we are right on English Channel (I looked it up!) and we have the sea breezes that cool us down. However since London is about an hour train ride away it was very hot. Only 85° it was still pretty bad for wearing jeans.

Friday started with the group meeting Mary and Zoe to catch the trains needed to London. Once there we stepped out of Victoria Station into the golden sunshine. Get this while in the station we had to pay to use the toilet!!! It was only 30 pence so not that bad. Anyways back to the sunshine and the heat. Mary and Zoe started taking us around streets toward a destination. Being at the back of the group I was unsure of where we were going however I was in total awe of this city. Our first stop: Buckingham Palace. And it was also changing of the Guards!!! There were huge crowds around the palace. A side note about London: there are so many different nationalities here!!!! Everywhere!!! We even got asked a couple times where to go. I guess we are on our way to being British!!! Any who we saw the changing of the guard, they came in with some pomp and circumstance with their little guard band.

In order to escape the crowds around Buckingham Palace we started walking again. We walked past the Royal Naval Headquarters, under the Admiralty Arch, towards Trafalgar Square to see Admiral Lord Nelson’s monument. At the base of the Nelson column, 5 meters high, are 4 huge lions made from the cannons of Nelson’s ship. On the walk over and other streets of London, The London Eye seems to be winking at you from around buildings and through trees. Continuing down Whitehall Street went passed the mounted guards. You could actually go up to the horses and pet them. After the mounted guard we went by Number 10 Downing Street. 10 Downing Street is the equivalent of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Yup walked right under but was guarded by a nice fence and cops.
After walking right under the Prime Minister’s House, I found myself looking at Big Ben. Ben is so fantastic!!! Big Ben is connected to the House of Parliament which holds the House of Lords and the House commons (like our two branches of Congress). Also in Parliament square is Westminster Abby. It was so huge and beautiful. I love the architecture on it. Passed Big Ben we stood on a bridge overlooking the Thames river and the London Eye. After taking in the sights the group went down to the underground. Here we split up because we had a free weekend and Chris, Claire, Emma and Jessica wanted to go to Rome. The rest of us were staying the night in London.

So saying goodbye to our Roman travelers, Mary and Zoe took us to Leicester Square. Leicester Square is huge place wanting to get you to go somewhere. Many signs for plays to go to! Also here in this square is where they do movie premieres. Mary and Zoe left us for a brief time for Lunch. During lunch we bought our tickets to go see Les Miserables the next day. We sat in the square and were dive-bombed by pigeons. Those birds are everywhere!!!!


More to come and pictures hopefully soon!!!