London was great. It felt a little like being back at home. Many of the sights felt so familiar to me because I have seen them on the news or on the Rick Steves travel show on PBS. And, of course, the biggest reason I felt so at home... everyone spoke English!!! It was a big shocker when I got on the train and realized that I didn't need to pull out my phrase book to translate the announcements. I've gotten so used to feeling out of place the last three months (fighting my way through the language barriers) that when I arrived in London it felt like a special treat to be able to read the headlines on the newspapers and to understand conversations that I overheard as people passed me by. The other major factor was the Coffee-To-Go. There was a Starbucks on nearly every corner in London. No, I'm not exaggerating... almost every corner. Almost immediately, I broke my own rule to avoid all things American as much as possible (so as to experience as much of European culture as possible while I am here). I marched myself right into the first Starbucks that I encountered and joyfully ordered a grande mocha to go. Then I carried my prize all around the city, sipping as I walked. (How un-European! I'm such a rebel.) After I got my To-Go coffee fix, I walked my feet right down to stubs in an effort to take in as many of the sights as possible.
British Museum
I started by running (well maybe just walking at a brisk pace) to the British Museum. I had my heart set on seeing the Terracotta Soldiers from China that are currently on exhibition at the British Museum. A word to the wise, if you want to see the Terracotta Soldiers, purchase your tickets well in advance (well in advance). When I reached the front of the line, I was informed that they were sold out of tickets for both Saturday and Sunday. BIG BUMMER. Anyway, I toured the rest of the museum trying to focus on all of the great things I was able to see while I was there, rather than to focus on my disappointment. My favorites were in the Egyptian exhibit (including the Rosetta Stone and a large number of mummies) and Roman exhibit (gold coins and all).
After the British Museum, I took in the London Bridge, the Tower of London (from the outside only as it cost ~$22 to get it), the Shakespeare Globe Theater, the St. Paul Cathedral (also from the outside), and Big Ben.
London Bridge
Tower of London
Globe Theater
St. Paul Cathedral
Big Ben and Parliament
I particularly enjoyed the Tate Modern Museum and the National Gallery which both hold a number of works by very famous artists such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Raphael and Monet.
National Gallery
This is a picture of one of the fountains in Trafalgar Square just in front of the National Gallery.
Constitution Pub
After a nice meal at the Indian Palace, I joined a few of the locals, an Italian, and an American couple in the Constitution Pub for a cider and some Rugby. I tried to get the locals to explain the rules of Rugby to me, but they were just as lost as I was, so we turned to conversation about American football. It was a fun time and a nice way to get to spend an evening out on the town.
Buckingham Palace
On Sunday, I made my way to Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately, during the fall the Changing of the Guard occurs only every other day and Sunday was an off day. The guards were not dressed in their fancy bear skin hats, but instead smaller caps that looked much easier on the neck muscles.
Horse Guard
I was able to catch a glimpse of the horse guard on Whitehall across from the Banquet Hall. Quite a sight.
London Wall
On my way back to the train station, I walked past several sections of the old London Wall (or what's left of it). It was neat to see the ruins just nestled in amidst the new buildings.
All in all, it was a very nice trip. I think I may have to go back again someday.
