The Start of an Epic Trip

London was the first stop on a two week, whirlwind adventure around Europe. I saw pretty much all of the sights and enjoyed hearing English everywhere I went.

The first place I went was obviously King's Cross. I had to see Platform 9 3/4 from my favorite movie and book series, Harry Potter. I waited an hour in line to get a picture with the trolley leading to the Platform. It was magical!

Then I walked to the center of London to see Trafalgar Square, the Eye, Big Ben, and the House of Parliament. It was so cool and impressive to see these iconic places in real life.

The next day, I walked back toward the center of town to enter the world famous Westminster Abbey. All the important royal events happen inside this cathedral. There are also a lot of very important people buried there. I took an audio tour of the magnificent church and learned a lot of English history. This cathedral was surprisingly different from the ones I've seen so far. There were more things: decorations, pieces of art, and even separate rooms. I think this church was definitely one of the more impressive churches I've been in.

After that, I strolled through St. James' Park toward Buckingham Palace. Although it was not the most beautiful day, I always love

parks, and it was nice to walk through some lovely gardens.

Buckingham Palace was enormous! Unfortunately, I missed the famous changing of the guards ceremony. But I did see something very interesting. The guards and the band assembled and marched around the fountain while playing some very royal sounding music. It all seemed very British.

For lunch, I had fish and chips. I was a little disappointed, but most of the food I ate wasn't that great. I get the impression that English food is not the best.

Next, I walked off my fattening lunch by going to Harrods, one of the most expensive and elegant stores in the world. I loved it! Of course, everything was way beyond my budget, but I can still look. The only section of the store that I could actually buy something in was the toy section, which was filled with stuffed Harrods bears.

Finally, a walk through the Kensington gardens brought me back to my hostel where I took a well-deserved nap before dinner.

For dinner, I ate the best Indian food of my life! It was spicy and rich and incredibly delicious. I've really missed spice in my life in France. Their idea of spicy is barbecue flavored chips.

The next day, I had yummy porridge in a very colorful part of town. Literally, the buildings were bright oranges, greens, and purples.

Then, I headed to St. Paul's Cathedral, probably my favorite thing in London. It was so grand and unique. I also loved that I could climb all the way to the top and look out over the gallery. From there, I dragged myself up countless spiral stairs to get the best view!

Next stop was the Tower of London, an ancient fortress. Here, I saw some pretty fascinating things. I learned about creepy torture methods that were performed in this former prison. I also learned about the raven myth that explains why ravens live in the Tower of London and that if they ever leave, the English monarchy will fall. The most spectacular part of the Tower was the Crown Jewels. Inside a vault are millions and millions of dollars worth of royal jewelry. Each monarch has there own jewels specifically crafted for them. The exhibit was wondrous.

On the way to my next stop, I admired the Tower Bridge that is synonymous with the city of London.

After walking along the Themes for a while, I reached my next destination: the Globe Theatre. This is where Shakespeare wrote and

directed many of his famous plays. Back in the day, I did a, if I do say so myself, awesome project on William Shakespeare. It was really cool to see where so many classics came alive.

Finally, I did the last touristy thing of my trip to London. I rode the London Eye. Thankfully, the line was short and I was able to get on in about twenty minutes. The views were incomparable! I love panoramic views, and the Eye did not disappoint. At the very top, I could see for miles in any direction I wanted.

For my two week break (thanks France) I decided I really wanted to travel around Europe. However, many of my friends are European and don't want to go around Europe. I dreaded the thought of being virtually alone for two whole weeks. So after some research, I realized that my best option was to do a group trip with Contiki. The tour started in London, so I went to London a couple of days early to explore it. Now, after my ride on the Eye, it was time to meet the people that I would be traveling with for the next week and a half. We had a quick info session back at the hostel and were off the next day.

For dinner, I was lucky enough to meet up with my best friend and roommate, Glynnis. She's studying abroad in England and our trips to London happened to coincide. I was so excited and happy to see her again! It was like being home for a bit.

London was absolutely amazing. I loved the atmosphere and all the sights. This place should definitely be on everyone's bucket list, and I'm so glad I was able to explore it for a short while. I would be more than happy to return here anytime!