NYC Living at 36000 Feet: Jolly Ol' London

Museum of Natural History

Ah London, I just keep liking it more and more. I still don't know what it is. Brandon's cousin was telling me that she likes how you can be standing on the street next to a building that is 800 years old and also a building that was built yesterday. Maybe that's what I like too? I don't know, but either way, I LOVE London! On my first trip earlier in February I took a 6 mile walk. That's kinda far. I just started walking from the hotel to see what I could see of the "big" sights.

The hotel we stay at is in Kensington which seems to be a very
cute, fun neighborhood. There are a few subway stops nearby
which make getting around very easy. However, I found out

Kensington Station

after my walk, that the tube (aka, subway) is really expensive. For a one way ticket by itself is almost seven
US dollars! Now that I've learned a thing or two I know
I could have only paid about $3 USD had I gotten an Oyster Card. We live and we learn.

Yummy Sweet's Shoppe

On my walk, one of the first spots I passed was the Museum of Natural History which looked like a building
straight out of Harry Potter. As in, if Harry had been seen going to wizarding college, this is the building they would have used. I haven't visited yet, but it is free to do so! Another day, as stopping would have interrupted my walk. I continued on. I passed by many delicious looking store fronts that were beckoning me to come in try a little pastry, but I resisted and walked on. I passed by Harrod's, the famous London department store and still, I walked on.

Harrod's Department Store

I kept on walking until I reached Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace.
Apparently, you can take a tour of the palace, but only in August and September, I guess when the Queen is away on holiday. So, I walked on,
(with The Allman Brother's Ramblin' Man in my head.)

Buckingham Palace

I kept on walking along the park, via The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk. :-( My next adventure was to see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, which always makes me think of this song and this clip. Of course, like everything else on my walk, the abbey had just closed for the day. So what did I do? I walked on.

Self Explanatory

Dr. Who?

Big Ben

Parliament Building

Westminster Abbey

Then it was off for more walking. (You're shocked, I know.) By this point I had already walked so far I thought why not keep on walking. I could see the London Eye, aka ferris wheel, in the distance so I thought I'd check it out and see how much it was to go up. To much it turns out, so, I walked on.

River Thames and London Eye


Not a beach sunset, but still nice.

By this point the sun was starting to set and I was on the river and it was Friday night. That all adds up to lots of people out walking around. I was also starved by this point and ducked in to a yummy little cafe to chow down some soup and cookies, I mean biscuits, before, yep, walking on.

St. Paul's Cathedral

I decided, like Forrest Gump, that since I'd came that far already I might as well go a little farther so, I walked on. I got stunning views of the river side banks as the sun set. I saw St. Paul's cathedral from a distance, fun little river side pubs, museums, people, lights, restaurants, so many things. Walking along the river was the highlight of the walk. I could not have timed it any better if I had tried.

Cute, little riverside pub

Then, being a HUGE Shakespeare fan, I was super excited to stumble upon the Globe Theater! It was, of course, also closed. But according to the signs out front it has been modeled in the way they 'think' it was in Shakespeare's day. They do performance there and you can get tickets for only 5 pounds! That's on the top of the to do list for this summer.

Shakespeare's Globe Theater

The I came upon on one of the most familiar landmarks in London.
It is also the most identified, The Tower Bridge. Many people mistakenly think this is the London Bridge. It isn't. The London Bridge is just a plain jane bridge. The Tower Bridge is the 'pretty' one you see on all the souvenir stuff. Guess what? Yep, also closed.
No worries, I kept walking.

Tower Bridge

Up Close and Personal

Across the bridge, the Tower Bridge that is, is The Tower of London.
Where the crown jewels rest. Where Anne Boleyn lost her head. Where many a royal were imprisoned, many for the rest of their lives. Closed as well. *Sigh* Also on the top of the to do list though. By this time I was thoroughly exhausted and ready for bed. I hoped onto the $7USD tube and went straight back to the hotel into bed, dreaming of my next trip to London.