July 2, 2013
On my way to Cape Town
from Kansas City a little over a month ago, I traveled for 36 hours straight
before finally reaching the Cape Town airport.
It was brutal!! So, when planning
this trip back in February, I decided I didn’t want to put myself through that
kind of travel day twice, and I decided to delay my flight through London for a
few days. It wasn’t any more expensive
to delay my flight and I have always wanted to see London!
I arrived in London
early Sunday morning after flying all night and spent all of Sunday and Monday
touring the city. I knew my trip to
London would be yet another challenge for me since I have never even traveled
alone in the US, but I was up for the challenge and am so glad that I decided
to go through with the trip!
I was actually
surprised by how safe I felt traveling alone in London (London was really a
breeze after having to watch my back every time I stepped out the door while in
Cape Town)! The city and the underground
were really easy to navigate, and I must have looked like I knew what I was
doing because several people asked me for directions. It was nice being able to see London on my
own schedule. I could do and see
whatever I wanted on my own time, but it was a little awkward eating dinner
alone. Two days in London was a perfect
amount of time for my little adventure.
I really was able to see the majority of the London attractions.
On Sunday morning, I
dropped my luggage off at my hotel and set out on foot to see the city. I walked through Hyde Park, Kensington Park,
and St. James Park before arriving at Buckingham Palace just in time to take
some pictures and find a place to watch the Changing of the Queen’s Guards
ceremony. After the ceremony, I walked
to Trafalgar Square and then down Whitehall and Parliament Road to see Big Ben,
the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey. At this point, I had probably walked about 5
miles and decided to visit Churchill’s War Rooms Museum. I’m not much of a history fan, but I was told
by several people that I needed to visit the War Rooms. Going into the museum I really had no idea
what the museum was about, but I really enjoyed learning about how Churchill
commanded the British forces during World War II via these rooms. I have really only learned about World War II
from the US point of view, so it was interesting to learn about it from the
British point of view. After a long
night of traveling and a long day of walking London, I decided to grab dinner
at this nice little Italian place by my hotel and get a good night’s sleep!
I woke up early Monday
morning and took the underground to the Tower of London museum. Fortunately I got to the museum right when it
opened because the place filled up quickly with tourists and students on field
trips. The Tower of London was
absolutely amazing. Once again, I really
had no idea what it represented before arriving (my sister is the history buff…
not me!) and I spent several hours roaming around the Tower grounds and
learning about its history. I got to see
the rooms and the devices used to torture prisoners, the types of armor and
weaponry used by the British forces over the years, the area where the Royal
menagerie was located, and the Crown Jewels!
The Tower Bridge was also located next to the Tower and spanned across
the Thames River. Even though the place
was pretty congested, it was definitely worth the time and money! After leaving Tower Hill, I took the
underground to Trafalgar Square where there was a huge party for Canada
Day. People were decked out in Canadian
gear and there was Canadian beer, a street hockey tournament, and live
music. It looked like a good time so I
grabbed a little Canada flag and joined in on the celebration! I really do wonder how many people
celebrating were really from Canada though.
I ended my last night in London at the Red Lion Pub and finished off my
trip the right way with traditional fish and chips and a beer!
I really enjoyed my
time in London and I’m proud of myself for taking on this trip alone, but I am
more than ready to head back to the States to see my family and friends!!
Changing of the Guards
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
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