First Glimpses of London

OHMYGOSHI’MINLONDONANDILOVEIT.

Okay, so the sun rose. And we had the cutest little plane breakfast. And then we landed.

And hence began the longest day of my life.

The first thing is... you drive on the left side. I keep forgetting that and have almost stepped in front of a speeding taxi cab so many times. And all the cars are so small and round, and for good reason. London drivers drive bumper to bumper. And bicyclists, motorcycles, mopeds, pedestrians, buses, and cars all treat the road as their own, racing recklessly through the winding streets, invincibly waving in and out of traffic. I’m more scared for their lives than they are!

Bathrooms.

Well, there are a few things one should learn about the “loo” or the “toilets” in London. First, don’t be surprised if you have to share your sink and mirror with the opposite sex. I nearly had a heart attack when I walked into a restroom filled with men and women washing their hands and fixing their clothes/hair together. But the stalls themselves are separate. And the toilets themselves. The flusher is not attached to the wall. It is usually a button or a large handle or panel on the wall behind the toilet. And there usually aren’t hooks for hanging bags or jackets, but rather a shelf behind the toilet. And the water is ALWAYS too hot when you wash your hands.

The city is just beautiful. The architecture is such a unique and beautiful blend of old and new. There are modern convenient stores sandwiched between grand old flats, sleek new offices built on top of Victorian apartments. It is so breathtaking, the symmetry of it all. The small winding roads are lined with gothic and neoclassical architecture, and the red double decker buses add to the novelty.

Today, the major places we explored were the Tower of London, the ancient castle built by Henry VIII, which was so old and fantastic and contained the crown jewels. Which were absolutely ostentatious – jewels the size of my fist, hundreds of thousands of diamonds, pounds and pounds of pure gold. I couldn’t believe it was real.

I had my first British lunch of overpriced fish n chips. Though nothing special, it was satisfying and made me very sleepy.

We also visited St. Philip’s cathedral, the church where Princess Di and Charles were married. And yes, I stood on the very steps she climbed to the alter. It was so beautiful. The church was so enormous and overwhelming. But, unfortunately, since it is a place of worship, photography is not allowed. Which is okay because I couldn’t capture that kind of beauty with a camera anyway.

I also took the lube today, for the first time in my life. And I love it. Public transportation is so much fun. That’s all I have to say about that.

Then I crossed the bridge the Death Eaters destroyed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. They rebuilt it. Jk, jk, I know they didn’t really destroy it. But it still felt really cool. Like I was in Harry Potter and at anytime, wizards were going to appear out of nowhere and send me running off the bridge.

Dinner was delicious, we found a cozy little tavern and I had some authentic leek and potato soup.

Then, finally, we took the tube and walked home, singing songs and blinking sleepily in the light of the city. And as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out cold.