I think I’m finally caught up from my fall break, sleep wise that is. Blog wise- I have a lot of work to do. I’ve thought about the many ways to do this, but I figure that instead of waiting for one supermegaextralong blog post about each city that I went to all in one post, 4 normal length blog posts will suffice. It’s easier for you, it’s easier for me, so let’s get started.
On Thursday, I left straight from class and hopped on train to Milan, then a bus to the airport, then a flight to London. All of the places I had ben to, up to that point, the customs process was relatively easy. it’s nothing like the USA, maybe they look at the passport, maybe they do nothing, it’s all pretty relaxed. London was the complete opposite. Customs, especially not being an EU citizen, gave me such a hard time. After waiting in line for 45 minutes and then being grilled with questions about traveling alone for 10 minutes, they finally let me into the country. Getting to my friend’s flat in London was one of the most tiring travel moments I have had. After Two trains, one subway, a bus, a plane, a cranky customs officer, and an Italian man giving me his email address, all in 10 hours, I was finally ready to enjoy London.
Friday, I spent my day seeing all the attractions along the river, as well as absorbing the fact that people could actually understand me when I spoke. London is filled with endless hidden gems and cultural sights: from the Big Ben, to the London Eye, to the Shrek Adventure, and Starbucks and Chipotle; there was so much to do. I was able to experience autumn, which is a foreign concept in Italy. The leaves were different colors, the air was brisk, the Pumpkin Spice Lattes were warm, and the North Face Fleeces were abundant.
I started at Tower Bridge, which was very pretty and nice to see and walk over. It was a bridge. Once I saw how grandiose Tower bridge was, I was excited to see the famous London Bridge. It has a song named after it, so it must be this big spectacle, right? Wrong. I walked through cute markets and stores, and felt strangely at home, to come to the one, the only London Bridge.
After that let down, I continued down the Thames. Shakespeare’s Globe, all the stores, the sights across the river, outdoor book stands, and beautiful old streets led me to the wonderful London Eye. The London Eye was marvelous to see, and after seeing the queue to get on the ferris wheel, I made my way to Big Ben.
Big Ben and the Parliament building were beautiful! Being able to see the tower in person was magnificent. From there, I made my way to the center, went into the national gallery, and finished my day with some Chipotle. Because the most important part of this story is that I got to eat Chipotle.
That night, my friend took me to meet some of her friends. I always love getting to see how university is different in every country. London isn’t much different, but just like Italy, the students don’t live on campus, they commute to school everyday.
The next day, my friend took me to see Buckingham Palace, which honestly looks like a building I drive by in DC. I got to see the royal guard and a bunch of Parks. I went to Twinings tea shop and got some Christmas tea. And ended the day by going to Harrod’s. Harrod’s is basically just a huge, expensive, shopping plaza. In theory, the content of the entire store probably costs more than most countries in the world. It’s like they created the store with me in mind. I loved it.
Overall, I really enjoyed London. It was easy to navigate, friendly, and fun. There is always something to do or see, I would love to go back. The only downside was the pound. Not only is London expensive in general, you have to convert your money to pounds, which is insanely expensive coming from the USA (1.5 USD for every pound). You think you’re getting a good deal when your water is 1.5 pounds but in reality, it’s just a huge ripoff. Next stop, Edinburgh.
Meaghan in Florence 