The city known as the Square Mile has an abundance of sights to keep visitors busy for days. Immediately off the train, my friend Jasmine took me to Platform 9 ¾. For all you Harry Potter fans, the St Pancras train station has made a special tribute to the teenage wizard. We moved on to have dinner in Piccadilly Circus, which looks similar to Times Square. Next, we visited Trafalgar Square and the National Portrait Gallery. Then, after visiting the LSE campus, where Jasmine studies, we met her friends at a wine bar to enjoy the London nightlife. And of course, the club scene in this major city is “dress to impress” with VIP lines and guests lists. Apparently I was rolling with the right crowd, as we were able to avoid long lines and high cover fees.
Jasmine and I made sure to have an early start Saturday morning. We began at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where we ate pastries on the cathedral grand steps. Following breakfast, we walked across the Millennium Bridge. From here, I saw the Tower Bri
dge, Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and the London Eye. We carried on to Big Ben and the British Parliament, passing by Westminster Abbey. Before you leave London, you must visit the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Of course, getting the guards to smile was a bit difficult, but we managed to get smirks from a few security officers. And contrary to myth, the guards don’t wear the big, black, bearskin hats! Near Buckingham Palace is Hyde Park, which recently opened its well-known Christmas market, dubbed Winter Wonderland. With over 50 beautifully decorated chalets featuring gifts and food, this German Christmas market offers everything for the holiday season. My great host and tour guide finally led me to the famous Harrods department store. The store occupies 4.5 acres, which makes its motto quite appropriate - The Harrods motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique — All Things for All People, Everywhere. In over 330 departments of the store, Jasmine and I managed to squeeze our way through the thick crowds.
The last, but certainly not least, adventure of the day was the transportation. London, with nearly 8 million citizens and thousands of tourists each day, becomes quite congested. One of the Tube stations (London’s underground metro system) closed due to overcrowding. By the time we were allowed into the station, people were wall-to-wall and barely moving. If that was an improved situation, I wouldn’t have wanted to be there earlier! And like any large city, you need to run like a sprinter in the Olympics to make your bus!
I arrived back to Brussels this afternoon, realizing I have finished my scheduled trips during my study away. It’s unbelievable to fathom that in these 4 short months, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit so many exciting cities.
Where I’ve been:
Brussels, Belgium
Bruges, Belgium
Antwerp, Belgium
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Prague, Czech Republic
Normandy, France
Paris, France
Nice, France
Vienna, Austria
Bratislava, Slovakia
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Berne, Switzerland
Cagliari, Italy
Milan, Italy
Berlin, Germany
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
London, UK
And of course, if you have any travel suggestions for me, please be sure to let me know! =)
Jasmine and I made sure to have an early start Saturday morning. We began at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where we ate pastries on the cathedral grand steps. Following breakfast, we walked across the Millennium Bridge. From here, I saw the Tower Bri
dge, Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and the London Eye. We carried on to Big Ben and the British Parliament, passing by Westminster Abbey. Before you leave London, you must visit the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Of course, getting the guards to smile was a bit difficult, but we managed to get smirks from a few security officers. And contrary to myth, the guards don’t wear the big, black, bearskin hats! Near Buckingham Palace is Hyde Park, which recently opened its well-known Christmas market, dubbed Winter Wonderland. With over 50 beautifully decorated chalets featuring gifts and food, this German Christmas market offers everything for the holiday season. My great host and tour guide finally led me to the famous Harrods department store. The store occupies 4.5 acres, which makes its motto quite appropriate - The Harrods motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique — All Things for All People, Everywhere. In over 330 departments of the store, Jasmine and I managed to squeeze our way through the thick crowds.
The last, but certainly not least, adventure of the day was the transportation. London, with nearly 8 million citizens and thousands of tourists each day, becomes quite congested. One of the Tube stations (London’s underground metro system) closed due to overcrowding. By the time we were allowed into the station, people were wall-to-wall and barely moving. If that was an improved situation, I wouldn’t have wanted to be there earlier! And like any large city, you need to run like a sprinter in the Olympics to make your bus!
I arrived back to Brussels this afternoon, realizing I have finished my scheduled trips during my study away. It’s unbelievable to fathom that in these 4 short months, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit so many exciting cities.
Where I’ve been:
Brussels, Belgium
Bruges, Belgium
Antwerp, Belgium
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Prague, Czech Republic
Normandy, France
Paris, France
Nice, France
Vienna, Austria
Bratislava, Slovakia
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Berne, Switzerland
Cagliari, Italy
Milan, Italy
Berlin, Germany
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
London, UK
And of course, if you have any travel suggestions for me, please be sure to let me know! =)
.jpg)
London sounds Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Sorry, I could not help myself Aunt Sandy
ReplyDeleteUmm, your list makes me tired! Sounds like London is a great place to visit so I can't wait to see it one day soon. I hope you enjoy your last week and a half in Europe!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Becks