Man, I cannot fully express how wonderful it was to be a tourist in a city that speaks English. It is one of the many reasons that after about 20 minutes in London, I was in love. The city very much reminded me of New York City, which still remains at the top of my list of favorite places in the entire world. London is huge, the list of things to do is endless, and there are crowds on every corner. We only had two short days in the city, but we did our best to pack in the sites and make the most of it!
By the time we got checked to our hotel, we were starving, so first stop for us was lunch. And in London, this means pub food!! While Montpellier has plenty of wonderful dining options, one dining concept they seem completely devoid of is the idea of a pub. So we took advantage all weekend long of the London pub scene: fish and chips, smushy peas, bangers and mash, steak pie, all served with a cold (or at least cool) beer. We spent the afternoon walking the city and enjoying the atmosphere. We stumbled on Picadilly Circus...
Peeked through the gates that lead to Buckingham Palace...
Eventually we worked our way over to three of London's biggest stars: Big Ben, The House of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey.
Since Westminster Abbey was closed on Saturday afternoon and Sunday for touring, we opted to attend a Saturday evening service at the church instead. In my opinion, this is the only way to experience Westminster. I have toured plenty of churches and cathedrals, but to see them as they were meant to be used, in worship and stillness, without the 500 other people sneaking prohibited photos with their camera phones, is a much more authentic and moving experience. The magnificence of the abbey is quite simply beyond words. Not one inch of the building has been ignored. Stained glass windows 20 feet high, statues on every wall, tombs lining the hallways, even the flooring is beautifully laid. I'm hard pressed to think of another building that I have visited with as much grandeur and elegance as Westminster Abbey.
Following our church break, we headed across the river and enjoyed the views of the House of Parliament and the London Eye, which is the horribly cheesy name for the giant ferris wheel that sits on the river. We considered riding it, but on a cloudy day the views didn't seem all that promising, plus the line was long and looked to be slow moving. So we skipped it and headed to an early and very delicious dinner at The Anchor & Hope gastropub, and called it a night early. After about 8 hours of walking around London, we were exhausted!
Sunday we were up and out the door early, armed with coats, scarves, and two big bups of coffee, headed to Buckingham Palace! Every day during the summer there is a very ceremonious Changing of the Guard outside the palace, where the new guard comes in to relieve the old guard from duty. It is British pomp and circumstance at it's finest - soldiers on horse back, a live marching band, choreographed movements, and of course, the funny costumes. I mean, uniforms. And all of it set in a gorgeous open space lined with flower beds full of colorful blooms, bordered by a huge park, and centering on the gates to the palace. We also had the great fortune of a sunny morning! Not to be taken for granted in a city like London. We were especially appreciative of the good weather, because to get a good spot at the gate to watch the Changing of the Guard, you have to show up about two hours early and claim your spot; the crowds multiply in the hour leading up to the event. That said, it's a very unique experience, and definitely worth seeing at least once.
By that afternoon the rains had returned, so we opted for a primarily indoor activity and made our way to The Tower of London to soak up some London history and of course, marvel at the crown jewels for half and hour. While it is now essentially a museum in a castle, the buildings that comprise the Tower of London contain centuries of history, and you can learn all about the castle's gruesome past, weaponry stores, mysterious happenings, and famous inhabitants. The star of the show though, the crown jewels, are truly jaw dropping. I didn't know diamonds that big existed. They have wisely installed a conveyor belt that passes by the display of jewels (a very genius idea to prevent lingering crowds) and I insisted we ride it about 6 times in order to gawk the beautifully crafted crowns, rings, swords, orbs, and other such fancy royal things covered in sparkles. While I stared and salivated over the jewels, Kerry mumbled something about how "of course the peasants revolted, look at what the queen is walking around wearing!" And he probably has a point, this would never be allowed to happen in America, it just doesn't jive with the American mindset of earning your way to the top.
The Tower of London is situated right next to the River Thames and the very iconic Tower Bridge. Even on a cloudy and rainy day, the bridge was so pretty it almost looked fake, like it belonged in Disney World. While you can walk along the upper walkways of the bridge, we were too exhausted to trek all the way over there, so we enjoyed the view from afar instead.
The sheer size of London yields an attraction list a mile long. It is a city I could visit ten times and never bore of. Despite it's miserable climate, London is full of life, movement, and culture and is sure to have something to please everyone. And fortunately for us, it's only 90 minutes away!
The full set of London photos can be found here
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