Ello from LONDON! I spent 3 days in London on my trip and it was WONDERFUL! Thanks to the jet leg it felt like we were there for 4 or 5 days! My first impression of London was “WOW I am in a different country and it doesn’t really feel like it!” Which sounds awful at first, but the way I see it is that it is a good leeway country into traveling Europe! If you haven’t been to London and are a bit weary of going out of the states because of a Language or Cultural barrier, London is the place for you. It is still rich in culture and history, but still similar enough to the US to feel right at home. I have broken down the trip into five categories to make it a bit easier to read instead of sharing every detail and moment with you all! (Travel, People, Food, Accommodations, Sights)
Travel
“The Tube” Is what those in London call the Metro! The Tube was a necessity in London and got me around everywhere in a Jiffy. For around 6.00 Pounds (about $9.50) a day can get you any where you would like to go in a matter of minutes! I easily read the tube map and I do not think I ever got lost which is great considering I do not think I could even find my way out of a room with one door! The only problem with the Tube is that it closed early, around 1:00 am, so when I was coming home from the bars, I had to hop on the Bus. The bus drivers were really helpful when it came to giving directions and telling you when to get off the bus at your stop if you are not paying attention! But watch out- at night, the bus drivers are crazyyyy!!!!
People
Everyone was so nice in London! Frank and I had a few favorites. The desk worker at our hostel was really informative and just about our age, which was nice, because he would always fill us in on the places to hang out and go out! Every night we would come in and talk to him on the way up to the room about all sorts of things! One of my favorite least favorite things about London though was all of the helpful people that gave us directions. We asked a man in a park one day for directions to Convent Garden (what we thought was a pretty scenic park that turned out to be an open air market and shopping area!) He gave us what seemed like great directions with landmarks and road names, but as we kept walking and walking and walking, we realized there is not such a thing as a straight road or a 90 degree corner in London and getting directions from someone is nearly impossible. We decided to just spend our time meandering and hoping to run into monuments, museums, and parks, rather then getting frustrated with bad directions and maps missing all sorts of streets!
Food
The food in London is not much different than the food in the US sadly, but I must say, the Londoners LOVE their McDonalds! McDonalds are everywhere and each one is huge (think of the biggest McDonalds you can, they were all bigger!) and not only were they bigger, they were all packed! One of my favorite moments from the London trip was stumbling upon this small pizza place in Camden Town just around the corner from the subway station and eating some of the best pizza I think I have ever had! I just wish I could remember the name! My advice to you in London is go into all sorts of restaurants, I am sure they will still be delicious!
Accommodations
While we were in London we stayed in a Hostel called Keystone Hostel. This hostel was located in an area called King’s Cross which is the same neighborhood as the St. Pancras International Train Station. This was an AWESOME location! We were a bit nervous at first because it seemed north of the city and like it would be an inconvenience to travel around. But luckily the metro was a block and a half away from the hostel. We shared a room with 6 other people but the beds were comfortable and for the most part the restrooms were clean. Each morning they offered a complementary breakfast, which was a great way to get your day started and save a few Pounds/Dollars. Also the staff was awesome and informed us of where we could do the most interesting things and where the best nightlife is.
Sights
I had a lot of favorite sights in London. I will name a few because if I wrote them all, you would be reading forever! I loved Big Ben- it was beautiful and I did not expect it to be one of my favorite things. Trafalger Square was an awesome place to hang out before dinner and drink a bottle of wine with your feet in one of the various fountains. Also, I highly reccomend making the hike to go see the London Bridge ! It was beautiful! I was not expecting it- you can walk across it and even go up in it for a few Pounds. It was defiantly a beautiful sight. The nightlife is awesome wither you like pubs, bars, or clubs London had it! One night we went to a club called Proud 2 which was a huge three story club and had a blast and managed to fanagle our way up to the third floor VIP. The next night we went to a bar with a huge dance party! Each night brought something new and fun! I recommend going out at night when you can if you visit London! I loved Camden Town and the Market. One of my favorite London adventures was Frank and I walked down along a canal for around 2 miles to get to Camden Market. It was nice doing something the locals do on a weekend or a quite afternoon. It really gave us the feel of London not from a Tourists perspective. Once we got to the market we shopped around a bit and tasted some food! It was defiantly a fun way to spend our last day.
Thanks for reading about my first little European Adventure! I hope you liked hearing some of my stories! I will be updating about Paris soon =)
Lauren
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