We left Brighton at around 9:30 in the morning and got into London via train less than an hour after. From Victoria London train station, we took the Tube to Gloucester Road, where our hostel was conveniently located. We dropped off our backpacks in the baggage room because our check-in time wasn't until 3 in the afternoon and grabbed a bite to eat in a French cafe (see below for a picture of Jen and I stuffing our faces with a baguette sandwich). We chose take-away (what Americans call 'take out') and took the Tube to the Tate Modern.
Above is the group of girls I travelled into London with. I believe I took this picture in the Tate Modern. Below is Tammy, me, and Gaby sitting outside of the Tate Modern waiting for Nhu and Jen to arrive.
Our next destination stop was Abbey Road. We took the Tube yet again (We were getting quite good with the Tube as the day went on. We definitely utilized London's public transportation!) Abbey Road is located in Westminster, a posh, up-scale neighborhood where its automobiles do not like to slow down for stupid tourists trying to channel the Beatles. I was smart enough not to try to attempt such a thing and settled instead to take a picture of the famous crosswalk. I still do not know who I managed to capture a picture free of tourists and vehicles!
Once one crosses the crosswalk and walks a few meters down the road, one will be greeted by a wall with various drawings and writing addressed to the Beatles. This was my favorite drawing:
Here I am, caressing my favorite Beatle, John Lennon.
I mentioned earlier that we mastered the Tube as the day went along. Here is a picture on our way to some Tube station using the ubiquitous escalators. This escalator was especially pretty, well-lit, and clean.
After Abbey Road, we headed towards King's Cross station, which is home to Platform 9 3/4!
After the group of nerds, I mean 'we' were satisfied with our Platform 9 3/4 pictures, our stomachs demanded that we head off to Chinatown to eat! I had a soup noodle dish with shredded pork and green beans. It was delicious and I immediately missed pho! Add that and El Coyote to places I must visit on my return home.
The next day, we checked out of the hostel, stored our backpacks in the free baggage room yet again (a perk of Meininger) and headed off to Buckingham Palace to witness the changing of the guard. Gaby and I chose to sit on the grass near the palace because we didn't have a decent view. I later viewed Jen's picture of the event and it was just as I had imagined it in my head so I didn't feel left out at all.
We soon left Buckingham Palace and ventured towards the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Sadly, there was an entrance fee for Westminster Abbey that none of us were too keen to pay for so we settled on taking picture of its exterior. The picture immediately below is NOT a picture of Westminster Abbey, but rather the Houses of Parliament. The two picture after it are of Westminster Abbey.
We waved goodbye to Westminster Abbey and headed towards Camden Market. I loved its atmosphere! Camden Market is London's most popular open-air market area. I bough a shirt/dress (haha, the girls know what I'm talking about) and a cute coat! Sadly, I didn't not capture the ambiance of the market with my camera because I was too busy perusing the stalls! Hopefully the link will suffice. All the shopping proved to be a workout and our stomachs began grumbling so we took the Tube to Hyde Park, one of the largest green spaces in Central London. We like our parks if you cannot already tell. Nhu had to leave us for Orlando Bloom so the rest of us bought some lunch and found a place to sit. The following pictures are of my park companions Jennifer, Tammy, and Gaby. They were not too pleased with my candid photographs, but to me, those are the best ones!
After lunch we took the Tube yet again to the London Eye! Finally, I can be in the same pod as BBMak had in their video!
My best BBMak pose!
After Abbey Road, we headed towards King's Cross station, which is home to Platform 9 3/4!
After the group of nerds, I mean 'we' were satisfied with our Platform 9 3/4 pictures, our stomachs demanded that we head off to Chinatown to eat! I had a soup noodle dish with shredded pork and green beans. It was delicious and I immediately missed pho! Add that and El Coyote to places I must visit on my return home.
The next day, we checked out of the hostel, stored our backpacks in the free baggage room yet again (a perk of Meininger) and headed off to Buckingham Palace to witness the changing of the guard. Gaby and I chose to sit on the grass near the palace because we didn't have a decent view. I later viewed Jen's picture of the event and it was just as I had imagined it in my head so I didn't feel left out at all.
We soon left Buckingham Palace and ventured towards the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Sadly, there was an entrance fee for Westminster Abbey that none of us were too keen to pay for so we settled on taking picture of its exterior. The picture immediately below is NOT a picture of Westminster Abbey, but rather the Houses of Parliament. The two picture after it are of Westminster Abbey.
We waved goodbye to Westminster Abbey and headed towards Camden Market. I loved its atmosphere! Camden Market is London's most popular open-air market area. I bough a shirt/dress (haha, the girls know what I'm talking about) and a cute coat! Sadly, I didn't not capture the ambiance of the market with my camera because I was too busy perusing the stalls! Hopefully the link will suffice. All the shopping proved to be a workout and our stomachs began grumbling so we took the Tube to Hyde Park, one of the largest green spaces in Central London. We like our parks if you cannot already tell. Nhu had to leave us for Orlando Bloom so the rest of us bought some lunch and found a place to sit. The following pictures are of my park companions Jennifer, Tammy, and Gaby. They were not too pleased with my candid photographs, but to me, those are the best ones!
After lunch we took the Tube yet again to the London Eye! Finally, I can be in the same pod as BBMak had in their video!
One of the views from our pod. We were just beginning to rise.
View of the Houses of Parliament from our pod.
My best BBMak pose!
The line to get on the London Eye surprisingly wasn't too bad. Sure, it looked long, but each pod holds about 30 people or so and that is gives the passengers more than enough walking room within the pod. While on the eye, I couldn't help but think about the crazy ferris wheel ride (also known as the Sun Wheel) from California Adventure. If you haven't been on that ride yet, be sure to choose the swinging gondola not the stationary one. That ride is probably the scariest ride I've ever been on and that is no joke!
When we reached ground, Tammy, Gabby, Jen, and I went to Regent's Park to meet up with Nhu. The last photo is the gate into Queen Mary's Garden, which was breathtaking!
If there is one thing I learned from this third trip into London, it is that London takes great pride in their parks and they have every right to be. Each park that I have visited so far (St. James's Park, Hyde Park, and Regent's Park) is spacious as it is luscious. One cannot help but pack a picnic and spend an afternoon with friends and families in any of the royal parks. Basking in the parks also makes me want to ride my bike through the marked paths or even feed the ducks. It makes for a relaxing getaway from the craziness and chaos that can sometimes surround London. I had a wonderful two days in London and maybe I'll head into Central London once more before I leave!
Next weekend I'm going to spend Saturday and Sunday exploring Liverpool and Manchester, I can't wait!
2 comments:
Whew, what a weekend you had in London! Loved the pic in the pod BBMak style, as well as the outfit you were wearing;-)
Such a fun weekend. King's Cross Station...how awesome!
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