On Saturday, we went to London for the first time and it was fantastic! Play-by-play: We woke up at 5AM and got the bus at 6:45 (running for it of course) and got to London a little after 10. LONG busride but fortunately I slept a lot. According to Heather, I twitch a lot in my sleep. I attribute it to the jerky Megabus. Anyway, we were dropped of at Victoria Station and headed straight for Buckingham Palace. It wasn't quite as big as I expected and there was no changing of the guards on that day, but the gates were beautifully detailed with real gold tips and the "bobbys" guarding it. The statues in front were also incredibly intricate. Then we walked through St. James park, kind of a let down because they were doing construction and the pond was drained. So it basically was like a big mud pit haha. From there we walked to Trafalgar Square, snapping pictures of everything along the way. I especially liked all the unique taxis, each advertising a different product. Colourful though! Trafalgar Square was equally as beautiful with the Gallery of Art juxtaposed with the fountain and large lion statues. Emily thought they looked like Aslan from Chronicles of Narnia and took a picture with the lion haha. Then we ate a yummy lunch at Lil Frankie's, an Italian place on Trafalgar Square. I had delicious spinach and ricotta canneloni (not British I know but I couldn't help myself!). Then Heather, Stace and I shared the "Godfather," a heavenly chocolate and vanilla ice cream plus brownies, whipped cream, fudge, etc....mmmm. We enjoyed the quaint atmosphere and heat, even though Dan had to constantly close the door to the restaurant because of the draft lol. Then we hit some classic tourist shops and picked out postcards. I also bought a beautiful purple and gold scarf, which I put on right away. Next, it was time for Big Ben...When we rounded the corner, there he was. Surreal. You see it in movies, The Parent Trap, What a Girl Wants, Winning London...but I was actually standing in front of it. WOW. It was gorgeous. The most gorgeous, gigantic clock I've ever seen. Like I've seen a lot. We glanced at the Parliament buildings and Westminster Abbey, but took ages taking pictures of Big Ben. Then, we headed to the tube..Dun Dun Dun.
The tube was scary, interesting, fast, and claustrophobic. We bought day passes and hopped on to get to Tower Hill-where the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge (commonly mislabeled the London Bridge. There is none, friends.)are; across town. The first ride wasn't bad, albeit a bit jerky. The Tower of London was a bit disappointing to just look at, although the history behind it is fascinating. We went to the Tower Bridge which was by far my favorite part of London. Maybe it's genetic from Dad or something ;) The Bridge was massive, detailed as ever, and had fantastic views of the whole city and the Thames River. We walked across the whole thing and then chilled along the one side for a while. It was sort of like a boardwalk (minus the funnel cake and shops), but with lampposts and strings of lights that I'm sure looked incredible at night. I took countless pictures and just sat there for a while taking it all in. We saw a couple taking their wedding photos in front of the bridge which was so romantic and beautiful. On Valentine's Day none the less. It was picture perfect!
The tube ride to and from Picadilly Circus (which was a lot like NYC to me; and we didn't spend barely any time there) was horrendous. We all held hands through the crowds so we wouldn't lose each other. We pushed and shoved our way onto a completely packed subway to get back to Victoria Station. Steph, Dan and Miranda didn't make in on but got the next subway and we all met up again, thankfully. It was an experience that I'll never forget. And despite the craziness, it made me more confident that we can do spring break on our own!
The rest is boring except that my Starbucks card worked and I got a Carmel Machiatto (thanks Ty!). But the busride back was longgg and I practically collapsed by the time I got back to my room. It was a great, memorable, day.
So up next is GALWAY, IRELAND on THURSDAY!! We leave early in the morning and get back on Sunday afternoon. I cannot wait!! It should be a great weekend :) Pray for safety! Love and miss you all so much. xoxo
