We arrived in London safe and sound, although the overnight bus was just about as sketchy as we thought it would be. It was cramped, hot, smelly and overall one of the least enjoyable sleeps ever (in competition with our sleep in the airport). We grabbed a bite to eat at Pret A Manger, one of my favourite places to eat over here, fixed ourselves up the best we could and got on our way to start seeing the sights.
Buckingham place was first in order and although the building itself is no masterpiece, its gray bulk sums up the imperious splendor of so much of the city: stately, magnificent and ponderous. It continues to be a supreme symbol of Britain, and the Royal Family in particular. After gazing at the building for quite some time we strolled through the beautiful St.James Park. Here we enjoyed the view of the Houses of Parliament in the distance and plentiful fountains.
The politics nerd in me was super excited to see the Houses of Parliament. The seat of Great Britian's government has been argued to be the city's most famous and photogenic sight (the photography lover in me also took advantage of this). Designed by two Victorian-era architects, the buildings arose in 1834. The spires, pinnacles and towers of the great building can't help but keep you hooked. It also has virtually the symbol of London, the 1858 Clock Tower that contains the bell known as Big Ben. This did not seize to disappoint.
Across the street is Westminster Abbey which is a testament to the rich - and often bloody and scandalous - history of Great Britain. Due to the long lines and limited time we did not g inside but I am hoping to do that the next time I head down to London. We did enjoy the view of it risen on the Thames skyline while we took a break from carrying our heavy bags.
The rest of the afternoon contained having delicious Indian food for lunch, picking up some typical London souvenirs (royal wedding paraphanelia for me please), and figuring how to get to the London Stansted airport, which turned out to be very simple - yay us for figuring it out!
Now a little note about the city as a whole. Let's just say I wasn't sure if I was going to like London - a lot of hype, and a big city - not necessarily my cup of tea (ha a tea joke in reference to Britain, how convenient). But I am amazed to say that I loved it. And yes I realize that I have said this about everywhere I have been so far and will most likely continue to say it about the places I am headed but London was something different. It felt like the place I was always supposed to live in. As if at some point, hopefully in the not so distant future, I will be able to gaze at all of these other on a regular basis. Who knows what will happen in my life but after a short day in London it stole a little bit of my heart. Thank god I have a few more reasons to go back (including the Royal Wedding).
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