Traveling Solo: London Calling!

What can I say about London? It’s pretty much exactly how you’d picture it to be. British people… Union Jacks… double decker buses… red telephone booths…they’re everywhere. I found it all very charming and I have to say I really enjoyed my time in London.

Buckingham Palace

I spent one day there when it was bloody hot! There was some sort of heat wave going on and that was the day I foolishly chose to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. I only had about 10 hours to see London that first day and I thought I would make the most of them. (I had arrived in London in the morning off an overnight bus/ferry from Amsterdam and was waiting for my bus/ferry to Dublin that evening). Buckingham Palace is okay as far as palaces go but I think the State Rooms are only available for touring in August and September. (Not that I would have gone on the tour anyway…) As for the changing of the guard, I will never subject myself to that sort of thing again if I can help it. It is beyond dull! There was a little kid up on his dad’s shoulders and the dad asked the kid what he thought. The kid said, “it’s kinda boring” and I feel like everyone who heard him was nodding in agreement. It was particularly bad not only because of the heat, but also because I’m short and so I can’t really see. (And if I tried, all the pushy tourists would be in my way trying to get pictures). I felt bad for the marching men in uniform, especially the ones with the funny hats. Things did liven up a bit when the band came out, especially because they randomly played “New York, New York” and the theme from Mission Impossible.

Big Ben, Admiralty Arch, Harrods, Greenwich

Those few hours I had in London, I wandered around all the major sights… Big Ben.. the London Eye… Westminster Abbey… Trafalgar Square… Picadilly Circus… etc. I ended up wandering them again and again when I got back a week later, the only differences were that I was with friends and the heat wave had passed. Although I started seeing the drearier side of London, it felt really good to catch up with Heather’s sister (Jeanne), friends from my Africa trip, coworkers from our Croydon office, and my old roommate (Mark) and his brother (Bryan). I found myself surprisingly busy with lunch and dinner plans every day. It was like being back in my old life with friends… and plans! :)

Jeanne and I discovered Blackfriars Wine Bar and Pub with a fantastic two-course, £10 lunch menu. Her steak and kidney pie was amazing (!) and my bacon-chorizo burger was massive! Stuffed, we wandered to the Tate Modern which, although perhaps not that impressive, is free admission :)

The Nursery @ Zoe and Andy's

Andy and Zoe were so kind as to let me stay in their apartment, even while they were away for the Jubilee holiday weekend. I stayed in their nursery which is now occupied by a beautiful baby girl. (Congratulations!!!) Before they left on holiday, we caught up with Matt, Jen, and Dan from the Africa trip in Greenwich, a really cute part of London with great pubs, good food, and beer-a-plenty.

Mini Truck Reunion

On Friday afternoon, I ventured to Croydon and got to see Nick and Carl who I hadn’t seen in years! I also got to meet Jenny, Tina, and Briony. It was so nice to have lunch with everyone and get to know a little bit more about how things are on that side of the Atlantic. Thanks, All for a lovely afternoon :)

Me and the Scott Brothers

I spent most of my time with Mark and Bryan, seeing the sights, eating pub food, avoiding the rain, and dodging the Jubilee crowds!

Jubilee...

The Jubilee: Queen Elizabeth II was celebrating her Diamond Jubilee – 60 years on the throne – the weekend I happened to be in London. People kept telling me it was an exciting time to be there but I didn’t really get the all the hype. I still don’t know anything about royalty or care for that matter… I actually had to Google which Queen is on the throne just now because I’d forgotten already. Basically, the Jubilee meant that London was very crowded and I would have preferred to be there a different weekend. It’s nice to see all the patriotism with the Union Jacks and (crazy) people camping out in the cold the night before the flotilla (the thousand-wide fleet accompanying the Queen down the Thames River). But it was definitely not nice to push through the ridiculously crowded streets or get packed on the Tube at all hours of the day.

Queen's Theater

Between spending time with friends and the Jubilee, the only time I was really “alone” was my one night out on the town: I treated myself to a Chinese buffet and Les Miserables! I’ve been wanting to see this musical for forever, and especially after Susan Boyle sang “I Dreamed a Dream” on America’s Got Talent. Having seen it, I think Wicked is still my favorite, but it was nice to finally hear the live versions of the songs I’ve heard since I was a kid.

Thai green curry, cajun fish and shrimp, scallops, and fish 'n chips! So good!

On food: I remember visiting London 12 year ago and thinking the food was bad. I think London also generally gets a bad reputation for its food, but I experienced almost exclusively good. The Chinese buffets I tried (2) were good! They were much more expensive than their southern California counterparts, but surprisingly rich in flavor and plentiful in selection. The pub food I had (mostly fish ‘n chips) was also good, although expensive. You pay £10-14 for a beer and a meal and then you think about the fact that that’s actually costing you $16-22 before tip. Not cheap! The best foods I had in London were a Thai green curry, cajun fish and shrimp wrap, and scallop “boat.” The worst food I had was from Café Bangla on Brick Lane. Indian food is supposed to be good here but it was So bad! I felt really bad for Bryan because it was his first time having Indian food and honestly, it was the worst Indian food I’ve ever tried. Stupidly, we ate at that restaurant instead of at one of the amazing looking food stands at Spitalfields/Brick Lane markets. I guess there’s always next time :)

Bad Indian food, but I thrilled that I can still read Bangla :)

London was a good time but I don’t feel sad about leaving because I feel like it has become familiar and natural – a place that I will hopefully return to again and again. It will be nice to come back with an income so that it doesn’t hurt so much when paying for things in pounds :)