I'm continually amazed that I have a job which allows me to travel around the world. I don't always travel to exotic places but I have the opportunity to travel nonetheless. And obviously this trip was no different. I'm so happy I was able to visit London, as it has always been one of the places I wanted to go. Now if I can only talk someone into making a mandatory business trip to Paris. ;-) Maybe one day...
As it seems to be with any business trip, there's never enough time to do all of the sightseeing that you want to do. This trip was no different. But the trip was for business and I was able to go so I won't complain. The next time I go to London, there are definitely some places that I want to check out further... Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guards, shopping at Harrods, take in a show or two, visit Tate Modern and generally just explore around Trafalgar Square and Picadilly Circus. Plus, I still want to get smashed with some Englishmen at a pub. :-) Really for no other reason than to listen to their English accents and talk shit with them while ingesting beer.
The weather during my stay in London was not great. I think it rained all days except for one, which was the day I took my bus tour so I was quite lucky! But I guess that's to be expected. England seems to be known for its misty, dreary weather. Nonetheless, I was still able to get out and explore so who am I to complain? Although I don't know if I could live in a place that has weather like that all of the time. That's one really great thing about Montreal...seems like there is plenty of sunshine and that makes me happy. :-)
One thing that I really appreciate about London is the sense of fashion. It's edgier than what I've seen in most other places. I think that I would really embrace the fashion if I lived there. Although with greater courage for fashion also comes some over-the-top fashion statements. I did see a couple of people who really made me question what they were thinking when they got out of bed that morning. In general, though, the fashion is fantastic. As a side note, I wore my new hot pink coat today for the first time and felt absolutely amazing. I love my new coat!! It totally made my day brighter...no pun intended. :-)
Overall my experience in London was extremely positive. I enjoyed the area where I stayed and all of the areas that I visited. The one thing that I noticed is that London is very international. The way I describe it is that it's like the U.S. but international. :-) As a native English speaker, it's very easy to visit London since the official language is English. Now having traveled to multiple different countries, it can sometimes be stressful not knowing the native language. However, it was easy and simple in London. But when walking on the sidewalk or riding the tube, you hear Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian...the list goes on and on. And I absolutely love that!! It's one of the aspects I really appreciate about Montreal. So of course it's one of the things that also attracts me to London. In most cities I visit, I always wonder if I could live there. If not for the high cost of living, I definitely think I could feel right at home in London.
So in closing, I say "cheerio" to London but not forever. I will be back... and always remember "Please Mind the Gap." :-)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Shopping and Portobello Market
After finishing up my work on Friday evening, I decided that I wanted to go shopping and get a feel for some of the shops in London. So I headed to High Street Kensington to do a little shopping... my favorite past-time by far. ;-)
So when I got out of the tube station, I saw the cutest accessories store called...you guessed it... "Accessories." I'm amazed by the ingenuity and imagination. ;-) But they had a lot of fun stuff. But I decided that I didn't need any more hats, scarves, necklaces, earrings, etc. because I don't wear it often...especially since I work with mostly boys and they have absolutely no appreciation for it. So why try?! ;-)
I kept going and arrived at Marks and Spencer. My first experience at Marks and Spencer was in Shanghai. I had walked through the store there but was afraid to try-on anything with all of the tiny Chinese people. Compared to them, I looked like a massive, white giant and felt uncomfortable trying clothes on. Plus, I figured since I was in Shanghai I should buy things that I could only get in Shanghai. But since I'm now in London and Marks and Spencer is an English brand, it's only fitting that I shop there and try on clothes. :-) At least that's what I told myself... and thus it was the beginning of the end of my Friday evening...
Most things are grossly overpriced in London...and fashion is no different. But I've decided that Marks and Spencer is the Old Navy of England but with much better quality. The clothes are actually decently priced and just about everything I went passed in the store is adorable. Furthermore, it all comes in my size!! How exciting is that?!!? As many of you may have already seen in my pictures, I found this amazing hot pink wool/cashmere coat that I had to have. But literally...I had to have it. The coat I took with me to London was falling apart by the day. By the end of my stay, I felt like a homeless women. There were holes and the material was frayed in many places. I was a hot mess when I should have been really cute during my travels. So as you can imagine, the pink coat was an absolute necessity. Furthermore, I think every woman needs a hot pink coat. It makes you feel all girly and feminine. :-)
I tried on lots of other things and fell in love with just about everything I tried on. And while I equate Marks and Spencer to the Old Navy of England, the prices aren't exactly comparable. While M&S seems much cheaper than other stores, it's by no means "cheap." Just cheaper than the alternatives. But I found some jeans that I couldn't live without and got those as well. I'm really pleased with my purchases and am proud of myself for only buying the necessities.
Continuing on with my shopping theme, I still needed to pick up some souvenirs for my family and friends. I decided that the perfect place to do that (and the perfect finale to my London trip) was at Portobello Market in Notting Hill. The Portobello Market is probably most notorious because of the movie Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. There is a montage scene in the movie which shows time passing as Hugh Grant is walking along Portobello Road. So I definitely wanted to check it out.
I went to the market really early in the morning because I needed to be back at my hotel no later than 11am in order to start my journey back to Montreal. So I got to the market just as all of the vendors were setting up and getting ready for the day. For any of you who might visit London and want to go to Portobello Market, go first thing in the morning. I arrived around 9am and left about 10:30am. I felt like a fish swimming upstream as I was walking back. Seriously, it was the earth opened up and spit out a million people on Portobello Road. They were like moths drawn to the flame.
Portobello Market was fun. I didn't really know what to expect but there were a lot of "antique" stalls and kitsch shops. I put "antique" in quotes because by antique I really mean old, crappy shit. Although there were a few nice pieces, it was more like a big garage sale at some parts of the market. But there were also some unique things there as well. What I found really interesting is that there were a lot of handmade leather goods which still smelled like animals. I was tempted buy a handmade leather journal that also had handmade paper within. It was pretty cool. But I wasn't quite sure if I could get over the smell or if it would dissipate at all. I knew that if it didn't, I wouldn't use it and it would be a wasted purchase. So I continued on my trek for souvenirs. In the end, I found everything that I wanted or needed to get for my peeps. I won't mention what I got everyone because if they're reading this, I want it to be a surprise. I have so say, though, that my favorite find was my mom's...it's more sentimental than anything else, but as soon as I saw it, I had to get it for her. I can't wait to give it to her.
Portobello Market was my last taste of London and it was a good experience. As always, I wish that I had more time to explore and really get to know the neighborhoods...especially Notting Hill. It seems like a really cool part of town.
So when I got out of the tube station, I saw the cutest accessories store called...you guessed it... "Accessories." I'm amazed by the ingenuity and imagination. ;-) But they had a lot of fun stuff. But I decided that I didn't need any more hats, scarves, necklaces, earrings, etc. because I don't wear it often...especially since I work with mostly boys and they have absolutely no appreciation for it. So why try?! ;-)
I kept going and arrived at Marks and Spencer. My first experience at Marks and Spencer was in Shanghai. I had walked through the store there but was afraid to try-on anything with all of the tiny Chinese people. Compared to them, I looked like a massive, white giant and felt uncomfortable trying clothes on. Plus, I figured since I was in Shanghai I should buy things that I could only get in Shanghai. But since I'm now in London and Marks and Spencer is an English brand, it's only fitting that I shop there and try on clothes. :-) At least that's what I told myself... and thus it was the beginning of the end of my Friday evening...
Most things are grossly overpriced in London...and fashion is no different. But I've decided that Marks and Spencer is the Old Navy of England but with much better quality. The clothes are actually decently priced and just about everything I went passed in the store is adorable. Furthermore, it all comes in my size!! How exciting is that?!!? As many of you may have already seen in my pictures, I found this amazing hot pink wool/cashmere coat that I had to have. But literally...I had to have it. The coat I took with me to London was falling apart by the day. By the end of my stay, I felt like a homeless women. There were holes and the material was frayed in many places. I was a hot mess when I should have been really cute during my travels. So as you can imagine, the pink coat was an absolute necessity. Furthermore, I think every woman needs a hot pink coat. It makes you feel all girly and feminine. :-)
I tried on lots of other things and fell in love with just about everything I tried on. And while I equate Marks and Spencer to the Old Navy of England, the prices aren't exactly comparable. While M&S seems much cheaper than other stores, it's by no means "cheap." Just cheaper than the alternatives. But I found some jeans that I couldn't live without and got those as well. I'm really pleased with my purchases and am proud of myself for only buying the necessities.
Continuing on with my shopping theme, I still needed to pick up some souvenirs for my family and friends. I decided that the perfect place to do that (and the perfect finale to my London trip) was at Portobello Market in Notting Hill. The Portobello Market is probably most notorious because of the movie Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. There is a montage scene in the movie which shows time passing as Hugh Grant is walking along Portobello Road. So I definitely wanted to check it out.
I went to the market really early in the morning because I needed to be back at my hotel no later than 11am in order to start my journey back to Montreal. So I got to the market just as all of the vendors were setting up and getting ready for the day. For any of you who might visit London and want to go to Portobello Market, go first thing in the morning. I arrived around 9am and left about 10:30am. I felt like a fish swimming upstream as I was walking back. Seriously, it was the earth opened up and spit out a million people on Portobello Road. They were like moths drawn to the flame.
Portobello Market was fun. I didn't really know what to expect but there were a lot of "antique" stalls and kitsch shops. I put "antique" in quotes because by antique I really mean old, crappy shit. Although there were a few nice pieces, it was more like a big garage sale at some parts of the market. But there were also some unique things there as well. What I found really interesting is that there were a lot of handmade leather goods which still smelled like animals. I was tempted buy a handmade leather journal that also had handmade paper within. It was pretty cool. But I wasn't quite sure if I could get over the smell or if it would dissipate at all. I knew that if it didn't, I wouldn't use it and it would be a wasted purchase. So I continued on my trek for souvenirs. In the end, I found everything that I wanted or needed to get for my peeps. I won't mention what I got everyone because if they're reading this, I want it to be a surprise. I have so say, though, that my favorite find was my mom's...it's more sentimental than anything else, but as soon as I saw it, I had to get it for her. I can't wait to give it to her.
Portobello Market was my last taste of London and it was a good experience. As always, I wish that I had more time to explore and really get to know the neighborhoods...especially Notting Hill. It seems like a really cool part of town.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Churches of old
On Friday morning, after only 4 hours of sleep, I forced myself out of bed so that I would have plenty of time to visit Westminster Abbey before I had to be back at my hotel room to take a conference call in the afternoon and then work the rest of the afternoon. It's a good thing that I'm a planner and that I typically try to arrive early rather than late, because if I had not left the hotel when I did, I would have never made it there and back in time for my meeting. Two of the main subway lines were closed down due to a police investigation. It made me wonder what they were investigating. (Later I found out that there was a body found on one of the tracks over night and so the police had do to some crime scene investigation. Yikes!!) So I had to put on my thinking cap and devise alternate routes to get to Westminster Abbey. My trek that morning took me almost an hour and a half. Plus, when I was coming home, said subway lines were still delayed so it took me another hour to get back to my hotel. Anyways, I digress...
Besides not being a traditional person, I'm not really a religious person either. But the one really strange thing about me is that I absolutely love the old churches and cathedrals found in Europe. It doesn't matter who, what, when, where or why, if there's a church or cathedral, I must see it. So as you can imagine, Westminster Abbey was at the top of my list. I'm so happy that I was able to visit.
I didn't know much about the history of Westminster Abbey, but I learned a lot of interesting and inspiring facts. There are parts of the church which are over 1000 years old. Before it was ever a practicing church, it was a monastery. To this day, they still have a boys choir and school affiliated with the church. Furthermore, a ton of people are buried at Westminster Abbey. Of course, all of the kings and queens of old are there, plus some of their kinfolk. However, most notably (and surprising to me), both Chaucer and Handel are buried there. They have their own memorials in the church. During my tour, they played an excerpt from Handel's Messiah. I forgot how much that music moves me. As I said, I'm not very religious anymore, but the music still gives me goosebumps. Sometimes I really miss singing and playing music. That was definitely one of those times I was feeling extremely nostalgic.
As I was touring Westminster Abbey, it finally dawned on me why I love churches so much. First of all, I find the architecture and design to be incomparable to anything else. You never see the same kind of gothic and ornate design in any other kind of building. But even more so, compare a building, for instance Tower of London, that was built in the same time as the church, in this case Westminster Abbey. The differences are night and day. Granted, the Tower of London was built for an entirely different purpose and was built with the intent of being a fortress against attackers and to protect the king. But the details in the church are unimaginable. There were even parts of the church which took over 400 years to complete because the various kings kept running out of money. But for what purpose must you build such an ornate building?!? Is it really for the glory of your god? Or is it for your glory so you can boast about it? I guess that's what I find so confounding about these old churches and cathedrals. Here they are spending tons of money to build such a grand place of worship and yet people are going hungry. The same is still true today. Ahhh...the many hypocrisies of religion... Let's not get started.
Once again, when touring Westminster Abbey, I was amazed at the traditions and rituals that have held fast over the many years. Every coronation for the last 700 years was held at Westminster Abbey. If I remember correctly, all weddings have also taken place there as well. I think it is amazing to be part of a society and culture which is so riddled with tradition. I don't know if I would appreciate it if were my heritage the way I appreciate it as an outsider. One of the really cool things was that during some of the restorations on parts of the church, they uncovered some of the original gothic wall paintings which were over 800 years old. It was really amazing to be able to see that!
Even considering my own personal beliefs on religion and putting that aside, Westminster Abbey was by far the most gorgeous church I have visited thus far in my travels. It's in a league all of its own. When I go back to London, I would like to go again but go with a real tour guide. Unfortunately, I was pressed for time and unable to take the guided tour. It's amazing to think that there are buildings older than my great country of America or my adopted country of Canada. Westminster Abbey, well-done in preserving your country's heritage and history!
Besides not being a traditional person, I'm not really a religious person either. But the one really strange thing about me is that I absolutely love the old churches and cathedrals found in Europe. It doesn't matter who, what, when, where or why, if there's a church or cathedral, I must see it. So as you can imagine, Westminster Abbey was at the top of my list. I'm so happy that I was able to visit.
I didn't know much about the history of Westminster Abbey, but I learned a lot of interesting and inspiring facts. There are parts of the church which are over 1000 years old. Before it was ever a practicing church, it was a monastery. To this day, they still have a boys choir and school affiliated with the church. Furthermore, a ton of people are buried at Westminster Abbey. Of course, all of the kings and queens of old are there, plus some of their kinfolk. However, most notably (and surprising to me), both Chaucer and Handel are buried there. They have their own memorials in the church. During my tour, they played an excerpt from Handel's Messiah. I forgot how much that music moves me. As I said, I'm not very religious anymore, but the music still gives me goosebumps. Sometimes I really miss singing and playing music. That was definitely one of those times I was feeling extremely nostalgic.
As I was touring Westminster Abbey, it finally dawned on me why I love churches so much. First of all, I find the architecture and design to be incomparable to anything else. You never see the same kind of gothic and ornate design in any other kind of building. But even more so, compare a building, for instance Tower of London, that was built in the same time as the church, in this case Westminster Abbey. The differences are night and day. Granted, the Tower of London was built for an entirely different purpose and was built with the intent of being a fortress against attackers and to protect the king. But the details in the church are unimaginable. There were even parts of the church which took over 400 years to complete because the various kings kept running out of money. But for what purpose must you build such an ornate building?!? Is it really for the glory of your god? Or is it for your glory so you can boast about it? I guess that's what I find so confounding about these old churches and cathedrals. Here they are spending tons of money to build such a grand place of worship and yet people are going hungry. The same is still true today. Ahhh...the many hypocrisies of religion... Let's not get started.
Once again, when touring Westminster Abbey, I was amazed at the traditions and rituals that have held fast over the many years. Every coronation for the last 700 years was held at Westminster Abbey. If I remember correctly, all weddings have also taken place there as well. I think it is amazing to be part of a society and culture which is so riddled with tradition. I don't know if I would appreciate it if were my heritage the way I appreciate it as an outsider. One of the really cool things was that during some of the restorations on parts of the church, they uncovered some of the original gothic wall paintings which were over 800 years old. It was really amazing to be able to see that!
Even considering my own personal beliefs on religion and putting that aside, Westminster Abbey was by far the most gorgeous church I have visited thus far in my travels. It's in a league all of its own. When I go back to London, I would like to go again but go with a real tour guide. Unfortunately, I was pressed for time and unable to take the guided tour. It's amazing to think that there are buildings older than my great country of America or my adopted country of Canada. Westminster Abbey, well-done in preserving your country's heritage and history!
Back on the tour again...London style
So this week has been really busy with meetings and working. The last two nights I was working until 1am-2am and then getting up at 6am or 7am to get ready for the day. I'm exhausted. But I have to admit that I took a little time for myself on this glorious Friday morning (as glorious as you can get in dreary London) and visited Westminster Abbey. One word...incredible!! Oh, I guess I should mention that I also took a couple of hours yesterday afternoon and went to Tower of London with my colleagues. ;-) But really...I have been working EXTREMELY hard.
Tower of London was pretty cool. Of course it's a really old fort/tower and the artifacts are pretty amazing. Just to think that something has survived over 700 years is mind boggling. There are three things that I really enjoyed during my visit there.
1. The view from the Tower of the Thames River and the Tower Bridge. I got some nice pictures of the bridge and river from the Tower of London. Plus, yesterday was a strange day for weather. It was all dreary and raining in the morning, sunshine for about 2 hours in the afternoon and then torrential downpour for an hour until it got all dark and drizzly again. We were pretty lucky that the two hours of sunshine occurred while we were playing tourist.
2. Carvings in the soapstone walls. In one of the small towers, they used to house prisoners there. The prisoners would apparently occupy their time by carving into the soapstone walls. Amazingly enough, they were able to preserve parts of the wall. Some people wrote various sayings or proverbs, others wrote their names and dates, some others even drew pictures (although quite rudimentary). It was completely fascinating to see how people occupied their time while imprisoned.
3. The Crown Jewels. Need I say more?!?! I'm all about accessories. You know this if you know me at all. But the baubles and crowns that adorned the royal families are a little over the top....and I absolutely love it!!! :-) I have never before in my life seen such magnificent jewels. Even the crowns which were created over 200 years ago have gems and jewels that are dazzling. It's always been my expectation that the further we evolve, the more sophisticated designs are in general. But they sure knew how to craft intricate details and cut the stones. Plus, I got to see the world's largest and clearest diamond - the Asscher diamond which is mounted in the Queen Her Majesty's royal scepter. Uuuuhhhh....hello, can I have one for Christmas please?!? ;-) I wouldn't mind going back to the Tower of London to just stare at the Crown Jewels for hours. But the royal guards would probably think I'm planning a heist. I can't even imagine what it must feel like to adorn yourself with all of that stuff. But the fascists wouldn't let me take any pictures. Boo. :-(
In general, I'm not really what I would consider a "traditional" person. I don't have family traditions that I follow. There is really no pomp and circumstance in my life that drives my decisions. But I have to admit that there is something to be said for long standing traditions. Learning the history of the crown jewels and knowing that every royal person uses the same scepter for hundreds of years or that the same anointing spoon has been used in every coronation ceremony for the past 700 years - it makes me appreciate the value of tradition and
why people hold fast to this kind of ideology.
Stay tuned for my thoughts of Westminster Abbey... and in the words of the English, "have a good day, love!" xoxo
Tower of London was pretty cool. Of course it's a really old fort/tower and the artifacts are pretty amazing. Just to think that something has survived over 700 years is mind boggling. There are three things that I really enjoyed during my visit there.
1. The view from the Tower of the Thames River and the Tower Bridge. I got some nice pictures of the bridge and river from the Tower of London. Plus, yesterday was a strange day for weather. It was all dreary and raining in the morning, sunshine for about 2 hours in the afternoon and then torrential downpour for an hour until it got all dark and drizzly again. We were pretty lucky that the two hours of sunshine occurred while we were playing tourist.
2. Carvings in the soapstone walls. In one of the small towers, they used to house prisoners there. The prisoners would apparently occupy their time by carving into the soapstone walls. Amazingly enough, they were able to preserve parts of the wall. Some people wrote various sayings or proverbs, others wrote their names and dates, some others even drew pictures (although quite rudimentary). It was completely fascinating to see how people occupied their time while imprisoned.
3. The Crown Jewels. Need I say more?!?! I'm all about accessories. You know this if you know me at all. But the baubles and crowns that adorned the royal families are a little over the top....and I absolutely love it!!! :-) I have never before in my life seen such magnificent jewels. Even the crowns which were created over 200 years ago have gems and jewels that are dazzling. It's always been my expectation that the further we evolve, the more sophisticated designs are in general. But they sure knew how to craft intricate details and cut the stones. Plus, I got to see the world's largest and clearest diamond - the Asscher diamond which is mounted in the Queen Her Majesty's royal scepter. Uuuuhhhh....hello, can I have one for Christmas please?!? ;-) I wouldn't mind going back to the Tower of London to just stare at the Crown Jewels for hours. But the royal guards would probably think I'm planning a heist. I can't even imagine what it must feel like to adorn yourself with all of that stuff. But the fascists wouldn't let me take any pictures. Boo. :-(
In general, I'm not really what I would consider a "traditional" person. I don't have family traditions that I follow. There is really no pomp and circumstance in my life that drives my decisions. But I have to admit that there is something to be said for long standing traditions. Learning the history of the crown jewels and knowing that every royal person uses the same scepter for hundreds of years or that the same anointing spoon has been used in every coronation ceremony for the past 700 years - it makes me appreciate the value of tradition and
why people hold fast to this kind of ideology.
Stay tuned for my thoughts of Westminster Abbey... and in the words of the English, "have a good day, love!" xoxo
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Bonafide London tourist
So yesterday was all about travel, seeing my friend from high school and trying to cope with my jet lag. Today was all about touring London and seeing the sights. I bought a bus tour ticket and went all around Central London. I was able to see so many fantastic sights and am looking forward to going back to see more later this week.
This morning I treated myself to an English breakfast buffet...which was pretty much the same thing as an American breakfast buffet except for a few unidentified objects - namely some charred black sausage patty looking thing. Otherwise all was good.
I got to know the London tube system better today. Unfortunately on my way to the bus tour, parts of the tube were shut down so I had to figure out alternative methods to get to my destination. But all's well that ends well. My bus tour began in Picadilly Circus. My colleague told me to visit there and I asked him what was there and he said theatres, shops, and restaurants. I was thinking to myself that it didn't sound very unique and had pretty much written it off of my list of things to do in London. But it was absolutely fantastic!! That area of London is so thriving and upbeat. It would be really great if I could get in a show while here but I doubt that I will find enough time. But let's see...
On my bus tour, I saw all of the major attractions of London... Trafalger Square, Buckingham Palace (although we weren't able to get too close), Hyde Park, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tate Modern Exhibit, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, River Thames, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye. Oooh, I got to see where Margaret Thatcher and J.K. Rowlings live. Mind you, all of this was seen from the upper portion of my bus. But it was a great introduction to London and to some of the sights that I would like to go back and visit.
However, I did go on the London Eye today. It was pretty fantastic. It's a great way to get a 360 degree view of all of London. There is an introductory video that boasts about being 4D. I was thinking to myself, what the heck is 4D? What more can they add? During the video, they blow bubbles, snow flakes and spray you with water. I was unprepared for that. :-)
So I have to admit that I was a bad tourist and ate at McDonald's today. I realized I hadn't eaten in almost 6 hours and all of the sudden I started getting the shakes from low blood sugar. So I broke down and bought a chicken sandwich that I could quickly eat and then get real food later. However, I can safely report that the chicken sandwich in London tastes the same as it does in the U.S. and Canada.
Oh guess what... there used to be a Republic of Texas Embassy here in London before Texas became part of the U.S. Now they have a Texas Embassy restaurant in its place. I also saw the Canadian Embassy with its flag flying high. Pictures of both places to be posted soon.
There's a lot more to discuss but it's my bed time and tomorrow starts the work (the whole reason why I'm here). But I will make sure to post more later...and pics as well.
This morning I treated myself to an English breakfast buffet...which was pretty much the same thing as an American breakfast buffet except for a few unidentified objects - namely some charred black sausage patty looking thing. Otherwise all was good.
I got to know the London tube system better today. Unfortunately on my way to the bus tour, parts of the tube were shut down so I had to figure out alternative methods to get to my destination. But all's well that ends well. My bus tour began in Picadilly Circus. My colleague told me to visit there and I asked him what was there and he said theatres, shops, and restaurants. I was thinking to myself that it didn't sound very unique and had pretty much written it off of my list of things to do in London. But it was absolutely fantastic!! That area of London is so thriving and upbeat. It would be really great if I could get in a show while here but I doubt that I will find enough time. But let's see...
On my bus tour, I saw all of the major attractions of London... Trafalger Square, Buckingham Palace (although we weren't able to get too close), Hyde Park, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tate Modern Exhibit, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, River Thames, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye. Oooh, I got to see where Margaret Thatcher and J.K. Rowlings live. Mind you, all of this was seen from the upper portion of my bus. But it was a great introduction to London and to some of the sights that I would like to go back and visit.
However, I did go on the London Eye today. It was pretty fantastic. It's a great way to get a 360 degree view of all of London. There is an introductory video that boasts about being 4D. I was thinking to myself, what the heck is 4D? What more can they add? During the video, they blow bubbles, snow flakes and spray you with water. I was unprepared for that. :-)
So I have to admit that I was a bad tourist and ate at McDonald's today. I realized I hadn't eaten in almost 6 hours and all of the sudden I started getting the shakes from low blood sugar. So I broke down and bought a chicken sandwich that I could quickly eat and then get real food later. However, I can safely report that the chicken sandwich in London tastes the same as it does in the U.S. and Canada.
Oh guess what... there used to be a Republic of Texas Embassy here in London before Texas became part of the U.S. Now they have a Texas Embassy restaurant in its place. I also saw the Canadian Embassy with its flag flying high. Pictures of both places to be posted soon.
There's a lot more to discuss but it's my bed time and tomorrow starts the work (the whole reason why I'm here). But I will make sure to post more later...and pics as well.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Motherland of America
So I arrived in London very early this morning (i.e. 7:00am). I had high hopes that my flight would be quite empty, as it showed many empty seats when I was checking in. But it was all a conspiracy because the flight was full. Needless to say, sleep on the airplane was restless and fitful. So as I disembarked the plane and headed to customs, I was completely disoriented and overwhelmed by the magnitude of people who were also arriving at Heathrow at 7am on a Saturday morning.
Immigration and customs were very easy. I guess the UK government doesn't give Americans a hard time when traveling to London like the American government gives our fellow British companions a hard time. (Back story: my British friend was traveling to the U.S. from Canada to go to some meetings at a customer of ours and the U.S. immigration officers detained him for questioning for hours and finally let him through but told him not to come back to the U.S. without a work visa. Mind you, he was just going for some meetings and does not work out of or live in the U.S. smh. Ahhh...gotta love the U.S. government.)
I took the Heathrow Express from the airport to Paddington Square in central London. It travels 15 miles in 15 minutes, which is apparently a big deal in London. It was a very nice train and good experience. Then I proceeded to go to the Underground Tube in order to get to my hotel. A friend of mine had suggested that I not take the tube with all of my luggage because it's a lot of stairs and few escalators. But did I heed his advice? No, because I'm stubborn like that. Sooo...my friend was right. I should have just taken a taxi because my luggage and those stairs were quite the workout!! But, c'est la vie! :-)
It's about a 6 minute walk from the Tube station to my hotel on Holland Park Ave. I'm staying in Kensington, right on the edge of Notting Hill. Let me tell you...it looks just like the movie. Plus, it's still fall here (not full-on winter like Montreal) and it's very picturesque with the fall leaves and brisk breeze. I've seen the typical red, double decker buses that you always hear about. I also saw the stereotypical black taxi cabs. It still completely trips me out to see someone getting in the car on the "wrong side" in order to drive. I guess I'm an American at heart. ;-)
One funny thing is that at every cross walk, it's written "Look right" or "Look left". I have to wonder if this courtesy is for the tourists because traffic travels on the opposite sides of the street than most other places in the world. Or if this is written because the traffic is so screwy that pedestrians need a reminder which way to look. Anyhow, I will take a picture and post because I think it's funny.
Speaking of cross walks, I do find it difficult when crossing the street. You don't realize it, but you become accustomed to always looking to your left first, then your right in order to check for oncoming traffic. However, you need to do the opposite here. Several times I had to catch myself before stepping out onto the road because I quickly realized that there was oncoming traffic.
I also was able to see one of my friends from high school, as she and her husband are in London for a week visiting family and friends. I haven't seen her in 11 or 12 years so that was fun to catch up and see how she was doing. I also was able to visit a proper English pub, although I only had one pint of beer. But I expect that to be the first of many visits to the pub. I'm looking forward to grabbing some dinner tonight and just listening to the British accent. Oh how I love it. I'm a sucker for the accents...I can't help it.
Immigration and customs were very easy. I guess the UK government doesn't give Americans a hard time when traveling to London like the American government gives our fellow British companions a hard time. (Back story: my British friend was traveling to the U.S. from Canada to go to some meetings at a customer of ours and the U.S. immigration officers detained him for questioning for hours and finally let him through but told him not to come back to the U.S. without a work visa. Mind you, he was just going for some meetings and does not work out of or live in the U.S. smh. Ahhh...gotta love the U.S. government.)
I took the Heathrow Express from the airport to Paddington Square in central London. It travels 15 miles in 15 minutes, which is apparently a big deal in London. It was a very nice train and good experience. Then I proceeded to go to the Underground Tube in order to get to my hotel. A friend of mine had suggested that I not take the tube with all of my luggage because it's a lot of stairs and few escalators. But did I heed his advice? No, because I'm stubborn like that. Sooo...my friend was right. I should have just taken a taxi because my luggage and those stairs were quite the workout!! But, c'est la vie! :-)
It's about a 6 minute walk from the Tube station to my hotel on Holland Park Ave. I'm staying in Kensington, right on the edge of Notting Hill. Let me tell you...it looks just like the movie. Plus, it's still fall here (not full-on winter like Montreal) and it's very picturesque with the fall leaves and brisk breeze. I've seen the typical red, double decker buses that you always hear about. I also saw the stereotypical black taxi cabs. It still completely trips me out to see someone getting in the car on the "wrong side" in order to drive. I guess I'm an American at heart. ;-)
One funny thing is that at every cross walk, it's written "Look right" or "Look left". I have to wonder if this courtesy is for the tourists because traffic travels on the opposite sides of the street than most other places in the world. Or if this is written because the traffic is so screwy that pedestrians need a reminder which way to look. Anyhow, I will take a picture and post because I think it's funny.
Speaking of cross walks, I do find it difficult when crossing the street. You don't realize it, but you become accustomed to always looking to your left first, then your right in order to check for oncoming traffic. However, you need to do the opposite here. Several times I had to catch myself before stepping out onto the road because I quickly realized that there was oncoming traffic.
I also was able to see one of my friends from high school, as she and her husband are in London for a week visiting family and friends. I haven't seen her in 11 or 12 years so that was fun to catch up and see how she was doing. I also was able to visit a proper English pub, although I only had one pint of beer. But I expect that to be the first of many visits to the pub. I'm looking forward to grabbing some dinner tonight and just listening to the British accent. Oh how I love it. I'm a sucker for the accents...I can't help it.
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