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| Straddling the Prime Meridian! |
London. I've been here a little over 24 hours and I'm already in love with this city. I think one of the first things I realized on the Tube to the apartments was the combination of old and new architecture in a way that just somehow seemed to work. Already I am beginning to grasp the layout of a tiny portion of the city and how to best navigate the tube. My room overlooks the gorgeous King's Cross station. The view really is spectacular. Thus far random observations:
everyone reads on the Tube. Newpapers, kindles, novels, you name it. Londoners do this sitting or standing.
Today was spent in the lovely Greenwich Village, which the group got to by taking a boat down the Thames. Through this ride we saw many of the iconic London sites; Big Ben, the Tower of London, the recreated Globe Theatre, and so much more. Also I'm pretty sure we saw the bank where BBC's
Sherlock was filmed (fangirl moment!) Greenwich is beautiful; home to the Prime Meridian and the birthplace of time, the Cutty Sark ship (which was used to cart tea from India to London, and then later transported sheep), walk around the gorgeous Old Royal Naval College (site of many filmed scenes from movies such as the
The Dark Knight Rises, King's Speech, and the one and only
LES MISERABLES!!! Let's just say it was exciting to see. I've had three pub meals since my arrival and all three have beaten my preexisting expectations of pub food. The day ended with a walk
UNDER the Thames to get to a tube station to ride home. This was followed by a quick stop at the local Tesco (grocery store) where I was happy to find a large variety with
VERY reasonable prices (greater for my poverty level budget!). It has been a busy first day, but well worth it. The adventure is only just beginning!
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| Beautiful view of Kings Cross from my window (picture doesn't do justice!). |
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| Sticky toffee, aka one of the best desserts I have ever eaten!! |
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| Old Royal Naval College. Gorgeous, recognizable architecture from so many movies! |
Literally. I just returned home from a 2+ hour bus trip. It began as a harmless venture to St. Paul's Cathedral with my friend Andrew to catch morning mass and a free look at the beautiful Cathedral. Being the responsible person I am, I pre-looked up the bus route. Bus 45. In case anyone is wondering, I have now ridden the entirety of Bus Line 45. What with a minor detour and not knowing we needed to push the stop button to get out at the right stop, we inadvertently crossed the Thames...and then just kept going. We ended at Streatham Place, though if you ask we where that is I can only tell you the Southern part of London. We caught another 45 going the opposite direction and ended up back at King's Cross. But while this was a completely different journey than the one I was expecting to have this morning, it definitely is one for the memory books. It actually made the city feel a little smaller because it gave some connections to the many different parts I know and hear about. I feel like I have a better understanding of all of the connections. Although I will be the first to admit I am not an expert! Also, we saw pretty many interesting signs and shops on this 2 hour tour. And heard many languages and accents on the bus. To answer a supply truck's question of "why does mum go to Iceland?" is that not only is Iceland a country, it also is the name of some sort of convenient store. Also, streets are crazy narrow here. And the bus drivers have no qualms about fitting into those tight spots. Tree in the way? No worries, we'll just brush the windows slightly with its branches. Honestly, the drivers' skill puts those in Cincinnati to shame. Here they just zip around narrow corners like they are the size of a matchbox car.
