Exploring England: Day 4-6 in London

Wrapping up my time in Bath was a little bittersweet. I enjoyed being there and the beauty of the place but I was looking forward to London and meeting up with friends. Travelling is fun, but it is so much better when you have someone to share the experience with. So the next part of my adventure started with a train ride from Bath to Paddington Station and then a quick trip on the underground to King’s Cross Station.

I would like to take a moment to discuss the London Underground. It is hot, loud, and crowded. It is also really confusing and something I never wish to experience again unless I absolutely have no other choice. But it managed to get us from point A to point B faster than walking would have, and we did walk quite a lot. It also made me want to reread “Neverwhere” by Neil Gaiman.

Things I saw and did in London:

1. Westminster Abbey– Beautiful architecture

2. St. James Park– a big park with geese, ducks, and a couple of swans…maybe even a pelican or two

3. Buckingham Palace– big fancy building with a large shiny gate

4. Picadilly Circus– a lot smaller in real life, but a lot of good shopping including the largest Waterstone (a big bookstore chain)

5. SOHO– breathtaking shops and art, but a little overpriced

6. South Bank– lots of food stalls and shops along the Thames River. We ate some good food here. Also, the home of the London Eye, but the queue was ridiculous so it was a hard pass.

7. Tate Modern– very interesting modern art pieces and it was free which made it accessible to all.

8. Big Ben– they had just finished cleaning it so it was incredibly shiny

9. Natural History Museum– a lot of wonderful pieces including the first edition of Darwin’s “Origin of Species”, some beautiful stuffed animals, and some beautiful gems.

10. Bridges– there are a lot of them

11. Camden Market– lots of artisan stalls and lots of food. Beautiful.

I enjoyed London, but I was happy to be leaving it behind. It was really busy and loud, no matter where we went. Everything was overpriced and it just wasn’t what I had been expecting. I should also point out that people can smoke out on the street in England and so I got more than a couple of faces full of cigarette smoke. In my opinion, London is a little overrated when there is so much to see and do in England. I will be headed to the seaside next and will look forward to some peace quiet and a whole lot more fresh air.