London: Day 1
First off, the flight from SFO to LHR wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be! Spent the first 2 hours chatting and working, drank several glasses of (free) red wine, popped a “sleeping aid” and woke up an hour before we were going to land. I don’t even have a neck cramp, thanks to my trusty new neck pillow.
After taking a taxi to Hyde Park area (where our hotel is), we attempted to check in. I say attempt because we faced a few difficulties. To make a long story short, they gave our rooms away and didn’t have any others. And then, when I tried to have them look up my reservation, they miraculously had two rooms and made a third one available. Yay for not being homeless our first night in London.
We dropped bags off in our teeny rooms and meandered into Hyde Park. SO green and lush and absolutely beautiful. We played barefoot on the grass for a bit (humoring the boyfriend’s idea that walking barefoot in the grass will prevent jetlag) and then began walking around. We decided that since we have limited touristy days, we’d make the best of the time we have.
The walk to Buckingham Palace was beautiful. We got sidetracked for a moment by a Libyan protest outside the Embassy, but it didn’t take long to get to the Palace.
And it was worth the walk. The Palace is absolutely huge. It’s all gated off (because, ya know, the Queen lives there), but you could see almost the whole building and a little bit of the inside courtyard. Of course, the two guards on duty were exactly what you’d expect: red jackets, black suspenders and a tall furry hat. They were too far away for me to try and make them smile. :)
Next, we ventured over to Westminster Abbey. I am blown away by the intricate, delicate architecture. The gold plating. The old, nostalgic essence of these buildings. Truly magnificent. And most of them are like this - dated, traditional and breathtaking.
Thirsty and starving, we stopped into a nearby Pub, “The Red Lion.” We indulged in pints of the Organic Honeydew brew, which totally hit the spot. The Pub, again, was classic.
Drunk off one beer, we searched for food and ended up at a little place around the corner; “Cafe Churchill.” Here, we ordered water (and had to explain that we just wanted water, from the tap, in a glass), and Fish “N” Chips. Delicious.
We took the Tube back to our hotel and I am a bubble bath away from my bed. Awesome day one. Can’t wait for tomorrow!!
Things I Learned Today:
1. Driving on the left side of the road is scary.
2. British accents are incredibly sexy.
3. Americans are the ones with the accents in this country.
4. I’m blown away by the English language and how Americans have butchered it.
5. I love traditional, old things - the fact that there’s a Queen; all the buildings are hundreds of years old.
Unfortunately, I took all the pictures from today with my DSLR, and I don’t have the cord to transfer them. I’ll take more with my phone. Until then, you’ll have to wait :)
