After crossing the Pond, Aaron and I decided to visit London, Paris, Zurich, Florence, and Rome by train. We really had no plans and therefore, enjoyed seeing the sights, getting lost, and discovering where the locals enjoy life. Our plan was to visit some of the major European cities and also make a stop where I studied abroad in Florence. Below, you'll find some of the highlights of our time in London. Enjoy!
London is a city steeped in history from every angle that you look. It's filled with beautiful gardens owned and maintained by the Queen, and the cultural diversity of the people who live there is evident throughout the city. After buying the London Pass, we had tickets for the most popular attractions and also a way to avoid long lines during tourist season. After taking the train from the airport to Trafalgar Square, we decided to check into our hotel, ditch our suitcases and wander around Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus, in the area where our apartment/hotel was located. Aaron and I loved Piccadilly Circus because the theater district with its bright lights reminded us of a mini Times Square with street entertainers. Also, at night, the cafes in Piccadilly Circus are a great place to stop and enjoy "high tea" for dinner/dessert. We really enjoyed having high tea and people watching in the theater district.
In Trafalgar Square, I discovered Dan Brown's latest novel, "Inferno," had just been released. Having chosen a honeymoon where we were going to visit many of the places mentioned in "Inferno" and being mildly obsessed with Dan Brown's novels, I immediately downloaded the book and secretly hoped we'd find a book signing with Dan Brown. However, not seeing Dan Brown anywhere at the bookstore, we caught the bus and visited Harrods, the incredible department store. Every room looked like we had just walked into a shiek's palace. "Amazing" doesn't even begin to describe Harrods and like most tourists, we enjoyed the sights and then walked back outside into the real world just as content.
When my parents took me to London when I was 15 years old, we discovered a great restaurant for fish and chips called, the Sea Shell, near the Marylebone tube station. It was my mission to go back to this same restaurant, which is now famous for their fish and chips, and take Aaron there. After searching for a few hours, we finally located it and enjoyed the best fish and chips that we experienced in London. It's no wonder that the small restaurant I once visited is now well-known in the city and now double its original size. Visiting the Sea Shell was well worth the time it took to find it.
On our first official day of touring London, we visited the Tower of London, London Bridge, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul's Cathedral. We began the day at the famous London jail and ended it at the most famous church! One of the highlights of our trip was taking the guided tour of St. Paul's Cathedral because of the incredible amount of history surrounding this cathedral, which was built in 1675. The guided tour was done by a British gentleman in his late 80's who would use his cane to poke and prod tourists not associated with our group, in order to move them out of our way. He was absolutely hilarious. Our guide was also a wealth of knowledge and being a part of his tour was like being in a Dan Brown novel. He knew every historical detail and he never resisted telling us about it! Following our tour, Aaron and I immediately visited Pret A Manger, which is conveniently located on every corner of London, for a strong espresso after our 2-hour tour!
Speaking of Pret A Manger, every morning, Aaron and I would walk a block to this incredible shop for breakfast. These are located throughout the city and they put Starbucks to shame. I never thought I'd say that, but after visiting Pret A Manger, I wish I owned one, they are that good. The coffee is fresh and if you can understand the thick accented words of the bakers saying, "take away or for here," you can enjoy a delicious breakfast for a reasonable price. Each morning, we would poke our heads into Nero or Costa, other local coffee shops, and walk out after seeing the boring baked goods. No one could beat Pret A Manger's "toastie," which comes in a variety of forms, but the one we chose was fresh baked bread pressed with stone ground mustard, gruyere cheese, and "bacon" (thick ham). Couple that with an espresso and we couldn't be happier. Aaron, not a coffee drinker, bought a lemonade with his morning toastie and we particularly enjoyed the British humor found on the outside of the cup, which stated: "Served best chilled, just like all Britons!"
The following day, we visited the British Museum, the London Eye, St. James Park, and Buckingham Palace. The British Museum was incredible and we really enjoyed the room of antiquities, which showcased the wealthy's collection of oddities, such as a miniature "real" mermaid, which I immediately took a picture of after watching the recent Discovery channel's documentary with Aaron. However, one of our favorite areas of the British Museum was the Egyptian exhibit and the walls of Babylon from Assyria. Who doesn't love singing and dancing to "Walk Like an Egyptian" next to real sphinxes? After the museum, we took a slow, but wonderful, spin around the London Eye, which allowed us to see the entirety of London from the enclosed Ferris wheel. We did this at dusk, so our pictures captured the sun setting over the city and the green glow of the lights of Big Ben and Parliament. After having enjoyed fish and chips already 3 times in local pubs, we opted for Indian food, which was delicious and a great way to wrap up our time in Foggy London Town.
The next morning, we packed our bags and headed to the Charing Cross station to catch the Eurostar to Paris. On our walk to the station, we were a comedy of errors...we caught the wrong city bus, could not find a taxi, and I broke Aaron's suitcase rolley-bag handle, and so we were rushing through the streets of London with Aaron carrying his suitcase on his shoulder like a traveling gypsy. Oh good times...but most importantly, we made it on the Eurostar with time to spare and at least we can laugh about it now!
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