Thoughts on London, and Loving Dublin Already!

Hello all!

Here is a breakdown of my perception of London the past few days.  Enjoy and thanks for reading!

People

We met some really nice people, especially at our hotel while in London.  We also met some very, err…reserved people.  Some pretentiousness, but I am sure that is what you may experience everywhere, including the U.S.

One lady we met on the Overground (tube system) was named Mikaela, and she talked to us the most of everyone.  She let us know some great places to go while we stayed in Watford (quaint little area, about 30 minutes from Central London if taking the London Midland).  Saved a lot of money by staying in this area, just had a bit of a ride when going to London.  She was just so friendly, and made us feel comfortable, especially since it was like pulling teeth trying to get some people to talk.  The funniest thing Mikaela said though was when we started talking about Daniel Radcliffe and Robert Pattinson.  She goes, “Oh yes, Daniel Radcliffe is from here. That Robert Pattinson is American, right?”  

Umm, no.  We all shared a good laugh though.

Finally, we learned that some people from London do not particularly consider themselves to be British, even if they were born and raised there.  I need to research this a little more to understand.  Moreover, there is a lot of respect for the Queen here.  Brian and I watched our mouths to make sure we said nothing disparaging at all or even close about her as people are pretty serious about the Queen.  On the Underground one night, two men were straight fighting because one spoke disparagingly about her.  Some people very much want the Queen to have peace and not feel like there is unrest in London.  You can look up unrest in London amongst younger adults to see what that is all about…

Transportation

Again, going back to the tube system in London…I have to say, between the rail and the bus systems, London has a pretty nice way to get around the city.  Maybe some areas are nicer than others (not as sketch), but it gets you pretty much where you need to be, as long as you make sure you know where you are going.  There are signs and brochures to help though. 

Just make sure you keep moving because you will get ran over if not. 

In addition, when you are going up and down the escalators, stay to the right if you are not going to actually walk up or down the escalators. 

Lastly, a lot of people ride bikes around town—without helmets.

Food and Drink

London had a lot of great food and drink options, especially along the riverfront.  We went to a place called the Anchor, which had a lot of history behind it.  That is how we learned that you order food and drink at the bar, take a number, and then it is delivered to you.  Speaking of delivery, the food comes out quicker than anything I have already seen.  The time of food delivery is about cut in half compared to the U.S.   This is another nugget of information I will have to research when I get more free time, just to see if the foods are pre-prepared or if there are some standards in the U.S. of food preparation that differ from the U.K.

Most of the food in London was pre-packaged at side shops, with many people eating pre-prepared sandwiches.  I have already talked about the sodas in London, but thankfully, when we arrived to Dublin, Ireland today (YAY-we are here), I had my first good tasting Coke.  Yippee!

Tours

My goodness, there is so much to do in London!  From the London Eye to London Dungeon, to the Clink Prison (oldest prison in England), Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge, Tower of London, Harry Potter set location tour, Hyde Park,  St. James’s Park etc. (which we all did).  You can even see Broadway plays here like Wicked and Billy Elliot (we saw Wicked the night before we departed for London from the U.S.).  We didn’t do the double-decker bus tour just because Brian is the wiz when it comes to navigating (I am so lucky, since I have issues with directions, heee heee).  This enabled us to get a lot of walking in, and see great sites like outdoor markets, beautifully crafted historic buildings, and just so many interesting people.  We enjoyed the diversity of the city and observing all the people that you can tell come from so many different backgrounds.

Westminster Abbey

Buckingham Palace gates

View from the London Eye of Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, River Thames, etc.

On set of the Harry Potter Tour--London location

Yesterday we went on a guided bus tour (got up at 5:00am, arrived home at 9:15pm) to Stonehenge, Bath, the Cotswolds, and Stratford-upon-Avon.  It was absolutely amazing.  Stonehenge is quite breathtaking, and the guided tour really gives you a thorough history lesson.  You are not allowed to touch the stones anymore (due to preservation), as the stones are aging and some stones have even fallen down.  When we arrived to Bath, it was breathtaking!  If we ever come back to England, we would love to stay in a Bed and Breakfast and just experience Bath again.  We were able to see the Pump Room and caught a great picture of the Roman Bath below.  The Olympic torch was making its way through Bath that day, but unfortunately, we were leaving on the tour for our next stop before  it was coming through.  We ate at the smallest pub in Bath for lunch, and it was really the first experience we had that didn’t seem so “modernized.”   Our next journey was through the Cotswolds, filled with sheep and beautiful rolling hills in shades of green and neon yellow.  The neon yellow is from the canola plant (where canola oil comes from).  We also were able to see several houses with thatched roofs.   Our last stop involved Stratford- upon-Avon, and we had a guided tour through the house Shakespeare was born and lived in.  We were able to sip champagne there and enjoy scones with fruit preserves and cotted cheese.  Yes, “cotted” cheese, not “cottage” cheese.  The cheese tasted like whipped cream to me—yum!

Stonehenge

Brian hanging out at the "Smallest Pub in Bath."

At the Roman Baths

The Cotswolds

Shakepeare's Home in Stratford-upon-Avon

Weather

For most of our time in London, we didn’t see the sun, but it finally showed its happiness yesterday.  When we arrived in Dublin today, we were greeted by warmth and sunshine again.  Not NC sunshine, as it is still cool here (long sleeves, pants, and boots).  However, it was very pleasant and you could tell people were out and about more due to better weather.  Hopefully, this keeps up when my study abroad program begins this Sunday.  Just in case though, I have my rain-jacket readyJ  One interesting caveat is the amount of daylight.  In London the sun was up by 5-ish in the morning and only started going down near 9-ish in the evening.  Even more, it was almost near 10-ish here in Dublin when the sun went down.

On to Dublin….

More to come about Dublin as we tour the city tomorrow—we love it so far!  Brian has tried Guinness, which he says is completely different than anywhere else, not that I know since I am not much of a beer drinker.  I did have an Irish coffee though (quite "tourist-y", I am sure), but it was delightful! I already have practiced my “Slainte,” and had three Irishmen kiss me on my cheek (Brian told them to, the rascal).  Here’s to tomorrow!

Enjoying my Irish coffee at a pub called, "O'Shea's!"

Cheers and Slainte!

Kara