First Day in London!

Hello from London!

After a long flight, I have finally arrived in the United Kingdom! The flight was uneventful, which is the way it should be. When we landed, I had little trouble getting through immigration and collecting my baggage. The London Underground is relatively simple to figure out though I did have to ask an official to ensure I was getting on the correct train. However, not too much later, I arrived at my stop and my hotel. For those of you that have spent little time in Europe; things here are much smaller. A single room is about the size of a normal bathroom in the United States. However, I do not need much room so I ditched my bags and immediately went out. Because it took me a little longer than expected to get to my hotel, I opted out of going to the Tower of London today. Instead, I literally walked around nearly the entire city starting from the Houses of Parliament to Hyde Park. These stops included, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Harrods, and finally, Hyde Park. Here are a few shots from today!

Big Ben

Westminster Abbey

Parliament

Buckingham Palace

 Queen Victoria Memorial

Duke of Wellington Arch

Harrods

Peter Pan

There are a few things that struck me from my first day in London. FIrst, London is very easy to navigate, even if you are alone. The Parliament Houses, are some of the most stunning sights in London, even in the rain. Buckingham Palace was crowded but it was interesting to see where the Queen lives and operates. The flag was flying above Buckingham Palace, and I believe that meant that the Queen was inside. I did not go inside Westminster Abbey because the visiting hours were over but that is on my list to complete within the next couple days. Walking about the edge of Hyde Park, I stumbled upon the high fashion shopping district shared by Chelsea and Kensington. This includes the luxurious Harrod's Department Store. I, of course, went in to browse. For those of you that aren't familiar with Harrods, think of it as a higher priced Neiman Marcus. I looked at a rack of clothes that were 50% off. However, they were Oscar De Larenta so the fashions were still priced around 850 British Pounds. After leaving Harrods, I decided to roam around Hyde Park, which I did often the last time I was here. I specifically wanted to see the statue of Peter Pan, the boy who never wanted to grow up. Walking in the rain was quite nice as I searched for this statue. After finding it, I sat on a park bench and watched the residents of London walk by. It is very easy to identify fellow Americans so I'm sure I stick out like a sore thumb.

After a long day of traveling and walking around London,  I eventually made my way back to my hotel. I opted for a small Chinese restaurant near my hotel for dinner. It was cheap and fantastic. I had soup and an entrée for about 12 British pounds. Tomorrow, I am planning on going to the Tower of London first, then to the British Museum to explore. I am considering dinner and shopping at Covent Garden as well. Can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!!

AL