London
June 24
After experiencing all of the Manchester countryside, we headed down on a train yesterday to London. The train ride went by extremely quickly, which may be partially due to the fact that my eyes were closed for most of the time.
We took a taxi to get to the apartment we are renting for 2 days, and that ride wasn't very pleasant. I was sitting backwards and it was super hot in the cab, so I'll just say that I didn't enjoy it all too much. But, it was still cool to have my first taxi ride in London!
The apartment was still being cleaned, so we went in, put our stuff inside, and then headed out for some sightseeing. Out first stop was Platform 9 3/4, which is the place that Harry Potter and all of his friends use to get to Hogwarts. There was a decently long line, but we waited it out in order to use the wand and the scarf to capture our first London adventure.
Next we began walking, but got stopped by a tour guide. After talking for awhile, we ended up getting a pretty good deal on the double decker bus tours, and Maggie and I even got student discounts. We rode around taking pictures of the different attractions and then got off at a market place. I was able to get most of my souvenirs there, and hope to just pick up the rest in Paris. Honestly, I do souvenirs way differently than normal people. If I see something that reminds me of someone, I just buy it! I seriously think my favorite find is another t shirt with cameras on it. My obsession continues to be fueled :)
We ate dinner at a shake place, but the shakes themselves were suuuuuper expensive, so we found some at a different location. Later we hopped back on the bus, saw some more of London, and relaxed back at the apartment. Oh, but there was still more "fun" to be had. When we got back to the room where our bags were, the code given to us didn't work. We went down a flight of stairs and it actually worked on the lower flat. As we began to panic about never seeing out luggage again, we received the code for our correct flat, and life moved on. Another bullet basically dodged!
June 25
Day number two in London. We began by eating a light breakfast and then catching the train toward Buckingham palace. We waited in place until the ceremonial changing of the guard took place, and then headed down toward a park where some of the guards were posted. They won't let you take pictures with those with the bear skinned hats, so we took pictures with the shiny knights.
After this we walked toward Westminster Abbey, which is where the royal weddings occur. Unfortunately we didn't want to spend enough time there to actually pay to get in, but it was beautiful on the outside, and it's just crazy to think of how old it was and yet how intricate it is.
Big Ben is right across the street, and after snapping a few pictures we walked across the River Thames and got back on the tour bus. We got off at the Tower of London and ate at a pub nearby. This is when we split up for the very first time. Maggie and I got on a train to head to Greenwich while everyone else visited the tower. (Don't worry, Mom. We made it back safely.)
Maggie and I hiked up a huuuuge hill to get to the Royal Observatory where the Prime Meridian is designated on the ground. Here you can take pictures of yourself in two different hemispheres, and can also learn about astronomy a little bit. There was a really cool clock exhibit that showed how the clocks have changed and progressed throughout time.
I was so blessed to get the opportunity to come see this, because as of last night we didn't think it could be fit into the plan for the day. Thankfully I have an amazing best friend who was willing to make the trek and enjoy adventuring with me. This is something that has been on my bucket list for awhile now, so I am really happy that I got the chance to cross it off!
The rest of the night was relaxation and preparation for our early train ride to Paris.
Striding for him,
Melanie
After experiencing all of the Manchester countryside, we headed down on a train yesterday to London. The train ride went by extremely quickly, which may be partially due to the fact that my eyes were closed for most of the time.
We took a taxi to get to the apartment we are renting for 2 days, and that ride wasn't very pleasant. I was sitting backwards and it was super hot in the cab, so I'll just say that I didn't enjoy it all too much. But, it was still cool to have my first taxi ride in London!
The apartment was still being cleaned, so we went in, put our stuff inside, and then headed out for some sightseeing. Out first stop was Platform 9 3/4, which is the place that Harry Potter and all of his friends use to get to Hogwarts. There was a decently long line, but we waited it out in order to use the wand and the scarf to capture our first London adventure.
Next we began walking, but got stopped by a tour guide. After talking for awhile, we ended up getting a pretty good deal on the double decker bus tours, and Maggie and I even got student discounts. We rode around taking pictures of the different attractions and then got off at a market place. I was able to get most of my souvenirs there, and hope to just pick up the rest in Paris. Honestly, I do souvenirs way differently than normal people. If I see something that reminds me of someone, I just buy it! I seriously think my favorite find is another t shirt with cameras on it. My obsession continues to be fueled :)
We ate dinner at a shake place, but the shakes themselves were suuuuuper expensive, so we found some at a different location. Later we hopped back on the bus, saw some more of London, and relaxed back at the apartment. Oh, but there was still more "fun" to be had. When we got back to the room where our bags were, the code given to us didn't work. We went down a flight of stairs and it actually worked on the lower flat. As we began to panic about never seeing out luggage again, we received the code for our correct flat, and life moved on. Another bullet basically dodged!
June 25
Day number two in London. We began by eating a light breakfast and then catching the train toward Buckingham palace. We waited in place until the ceremonial changing of the guard took place, and then headed down toward a park where some of the guards were posted. They won't let you take pictures with those with the bear skinned hats, so we took pictures with the shiny knights.
After this we walked toward Westminster Abbey, which is where the royal weddings occur. Unfortunately we didn't want to spend enough time there to actually pay to get in, but it was beautiful on the outside, and it's just crazy to think of how old it was and yet how intricate it is.
Big Ben is right across the street, and after snapping a few pictures we walked across the River Thames and got back on the tour bus. We got off at the Tower of London and ate at a pub nearby. This is when we split up for the very first time. Maggie and I got on a train to head to Greenwich while everyone else visited the tower. (Don't worry, Mom. We made it back safely.)
Maggie and I hiked up a huuuuge hill to get to the Royal Observatory where the Prime Meridian is designated on the ground. Here you can take pictures of yourself in two different hemispheres, and can also learn about astronomy a little bit. There was a really cool clock exhibit that showed how the clocks have changed and progressed throughout time.
I was so blessed to get the opportunity to come see this, because as of last night we didn't think it could be fit into the plan for the day. Thankfully I have an amazing best friend who was willing to make the trek and enjoy adventuring with me. This is something that has been on my bucket list for awhile now, so I am really happy that I got the chance to cross it off!
The rest of the night was relaxation and preparation for our early train ride to Paris.
Striding for him,
Melanie
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