Getting to Know London

The past week has been spent getting to London, including the beautiful, fun, exciting parts as well as the nail biting, excruciating, annoying parts. Whether a tube strike or an amazing theatrical performance, London has definitely kept me entertained.

Monday at the office in Trafalgar square, my coworker asked me, “So how are you getting home today?” I must have had a confused look on my face, because I was quickly reminded that the tubes would not be running as of 4pm and all day Tuesday due to the TUBE STRIKE. I had never taken a bus home nor did I know which bus to take, so I proceeded to wonder around the office begging for help. After work, I finally found the correct bus stop and managed to get on the correct bus. Simple enough. I was even able to sit in the front row on the top portion of the double decker bus, which also provided an amazing view of the city and the many bikers and pedestrians the bus was barely missing. It provided a fantastic perspective of the city that I don’t actually see when I take the tube.

The next morning I knew the exact bus to take as well as the bus stop, so I walked to the stop and immediately saw the 50 other people waiting. Two buses passed because they were already crammed with people, so I decided that the only way for me to get to work would be to walk… How hard could it be? I knew from the map I had seen the day before that I needed to get to the opposite corner of Hyde Park, so I began walking toward the park. When I finally reached the park, I saw a sign saying, ‘Welcome to Kensington Gardens’. Right… I forgot that I needed to walk through Kensington Gardens to Hyde Park… It took me probably 40 minutes to walk the diagonal length of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, so I believe it was officially the largest park I have EVER walked through. Luckily it was a beautiful day, and I saw gorgeous fountains in the memorial to Diana as well as breathtaking views of ‘The Serpentine’ (aka lake / river through Hyde Park) with white and black swans. I finally reached the corner of the park and was not quite sure where to go from there, so I followed the men in suits thinking that they have to be heading to a corporate office area. Luckily, as I was stalking the London business men, I saw a sign for Buckingham Palace. I KNEW WHERE I WAS! I had run multiple times from the office around Green Park and Buckingham Palace… I couldn’t help being amused by the fact that Buckingham Palace was my point of reference to get to work… At the end of the day, the buses once again were packed, and I ended up returning home by foot. In all, I walked about 8 miles on Tuesday. When I was whining about my feet to my flatmate, he said, “’N hours’ walk isn’t bad. People usually walk at least that long to get to work.” I couldn’t help snidely thinking… ‘NOT where I am from!’

I spent Thursday evening at the National Theatre. My friend Belton and I took advantage of a GroupOn deal, £75 to see 5 London shows. Our first show was Oliver! Kids are cute in musicals, but now add the English accent, and they are ADORABLE!

The rest of the week involved the gym, returning to Kensington Gardens to soak up some sun by the fountains, shopping in Oxford Circus (for new comfortable shoes), and a date with my flatmate’s friend from Australia. A very busy week of getting to know London… I am now looking forward to next weekend when it takes me to Athens, Greece for work and for play!