London, England {Part 4}

Day 6 - 09.09.13

We woke up early to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace; however, after waiting for forever and finding the perfect spot, it was canceled due to the rain. To stay out of the pouring rain, we figured it would be a good museum day, so off to the British Museum we went (again free!). We mostly focused on the ancient artifacts from Egypt, Greece, and Rome; things like the Rosetta Stone, mummies, pottery, statues, and the very first English Bible in King James Version. We ate lunch at Savoir Faire, a bistro that used to be a brothel... yeah, you read that right. Some of decor was quite interesting because it was not changed in the renovation. The food was only alright, but we had no regrets on going there; it was an adventure. 

After eating, there was only about an hour left until the Natural History Museum would close. David really wanted to see dinosaurs, so we quickly made our way over. I've only ever been to OMSI, a science museum in Portland, so that was all I could compare it to. The building was beautiful, inside and out! It was fun to basically speed walk through the entire place. 

I wish I captured some pictures of the Lebanese place we visited after the museum for dessert, but I was too tired. I don't even remember the name, but it was delicious! We had tea, baklava, and some fresh-squeezed juice. 

& that's not the end of the day! Like I said: jam-packed. We really wanted to visit the Houses of Parliament to see some heated political debates - and it's free to enter! The House of Commons Chamber is where Members of Parliament (MPs) debate and vote on important issues, this involves MPs putting questions to government ministers, debating issues of national importance and passing legislation. After some serious security, we got our visitor passes and were escorted to the area where we can view the debate. It was near the end of the day so all of the "action" had died out. It got boring really quick, so we left after an hour or so. I would love to go again when it's a full house and serious issues are being discussed. 

Day 7 - 09.10.14

We only had half a day left in London and were taking a train to our next destination later that day: Brussels, Belgium. After meeting up with a family friend, we all took a tour of the Tower of London. I wasn't anticipating anything special, but boy were my expectations blown away. It was the best tour I've ever been on. Informative. Interesting. Entertaining (because of our tour guide). If you ever find yourself in London, go! It was the perfect way to end our England visit.

The Tower of London was built in 1066. It has served many functions: a coin mint, a menagerie (zoo), housing the Crown of Jewels, a royal residence, and most famously a prison. A very cool place that contains a lot of British history. If you're a nerd like me, are into this kind of stuff, and have a Netflix account watch the PBS documentary on it.

The yeoman warders, also called "beef-eaters," take care of the Tower of London. They have to have served in the British military and usually live in the Tower. They also give tours - our guy was hilarious and had an incredible Welsh accent. 

Looking back, I'm missing London the most. I cannot wait to return and explore England some more one day. //  Belgium posts are next. // & take a listen to the song below, it's my jam at the moment & fits the theme of wanderlust so well. If you don't have Spotify on your computer, here's the youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJCqbuJxTEs

"Travel. As much as you can. As far as you can. As long as you can. Life's not meant to be lived in one place." 

-unknown

                                                                                     

London, England {Part 3}

Day 5 - 09.08.13

The Original Bus Tour was the next thing on our agenda. Not worth £24. You listen to headphones that barely work and skip around here and there. It's a pretty drive around, but would be much better with an actual person giving the tour. What I would pay money for again is the Thames River boat tour that was included with the ticket. The live tour guide was hilarious and you get a different perspective of the city.

We got our first glimpse of rain that day, forcing me to buy an umbrella that saved me the rest of the trip! We had lunch - sandwiches and coffee - at Fernandez & Wells, a cute cafe that reminded of Portland.

Fun fact: The Big Ben is actually named The Elizabeth Tower. "Big Ben" is the name of the bell inside.

By far, my favorite moment of this trip was Westminster Abbey (Founded in 960!). We made it to a Sunday Evensong service after lunch. It's hard for me to describe my experience because it was so emotional. Walking into the building brought me chills and tears. I was in complete amazement of the sight and history of it.  I was just so thankful and blessed to be standing there. I thought about how many influential people have walked through the church (Isaac Newton was buried there amongst many others), and I felt so small and humbled.  I ended up crying through the whole service - just overwhelmed by the experience. Everything clicked into place after that. I realized how much there is to see in the world, and places like London and Paris weren't just points on a map. They are really there, only a 10 hour flight away. I may sound a little naive or ridiculous (sorry about that), but honestly, before that moment it never really occurred to me how much is out there. I'm young and who knows what God has in store for me, but my eyes and heart have been opened up to traveling and there is no quenching that thirst.

"Travel...the best way to be lost and found all at the same time." 

- Brenna Smith 

                                                                                

London, England {Part 2}

Day 4 - 09.07.13

The day began with my first museum trip to the National Gallery right in Trafalgar Square. I didn't know what to expect because I had not experienced or appreciated art before (besides photography). I honestly wasn't too excited to go, I would rather be sightseeing while the weather was nice. Luckily, the people I was traveling with LOVE art (& that's an understatement). By the end of the trip - and 5 museums later - I fell in love with art myself. At the National Gallery we took an hour tour where the lady did a wonderful job explaining all the art pieces (highly recommend it). You can tell she was knowledgable and loved her job. & it was free! You don't have to pay in a lot of the museums in London (just donate what you can). 

As you step outside the museum, you are engulfed into the crowds: tourists take up every inch of Trafalgar Square & street artists, entertainers, and performers are seen in every direction. 

People would place coins on the flag of the country they are from. We put some on Ukraine and Russia because they didn't have many (U.S. definitely had the most). 

Can you spot me above? (hint: I'm the only one posing for the camera)

After a quick lunch, we rushed to make it to an evensong service at St. Paul's Cathedral. It was stunning inside, but no photography was allowed. I sneakily tried to take some pictures on my phone, so they are not the best quality (gotta work on that skill for trips in the future). The grand-ness and gold, mosaic detail was truly breathtaking.

The sun was setting and we just decided to wander around. We crossed the Waterloo Bridge and ended up in Jubilee Square - a waterfront walk where you can ride the London Eye. We decided not to because the line was enormous, and it was quite expensive. The area was filled with people eating dinner at restaurants, carnival rides, and more street performers. We ended our walk at the Big Ben and buildings of Parliament. 

Traveling around London was quite the adventure, and it was also my first experience with any kind of subway system. It took some getting used to, and after getting situated it was very easy to use and understand. It's the perfect place to do people watching. 

"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list."

Susan Sontag 

                                                                              

London, England {Part 1}

Day 3 - 09.06.13

I am so blessed to have spent my 18th birthday in such an incredible city. After feeling a little homesick and overwhelmed in the beginning of the day, I was able to take it all in. Seeing the Tower Bridge made it real and I thought, I'm in London, how awesome is that! 

I was able to find my favorite store in the enormous Westfield shopping center right by Olympic Park. Urban Outfitters was the first thing I saw when I walked in, it was meant to be. I got myself a blouse and skirt. The style was still urban but a bit more preppy than the UO back home. The evening ended with walking across the bridge and breathing the London evening air. It was almost a type of mental preparation for the next jam-packed 4 days we had planned in this city. 

Tower Bridge 

//Stay tuned for more photos of London//

"I want to travel across the world and breathe the air of new places."