Until last January, I had never visited Europe. That all changed when I arrived in London on January 20th, 2020. Although I only spent four days in the city, I was able to see many of the things that London had to offer.
Although London is in another English speaking country, I defintely felt that London was a very different city. Just the way that the city was laid out and the way all the building appeared to me seemed foreign; not to mention all the cars driving on the left side of the road. I went on a few walking tours around the city. I saw many places such as the Royal Palace, Big Ben, and the London Bridge. London also has a lot of wonderful and interesting street art. Near the Southbank Centre, I visited a skate park with lots of wonderful graffiti. I also visited another part of the city where almost every building was filled with graffiti. There were many different styles and works from many artists including famous artists like Banksy. My favorite activity that I did in London was the Jack the Ripper tour. While I’ve always found the cases of the infamous serial killer to be intriguing, it was the tour guide who made the tour interesting. He spoke in a very odd and humerous way downplaying the gruesome crimes that had been committed decades before. He wore 19th century clothes, spoke in a Victorian manner, and even carried around a lamp.
I also had my first real experience traveling through the city subway system. At first, it was a little hard for me to figure out which train to get on or where I was going; luckily, I was part of a very large group. Unfortunately, I lost my original subway card so I had to scramble to purchase a new one. Fortunately for me, I did not get pickpocketed while I was on the metro.
Overall, London was a very beautiful and interesting city. I saw many great and interesting things while also experiencing Europe for the first time with my peers. The only negative thing I have to say about the city is that it can be a little expensive; I brought 100 British Pounds cash with me and it was all gone after the first day. But I wouldn’t let that discourage anyone from visiting this wonderful city and I hope that I have the privelege to reutrn one day.
London! I have always wanted to go there. I know exactly what you mean when you said even though they “speak English” it is different. I too have traveled and have been to English speaking countries yet they are so different. I always enjoy your blogs because they help provide a detailed description of the places. I will turn to your blogs when planning my next travel spot!
I visited London in the summer of 2018 and loved it! I definitely remember the metro maps being confusing at first, but it didn’t take long to get the hang of it. I didn’t do the Jack the Ripper tour while I was there, even though we did other walking tours, but that sounds so cool!
I’ve always wanted to go to London and based on your experience it sounds amazing! I can definitely see how it’s so different from cities in America, even though they speak English. Being an ocean away and being in Europe definitely affects that and compared to American cities like New York, its so much more historical with beautiful architecture and places and buildings that hold so much history.