There is a LOT we could say about our time in London! We'll start with a few tips for anyone traveling there:
1. Book a free tour with Strawberry Tours. It's donation based and they have several different tours. We did a general sightseeing tour and a Harry Potter tour. Both we amazing!
2. It costs 20 pounds per person to get into Westminster Abbey (an incredible 1000 plus year old church). Someone informed us of a way to get in for free: attend the church service! It happens every day at 5p and you can view the indescribably beautiful inside during the service.
3. Go to Camden Market. You can easily lose half a day just wandering and eating. They have all the cuisine one could ever want and the quirkiest shops to browse.
4. Check out an exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery. While we were there, it was "Selfie to Self-Exploration" and it was so good! It was also free!
We had our first hostel stay in London. It wasn't terrible but a bit stuffy (air conditioning isn't too common in Europe, we have found). However, we met a fellow Austinite there! It was so nice to connect through a place we all mutually love. She said "When people ask me what makes Austin so great, I tell them the healthy environment it breeds. You're open to be whoever you are, but we're not over-the-top or braggy about it. In fact, if you do brag or try to be "too" something, it's no longer cool. You have everything there to maintain a healthy life like healthy food and parks and running paths, but what really makes it healthy is the community. People genuinely want you to do well. It isn't a competitive or hostile life, it's a life where you are encouraged by one another." Ah. I have never had such a good answer to that question but she summed it up brilliantly. I truly hope we can find an environment similar on the east coast!
On our London sightseeing tour, we went to all of the quintessential London spots, including Buckingham Palace. Our tour guide was spouting off facts and who would be turning into the driveway but none other than QUEEN ELIZABETH! I kid you not! Our guide stopped mid-story to proclaim, "Oh my gosh, GUYS! The queen is coming!" We all gather around the gate to get a look, and there she was! In the back of a black old English-style car with her teal colored hat and matching jacket, she did the 'queen wave' and I swear she looked right at us. It was about a one second interaction but it was the coolest second ever. The thing that really struck me was how open she was- physically and mentally. She was just sitting in the back of a car with ordinary windows (not tinted) as she waved to her audience. She didn't cover up or hide or ignore us: she smiled and waved. I'm almost positive you would not see our President, nor most influential Americans, acting this open. In that one second interaction, it felt as though she really loved her people and her job.
On our last day in London, we stopped by a pub near our hostel. It was pretty crowded, but we managed to snag a booth made for 4. An older man asked if he and his friend could join us as there were no other seats available. We agreed, not needing the extra space anyways. They were from Scotland and were friendly and quite blunt in personality. For instance, the question we always get came up (What are you doing in London?) and we replied with "We are on our honeymoon", to which one replied "If you would had talked to me before the wedding I would have told you not to!"
Pause for rant: I absolutely HATE when people say things like that, and this isn't the first time it has happened with complete strangers. I understand marriages don't always work out, but please don't take your bitterness out on a honeymooning couple. Keep it to yourself. End rant.
The Scottish men shared stories about their travels and things to do in Europe. As they were leaving, they gifted us a bottle of champagne from the bar, saying "Enjoy your honeymoon". I suppose I can let the comment slide after a gesture like that. In all honesty, it's one of the kindest random
gestures we have ever received. So while
the Scots are blunt, they do seem to be generous. We shared the bottle with our friends from northwest England who we visit next! We met Josh and Issy in Austin through the couchsurfing community and now we visit them in their city!
1. Book a free tour with Strawberry Tours. It's donation based and they have several different tours. We did a general sightseeing tour and a Harry Potter tour. Both we amazing!
2. It costs 20 pounds per person to get into Westminster Abbey (an incredible 1000 plus year old church). Someone informed us of a way to get in for free: attend the church service! It happens every day at 5p and you can view the indescribably beautiful inside during the service.
3. Go to Camden Market. You can easily lose half a day just wandering and eating. They have all the cuisine one could ever want and the quirkiest shops to browse.
4. Check out an exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery. While we were there, it was "Selfie to Self-Exploration" and it was so good! It was also free!
We had our first hostel stay in London. It wasn't terrible but a bit stuffy (air conditioning isn't too common in Europe, we have found). However, we met a fellow Austinite there! It was so nice to connect through a place we all mutually love. She said "When people ask me what makes Austin so great, I tell them the healthy environment it breeds. You're open to be whoever you are, but we're not over-the-top or braggy about it. In fact, if you do brag or try to be "too" something, it's no longer cool. You have everything there to maintain a healthy life like healthy food and parks and running paths, but what really makes it healthy is the community. People genuinely want you to do well. It isn't a competitive or hostile life, it's a life where you are encouraged by one another." Ah. I have never had such a good answer to that question but she summed it up brilliantly. I truly hope we can find an environment similar on the east coast!
On our London sightseeing tour, we went to all of the quintessential London spots, including Buckingham Palace. Our tour guide was spouting off facts and who would be turning into the driveway but none other than QUEEN ELIZABETH! I kid you not! Our guide stopped mid-story to proclaim, "Oh my gosh, GUYS! The queen is coming!" We all gather around the gate to get a look, and there she was! In the back of a black old English-style car with her teal colored hat and matching jacket, she did the 'queen wave' and I swear she looked right at us. It was about a one second interaction but it was the coolest second ever. The thing that really struck me was how open she was- physically and mentally. She was just sitting in the back of a car with ordinary windows (not tinted) as she waved to her audience. She didn't cover up or hide or ignore us: she smiled and waved. I'm almost positive you would not see our President, nor most influential Americans, acting this open. In that one second interaction, it felt as though she really loved her people and her job.
On our last day in London, we stopped by a pub near our hostel. It was pretty crowded, but we managed to snag a booth made for 4. An older man asked if he and his friend could join us as there were no other seats available. We agreed, not needing the extra space anyways. They were from Scotland and were friendly and quite blunt in personality. For instance, the question we always get came up (What are you doing in London?) and we replied with "We are on our honeymoon", to which one replied "If you would had talked to me before the wedding I would have told you not to!"
Pause for rant: I absolutely HATE when people say things like that, and this isn't the first time it has happened with complete strangers. I understand marriages don't always work out, but please don't take your bitterness out on a honeymooning couple. Keep it to yourself. End rant.
The Scottish men shared stories about their travels and things to do in Europe. As they were leaving, they gifted us a bottle of champagne from the bar, saying "Enjoy your honeymoon". I suppose I can let the comment slide after a gesture like that. In all honesty, it's one of the kindest random
gestures we have ever received. So while
the Scots are blunt, they do seem to be generous. We shared the bottle with our friends from northwest England who we visit next! We met Josh and Issy in Austin through the couchsurfing community and now we visit them in their city!
 |
| Liking Frida Kahlo |
 |
| Selfie in the Selfie Room |
 Result of the above Selfie (haha) |
More of the Saatchi Gallery
 |
| Camden Market exploring |
 |
| A screenshot of a video Derik got of the Queen |
Another great post! So how much is 20 pounds in dollars? Scotland next, super cool!
ReplyDeleteJust over $25- so not cheap! London was pretty expensive in general but it was a lot of fun!
Delete