Today started out with an English breakfast at 7:30. It was quite good and might have been one of the best meals I have had at a hotel for some time. I even ran into a group of older ladies on vacation from Irvine. We then proceeded with a 3 hour bus tour of the city, which while interesting filed to really do anything other than point out places of interest as we passed, while going too fast to take good pictures.
However I did get to see all the landmark highlights like Westminster palace, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Downing Street, Whitehall, and St Paul’s Cathedral. A side note: London drivers are crazy and cut things far too close I saw several very very near accidents in my limited time on the bus. We did stop to see the once every 48 hours changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, complete with bearskin hats and a marching band.
One unexpected thing I encountered was the London incarnation of Cleopatra’s needle (an elaborate obelisk monument), there are 4 identical ones in 4 major cities. So far in my travels I have seen 3 of them, in New York, Rome and now London. I guess this means I have to see the Paris one to complete the set, oh darn.
After the tour concluded we just wandered around the city, seeing other sights, getting a feel for the streets and touring the quite extensive collection of the Imperial War Museum. I am not sure about the London Underground system though, it is certainly fast, but quite expensive and more run down looking then many of the other metro systems I have encountered during the last 4 years in American cities.
I am not sure how I feel about London overall. I admit that it is an interesting city and very historic city and has great political significance, however everything is very expensive to buy, places seem to be overrun with tourists and the streets crowded with tour busses. I will therefore remain undecided about my opinion, I did not spend very long in the city, it was crowded due to the August holidays of Europe, and I am still tired from my trip. Hopefully I can return someday and find out what this town is really like without sleep deprivation and an impossible timetable.
5am wakeup call tomorrow for our 9:30 flight to St. Petersburg…
(Note: Post written at the time, posted when I had a reliable internet connection)
One unexpected thing I encountered was the London incarnation of Cleopatra’s needle (an elaborate obelisk monument), there are 4 identical ones in 4 major cities. So far in my travels I have seen 3 of them, in New York, Rome and now London. I guess this means I have to see the Paris one to complete the set, oh darn.
After the tour concluded we just wandered around the city, seeing other sights, getting a feel for the streets and touring the quite extensive collection of the Imperial War Museum. I am not sure about the London Underground system though, it is certainly fast, but quite expensive and more run down looking then many of the other metro systems I have encountered during the last 4 years in American cities.
I am not sure how I feel about London overall. I admit that it is an interesting city and very historic city and has great political significance, however everything is very expensive to buy, places seem to be overrun with tourists and the streets crowded with tour busses. I will therefore remain undecided about my opinion, I did not spend very long in the city, it was crowded due to the August holidays of Europe, and I am still tired from my trip. Hopefully I can return someday and find out what this town is really like without sleep deprivation and an impossible timetable.
5am wakeup call tomorrow for our 9:30 flight to St. Petersburg…
(Note: Post written at the time, posted when I had a reliable internet connection)
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