London Love

I love London! It seriously was such a fun few days. I can’t wait to go back!

We left Preston in the morning and drove to Birmingham. I was sad to leave Preston but my excitement about London was almost killing me. On our way we stopped In Birmingham at Cadbury World. The chocolate was incredible! We had tons of fun eating our sample cups of chocolate, writing our names in chocolate, and buying chocolate to bring home with us.

From Birmingham we drove the rest of the way to London. We were happy to learn that our hotel was only one block from a tube stop, so after dropping off our luggage in our rooms we immediately headed off for our first evening in London.

We hopped on the tube and off we went. I absolutely love the tube! It was so efficient and fun to experience locals and tourists alike. It was also really nice because Chad knew exactly how to get us where we needed to go. I’d tell him where I wanted to go and he would get us there. We never got lost!

Our first stop was Trafalgar Square. I loved it! You couldn’t help but imagine yourself in all of the movies that are filmed there. What was also really cool was the sign counting down to the 2012 Olympics in London.

From Trafalgar Square we walked down to Buckingham Palace. Our walk took us through the very beautiful St. Andrews Park. The moments leading up to and during Buckingham Palace were so surreal. I couldn’t believe I was actually there. I was standing in front of Buckingham Palace! What made it even more fun was knowing that I had watched “the kiss” happen there only weeks before. Yay for Will and Kate! We had tons of fun there and laughed so hard trying to take a jumping picture.

We decided to thoroughly enjoy being in “the most diverse city in the world.”So, after a yummy dinner in Chinatown, we caught the tube to Westminster Abbey, Parliament, and Big Ben. By now it was dark outside, but it was so incredible and surreal to be standing on a bridge over the Thames staring up into the night at Big Ben. And then to walk around the corner to Westminster was amazing! I cannot even explain how blessed I felt to have the opportunity to be there. I definitely soaked it all in.

Day two in London started with a lecture by Ron Judd. Ron is an expat working in London. I loved his lecture! He talked about how each of us is a brand and we need to be aware of it with its associated strengths and weaknesses. He also counseled us on priorities and how we must constantly evaluate them.

Before our second business visit of that day we went to St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was my favorite thing we did while in London. The interior was absolutely incredible and climbing the dome and looking out on the city of London was unreal. The crypts below were also very intriguing. I would definitely recommend St. Paul’s Cathedral to anyone visiting London. It was worth every pound!

Our second business visit in London was to the Bank of England. It was interesting to make comparisons between the Bank of England and the U.S. Federal Reserve. After the Bank of England we spent a few hours in the National Art Gallery. I really loved some of the paintings, but there were also some very strange works of art.

For dinner we went to a pub where I proceeded to have the classic fish and chips that England is so famous for. They were fine, but compared to the other meals I had eaten I was slightly disappointed. Oh well, I can say I ate fish and chips in London.

To finish off night two, we went and saw Les Miserables. It was incredible! We got tickets for only twenty pounds, so we didn’t exactly have the best seats, but it was still amazing. I had forgotten how much I loved that music. Before heading back to the hotel we stopped at McDonalds for ice cream. Last year’s group told us we had to try McFlurry’s in every country because they have flavors that we don’t get in the U.S. They were right! I absolutely loved by Cadbury Carmel shake! Great end to a great day!

My last day in London started out with a bike ride through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. They were so beautiful and it was fun to be on a bike in London. From there we caught the tube to the Tower of London. I actually really enjoyed the Tower of London! Our tour guide was hilarious and then exploring after was way fun. My favorite part was the crown jewels though! I’m a girl. I can’t help it. They put you on a flat escalator to look at all of the jewels, but give you the opportunity to walk around and ride again. I probably rode it three or four times. I was so enthralled! And then we walked down from the Tower of London and took pictures at Tower Bridge. We actually got to see them raise the bridge to let a boat through, which was way cool.

From there we went to the British Museum where I saw the Rosetta Stone, lots of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures, and Egyptian artifacts and mummies. Way cool! We could have spent many more hours there, but I wanted to see Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey during the daylight. That is where we headed next. In true London fashion, we caught the tube and then stepped out into the pouring rain. Worth it though! I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved seeing those sites again.

For dinner we continued our quest to explore “the most diverse city in the world.” We ate at an Indian restaurant. I actually really liked it. I had a lamb curry, which was pretty good. It’s not food I could eat every day, but every once and awhile would be great. You should all be proud though! While in London I have really branched out with foods I had never eaten before. I’ve had a bite of my friend’s duck and then ate lamb – not to mention that I ate Indian food! Awesome!

We had extra money left on our tube passes, so we decided to finish off London with a trip to Kings Cross and Platform 9 ¾. So great!

London was absolutely amazing! And like I said before, I can’t wait to go back! Next stop…Amsterdam.