Twenty-four Hours Of London

I can’t repeat enough how slack I have become at updating my posts, it’s not even that I’ve become slack, it’s that I’ve started out this way; worlds worst blogger.  I really think I ought to get into the mode of writing on-the-go, otherwise ill be stuck writing about this year, next year!

Anyway, I find myself sitting on a train with an hour and a half till I reach the destination of Paddington Station, London.  This very setting makes me giggle; girl sitting on train, writing her next blog post, with a suitcase next to her packed with everything to survive for two weeks away from home – typical ‘blogger’ setting, really.  Although, I see why they do it, it’s the perfect place to get me into my writing element. 

After almost two weeks having been in the country, I finally dedicated a couple of days to see the essential sights of London.  Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square, Houses of Parliament, Horse Guards, 10 Downing Street, ‘The Mall’, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, The National Gallery, Harrods, Oxford Circus, Marble Arch, The London Eye, London Tower, London Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, and more.  It sounds like an awful lot to see in a day and a half, and thinking back now it was, but it was all made possible with the help of Big Bus Tours. 

We purchased a 24-hour ticket for the Big Bus Tours hop-on-hop-off services; perfect to see all the sights in a short amount of time.  We chose this particular company, mainly because it was the cheapest, but also it offered us three different routes around London we could choose from with our ticket.  A highly recommended mode of transport for anyone wanting to sightsee London – alternatively the tube system is efficient enough, but being on a tour bus you’re guaranteed to have the best seat in the house. 

Everything we saw and stood at was mind-blowing.  You can look at pictures over and over again, but nothing will beat seeing it all in real life.  The atmospheres created by the thousands of tourists who visit these monuments daily make it even more spectacular; occasionally I had to take a deep breath, open my eyes and only then would I realize where I was!  The beauty and history behind each landmark can sometimes get lost in the surrounding crowds that it takes a moment of blocking it all out to truly appreciate what’s before you. 

It’s hard to say which was my favorite part of that day, but there was one moment in which I will never forget.  Walking the steps from the underground station of Charing Cross, I felt like my world was unfolding in front of me, in this moment everything became real.  Surrounding me were the sights of Trafalgar Square; The Mall to my left, The National Gallery to my right and Whitehall behind me, I didn’t know where to look first. 

From Trafalgar Square we walked down Whitehall towards the river, reaching the end, I turned a corner and right before my eyes was Big Ben and the Houses of parliament, to the right was Westminster Abbey and Parliament Square, then further in the distance, across the river was the well-known London Eye.  How incredible it was to be standing in one spot and be witnessing so many things at once; it truly was overwhelming. 

True to tradition, we walked The Mall to Buckingham Palace, along side of St James Park. Although nothing special was happening, walking The Mall was an experience in itself.  I walked along, thinking of all the Royal events I have seen along the The Mall, Kate and Wills Royal Wedding in particular.  Its a road which has, over the years, become tremendously famous for it use.  

I made sure I wouldn’t miss experiencing a single sight of that day.  Ensuring the memories would stay with me forever, I took hundred of photos, from every possible angle, with every possible cheesy tourist pose, making it all the more fun.