LONDON
Monday Sept. 16th 2019
What a whirlwind of a day in London. Getting off the train at Waterloo Station to a hoard of shoulder-to-shoulder people all going in different directions was a bit of an upheaval. Where do I go? Look for exit signs. Finally got out on the street to find out I had to go back into the station to get a bus ticket that would allow me to "hop on hop off" for 1 day as often as I wanted. I got the wrong ticket. It seems there is a big to do with the competition between "hop on hop off" bus companies. I actually bought an oyster card which allowed me access to any of the city buses which I actually ended up using later.
After walking over 2 hours trying to get to one of the bus stops that takes me around all the sites in Central London, I finally got it straight.
I got to see all the main attractions from the top of the 2 story open air bus making note of ones I want to return to next week. So this run around London was just that. A run around to see how I should really see London when I return next week.
It was a cloudy day with light mist later on. So pictures were very gray.
The city is a melting pot of people and from what I could see no one IN London is really FROM London. There were a lot of Middle Easterners and Asian people. Even those who spoke English did so with some accent from some other country. Of course the Brits spoke with such an accent I could barely understand if at all. Many said they liked MY accent.
What kind of a day would it be if I didn't get lost? Well I did. I ended up in Southwest London which is outside the central area looking a lot like the Bronx in N.Y. Through patience and diligence I got back and never had to get a taxi to take me.
London is interesting. Not a place to live (for me) but the history is amazing once you read about it noting that EVERYTHING is all about the royalty. So much opulence and extravagance. But the people here really love their royals.
I will be coming back to wrap up this U.K. experience next week to stay in Kensington with visits to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. I also want to go the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, a ride on the London Eye, Westminster Abbey and possibly Windsor Castle. Changing of the Guard and Horse Guard may be on the agenda once I see the variable schedule.
---I would never attempt to drive in this city.
---More garbage in the street than any other place I've seen in U.K.
---Only 2 homeless on the street that I saw. One holding (sadly) a dog
---Hot miso is sold at coffee shops. Dunkin take notice. You should do this. Make note to email DD with this suggestion.
What a whirlwind of a day in London. Getting off the train at Waterloo Station to a hoard of shoulder-to-shoulder people all going in different directions was a bit of an upheaval. Where do I go? Look for exit signs. Finally got out on the street to find out I had to go back into the station to get a bus ticket that would allow me to "hop on hop off" for 1 day as often as I wanted. I got the wrong ticket. It seems there is a big to do with the competition between "hop on hop off" bus companies. I actually bought an oyster card which allowed me access to any of the city buses which I actually ended up using later.
After walking over 2 hours trying to get to one of the bus stops that takes me around all the sites in Central London, I finally got it straight.
I got to see all the main attractions from the top of the 2 story open air bus making note of ones I want to return to next week. So this run around London was just that. A run around to see how I should really see London when I return next week.
It was a cloudy day with light mist later on. So pictures were very gray.
The city is a melting pot of people and from what I could see no one IN London is really FROM London. There were a lot of Middle Easterners and Asian people. Even those who spoke English did so with some accent from some other country. Of course the Brits spoke with such an accent I could barely understand if at all. Many said they liked MY accent.
What kind of a day would it be if I didn't get lost? Well I did. I ended up in Southwest London which is outside the central area looking a lot like the Bronx in N.Y. Through patience and diligence I got back and never had to get a taxi to take me.
London is interesting. Not a place to live (for me) but the history is amazing once you read about it noting that EVERYTHING is all about the royalty. So much opulence and extravagance. But the people here really love their royals.
I will be coming back to wrap up this U.K. experience next week to stay in Kensington with visits to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. I also want to go the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, a ride on the London Eye, Westminster Abbey and possibly Windsor Castle. Changing of the Guard and Horse Guard may be on the agenda once I see the variable schedule.
---I would never attempt to drive in this city.
---More garbage in the street than any other place I've seen in U.K.
---Only 2 homeless on the street that I saw. One holding (sadly) a dog
---Hot miso is sold at coffee shops. Dunkin take notice. You should do this. Make note to email DD with this suggestion.
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