Loving the London vibe
London is the largest metropolis in the United Kingdom, and the country's cultural centre. London is a popular tourist destination for its wide variety of museums, shops, restaurants, and sports teams. The colorful history, the majestic art, and the controversial politics are just some of the alluring features that draws people to London.
What makes London special??
London has four UNESCO world heritage sites: Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich, Westminster Palace and Kew's Royal Botanic Gardens. Did you know, there are over 300 languages spoken in London, more than any other city in the world. Whoa!! That's a lot!!
Why does London attract people?
Aside from history, arts and politics which I have mentioned earlier, the city's creative energy, cultural diversity, and rich heritage make it so unique that it’s a popular tourist destination for travelers abroad.
People go there to see Buckingham Palace (provoking the Royal Guards to break a smile). Additionally, tourists visit London to see: Big Ben, Westminster Abby, Changing of the Guard, London Eye, Hyde Park, The Shard, Tower Bridge, The House of Parliament, and shopping at Harrods etc. Many hope to catch a glimpse of The Royal Family. Still others relish in the experience of seeing a show at the famous West End Theatre
We stayed at the Hilton in the Westminster area so that it would be close to most of the popular sights we were interested in. While strolling along our sightseeing venture, even though it wasn't necessary or needed, we decided to take the Hop on Hop off bus, taking in the city from a different perspective, letting our feet rest… after all we're vacationing. Such a tourist eh?! I find sometimes you need to switch it up and try different things. I like experiencing vacation in different ways so I can compare what I like best. As it turned out, it was a lovely way to see London.
If you're on a budget, you can opt to use the city buses instead and get a similar experience.
I find London is one of those city where you have the luxury of relaxing and just taking your own time, just stroll along, look at the sights, enjoy the food, relax and do some expensive shopping. Did I mentioned that I love shopping?!
Nothing in London is cheap, however, there are lots of free Museums you can visit. I guess that balances out somehow. Sightseeing on foot is always free and you don't need to spend money to go see the top of the Tower Bridge or the Shard or any of those so called must see sights unless you really want to. Think about it, must see for whom?? But I find, some of these things you shell out your hard earn money to see can be disappointing.. so as long as it's something you really want to do or see, such as the Madam Tussaud Wax Museum, Harry Potter or the Aquarium... then you can happily stroll around and take in a lot of London for free! With the exception of a little bus or underground fare to go to the other side, but if you love to walk and explore, you will not be disappointed.
I mean would you be disappointed when your strolling around takes you to stop at this telephone booth and take a cute picture----- all for free?!!!.
The sights are just beautiful; we were especially lucky the weather was very agreeable that day. We hopped off the bus at the Big Ben stop and were enjoying the sight so much that we were mesmerized and forgot to hop back on to see what other adventures were waiting for us to explore. Eventually we did hop back on, but again we were so preoccupied with what the city had to offer, we did the same thing at the next stop. You know that feeling, of time standing still ? That’s how it felt, until we remembered we had an appointment for the London Eye! So we happily hopped back on again, only this time we had to stay focused on our destination. Glad we did because along the way there we discovered that some sights are best viewed from the top of the open bus, you just need the best seat in the house.
I mean, look at this picture.... the view wouldn't be the same from the ground.
Can't beat views like these
Equally lovely I must admit but different experience... and that's what we're aiming for, having the best experience.
Remember while on vacation, it's what speaks to your heart that leads you to a state of awe. Always be careful when someone says must see or must do.... remember the other side of that is, must see or must do for whom??
Of course we did the touristy thing and visited some of the main sights, such as Big Ben,
London Bridge, Tower Bridge
and went for a ride on the London Eye.
 |
| very smooth |
Westminster Abby unfortunately was closed due to it being a Sunday.
We opted to leave London after a day because our trip landed on their Bank Holiday. Instead we decided to leave London in the rear view and move on to our next destination. We will move it to our redo-list for future trips.
I love what I saw of London. So long London, you'll definitely see me on a future visit. I am gonna scoot for now! Yes the British way has rubbed off on me! TEEHEE!
For now adventure seekers, I'll leave you with a few fun facts about London:
LONDON IS THE SMALLEST CITY IN ENGLAND.
That’s right. The megacity that most of us know as London is actually called ‘Greater London’, whilst the City of London itself is a small portion of this sprawling metropolis. Its population is only 9,123, making it the smallest in England.
'BIG BEN' ISN'T ACTUALLY CALLED BIG BEN
Tourists worldwide come to stand on Westminster Bridge and take a selfie next to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Unfortunately, not one of them ever leaves with a picture of it. This world-famous landmark is actually named the Elizabeth Tower – Big Ben is the name of the bell that lives inside. So you won’t snap a photo of Big Ben, but if you’re lucky enough, you might get to hear it
Until next time my fellow adventure seekers, enjoy discovering your own delights!
Leona
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