“The ice age is coming,
the sun's zooming in
Meltdown expected,
the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running,
but I have no fear
Cause London is drowning
and I, live by the river.”
Well a cookie if you know the song, no cheating. Back from London and it was Amazing! But was it expensive, and I even took the cheep route. I was there from Thursday morning to late afternoon Saturday. The cheep route included hostels, taking my own food (minus two meals) and only paying for one tourist attraction. The biggest cost was the coach down, under 50£, the hostel around 65£, and my bus/metro pass which was 18£. London is not cheep.
I got to see a lot, think of it this way I took 650 some digital photographs and two and a half rolls of film.
I got there early Thursday morning and nothing was open so I just wandered a bit toward Buckingham Palace. Literally the only people there were a few walking to work a army unit taking pictures. This is the sheer reason lone the photos have no one in them at the beginning. At one point during the day before the changing of the guard there was the sound of bagpipes coming from the inner wall area, which I assume is the gardens.
I met an older gentleman who was feeding the squirrels. Okay I hate squirrels. BUT, I got to hand feed one. There were also pigeons missing feet. The squirrels were called Suzie and the pigeons Hoppy. ...yeah.
The changing of the guard was just as boring as I expected. But it was at least more lively then the Arlington National Cemetery one. I could have died of bordom at that one. Here though they played music and rode horses. Better trade I think. The music, I kid you not, was Indiana Jones and the Imperial March from Starwars. Also, just fyi, I didn't listen to my mother...and didn't stand at the gate... Did I regret this, yes. There I said it. Now go stuff your Turkey.
Oh I did see the Queen. hehe. Albeit it was her hat...lol. There us more to this but that is the best part.
Later on after some annoying issues with the hostel I went to the National Gallery in Trafagar Square. Too many painting for a 3 hour tour. I saw Van Gogh's Sunflower vase.
It's even uglier then I expected.
And I knew it was ugly. I swear on all the products its ever been on it looks better. Ugh, there was NO depth, the flowers are just one solid chunk of UGH!—or yellow—with no details to the seeds at all. Even in Starry Night the moon has more variety of color.
After that adventure I went to Her Majesties Theatre. What for? Phantom of the Opera of course!! I think I drooled the entire time. This Phantom is my favorite. I saw it in Columbus, have seen the movie, love the music, and own the book, but this Phantom knocks the others away. His emotion was spot on with how it should be. I told him he was excentric after the play...yes there is a photo! By far my favorite.
To bad he is not starring in the new production of the Phantom called Love Never Dies. Will it live up to the original...ooo, I don't know.
What else. I saw Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abby, the Tower Bridge, the London Eye. Funny enough they don't look that big up close. It's amazing how movies and pictures have illusoned us to think they are double the actually size. Still impressive but not as menacing.
I attended Mass at Westminster, which was neat and very pleasant. But quite honestly St. Paul's Cathedral is so very much more impressive. I went up into the dome and the views are amazing! The dome from the inside is just at beatutiful. I also got the blessed chance and opportunity to stay for evensong. I got to even sit up in the choir's area, next to them. Wow. Thanks God, because that was cool.
Picadilly is a neat area filled with theaters and shops. At one point I was in a book shop holding a book from 1809. I was this close to getting it. --> <-- If anyone tells you that Piccadilly is like New York Times Square they are full of it. They are nothing alike. Just fyi. It's stil cool though.
All in all the trip was great even with the few hiccups here and there. I really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't get to see was at Earls Court. I didn't know about this till Sunday, but there is a TARDIS shaped police box there. A near replica to the TARDIS in Doctor Who. UGH!! I was so close to that! That almost makes me want to go back...another life maybe.
Now the pictures.
London (160 pictures)
Keswick (79 pictures)
Newcastle (25 pictures)
There you go.
Chema
the sun's zooming in
Meltdown expected,
the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running,
but I have no fear
Cause London is drowning
and I, live by the river.”
Well a cookie if you know the song, no cheating. Back from London and it was Amazing! But was it expensive, and I even took the cheep route. I was there from Thursday morning to late afternoon Saturday. The cheep route included hostels, taking my own food (minus two meals) and only paying for one tourist attraction. The biggest cost was the coach down, under 50£, the hostel around 65£, and my bus/metro pass which was 18£. London is not cheep.
I got to see a lot, think of it this way I took 650 some digital photographs and two and a half rolls of film.
I got there early Thursday morning and nothing was open so I just wandered a bit toward Buckingham Palace. Literally the only people there were a few walking to work a army unit taking pictures. This is the sheer reason lone the photos have no one in them at the beginning. At one point during the day before the changing of the guard there was the sound of bagpipes coming from the inner wall area, which I assume is the gardens.
I met an older gentleman who was feeding the squirrels. Okay I hate squirrels. BUT, I got to hand feed one. There were also pigeons missing feet. The squirrels were called Suzie and the pigeons Hoppy. ...yeah.
The changing of the guard was just as boring as I expected. But it was at least more lively then the Arlington National Cemetery one. I could have died of bordom at that one. Here though they played music and rode horses. Better trade I think. The music, I kid you not, was Indiana Jones and the Imperial March from Starwars. Also, just fyi, I didn't listen to my mother...and didn't stand at the gate... Did I regret this, yes. There I said it. Now go stuff your Turkey.
Oh I did see the Queen. hehe. Albeit it was her hat...lol. There us more to this but that is the best part.
Later on after some annoying issues with the hostel I went to the National Gallery in Trafagar Square. Too many painting for a 3 hour tour. I saw Van Gogh's Sunflower vase.
It's even uglier then I expected.
And I knew it was ugly. I swear on all the products its ever been on it looks better. Ugh, there was NO depth, the flowers are just one solid chunk of UGH!—or yellow—with no details to the seeds at all. Even in Starry Night the moon has more variety of color.
After that adventure I went to Her Majesties Theatre. What for? Phantom of the Opera of course!! I think I drooled the entire time. This Phantom is my favorite. I saw it in Columbus, have seen the movie, love the music, and own the book, but this Phantom knocks the others away. His emotion was spot on with how it should be. I told him he was excentric after the play...yes there is a photo! By far my favorite.
To bad he is not starring in the new production of the Phantom called Love Never Dies. Will it live up to the original...ooo, I don't know.
What else. I saw Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abby, the Tower Bridge, the London Eye. Funny enough they don't look that big up close. It's amazing how movies and pictures have illusoned us to think they are double the actually size. Still impressive but not as menacing.
I attended Mass at Westminster, which was neat and very pleasant. But quite honestly St. Paul's Cathedral is so very much more impressive. I went up into the dome and the views are amazing! The dome from the inside is just at beatutiful. I also got the blessed chance and opportunity to stay for evensong. I got to even sit up in the choir's area, next to them. Wow. Thanks God, because that was cool.
Picadilly is a neat area filled with theaters and shops. At one point I was in a book shop holding a book from 1809. I was this close to getting it. --> <-- If anyone tells you that Piccadilly is like New York Times Square they are full of it. They are nothing alike. Just fyi. It's stil cool though.
All in all the trip was great even with the few hiccups here and there. I really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't get to see was at Earls Court. I didn't know about this till Sunday, but there is a TARDIS shaped police box there. A near replica to the TARDIS in Doctor Who. UGH!! I was so close to that! That almost makes me want to go back...another life maybe.
Now the pictures.
London (160 pictures)
Keswick (79 pictures)
Newcastle (25 pictures)
There you go.
Chema