Nick and Ethan were very hospitable hosts for a few days while we were in London! Nick picked us up from the train station and we walked around to see the beautiful Tower Bridge at night. I also got my first touristy phone booth picture. Admittedly it was really nice to use English everywhere again. I didn’t have to struggle whenever I tried to communicate!
I was able to stay in Nick’s dorm.. On the floor but free! Haha.
On Wednesday morning, Ethan took us to Borough Market, a local market with some delicious fresh foods! I had a great breakfast sandwhich that included a fried egg, a thick slice of smoked cheese, and sliced sausages–it was messy but good. We walked to the Tower Bridge during the day again and took a tour of the Tower of London.
A view of the Shard from the Tower Bridge.
After lunch (chicken pot pie), we met up with Nick at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The place was massive! No pictures inside though.
We walked across the river and saw the very historic Globe Theater.
Then we walked back across the river to see Trafalger Square! We had some cool views along the way:
The journey continued (with sore feet) to the Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben!
The London Eye was amazing. We got lucky with a pretty clear day and short waiting times when we went!
Then we had dinner with the whole group near the hostel where the rest were staying. My mac and cheese with BBQ pork was great! Who said London has bad food?? We called it an earlier night and I hung out with Ethan and Nick for a while back at their school.
On Thursday morning, we started the day at the same market as Wednesday! I tried some very interesting Turkish delights for breakfast that day. Nick also had to show us his favorite gelato place; it was worth the hype.
We all spent most of the day walking around the Oxford Circus area, the main shopping area of London. I made a couple exciting purchases: socks and a sweatshirt! We ended up going to the Imperial War Museum, which was much more entertaining than I’d imagined.
We met back up with Nick and Ethan for dinner at a pub we found by the Tower Bridge. Later that night, Ethan and I and a couple friends ventured to a club for a while. Good times were had by all!
Guess where we had breakfast Friday morning? The Borough Market again! It was definitely too good to pass up. In the morning, we wanted to get some closer pictures and go inside Westminster Abbey, but decided it wasn’t worth the wait or high prices once we made it. We still got some better pictures though.
We also went back to Trafalger Square and spent some time in the National Gallery.
Then it was time to pack up and head out from London! I had such a great time with Nick and Ethan as our guides. Luckily they’re coming to Vienna next weekend so I get to show them around my city too.
I took a train through the Chunnel from London to Paris. Once I arrived at the hotel, I found a spot for dinner next door and enjoyed watching some French soccer in the restaurant. Then I tried getting some sleep as I anxiously awaited my family and Taylor’s arrival!! More on Paris soon:)
HoxieAbroad 