London

The Tube

London

London was so much fun! I got to see parts of the city I’ve never seen before, and went to a bunch of music and literature sites. The guided tour we did was great; I learned a lot about London, and Stuart was a real scream! I was glad we got to see Buckingham Palace and Big Ben/Elizabeth Tower, as I missed them both the first time I was in London. We also went to several bookstores during our free time, and I brought home way too many books (if there is such a thing). I can honestly say a good portion of my photo album is made up of books I could not buy. One store we went into was called Foyles, and it was like Barnes and Noble but better. They had a far more diverse selection of books, four floors, and a cafe that sold pastries,

Keats’ House

coffee, drinks, beer, and wine. Our free day was the most exciting. In one day, the group of us did Abbey Road, the Sherlock Holmes Museum, Keats’ house,  The British Museum, and a David Bowie memorial. It was a busy day, but easily one of the best I’ve ever had. I was so glad to have gotten a picture on Abbey Road, and despite having to walk up what was easily the steepest hill in my entire life, Keats’ House was worth the effort. Learning about his life and walking the gardens at the house was a lovely way to spend the afternoon. It was also fun to taNot to forget was the French cafe we ate at in the neighborhood near Keats’ house. Before I could even mention my food allergies, the hostess who sat us asked if anyone at our table had allergies and marked it down on an iPad.

British Museum 

Then, when our waitress came to take our order she asked who had the allergy, and when my food came out, it was marked with little toothpick flags so the entire kitchen would be aware of the allergy. I was so impressed. Food allergies are not usually taken so seriously, even in the States, and the gesture really went a long way. Even better, the food was amazing, and everyone had a good meal. Dinner was also enjoyable, because Sarah, our tour guide, sat at our table and talked to us about poetry. She introduced us to the poet Wendy Cope, and I liked her poems so much that I ended up buying a book of her

Abbey Road

poems in Dublin. I cannot speak highly enough of my experiences in London, and like Edinburgh, I hope I get the opportunity to go back again.