So Long London...

Well, it's official... tomorrow morning I leave aboard the high-speed Eurostar train, headed for the canal town of Bruges, Belgium. My train leaves at 10am, and since it travels underneath the English Channel at 186mph, I'll arrive around 1pm. While London was absolutely incredible, I must admit that I'm a bit anxious to head to a new place. Five days is a long time to stay anywhere when you're backpacking, and London, while a blast to be in, didn't present any real challenge at all. I didn't have to bridge any language barriers, and can't really say there were many cultural divides present. I explained to my brother that it felt as if I was visiting any other big city in the U.S. The people may talk a little different, the food may have its regional differences, and you have to spend an hour figuring out the public transportation system for the first time. Other than that, it's been smooth sailing for me. I have gotten to meet some really interesting people from Australia, Taiwan, and even Uruguay though, so that has been cool. But here are just a few of the small differences between the US and London that I found interesting:

The cops - As you've probably seen in my pictures, the cops look much different than they do in the US. They don't carry guns, and they wear a bulbous helmet with a big shield on the front. I'm not sure why, but I kind of chuckle every time I see one. I think it's because I picture them in my head trying to get by in the United States - chasing some notorious bank robber that's armed to the teeth, all the while yelling "Unhand thy weapon" in a funny accent and waving a wooden baton. Haha I really shouldn't make fun though... the fact that they don't need to carry guns and can still uphold the law speaks volumes about this country's government, as well as its people. Think a gunless police force would ever fly in the US?

The food - One thing I found interesting is that pretty much every single restaurant in London charges you more if you plan to eat in rather than if you take it out. I tried to figure out why, but the only thing I could think of is greater costs from trash removal, as well as cost for water and paper towels if the person uses the bathroom. Weird. Also, I stopped in at a McDonald's and noticed that they are totally different from the ones in the US. The menu only offers a few of the same items, and they have things like deli sandwiches and subs. Also, all portions are smaller - their medium is our small, and their large is our medium. In the same token, sodas are far less sweet than ours, with only a fraction the sugar. And one thing I thought was really funny was that on their menu, they had a "Tastes of America" section, which included the Miami Melt (looked like just a cheeseburger) and onion rings. I'm pretty sure McDonalds in the US don't even serve onion rings, but hey, whatever floats your British boat.

The cars - London is filled with beautiful and expensive cars. Today I saw Alfa Romeos, Lotus', Aston Martins, Porsches, a Ferrari, a Maserati, and even four (count em) Bentleys. The most common cars, however, are BMWs (by far), Mercedes, and Volkswagens. In my entire time here, I think I saw two American-made cars, both Fords. It makes sense though - why would you buy an inferior, expensive "import" when you can get BMW engineering right here at home? Walking around and seeing all the uncommon cars (back home anyway) was pretty cool.

Oh, what's that? You wanna hear about my day? Well, I didn't take too many pictures today, as I walked around the city a bunch, not looking at any sites in particular. Then, on the recommendation of some of my hostel-mates from Michigan, I checked out the Imperial War Museum. It wasn't on my long list of the major sites in London, so I didn't know if it would be cool or not. Once again, very glad I went. I got there at 11am and didn't leave until the closing bell at 6pm. I walked through exhibits on the first world war, which included a cool interactive exhibit about life in the trenches, as well as a special exhibit on the holocaust which were both incredible. I only stopped for about 10 minutes in the middle to eat a way-overpriced ham sandwich, so my feet were killing by the time I left. I really wanted to see the World War II exhibits, but I guess they'll have to wait until my next visit. I got some sweet pictures of the World War I exhibits, but wasn't allowed to take pictures in the holocaust exhibit. One interesting exhibit in WWI had to do with the "Christmas Truce," which occurred on Christmas Day, during the middle of the war. The British saw that the Germans had a lighted Christmas Tree in their trench and were singing carols, so somehow, someway, the two sides called an unofficial truce and stopped killing each other in order to celebrate and drink tea with each other in between the opposing trenches, called no-man's-land. There were pictures of high-ranking British and German officers smiling for a picture together, and in some places the Christmas truce went on for days. Once word of the unofficial truce got back to the powers at be, they strictly outlawed anything of its kind, and to this day it's the only unofficial truce ever to have been recorded. The holocaust exhibit was awesome as well, as well as incredibly sad. It was very well done and greatly detailed. One thing they did a lot was display the "last letters" and other personal mementos of those that were taken prisoner by the Nazis. They were all the original, handwritten copies, usually written a day or two before that person's death. One case that I remember particularly well was that of a 12-year-old girl from Warsaw, Poland. Her and her Jewish family had been persecuted by the Nazis and forced to live in a ghetto, a tiny sectioned-off part of the city, with thousands of other Jews. Her best friend, however, was not a Jew and so the friend would sneak over the wall of the ghetto (the gates were guarded by Nazi troops) and the two would spend the day coloring together, before sneaking back out again. One day, the Gestapo broke into the house while the kids were coloring and beat and arrested the Jewish family, but let the non-Jewish girl go back home. Before she ran out, she picked up all the colorings that they had done that day, and those are what were on display in the exhibit. She never saw or heard of her friend again. They had been placed on the train for Auschwitz, and were presumably executed upon arrival. It was crazy to see things like that, and I can only imagine what it's going to be like when I get to cities like Berlin, and even Auschwitz itself. They had a scale model of Auschwitz and the stories and facts they presented about it were mortifying. I'll be there in only a week or two, so I better start preparing myself for an intense day.

Well, that's all for me tonight. The next time you hear from me, it'll be from Belgium!

To see every picture I took in London, click here.

10,000 drunks can't be wrong... or can they?

This morning, after my last post, I set off to none other than Abbey Road, the famous studio and crosswalk that was immortalized by the Beatles when they recorded their iconic album there in 1969. On the front of the album, the four are seen strutting through a crosswalk, each dressed in a different shade, their arms swinging at their sides. Abbey Road was surprisingly close to my hostel – all I had to do was take one tube stop and walk three blocks. As I turned the corner, I saw a young guy strutting across the street with his arms flailing and I knew I’d made it. His girlfriend stood on the other side of the street trying to take his picture. The only problem was that the intersection is so busy that it can be really difficult to get a good shot. Many times he would have to sprint out to the middle of the street, freeze for an instant while the picture was taken, then sprint to the other side before he got mowed down by a double-decker bus. After watching them for about ten minutes, I asked if they would take my picture (or try to until one of us got hit atleast). Luckily, a minute or so after I gave him my camera, the traffic seas parted and I was able to get a really good shot rather quickly. However, my pose doesn’t look much like the Beatles – I had to freeze in position, and it’s hard to imitate fast walking when you’re not moving. Oh well, the picture is still awesome.

After the picture, I went to check out Abbey Studios, which you can actually see in the Beatles album cover photo. It’s the building behind them on the left side of the road, with a long white wall in front and gates at each end. However, the walls aren’t very white anymore; they’re painted with the ink from the markers and pens from fans that have made the pilgrimage to the location. Almost every square inch of wall was covered by someone’s writing – everything from signatures, personal wisdom, and of course Beatles quotes. There’s also a sign indicating the address, 5 Abbey Road, which has also been covered in graffiti. It was fun to read all the quotes on the wall, especially while listening to the very album that was recorded there. Before I left, I claimed my own little spot on the wall, but opted for simple initials and date, as all the Beatles quotes had already been played out. I don’t suppose it’ll last long though, as it seems they paint over the wall every few months to make way for new signatures.

After Abbey Road, I headed back down to Westminster to see if I could get inside the abbey, as it had been closed the first time I went. The gates were open and I could walk right up to the abbey, as well as go inside St. Margaret’s Church right next to it, but they were charging six pounds to go inside. I stuck around for a few minutes to get some great up-close shots, but opted to skip the inside.

From here I headed towards the London Eye, the 443-foot observation wheel that towers above London and the River Thames. Though the lines looked long, I got on pretty quickly. The ride took about 30 minutes, and I got to see what London looks like from above. Many of London’s key attractions can be seen from the Eye. I think the ride was a bit overpriced, however, at 15.50 pounds. This city is cleaning me out quick.

Next, I started walking into what I believe is part of London’s business district. The streets were lined with people in suits rushing around, but the architecture of the buildings was still amazing. If these buildings were in America, people would drive from neighboring towns to see them, but in London, they’re just another building. The entire city looks like that.

After wandering around aimlessly for a bit, I saw a sign for St. Paul’s Cathedral, saying it was 10 minutes away. I had made a plan to see this, but I wasn’t familiar with it, so I wasn’t sure if it would be cool or not. Let’s just say I’m glad I went. As I rounded the corner, I saw this absolutely massive structure with a huge dome at the top. This was St. Paul’s Cathedral. I’ve never seen anything so massive in my life, much less a cathedral. I thought it would be just another cathedral, but this thing is like the size of five Westminster Abbeys put together. I went in a side door and got one picture of a crypt, but they were charging to see the rest of it.

After this I made some calls home in a café I found with wireless internet, then walked along the Thames some more before taking the tube home. Since then, I’ve been trying to fix my housing crisis that I had talked about in my last post. After much deliberation, I think I’ve solved the problem. I’m going to stay in London until Sunday, take the high speed train to Bruges, Belgium that morning, and stay there for two days. Then I’ll backtrack to Paris. Now that I’m going to Paris later, I was able to find a pretty nice hostel with 3 nights available. So that’s my plan for now. I just have to figure out what I’m going to do here tomorrow. I might go back to the Tate or try to see a show at the Globe. Oh, and I almost forgot – this is really interesting. The London metro system (tube) is about to ban alcoholic beverages from being carried on the trains. Up until now, you were allowed to drink on them freely with no trouble. The law goes into effect tomorrow night at midnight, and apparently, the city’s youth have organized an event to mark the occasion. A massive party (I mean huge) has been organized to happen on the tube trains all tomorrow night. People are instructed to BYOB onto the trains and drink all night, riding from place to place. And get this – an article about it made the front page of the papers today, and the police are expecting more than 10,000 people (yes you read right) to show up for the party. They’re not sure what to do about controlling the crowds. Soo if I just happen to be in London for one extra night and don’t have anything to do anyway, I might just have to check out the tube party going on. Until next time…

London is rainy... but still pretty sweet

Today was another great day in London. I woke up around 8am but hadn’t really slept all that well. Unless everything is just right, I can’t really sleep. Kind of like a hurricane… unless all the factors are present, nothing’s really going to happen. Haha… So after the normal shower and breakfast routine, I headed off into London for yet another day. I planned on doing an 8-hour walking t our of London and then going to Abbey Road, but that got cut short when London lived up to its reputation and began raining like crazy. However, when I first set out, it was a gorgeous day.

The first place I went to was the Tower of London, which contrary to the name, is actually much more than just a tower. It’s an entire castle, and it’s where the king or queen resided for hundreds of years. After taking some pictures from the outside, I wasn’t sure if I should pay the fourteen pounds to get inside, as that’s about half a day’s budget, including money for food and the hostel. I did pay the fee, however, and went off to enter the castle. As soon as I got inside, I knew my money was well-spent. The castle is filled with countless things to see, most of which has been preserved to look the same way it did in the 1200’s. I spent most of my time wandering around the complex, going into various old buildings to see what was inside. Each building for the most part had a different display or exhibit, pertaining to how that building was used. One of the first places I hit was the royal residence. This was the very ground where the kings of England such as Henry III and Edward I slept and lived. The fireplace in the corner still had charred ash stuck to the bricks, remnants from a time when this castle flourished with activity. Leaving the royal residence, I walked along what is called the “West Wall” of the castle, which gives you amazing views of the River Thames and the Tower Bridge, as the Tower of London was built right on the banks of the river. In fact, there was a secret water entrance where the king could take their boat all the way inside the castle, and then take a staircase right up to their royal residence.

There are a ton of interesting little things about the castle that I found out during my time there. One is that the castle is full of ravens, which adds to the mystique of the environment. However, they are in fact there for a reason. Hundreds of years ago, King Charles II (I think) was told that if the Ravens in his courtyard ever left the grounds of the Tower of London, then the kingdom of England would fall and the castle would be reduced to rubble. Thus, ravens have resided on the grounds ever since. In my pictures, you can see them roaming freely, going where they please. They never fly away, and I never saw one try to walk through the entrance or exit gates. Looks like the kingdom is secure for another day. Another interesting fact involves the groundskeepers of the castle. You can see them in my pictures as the funny-looking guys in red and black outfits, but it was only toward the end of my time there that I learned what their story was. They are called Yeoman Warders (nicknamed Beefeaters), and they are much more than weekend tour guides. They are the personal bodyguards of Her Majesty the Queen, and they look after and guard the Tower of London 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They live within the castle walls, the only full-time residents of the castle for hundreds of years. Also, they must have each served at least 22 years in the British Armed Forces, and most are heavily decorated. When talking with one, he compared the life of a Yeoman Warder to that of a monk, living life communally with the rest of the Warders, all within the same complex, and devoting your life to upholding something that you believe in. Pretty interesting stuff.

Moving on, I went into a room called the Salt Tower, which was probably my favorite part of the Tower of London. It was used to keep prisoners, basically just a jail cell. However, if you were a prisoner at the Tower of London, you had to be of noble birth. It was considered a sign of respect to be held at the Tower, at the king’s own residence. Anyone not of noble birth was held at the dungeons across town, and their fate usually came rather quickly. Some of those jailed at the Tower of London lived there many years, and were never killed. One prisoner was even allowed to roam the complex freely and have dinner with the constable every night, because he was a gentleman and was given respect from the king. But where was I… oh yeah, the Salt Tower. Since so many prisoners were held here (and they were presumably bored), the walls are covered in carvings done by the prisoners. They included religious symbols and bible verses, simple signatures and dates, or even an elaborate 3-D carving of the solar system. One notable carving was from that of Sir Everard Digby, who had tried to blow up James I and Parliament by placing barrels of gunpowder underneath the building. When the plot was discovered, he was the only one of the conspirators to plead guilty. He was convicted of high treason (far worse than murder back then) and hung, drawn, and quartered. I remember learning about that in school, and here was his name, carved into the wall of the salt tower as if it had been done yesterday. Crazy stuff. I took a ton of pictures in there because there were so many carvings.

Moving on, the next thing I saw were the crown jewels. These are the brilliant crowns worn by each king and queen over the years. They are covered in rare gems, and one even had more than 12,000 diamonds. Another had as its centerpiece the second-largest cut diamond in the world. Pictures weren’t allowed in the jewel house (which had 3-foot steel bank vault doors and a royal guard w/ bayonet outside) so I took a picture of a book in the gift shop which had one of the crowns on the front. Also in the jewel house was a ton of golden dinnerware and altarpieces, most of which dated from the mid-1500’s. Most of the pieces were solid gold and included chalices, plates, candlesticks, bowls, etc. Each piece was fit for a king, however, and had carvings on it that must have taken weeks if not months to make. The craftsmanship was unlike anything I’ve seen today, so those were really cool. Next, I went into the massive building in the center of the castle, which is called the White Tower. Inside, throughout many floors, was mostly artillery and armor. There were thousands of guns, swords, suits of armor, cannons, etc throughout the building. This building also housed a lavish chapel.

Leaving the White Tower, I headed towards the church on the corner of the castle property. Once again, no pictures were allowed inside, but it contained many marble crypts, and is actually still used for services every Sunday. Outside the church, however, is an interesting memorial. It is a large round piece of glass, with a glass pillow in the middle. On the pillow was a rose, and off to the side was a plaque that explained that this was the spot where several very famous people were executed, including Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. Awesome.

After spending about 3 hours wandering around, I decided it was time to see some more of London. The castle had given me great views of the Tower Bridge, which goes across the Thames right by the castle. Thus, it was my natural next destination. It’s an awesome bridge, bright blue accents with two large towers in the middle. I knew that the six pounds they wanted for a ride up to the top was overpriced, so I kept on walking. On the other side of the bridge, I checked out the Design Museum, which had a really cool statue outside with a quote from Leonardo da Vinci on it. But the museum wasn’t free as I thought it was, so I kept on moving. Next, I came to the HMS Belfast, a huge naval ship docked in the Thames that now serves as a floating museum. It played an integral role in D-Day on the beaches of Normandy in 1944, and last saw action in the 70’s. I was gonna take a look, but once again, it wasn’t free, so onward I went.

Walking along the Thames, it began to rain and was steadily getting harder. As I was walking, I pretty much stumbled upon Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, a re-creation of the famous open-air venue that wowed audiences for years. I stepped inside to see what shows were playing, and I might try to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream tomorrow if I can squeeze it in. A buddy of mine went last year and said it was amazing, even though you have to stand the entire time. As I left there, I was really starting to get soaked. Luckily, I came to another of my top destinations, and it happened to be indoors. The Tate Modern, a museum that houses some of the world’s most famous and influential modern and abstract art, was just to my left. I went inside and checked out some of the exhibits. Many of the things inside are not easily understood, as they are not art in the traditional sense that we all think of. For example, one exhibit was ten white bricks, stacked on top of each other, on the floor in the middle of the room. That’s it, nothing else. Another was a room where the walls were painted black and had many white lines with geometric shapes on the wall. Luckily, I hopped onto a tour which made the pieces much more interesting. He explained that in the black-walled room with the shapes, the artist was trying to break the traditional lines of thought regarding art. Instead of a person paying attention to a painting on a wall and ignoring the space around them, this artist turned the environment into the work of art. You’re forced to look at the space, for that’s all there is. There is no painting or drawing – only white lines on a black wall. Kind of interesting when you think about it. I spent about two hours in the Tate, but my feet were starting to hurt so I decided to head home and rest a bit. I really want to go back, though, because I didn’t get to see the whole thing.

One cool thing I saw on the way to the metro were a series of etching in stone, and they had images and words on each one. There were five total, and they were describing an event that used to be held long ago called the "Frost Fair." When the first bridges were built in London, they slowed down the flow of the river so substantially that the river actually froze over in the winter. Trying to make the best of a bad situation, everyone made it into an excuse to party. They feasted and drank on the frozen river for days, until the ice was too thin again. Once new bridges were built in the 1800's, the river's flow was no longer impeded and the river has never frozen over again. These frost fairs were memorialized in the poem etched into the stones:

"Behold the liquid Thames now frozen o'er
That lately ships of mighty Burthen bore
The watermen for want of rowing boats
Make use of booths to get their pence and groats
Here you may see beef roasted on the spit
And for your money you may taste a bit
There you may print your name, tho cannot write
Cause num'd with cold: tis done with great delight
And lay it by that ages yet to come
May see what things upon the ice were done"

As I left, it was about 5pm, so once again I was on the train at rush hour. That was annoying, especially since I was soaked from the rain. When I got home, I took a shower, ate dinner (this time a burger with fries and salad), and tried to book my hostel for Paris. I leave on Saturday, but there are literally no hostels with availability in all of Paris. I spent 3 hours or so trying to find one, and then the internet went out, so I just went to bed. I think what I might do is change my trip around a bit by going to Belgium first, and then Paris. That will give me more time before Paris, and a better chance of finding an open hostel. Well anyway, it’s now 8:30am (the 30^th) and I need to get out and see some sights. Will update soon!

To see all the pictures of London I've taken, click here.

London is amazing

First, I have linked many pictures into the following story. If you see any text that is yellow, you can click on it to see a corresponding picture.

Today ended up being an amazing day. My flight wasn’t too bad, but I ended up not sleeping a wink. After only sleeping two hours the night before, plus the 5-hour time difference, needless to say I was in a borderline-comatose state as I walked off the plane. We got in at about 6:40am London time, which is 1:40am back home. From Heathrow airport, I took the “tube” to my hostel, which is basically just London’s version of the subway. What I didn’t realize beforehand was that it would be rush hour, with all of London heading to work as I was trying to get to my hostel. I got some dirty looks because of my huge backpack, but other than that, it wasn’t too bad. I read a copy of a London news publication on the way, and noticed that they’re much more blunt about their journalism than we are. They often say things that in the United States would be deemed politically incorrect. For example, when referring to the tragic deaths of four high school students out celebrating a birthday, the publication said, “The birthday boy was the first to die in the wreck.” Weird.

Anyway, I got to my hostel around 9:15 and they told me I couldn’t check in until 2, but that I could stow my bags in the meantime. Wanting to see nothing of London but their finest mattress at this point, I was a bit disappointed. However, in the end I’m glad because it made me go out and explore the city. I knew that Abbey Road was close to my hostel, so I set out to make that my first destination. The “tube” ride earlier cost me four pounds (more than $8) so I was trying to save by not taking it again. However, after wandering through some incredibly nice neighborhoods, I quickly became lost, and just hopped on the first tube station I came to.

Before I knew it, I was on a train heading south to Central London, the heart of culture and history. I looked at the next few stops on my tube line and noticed Green Park, which I remembered from my research as being the stop that Buckingham Palace is located at. Then I realized that it was currently 11am – the changing of the guards happened every day at 11:30. Perfect timing. Shuffling out of the station and into Green Park (which is beautiful by the way), I begin to hear the Royal Band playing in the distance. A few minutes of walking and the next thing I know, I’m watching the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, one of London’s most prized traditions. It was really cool to watch, but I think the more impressive part of the show was just staring at the incredible Buckingham Palace and it’s signature golden-tipped gates. It’s unbelievable in person, and the pictures don’t do it justice. There are things to see in every direction.

After the changing of the guards finished, I began to walk down the long, broad lane that leads away from Buckingham Palace. I was happy just walking around and taking it all in, but I soon stumbled upon another of London’s most incredible places – Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. When I first came around a corner and saw Trafalgar Square, it took my breath away. There were huge fountains, statues, and every building surrounding it had a beautiful façade. But the most impressive thing about Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery, which sits on one side and houses some of the most important pieces of art of the last 800 years. Unfortunately, the best picture I could get of the square was taken from the front entrance of the National Gallery, so once again the pictures don’t do the entire square justice.

After meandering through the square a bit, I strolled through the National Gallery and saw some really great pieces of art. I stood face-to-face with Leonardo da Vinci in his “Virgin of the Rocks” painting, which he painted more than 500 years ago. I also saw countless paintings by Claude Monet, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Rembrandt. I finished up the National Gallery by checking out the Vincent van Gogh room, which had such classics as Van Gogh’s Chair, and Sunflowers. It was really cool to be less than a foot away from paintings that you’ve previously only seen pictures of in books.

It was after 2 when I left the gallery, so I went back to the hostel, got my room key, and proceeded to try to take a nap. I was in bed until about 6:30 but only slept about two hours. After that, I got some dinner at the hostel’s restaurant, which is amazing by the way. I had sausage and mashed potatoes (bangers and mash), and it only cost me a little over four pounds, which is cheap compared to the rest of the city. London is definitely an incredibly expensive place.

After dinner, I hopped back on the tube and took a trip down to the Westminster station. Exiting the station, I stood face to face with the Houses of Parliament, which is the massive and beautiful complex that houses the Big Ben bell tower. I walked around the entire thing to get the best views I could. As I was completing my loop, I realized that the other massive building adjacent to the Parliament was in fact Westminster Abbey, another huge destination on my list. Westminster Abbey is a huge gothic church that has served as the place of coronation and burial of English monarchs for hundreds of years. The largest part of the abbey dates to around 1500, but one particularly old section dates all the way back to 1050.

I called it a night around 10:30, then came back to the hostel to update the blog and upload pictures. I’m so glad I have this computer with me on the trip – it’s been a lifesaver. I’m in a large common room now where they have flat screen TVs, a pool table, and a ton of couches. There are a bunch of German high-schoolers that are being really annoying. I think I might smack one with a pool cue. Hah just kiddin... Overall, the hostel is amazing – it was rated one of the top ten hostels in the world this past year. After a good night’s sleep, I plan on checking out Abbey Road and then doing a 8-hour walking tour of downtown London tomorrow, so check back soon.

If you would like to see the rest of the pictures from this day, please click here!

The Day Has Arrived...

I'm finally done packing! Tomorrow morning, I'll be headed off to lunch with Melissa and my family, and then it's off to Dulles, where I'll be taking a nonstop flight to London at 6:40pm. It's been a crazy few days with graduation, my graduation party, and then all the preparations for the trip, but I can't wait to see what the next two months have in store for me. The next time you hear from me, it'll be from sunny (hopefully) London. Wish me luck!