Greetings all the way from London! While I’m here we are staying in the Royal Borough of South Kensington. For those back home that isn’t sure what a Borough is, it’s the equivalent to Manhattan in New York City.
DAY 1
I have not flown in an airplane since 2008. So it's safe to say I was a little nervous. Getting through the TSA line in Nashville was not too bad. There were more people coming versus going due to the NFL draft. I was grateful for the short line. We decided to take a night flight that way we would arrive in London during the day & could make the best of our time. (London is 6 hours ahead of Nashville.) Before we got on the plane, I realized I left my neck pillow at home. Unfortunately, it wasn't something I could go without & as to purchase one at the airport. REMEMBER TO DOUBLE, TRIPLE & QUADRUPLE CHECK YOUR STUFF before you leave home! I only double-checked. You guys, I'm not going to lie; being in a plane for 8 hours kind of sucked. I'm a long-legged girl, and there was not much leg space. My knees kept touching the seat in front of me. To make matters worse, there was an old man sitting in front of me who kept farting!!! British Airways, I will make a point to fly first class next time because THOSE seats have legroom. Nor will I have a flatulent old man in front of me. The touch screen tv on the back of every seat was GREAT. It gives you the option to either play a game or watch a movie or tv show. I ended up watching Bohemian Rhapsody & a little bit of Neighbors 2 before I finally fell asleep. I can say that the British Airways customer service is top-notch & will fly with them again just based on that.
After that long flight, I was ready to get off the plane. It took so much for me not to just push people out of my way. My knees were hurting, and my butt had fallen asleep. Once we found the baggage claim & got our items, we were greeted by one of the Monograms Travel representatives. From that point, he took us to the shuttle bus that would get us to the hotel in South Kensington. The room was not ready when we arrived, which in return made me even more grumpy. I just wanted to get comfortable & shower & eat! Beggars can't be choosers, so we went next door to a spot called Olives. Menu pricing is a little bit on the upscale side, but it's a small quiet place with a really nice bar. My grandmother LOVED her food, and we let her finish her meal. However, my mother and I did not care for our dishes; they got sent back. Afterward, we went back to the room & relaxed.
DAY 2
This was a super busy day for us. We did a guided tour provided by Monogram Travel. We were picked up from our hotel via tour bus and went all around London. For the first stop, Buckingham Palace. We did not get to go inside, but we were able to take lots of pictures out front. It was cool to see the guards in person. (ya know, the ones with the funny-looking hats and red suits?) Our second stop was St Paul's Cathedral. It is known for its stained glass windows, beautiful mosaics all around the interior & the crypt underneath it. This is not a place to be loud; it echos really bad. So shhhhhhhhh while you are here. They provide audio guides for everyone to be able to listen to; however, we did not use them because we had a tour guide that was VERY thorough. These were the only two places we physically stopped. Everything else was a "point and look at that" view from the bus. When the tour ended, we thought the Natural History Museum would be a good spot to stop. Wrong. The line was long. I mean ridiculously long. Then once we got inside, it was PACKED like a can of sardines. It was very hard to move around and challenging to get pictures without someone walking in front of me or bumping me. No one says "excuse me" over here as we do back home in Tennessee.
DAY 3
This was the most tiring yet most educational and fun day. We participated in an "England in One Day" tour that is an add-on through the travel company we booked with. Our first stop was Stonehenge. It took us a little while to get there due to traffic and how far it was from our hotel. Just like St. Paul's, they provide an audio guide that we DID use. Can I just say, this place has a magical air about it? I could feel the years of history in the ground. The hundreds, maybe thousands of people that have passed through this one spot. It is believed that it was an international hub for all kinds of people. But in honesty, no one will probably ever know the real reason why our ancestors gravitated to this place or what exactly they used the stones for. Next stop, Bath. This was probably my favorite spot. Bath is a little city in England that got its name because of the Romans. When they (the Romans) came over to England, there was a hot spring they wanted to convert to a hot spring bath similar to those they had back home in Rome. They built a beautiful temple around the baths where people would come to cleanse themselves and pay homage to their gods. Today, the Roman baths are still there, well as parts of the temple. Afterward, we hopped back on our bus to Stratford Upon Avon, which is the birthplace of William Shakespeare. The school he attended as a child is also still here & it still in use to this day. We had the chance to walk around and gaze at what architecture was left from his time, as well as tour his school. We did not go into his house, but our tour guide really educated us on what life would have been like for him. My grandmother had been craving a burger since we arrived in England, so when we finally made it back to London, we stopped at a little spot called Byron. I never heard of this place, but they had burgers, so we were down! We decided on the mac n cheese balls for our appetizer & each of us got our own personalized burger. I really can not complain about this little hole-in-the-wall spot. The service was fantastic and probably one of the best burgers I have ever had. The beef here tastes different than it does back home. This was our last day in London that I was glad to end with a full belly. I can also say that three days is not enough time to explore London. There are so many restaurants, museums and other things to do that you will need more than three days. London, to me, feels like a combination of New York and my hometown Nashville. It is a melting pot of all kinds of people, religions, and cultures. I will surely be back.
Be sure to keep an eye out for my blog on Paris, France.
Until later folks,
Anastasia
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