Hello, London!
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| Buckingham Palace |
On Saturday morning, Kirsten and I woke up around 5:30 AM to get on the 6:40 AM train to London. On our way we learned a few things that are helpful when traveling by train (as well as changing trains.) Hints: 1) buy your student rail card because it saved us SO much money! 2)have your tickets on hand so that when they come around to check your tickets you aren't fumbling around looking for them 3)OUT means on the way out and RTN means for the return journey (make sure you're using the correct one) 4)When the ticket says "via __insert station name here__" it just means that you're going through a station. This does not mean you need to get off at that station to change trains 5)if you miss a train don't worry, if you purchase an off peak ticket you can ride most other off peak trains as well.
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| Changing of the guard |
When Kirsten and I got off the train we went straight to the Apollo Victoria Theatre to see Wicked! I am a big fan of a band called Busted and was delighted when I found out that Matt Willis would be playing the lead in Wicked. We were 11th and 12th in line for the box office. Every day before the shows at 10:00 AM the box office gives the first row away for only £27.50! What a steal! Kirsten and I got 2 tickets next to each other and only had to wait in line for two hours. HINT: If you want to see a show at the West End but need to squeeze it into your budget, this is a great way to do it.
After the excitement of getting our tickets, we then headed to Buckingham Palace where we were able to watch the changing of the guard as soon as we arrived. I've seen/done many tourist activities in my previous trips to England, but it was great to let Kirsten see all of my favorites and for me to re-experience some of them with new eyes. We later walked through Great Park, by Hyde Park, through Picadilly Circus, into Leicester Square (where all the movies happen), and all over London to become more familiar with the city. If you plan on going to London a number of times it's good to have a map and become familiar with it so that when you come back the other days you have a better feel of where you are going and how to get there. Especially for people who have never been out of the country before, it is important that you have confidence when you are traveling. The way you carry yourself can often make you seem either like an easy target or as someone who really knows where they are going.
TIPS: Be very careful around the city. By tourist attractions pick pocketing is very common and one of the police men by Buckingham Palace even warned the crowd about people pretending to be police men. If a police officer ever asks to see money or credit cards, as him for his badge...they are required to show it to you if you ask!
A few fun things to do:
- Walk around all the shopping
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| Henry from Gilly Hicks |
- Just like if you go to New York City, going down some of the key shopping roads can be a great time
- Kirsten and I took some pictures with the models in front of Gilly Hicks and Hollister (Henry from Gilly Hicks was really nice and we had a lovely conversation about how I am from California and therefore I must be used to models everywhere and the concept of them standing half naked in doors to get customers)
- Regent Street, Oxford Street, and New Bond Street have some very high end shopping
- MUST SEE: Go to Harrod's! It is absolutely incredible. Even if you don't like shopping, check out their food section because it is massive. If you haven't heard of Harrod's, it is one of the most famous shopping centers in England.
- Hamley's is a HUGE toy shop. You can test out a lot of the toys and the people love talking to you about what they have. They carry lots of cool Harry Potter souvenirs if you are into that as well as replicas from Superman, Lord of the Rings, and much more. Very cool place to check out!
- Eat somewhere you have never eaten before!
- Kirsten and I tried Nando's and it was VERY yummy Portuguese chicken
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| Matt Willis |
Finally,we headed back to the theatre and saw Wicked. Just our luck...WE WERE FRONT CENTER! I had a great time watching the show again and getting more of the jokes this time around. The London cast was outstanding. We were so close that you could see all their facial expressions and even when they sometimes spat when pronouncing words. It was a wonderful experience. Afterwards we headed to the stage door and I got to talk to Matt! Finding the stage door is easy and the actors really appreciate your kind words. Every time I have gone to a musical that I really liked, I try to get some autographs and tell the actors what I thought of the show. I highly suggest you do this as well because it will really make your experience memorable.
Tomorrow I will talk about moving into Cambridge and the first few days here. Ta!
Events from Today in the World!
- Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise getting divorced?
- Anderson Cooper officially comes out of the closet.
After the excitement of getting our tickets, we then headed to Buckingham Palace where we were able to watch the changing of the guard as soon as we arrived. I've seen/done many tourist activities in my previous trips to England, but it was great to let Kirsten see all of my favorites and for me to re-experience some of them with new eyes. We later walked through Great Park, by Hyde Park, through Picadilly Circus, into Leicester Square (where all the movies happen), and all over London to become more familiar with the city. If you plan on going to London a number of times it's good to have a map and become familiar with it so that when you come back the other days you have a better feel of where you are going and how to get there. Especially for people who have never been out of the country before, it is important that you have confidence when you are traveling. The way you carry yourself can often make you seem either like an easy target or as someone who really knows where they are going. 
Finally,we headed back to the theatre and saw Wicked. Just our luck...WE WERE FRONT CENTER! I had a great time watching the show again and getting more of the jokes this time around. The London cast was outstanding. We were so close that you could see all their facial expressions and even when they sometimes spat when pronouncing words. It was a wonderful experience. Afterwards we headed to the stage door and I got to talk to Matt! Finding the stage door is easy and the actors really appreciate your kind words. Every time I have gone to a musical that I really liked, I try to get some autographs and tell the actors what I thought of the show. I highly suggest you do this as well because it will really make your experience memorable.
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