In my four days in London, I have to admit, I let the tourist in me come out. Although I was wondering its streets and pavements in the hope of finding its essence, I was drawn into seeing its ‘sights’. I was intrigued by the Tower Bridge, the Big Ben and the Thames. From such a young age, we grow up seeing the Big Ben Clock Tower on the television and hearing about the gates and guards at Buckingham Palace, so I guess it was only natural for me to want to experience London’s sights with my own eyes. Without trying to put you asleep by just rattling off a list of the sights I saw, I will try and find a way in which to describe them, in the light I saw them in.
Without a doubt, one of the best Friday night drinks I have ever had was with Jo and Jacinta at an intimate Jazz bar, just off Carnaby street. The bar was called something about Jazz or All in the Jazz, anyway, something like that. But it was brilliant, it was some of the best live jazz I had ever heard, the atmosphere was relaxed and full of life. It was just great. Sitting there drinking red wine with the girls I found myself understanding exactly why the girls loved London so much.
The next day, I hit the pavement again and decided that I was going to walk along the Thames, exploring the Southbank of London. I found Parliament House and it’s gardens and walked right past as members of Parliament were being interrogated by the many journalists and photographers who had camped out waiting for there arrival that morning. I took in Westminster Abbey, The Big Ben and the London Eye. Walking along the Thames, I watched as the traffic on the river, ploughed away in its chaotic manner. I walked past the Tate Modern and came across Borough Market, just in time for Lunch. I can say without a doubt, that I loved this market more than any other I have experienced. It is a lively hub of activity. It is a food and produce market really where you can absorb so many flavours, and taste some of the worlds delicacies all under the same roof. It was packed, as people stood around trying to decide what on earth to satisfy their hunger with. You could have paella, cooked right in front of you, on the largest pan I had ever seen! Falafel wraps, your choice of roasted meat rolls, almost every type of fudge that you could think of, cheeses, olives, jams, chutneys, juices, ciders and I could go on and on, on and on! I couldn’t believe how much choice there was. Amazing!
I reluctantly left Borough Market and continued along the Thames, eventually climbing the London Tower Bridge and making my way over to a tube station and catching a train to Camden. I had been warned that I would love the Camden markets, so I headed to yet another distinctively different part of London and wondered through the many narrow alleyways of the market stalls. I loved it and instantly felt the vibe of Brunswick Street of Melbourne. Its punk, grunge feel took me straight back to my university days.
The next day, Jo, Sally and I headed back to Borough Market in the search of a good old Saturday morning brunch rendezvous. We tucked into a hot, roast pork roll, topped with sweet apple and cranberry sauce. Delicious! Next stop was Portobello Road Market, which consumed us for hours. I loved it and could have spent hours upon hours exploring all the stores and shops. I am sure I will find myself back there one day soon. That night Jo and I headed to Covent garden to meet Caitlin for dinner in a swanky, buzzing restaurant followed by an essential part of any London experience, the Theatre! The three of us sat and watched as contortionists, acrobatics, and magicians worked there magic in front of us. The show was called La Clique and it was more like a modern day circus show than an actual theatre show, but we all loved it and left feeling as if we had constantly been laughing and sitting on the edge of our seats. It was a real thrill.
On my last full day in London the girls and I all hit Harrods and explored its many levels. I was again overwhelmed by the amount of people, but no where near as much as I was overwhelmed by the grandeur of Harrods. Too much could be said about this world unto itself. So I won’t even start! We then wandered into Hyde park and warmed out hands on some mulled wine. The ice skating seemed appealing but a traditional Sunday roast seemed even more appealing at the time, so we all headed back to Clapham and tucked into a hearty roast dinner followed by a board game or two, to finish off my London adventure.
As I tucked into bed that night, I was too excited to sleep. With the next chapter of my journey about to start I could hardly contain the thoughts that were flying around in my mind. I was apprehensive and excited all in one. Yet again I was excited about the unknown I was about to delve into. I couldn’t wait for the sunrise and consequently didn’t get much sleep that night. I knew deep within me that the next five months of my life were somehow going to change me and ignite a passion within me that I hadn’t known was there. And as I waved and hugged Jo goodbye and made my way to Stanstead Airport to meet the people I would be spending the next five months of my life with, I had a deep sense that my new life was about to begin…..
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