LIFESTYLE; London Trip

 

I don't live too far from London which means I can travel quite easily by train or by car. I haven't been for a good look round London for a few years and the recent Summery weather really spurred me on to organise a trip!

Thursday 5th Spetember 2013

Bedford train station is a short drive from my house and is also the starting station to London which makes it very easy to grab a seat! There were 5 of us tagging along and somehow buying tickets together worked out quite cheap - £78 together - £15.60 each. This ticket allowed us travel off-peak from Bedford train station at 9:10am, amongst zones 1-6 in London and then travel home, off-peak. It took approximately an hour to arrive at King's Cross St. Pancras and here we changed onto the Piccadilly line onward to Hyde Park corner.

Buckingham Palace

We walked from Hyde Park corner down Birdcage Walk and we came to Buckingham Palace which looked so pretty and regal in the sunshine. It was perfect timing as we arrived just in time for the changing of the guard! Even though we weren't right at the front, we still caught a glimpse and heard the band playing. It was packed and to be honest it made me feel very proud to be British.

Westminster

Big Ben

Iconic Red Telephone Box

We made our way past St. James' Park towards Westminster where Big Ben towered above the skyline. We took a few photographs of one of London's main iconic images - a Red London Telephone Box and this image is a symbol of a great British day out :) 

London Eye

The Top of the London Eye

The one thing I really wanted to do was go on the London Eye. I expected massive queues and a long wait, but after buying tickets we literally got on straight away! The London Eye moves very slowly and takes approximately 30 minutes to complete a full turn. It's quite relaxing and whilst looking out to London, it's a good chance to have a nibble to eat! The capsules were fully air conditioned (a great relief as it was soo hot mid day) and as it was such a beautiful sunny day you could see all of London's great skyline. This included the whole of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, Battersea Power Station, The Shard, The Gherkin and Wembley Stadium and the BT Tower in the distance. 

Another great way to experience London's attractions and landmarks is by River Cruise on the Thames. We decided to purchase 'One Way' tickets to Tower Bridge which cost £6.35 each as we have Travel Cards which saved a bit of money! We boarded near Westminster and travelled down the Thames passing St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard, The Tate Modern Gallery, Shakespeare's Globe, The 'Walkie Talkie', Under Waterloo Bridge, The Tower of London and under London Tower Bridge. The cruise took approximately 20-30 minutes and it was nice to sit down with a light breeze in your hair and knowing it's great value for money!


Tower Bridge

We got off next to Tower Bridge and had a little mooch around. It would have been nice to have gone into The Tower of London, but unfortunately it was a bit expensive for us BUT we're definitely considering it for the next trip! The Tower of London is a great historical landmark - the cobbled streets, brickwork and Beef eaters really draw you into its history.

Walking back toward Blackfriars tube, we stopped at St. Paul's Cathedral. It's huge. The pictures and television coverage really doesn't do it justice in my opinion. You can also get some great pictures of it when walking along the Millennium Bridge - the bridge that is destroyed in the last Harry Potter films, yes that one. We had a quick stop off at Shakespeare's Globe, although we were too late to go in :(


Oxford Circus

Lastly, we caught the tube to Oxford Circus and here we were amongst the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street and the mass of high street and high end stores. I wasn't too keen on shopping in London as I can't stand the busyness of it all and plus the heat and humidity didn't help. One store I really wanted to visit was the beautiful Selfridges & Co. mainly due to the mass of various brands which includes my latest love, Tiffany & Co. Unfortunately the customer service we received in there was disappointing, which was a contributing factor of why I didn't buy my latest 'want and need' - a Tiffany & Co. necklace. We had a McDonalds at Marble Arch which I am sure we walked off anyway! From here we made our way back to King's Cross St. Pancras and made our journey home at 7:15pm.

Overall, London was a great day out. There is so much to do that I am sure you cannot do it all in one day which is why I hope to go back and do a few more things that we missed out on. The weather was really kind to us and the sun shone all day! If you love London, regal landmarks and the hustle and bustle of City life then I would definitely recommend a day out or weekend stay. Whatever season you visit the City will look glamorous whatever the weather; sunshine or snow.

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