“Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself.” I spotted this quote in the tube during our travels and found it to be simple, but so true.
I’ve been enjoying myself in London, so far, exploring all I can. The site visits and tours we have gone on have all been so enlightening and informative. Every day is a new adventure. Today, it was another frigid morning as we headed towards Westminster Abbey. We met our tour guide, Joanne Lee, and began our visit to one of the world’s most renowned churches.
As beautiful as it was outside, the inside of the church was unexplainable. Some of the most famous political and religious leaders, as well as soldiers and influential authors, have memorials or lay resting in tombs inside Westminster Abbey. The tour gave me a new appreciation for history unlike any I had in the classroom. Seeing these sites firsthand and hearing the stories helped make the history come to life.
After the tour, we were given some free time to explore Westminster. Lindsey and I decided to head in the opposite direction we had explored the day before and walked toward the London Eye. As we were crossing the bridge, we couldn’t help but snap a dozen selfies and photos of Big Ben. Reminded by our stomachs, we left in pursuit of a McDonalds; however, we ended up finding a unique café called Akuna Matata: Enough to Feed an Elephant. We both indulged in chicken nuggets, “chips,” and baked beans until we felt sick (our preference to fish and chips). We also grabbed a huge muffin for the following morning, knowing good and well that we would not have time for breakfast.
After lunch, we bagged a few souvenirs at the stand next door and started our walk back towards the meeting spot. On our way, we found a hidden ruby slipper. We eventually met back up with the group and headed to the Fuller’s Griffin Brewery. By this time, most of the group was exhausted, but the tour was still interesting and informative. The biggest plus was the free beer, of course.
Our day concluded with dinner at Salisbury Pub. We enjoyed our three course meal with a few drinks and good conversation.
These experiences, thus far, have enlightened me to a culture similar to ours of the U.S., but completely different at the same time. Who would have known breaking a scone at high tea is impolite? Learning about London’s history and heritage has given me the ability to understand a whole new part of the world.