Well, our, Lauren, Samantha and I´s, weekend had a wonderful start. First I had to check my carryon bag because Ryanair is stupid and it technically the right size but it didnt fit in their stupid metal box thingy, obviously still a little upset with them over this haha, and I had to pay 50 euros to check my bag. Before we boarded the plane we made a friend with another student who was also studying in Sevilla and was traveling to London for the weekend. We had slightly miscalculated our arrival time in London and the distance from the sirport to the hostel, not to mention the fact that customs in England is a lot more strict than Spain, which is basically none existant. Therefore we officially arrived at the airport around 12AM and then had made it through customs, exchanged our euros for pounds (the stupidest currancy ever, sorry British friends), and bought our round trip bus tickets and were waiting for the bus around 1:30AM. Then the bus took about an hour and we had to get a taxi afterwards Finally we arrived at the hostel, The Steam Engine, at around 3:30AM.
As we went into our room we realized there were 9 beds in one room, with three seperate bunk beds that had three beds a piece. Since it was basically morning and we didn´t want to wake everyone in the room we decided to change in the bathroom, which ended up being the hallway cause it was easier. By the time we got changed and were read to climb in bed we went in the room and we each had specific beds asigned to us that were labeled with numbers. I was the last one to come in the room trying to be quiet as possible when I realized someone was in my bed! They hadn´t been there when I first looked when we got there but a man had come out of the bathroom while we were getting ready for bed... of course I had no idea what to do. I told my friends someone was in my bed and the other empty bed had definitely been used so I wasn´t crawling in that one.
Once again we all snuck back out of the room to go downstairs and talk to the receptionist about the situation. Luckily he went upstairs and, felt a little awkward about this but, made the man move and changed my sheets. He was very apologetic about the situation and offered coffee or tea, which of course we didn´t want at like 4 in the morning. But he also had a friend, or another receptionist, there as well so we started to talk to him. He ironically enough was Spanish so we tried talking to him in Spanish but he was very unfriendly and wouldn´t humor us in the slightest. That was fun. Well, we finally crawled in bed with the full intention of waking up around 7 so we could be downstairs for breakfast by 8, since it ended at 9.
Well, of course we didn´t wake up at that time, we woke up at 9 and finally got ready and made it downstairs by 10:30ish.With growling stomachs after we ordered coffee and hot choclate we headed out to maybe find breakfast but definitely start our day as tourists off! Lost right off the bat. Go figure right? It turned out to be a good thing because we ended up at a cute little British shop and bought more coffee and some food (that muffin was amazing fyi). Our next mission was to find the metro and figure out how to use it. In this area we actually found some success. It took a while to make sure we were getting the best deal with the metro, luckily for us the man selling the tickets was very nice and helped us a lot. Buying the day pass was a better deal for us since we planned to take the metro more than once that day and it would say us time and money.Riding the Underground was an amazingly easy experience. It was so easy to navigate the tube and find out where we were going. We got off near the London Tower and started our walk along the Thames. Starting with crossing the London Tower bridge, and stopping for a million pictures, we walked along the river to the Globe Theater. If there is one thing I regret about our trip it was that we didn´t have the time to go to a show, at the Globe or any where else... next time. Any who, we continued our walk and came accross some great smelling street venders in an area along the river, but we kept treking along. Finally we made it to London Bridge, which actually isn´t very exciting itself surprisingly. The most exciting thing about it was that you could see London Tower bridge from it.
Next we found ourselves at the walking bridge that has a great view of both Big Ben and the London Eye. The bridge itself was also an achritectural beauty. Since it wasn´t to bad of a day weather wise, for London, and we didn´t know how the rest of the weekend would hold up, we decided to go ahead and go up the London Eye. It was such an experience. I loved getting to see the entire city from the Eye. My friends and I were obsessed with Big Ben. So after the Eye we walked over to Big Ben. By the time we made it to the bridge it started sprinkling. We were starving them and found a place that served food and it was pretty amazing. Then we made our way to Buckingham Palace and stopped at the Wellington Arch, which by this point it was pouring rain and we had out the umbrellas. So all those pictures were a little depressing. Afterwards we took the tram to Oxford street and went shopping a bit, aka window shopping for me. It was pouring rain at this point and we took the tram back afterwards.
We went back to the hostel then to get ready to go out for dinner. By the time we were ready it was about 9PM and we thought that was a good time. Wrong. London night light is different that Spain for sure. No food is served after about 9:30PM so we wound up back at our hostel since we knew that served pizza still. While we were ordering our pizza a man, later to be known as Spencer, came up to us and asked if he could hang out with us while his friends took a smoke since he didn´t smoke. It seems like everyone in Europe somkes. yuck. Since we had no objections to having company while we ate we agreed.... if only we knew. haha just kidding.Eventually his friends came back and joined our little group as well. Our food came and we pigged out cause we were starving at that point. There never was a dull moment that night that´s for sure. Too many things occured for me to even mention but lets just say we had to change subjects a lot. It turns out that our new friends all worked for the British Parliament so the running joke became that we met the government. Eventually we discovered that we had been thinking that London was in the same time zone as Spain only to fins out that it was an hour behind... Spencer chastised us for looking at the worlds most famous clock all day and not reading it... our excuse was we had no reason to with our wrist watches and all. Still slightly embarassing however.
Saturday we woke up with a mission. We caught the tram out to Abbey Road after breakfast to see the famous Beatles crossing. We all signed our names and the wall and had a grand old time trying to get our pictures in inbetween other tourists and the everyday traffic. Afterwards we headed to Platform 9 3/4. Yes. I am that nerd who has to do that when she goes to London. Don´t care. It wasn´t very exciting but it was something to say you have done and that´s all that matters to me. Then we went to Camden Market, which just made me wish I was rich haha. So many cute things were there. We ate lunch in this area at an Oxford pub and I got a grilled chicken salad because they aren´t served in Spain and i had been craving one.
Next we took them tram to Portobello Street Market and did some more browsing. There was so much to see in this area as well. Lauren had left us at this point to grab supper with her uncle and family that lived in London. Sam and I ate at an Italian place, Da Maria, that had been suggested by a Spanish friend who studied in London for 6 months in the past. It might have been he best Italian i´ve ever had. After we tried to make it back in time to meet Lauren. Of course we had to pee, and of course we wanted to walk by Big Ben and the Eye at night, so of course we were late. But she was too so it worked out. We went out and found a pub, that was actually far away and just ordered a single drink and headed back to the hostel. London is expensive.
Sunday was our last half day in London and we wanted to make the best of it. We got up early and packed up and put our luggage in the storage lockers. To save money we walked, which took time and caused some strains in the dynamics of the group but we finally made it. The Birtish Musuem! First thing up. The Rosetta Stone! How cool is that? I loved just walking around the musuem and seeing the different things. I love history so I was right at home. Sadly we didn´t have much time because we had to go back to the hostel and then make it the bus pick up in time to make it to the airport. Dispite all our stress we made it in time and even had time to relax at the airport. I bought a white chocolate mocha and pumpkin bread! yes. London has pumpkin bread! It was great, since Spain doesn´t have it and all. I made it home a little late and felt bad for my señora since she had made food for me. But I had forgotten to tell her what time I would be arriving home so it was my own fault.Sadly that day was the beginning of me being sick.... but more of that next time! Hope to add photos later.
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