London

I visited London last year, again as a part of my trip to UK and I know it is quite delayed but better late than never. There is still a lot to see in London and I would have to definitely make another trip.

The day we were headed to London saw one of the worst weathers. It rained cats and dogs yet again. We took a train from Manchester to London. London is a much crowded city with a lot of noise and buzz about it. Unlike other parts of UK that I had visited, it seemed much more happening and lively.

We headed to our hotel in Central London- again a noisy area. We arrived late in the evening and it was time for dinner then so really couldn't get much done there. The weather was another factor too. On the following morning, we headed out to tour London. We first went to Big Ben which was covered in scaffolding. Followed by the Palace of Westminster, also known as the British Parliament. We had taken a guided tour of the place and it was really an outstanding tour. I loved all the history behind it and our guide seemed quite knowledgeable too. It is a really a magnificent building, which I hear might also get scaffolded soon. It was built around 1600s if my memory serves me right. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside. It is worth a visit with a guided tour.

Palace of Westminster- British Parliament

Opposite to the Palace of Westminster, is the Westminster Abbey. I did not go in. Parts of it was also scaffolded.

Westminster Abbey in Scaffolding

We then headed down to Trafalgar Square on foot. On the way, you will see 10 Downing Street- the official residence of the British PM. It is just a black door with the number 10 written on it but the craze to see that door was unbelievable. Trafalgar Square was an interesting place. As the name suggests, it is a square with 4 corners and gargoyles at each of those corners and a lion. However, this was not the most interesting place for me. It was the artists that I saw there showing off their different talents. I am posting one such video here. There were several artists and made the place more interesting.

The Lion at Trafalgar Square

Gargoyle at Trafalgar

Another view of Trafalgar Square

It was lunch time and we headed to taste the World renowned Saravana Bhavan. I ordered Idli-vada and Pani-Puri. Unfortunately, it did not taste Indian at all or live up to my expectation in terms of taste but I really appreciate their efforts to bring a piece of our culture to the Londoners.

Pani Puri

Idli-vada Sambar and Chutney

After lunch, we headed to Buckingham Palace on foot. We went through the Admiralty archway- the other end of which the majestic building stands. It is quite huge but not as tall as I expected it to be. I really enjoyed it here. We then spent some time at Hyde Park. There are some pillars close to the park which actually have the names of the commonwealth nations on it. I was going through it, when the weather came down on us. The transition was unbelievable. It was bright and sunny one moment and the next, it is raining cats and dogs. Weather is really unpredictable in London. Anyway, due to the heavy downpour, we sought shelter at this place, see picture below. We were not really well-prepared with rain coats and umbrellas so, we had to waste a lot of time here. Finally, the skies relented and the sun came out but it was close to closure of several places.

Buckingham Palace

Just outside Buckingham Palace

Gates of Buckingham Palace

Garden outside Buckingham Palace

Admiralty Archway

Saying Hello to one of Queen's Horses en route Buckingham Palace- note the weight on me and then read my weight loss blog in 2019

Hyde Park

We walked about some more and then took the "tube" or in India, we'd call it the London Metro to Covent Garden. I enjoyed the market place a lot. We stopped by at a cafe where we enjoyed some hot chocolate and tea. There were some live performances here and we watched a bit for sometime. We headed back to the hotel now for some rest and dinner.

Covent Garden Market

Our Shelter from Rain

The pillar with countries of the Indian Sub-continent

View from the Cable Car

On the following day, bright and sunny, we went to Greenwich. I think this has to be the highlight of the entire trip for me. We took a cable car ride, managed by Emirates, and enjoyed the views of urban London. We then went to this place called Cutty Sark, which is nothing but a ship model and there is a carnival kind of a vibe around it. We then made a stop at the Greenwich Market. On this particular day, there were several pop-up restaurants and stalls. The most unique thing about them all- It was all vegan food. It was quite a surprise and I am not sure if these stalls at the Greenwich market are a regular feature or it was something specific for that day. None-the-less, great food and some great time. In UK, I did not find it difficult to find vegan/vegetarian food. It is easily available in almost all the places and they label them pretty clearly as well.

Cutty Sark

Cutty Sark

Vegan food at Greenwich Market

After grabbing some lunch from this market, we went to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. On our way, we saw the first shop in the world in terms of its location. Just as everyone else, I was happy and excited to see the Prime Meridien. Lots of tourists around this place and they stood with their feet on either side of the Prime Meridien for pictures.

First Shop in the World in terms of Location

And that my friends, is your PM

On the following morning, we left London for home. The biggest thing I have learnt during my visit to London- keep adequate number of days for your visit. Weather can play a spoil sport, so always be prepared. I still have a lot of places to see up close- the Tower of London, the London Eye, Harry Porter world and list goes on. So, I hope to visit London again sometime in the future when the scaffolding also comes off some of the monuments.