I never expected that I'd get to London twice in one year, but here I was, back again. Different friends, different focus, same city. The great thing about London was that you can have vastly different trips in the same city. So when I was here in February, it was a cultural excursion. We went to the theater, had high tea at Harrods, saw a traveling photography exhibit, and day tripped to Greenwich and Canterbury for a bit of history. Oh, and Harry Potter was a driving factor in our route through the city.
This trip, we focused on the big stuff- Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, London Eye, and the museums. It was a hectic, chilly week but we saw so much of the city. I loved all of the holiday decorations strung over streets or lighting up squares. We even visited a few of the Christmas markets! A lot of what we saw was either new to me, or things I hadn't seen in 17 years, so I gleefully played tour guide to a friend while soaking in all of the history.
It's hard to pick a favorite "new" thing. It's probably a toss-up between Shakespeare's Globe Theater and Windsor Castle. Windsor was full of history and power. The audio guide was fantastic, and the state rooms stunning. But Shakespeare in Love is one of my favorite movies (I even watched it on TV one night in Israel!) so seeing the Globe was pretty cool, even if it was a recreation. My friend and I were the only ones there for the tour so we got to sit in the elite boxes. There were student groups up on stage having a grand time. What a cool field trip!
My favorite revisit was Westminster Abbey. I clearly didn't remember much (or it's changed a lot). Seeing the tombs of Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Mary I, and all of the famous authors and scientists too... It was great. I was elated to find the memorial stone for Ann of Cleves ( wife #5, I know that one!) In the many names on the wall.
PSA: if you haven't seen The White Queen, The White Princess, The Tudors, Elizabeth, Masterpiece: Victoria, The King's Speech, The Crown, The Queen.. You should. And I'm sure there are more I'm missing. Actually, just watch the BBC History of Britain.
What else.
I got to see my second-to-last confirmed Michelangelo statue at the National Gallery. It was being cleaned in February when I tried to see it at the Royal Academy. St Petersburg, I'm gonna get to you eventually for the last one!
Still haven't had a proper British curry, but did get some good Chinese food. London has so many options for food. I don't need any more falafal for a while after five weeks in the Middle East. In fact, I had been craving Mac and Cheese for weeks, and it was the first thing I ate in London!
My last day in London I started Christmas shopping. Can't believe its already that time.
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