Ok so here is the deal....I have been obsessed with London for as long as I can remember! Every summer I watch Wimbledon, wishing I could be a spectator of the event in this amazing city. Before this trip, I had watched Mary Kate and Ashely's "Winning London" movie a million times, hoping that one day I could conquer the city like they did. Sometimes I had even just looked up pictures from time to time, dreaming of one day seeing them in person. Therefore, for my first trip I knew without a doubt that I had to go to London. I knew it would be a trip of a lifetime and fortunately, I was right!!
Due to an all day field trip that we had that Friday afternoon, my friend, Klarke, and I did not arrive in London until Friday night.However after a long day we made it to Heathrow! So of course I had to take a picture of my enthusiasm in the bathroom upon arriving LOL
We decided to chill Friday night but Saturday..it was time to explore! First stop was Buckingham Palace and as expected, it was incredible! It's definitely way bigger and prettier in person than I could have imagined. I've never seen a palace in person so the sheer size of it was mind blowing to me. The design was also obviously incredibly cool. Just on the gates, you can see the complex and beautiful royal emblem.
Since the guards outside Buckingham are usually only outside during the spring/summer months, we did not get to see them so we opted for the next best option: the guards of the Queen's horses. Surrounding the stables are guards standing as well as guards on the actual horses. You could actually pet the horses if you wanted but if you know me, you know I am terrified of animals! I decided to get outside of my comfort zone and get near one but as I did, it started shaking its head. I was absolutely terrified but laughed it off! Before leaving, I had to take a selfie with one of the guards in the background.
Next stop was the famous Trafalgar Square and of course, the National Gallery. In the square are these huge lion statues and they are VERY difficult to climb. However, once again being adventurous, Klarke and I decided to give it a go and after a few attempts (and a lot of girlish screams) we were successful.
Now I'm not one for art, but seeing Monet's work in person was absolutely breathtaking. The sheer details as well as the colors in the art were amazing--I couldn't believe that someone could paint something so intricate so many years ago. I walked through a lot of the museum and while I can't say that I am a great interpreter of art, I can say that I have a bigger appreciation for artists like Monet after seeing their work in person. Below is a picture of one of Monet's most famous pieces: Water Lilies.
So of course we had to stop by the famous Garfield's and get the traditional fish and chips! I am not a huge fish person but this fish was delicious and the tartar sauce was INCREDIBLE!
At this point in the afternoon, Klarke went to go get her hair done so I had a few hours to kill so I decided to go check out the biggest attraction in London: Westminster/Big Ben. Words nor pictures will describe the absolute beauty of this place. It is PHENOMENAL. It was absolutely freezing outside but I spent 15 minutes on the bridge looking at it and appreciating the view.
A lot of people go to Westminster to take pictures but what a lot of people don't know is that you can actually tour the inside of Westminster because it is the House of Commons aka the House of the English Parliament. Therefore I decided to take an audio tour of the place for a couple of hours. I would have to spend all day telling you about it but the history and the exquisiteness of Westminster is so incredibly immense, that you can't even grasp that you're in the midst of it. I was able to see where the famous Queen Victoria sat on her throne. I sat in the room and on the benches were the parliament goes to vote "yes" on legislation (going to a "yes" and a "no" room is how they vote). I was able to go into the chambers where greats like Nelville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill and Tony Blair have made history with their comrades. It was an honor to be able to stand in the middle of history.
Fun fact: The cool thing about this building is that even though it looks very royal, due to having oppressive monarchies so many years ago, royals are not even allowed in some of these rooms!
This by far was my favorite part of the trip! If you ever go to London, go INTO Westminster!
Fun fact: The cool thing about this building is that even though it looks very royal, due to having oppressive monarchies so many years ago, royals are not even allowed in some of these rooms!
This by far was my favorite part of the trip! If you ever go to London, go INTO Westminster!
Ok, so I have to throw in a business side note! Coke's branding in London is HUGE!! They are the big sponsor of the famous "London Eye" (ferris wheel) and then they have these Coke bars everywhere! You can order food, coffee, and obviously any Coke product you want! Coke was everywhere in London and I definitely wasn't expecting an American company to have, what seems like, the biggest brand awareness in London. Props to Coke for successfully carrying out such a great international business plan in London.
The American side of me definitely came out when I was in London because I HAD TO GET CHIPOTLE. I will admit that I am obsessed with it in the US so I've been craving it since I have been in Europe. Of course, London is one of 2 places in Europe that has Chipotle so of course I had to get some! And as you can tell, Klarke and I were extremely happy LOL
The next day, the weather was a lot nicer so I revisited Westminster with Klarke and we walked around London, taking in more views. There was a crowd outside one of the buildings and we asked a police officer what was going on and he explained that it was the Prime Minister's House! The best part though was that he had a conversation with us for about 15 minutes and it amazing that a police officer would cordially talk to us for that long. It was the best experience I have ever had with a police officer! Of course we ended our day shopping in the famous Oxford Street. Below is a picture of the inside of the market that is in the middle of the famous shopping district! Unfortunately our trip had to end and we had to head back to Bilbao but of course....not until we got one more round of Chipotle for the airport ;)
Thanks London!!