London, England

17-27 December, 2011

After our trip to Paris, Cara, Allie, and I made our way back to England to explore London. We got in rather late, so the first thing we did was check into our hotel, The Phoenix (Best Western). This hotel was a great find because you get more bang for your buck (or note in the UK). We were provided with four twin beds, television, kettle, free Wifi, and decent sized bathroom. If you are one to like heavy pressure on the shower heads, just know that you will not find that here. The Phoenix also offers a sit-down breakfast. If you would like to add this to your package, it does cost a little extra. However, there is a flaw in their system; the hotel does not check whether or not you have paid for the breakfast, but they offer it to their guests regardless. So, don't pay the extra fee and enjoy a variety of breakfast foods on the house! The options include a variety of cereals, yogurt, fruit, corssiants, spreads such as Nutella and jam, juice, and toast. Though the options are plenty, I did find it annoying that you had to wait to be seated. The waitresses had the best of intentions, but it got frustrating when they would only allow a certain number of people to specific tables. For example, our party of three was not allowed to sit at a table for four or five (God forbid!). Overall, the experience was good and I would give it another shot if I were visiting London on a budget.

It was nice great to see the buildings that I have only heard about like Big Ben. It is amazing how tall a clock can be! It was also neat to see Buckingham Palace, not only because this is where I will spend most of my time being married to Prince Harry, but you can imagine being there the day Prince William married Kate and kissed her twice on the balcony. If you can, try to visit Buckingham Palace while the Royal Family is away on holiday. They allow tours in the Palace during that time, and I hear it is something you should make time for.

Big Ben

            

                                                    

Westminster Abbey

Buckingham Palace

If you didn't know already, I am slightly obsessed with Harry Potter. Visiting Platform 9 3/4 at Kings-Cross Station is essential for any Potterhead. Because of the construction London is currently conducting for the 2012 Olympics, they have currently moved this site to the outside entrance of Kings-Cross. It may be a slight disappointment to some because it isn't placed in a significant location, but you will regret not going. On another note, I strongly suggest London tourists to experience a double-decker bus ride. Yes, using the tube is faster most of the time, but you miss out on seeing what London has to offer. 

Contrary to popular belief, navigating the Underground system is not that difficult. I was rather impressed with myself for being able to learn how to navigate the Tube in under a week. If you are new to Underground travel, I strongly suggest getting a Tube map. It provides users with the various routes and lines that are available. It is a good idea to plan out your journey in advance because figuring things out in the stations becomes difficult with the amount of people walking around. Word of advice, follow any and all signs. They will help you get out of the station and how to get to different line connections. Warning signs are also important, like the ones that tell you to stay to the right on an escalator. Trust me on this one, if you don't stick to the right side, you will be run over. If you are traveling around any holiday, it would be wise of you to check the availability online before you begin your travel on the London Underground website. Oh! And remember to "mind the gap" as you get on and off the Tube.

The following YouTube video is a song that London natives taught me. The lyrics are rather colorful, so please mind your ears as you listen along.

Basically, what made me love this trip was the amazing shopping district! All of your favorite stores and more can be found on and around Oxford Street. Everywhere you turn you can find musical talent, markets, and vintage shops!

Furthermore, you can turn down various alleys of your choosing and find yourself in a whole new area with different shops and wonderful places to eat like St. Christopher's Place.

While in London, you have the opportunity to try a variety of food. Click on the links below to view some of the places I went. I recommend you give them a try if you happen to stumble upon these pubs, cafes, or restaurants.

 Lamb and Flag    

                                                                          Garfunkel's

                                Chilli's Mexican Restaurant                                        Caffe Concerto

We were able to meet up with a couple of our friends that we met in Ireland for a drink! It was great to see JP and Mikey. We met up at Prince-Alfred. This pub is a great place to just chill with a beer or glass of "vino." They have a lot of sitting room both upstairs and down, and offer a few nights with a live band.

Cara and I have been getting into vintage and made it a point to check out Blitz, a vintage store in Spitalfields. This vintage shop is definitely worth your while. I went away with a new 60's looking jacket from Paris! I also spotted a University of New Mexico basketball shirt featuring the old Lobo, who would have thought? On our way to Blitz, we were able to find a perfect market. Little did we know that this market, the Spitalfields Market, was well known. Now I cannot for the life of me remember the name of this restaurant, but there is a pizza parlor in the middle of the market. It is delicious! So if you need a feeding break while you shop, you can't go wrong with the pizza. 

London is also a great place to look around for tasteful graffiti. It is modern and trendy, and if you are into this sort of thing you will want to take pictures.

Because it was Christmas, my friends and I wanted to participate in holiday events. Winter Wonderland seemed like the perfect place to feed our holiday cheer. Well, not so much as it turns out. I suggest you do not waste any time or money at Winter Wonderland unless you are going to the London Eye. We ate at the Spiegel Saloon that was supposed to have a burlesque show starting at 7 pm. The show didn't start until 8:30pm, the mulled wine was served luke warm at best, the waitstaff were careless while serving and spilled wine all over the table and Cara without an apology, and most importantly, they were attempting to make us pay more than what we needed to. Cara had made a reservation and had to put down a deposit to ensure our spot would not be taken. She paid 25 euros online prior to our visit. Without saying anything, the Saloon put on our receipt that she paid only 15 euros. Thank goodness for e-mail and smartphones, because we were able to clear this mistake up right away, however, it took the manager twenty minutes to resolve this issue. You know how in the United States meals would be comped, free dessert would be given, or your drinks would be free? Not here. Even after a large complaint to management, customer service was not improved in the least.

The whole experience of Winter Wonderland wasn't too bad. It was just unfortunate that the restaurant left a bad taste before we could enjoy the rest of the fair. Allie and I experienced outdoor ice skating! After skating, the three of us road the London Eye and were able to relax as we were able to take in the spectacular views from the top of the wheel. 

Do you remember that children's song "The London Bridge is Falling Down?" Well, this is perhaps the only reason why I wanted to go and see the London Bridge. The most spectacular thing about it is the view of the Tower Bridge. Other than that, it is just a bridge.

This year was the first time I spent Christmas away from family. Thankfully, I was able to stay with Joanna and the Thom family in London for the holiday. Joanna is a member of my rowing team and would not allow me to spend Christmas alone (which I am very thankful for). The Thom family included me in all of their traditions from last minute shopping to dinner with family friends.

The Christmas Tree

The stocking Santa left at my door on Christmas morning

Jo and me wearing our hats from our Crackers

Imi, Mark, Jo and Katy ready to eat our Christmas meal!

Our Christmas Meal

Smoked salmon on bread appetizers 

On Christmas Eve I was able to Skype with my family in Albuquerque, NM. It had been three months since I have seen my family, and it was nice to feel missed. Everyone seemed so happy to see me and acted as if I had been there all along. My favorite memory of the night was seeing my Grandpa's face light up with the idea that he can see me on a computer even though we are 4,800 miles away. He was just so excited! Below is a screen shot I took of the family in Albuquerque (8:00 pm MST) on December 24, 2011 and me at 3:00 am on December 25, 2011 in England.

While I stayed with the Thom family, we kept busy with watching movies and DVDs (Summer Heights High is fantastic), playing games (Who's in the bag? and the Name List games were fabulous), and going on morning runs around different parks. During one of our runs, Jo MADE me run up Parliament Hill. If you are a runner in London, you know about this hill. It is deadly, making your legs feel like jello only halfway up. Other than the hill of death, we ran in some scenic areas. For instance, we were able to go by the house in the film Notting Hill. 

Another area of London Jo took me to was Portobello Road. Small shops filled the street with mearchants selling anything from fruit to records. One of the most popular stores on Portobello is the Hummingbird Bakery. If you are a cupcake or cake enthusist, you must make it a point to visit one of these shops. If you cannot make it to London, you need to go to their website, purchase their baking book, and bake the most delicious cupcakes you have ever had in your life. 

These furry hats really are in!

                              This is where Jo got her ears pierced. She may have been nervous, 

                                   but I think she is happy about the decision to get them done.

Finally, when you are walking through St. James Park, do not take food unless you want the squirrels to attack you! Squirrels are everywhere around this park and have no issues standing next to humans. They have been known to crawl up a person's leg and snatch food from their hand. They may be entertaining, even cute to some people, but I would keep an eye out for these little guys!