This weekend my friend who’s studying at NYU Paris came to visit and it was a chance for me to finish my London Bucket List too. Here is a list of some highlights in London, which is definitely more than you can finish in 2 days. Nonetheless, we still managed to hit up the majority of it while she was here.
- St Paul’s Cathedral – A historic site, where Princess Diana had her wedding and the funerals of many celebrated people took place. The architecture is beautiful; it used to be in the style of a traditional cross cathedral with a spire but Sir Christopher Wren designed it with a dome after it burnt down in a fire. Interestingly, the dome you see from the outside actually surrounds the dome that you see from the inside and has a painted ceiling. This is so it looks taller on the outside. You can climb the dome and see great views of the city.
- London Eye – Not much to say besides that it is a must-see because of the amazing views of the city.
- Westminster Abbey – Where coronations take place and also the site of many royal weddings like that of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
- Buckingham Palace – The Queen lives here, enough said. Read more on my earlier blog post. Also go see the Changing of the Guards.
- Tower of London – Holds the crown jewels and is rich with history.
- Globe Theatre – This is a reconstruction of the original theatre during Shakespeare’s time.
- Tower Bridge – One of the most iconic bridges in the world. You’ll be lucky if you see it open (it’s a drawbridge), which I sadly did not manage to catch.
- Millennium Bridge – A footbridge that connects to South Banks over the Thames. You can walk from St Paul’s right over to the Tate Modern or The Globe.
- Borough Market – Lots of good food. Get the duck sandwich and mulled wine, mulled cider, or other mulled fruit drinks in the winter.
- Camden Market – Look at my earlier post to learn more; also lots of good food and shopping.
- Portobello Road Market – Look at my earlier post to learn more; antiques and flea market.
- 221B Baker St: Sherlock Holmes’ home/museum – Also look for the Sherlock Holmes tiles in the nearby Baker St tube station.
- Graffiti – There are works from some famous street artists around town, like Banksy and Mr. Brainwash. A lot of it is quickly removed after they appear, but try to catch them as they pop up or if they’re lucky enough to be preserved behind plexiglass.
- Have tea – My friend and I went to Tea & Tattle, a cute little teashop below an independent bookstore and ordered afternoon tea. You usually get a selection of sandwiches, scones (with clotted cream), and cake (try Victoria sponge) with your tea from a set menu, and it all feels very classy not to mention delicious.
View of St Paul’s Cathedral & Millennium Bridge from South Bank.
Also don’t forget all of the great museums in London, which are all free! (Except for various small specialty museums). Look at my blog post for an overview.
Tales from Study Abroad 