wow. London. my first time overseas and I'm thrilled, as well as surprised not to be overwhelmed with culture shock.
my first airline flight (aptly, on Virgin Airways) was pleasant and much better than I'd been led to expect, even for Economy class. But between the non-reclining seats, turbulence and a screaming child or two, I only managed to get an hour of shut-eye on the plane, so even though I got in yesterday, it took me a full day just to sleep off my jet lag. But now I'm well-rested and up for some exploration.
After landing at Heathrow and meeting my host (a much older cousin and ex-American), I got to see Windsor Castle in all its splendor, as well as a few jaded comments from my cousin about the monarchy and the way the castle and so many sights over here have become "theme parks". so I had a good look around, snapped a few pictures, and then made it home (in a London suburb) just in time to crash. Today, I woke up well-rested, so my cousin and I took the train to London for a good long walk. We didn't really go in anywhere, but just walked around the heart of London, and talked about things to see, what's worth my time and money, what isn't, and how to get around. tomorrow we'll be going to see Shakespeare at the Globe and some other sights.
a few observations already:
- trying to be a visitor and a traveler instead of a tourist (you know the lot) is a fine line, but worth the effort
- being from California, I really have no idea what the words "old", "ancient" or even "historic" really mean compared to a place like England, especially in London. This city has been around for at least two thousand years, and to see the earth dug away to reveal an ancient Roman stone wall under a thousand-year-old castle really puts things in perspective
- the sun really does come out in London, and I timed my trip almost perfectly
- old habits, like looking left, then right when crossing the street (instead of right, then left), die hard
- and of course, English girls are, on the whole, way prettier than American girls. Of course, that could just be to do with my obsession with fair-skinned redheads, who are all over the place here
I need to go to sleep now, if I can. This is really exhilarating, I just hope I don't try to do and see too much!
my first airline flight (aptly, on Virgin Airways) was pleasant and much better than I'd been led to expect, even for Economy class. But between the non-reclining seats, turbulence and a screaming child or two, I only managed to get an hour of shut-eye on the plane, so even though I got in yesterday, it took me a full day just to sleep off my jet lag. But now I'm well-rested and up for some exploration.
After landing at Heathrow and meeting my host (a much older cousin and ex-American), I got to see Windsor Castle in all its splendor, as well as a few jaded comments from my cousin about the monarchy and the way the castle and so many sights over here have become "theme parks". so I had a good look around, snapped a few pictures, and then made it home (in a London suburb) just in time to crash. Today, I woke up well-rested, so my cousin and I took the train to London for a good long walk. We didn't really go in anywhere, but just walked around the heart of London, and talked about things to see, what's worth my time and money, what isn't, and how to get around. tomorrow we'll be going to see Shakespeare at the Globe and some other sights.
a few observations already:
- trying to be a visitor and a traveler instead of a tourist (you know the lot) is a fine line, but worth the effort
- being from California, I really have no idea what the words "old", "ancient" or even "historic" really mean compared to a place like England, especially in London. This city has been around for at least two thousand years, and to see the earth dug away to reveal an ancient Roman stone wall under a thousand-year-old castle really puts things in perspective
- the sun really does come out in London, and I timed my trip almost perfectly
- old habits, like looking left, then right when crossing the street (instead of right, then left), die hard
- and of course, English girls are, on the whole, way prettier than American girls. Of course, that could just be to do with my obsession with fair-skinned redheads, who are all over the place here
I need to go to sleep now, if I can. This is really exhilarating, I just hope I don't try to do and see too much!
legionnaire:
Glad to hear you're having a great time. London is a good place to start a European journey to minimize the culture shock. It soften the blow for when you cross the channel. 
Just keep reminding everyone you meet from Europe that not all Americans are gun-toting Bush-loving rednecks!!
Just keep reminding everyone you meet from Europe that not all Americans are gun-toting Bush-loving rednecks!!