The juxtaposition of the old and new is fascinating. The most contemporary examples of architecture rise just next to buildings preserved from antiquity. As I sat in a Starbucks next to the dungeons and fortifications of the Tower of London, I wondered if the inhabitants of ancient London ever dreamed of such a thing.
They even have apartments in London for fictional characters. Here I am in front of 221B Baker Street, the abode of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson ...
The Royals have put their stamp on everything. The real estate and building projects devoted to them represents astounding levels of wealth and power. I’d like to learn more about history of the kings and queens who form the royal line of Great Britain. Many of them are buried here, in Westminster Abbey, where they were also married and crowned:
The English food is better than I thought it would be.
The idea of customer service within a society with reserved manners is interesting. I found most people to be strictly business-like at first, but very friendly if you initiated a conversation with them, or offered a compliment. One waitress was willing to give me an umbrella during a rain storm! No one tried to remember your name, however, and few employees wore name tags.
If you don’t like soccer, there are precious few sporting events to view on free TV. If you don’t like reruns of Friends, Big Bang Theory, and CSI, there aren’t many interesting TV shows (again, on free TV).
It costs plenty to survive in this city! The numeric price value on items seems high even if stated in dollars, but the number is in pounds – meaning a premium of 62% more. For example, a bicycle which costs $400 in America was priced at £450 in London, which converts to about $600!
While in London, one must become proficient in the use of the adverb: quite, actually, unfortunately, etc. There’s also the tendency to insert descriptors in front of prepositional phrases. For example, something is not “around the corner”, it’s “just around the corner” or “a bit around the corner”. Put it all together, and you may hear that the subject of your inquiry is “just a bit around the corner actually”.
In the US, we always hear about the proliferation of the internet in Europe. I’ve been in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain, and London, and have found this claim overstated. At least, there is no FREE internet anywhere. They charge $10/hour or $100/week for travelers to access the web. I found a Starbucks which – if one purchased a drink AND a food item – would provide ONE HOUR of access.
There is plenty to do in London … museums, preserved sites, theaters, tours, touring, and pubs. The mass transit system is amazing. No cars required! And I love the fact that you can pass through British security without removing your shoes.
It's a rare sight to catch a ship coming through the Tower Bridge, but I happened to be at the right spot at the right time:
I can’t handle the left-hand queuing. Drive on the left. Walk to the left. It gets very confusing in the many rotaries and odd road junctions. If you step off a curb, you’re likely to get hit from the backside, as it’s easy to forget how things are flowing. I’d rather drive on the right in Germany even though the signs are in a foreign language than on the left in England.
