We managed to get through the train station in Cambridge with relative ease, despite the fact that neither of us has taken a commuter train in the past (also we somehow go the tickets for half price, go us!). We arrived in King's Cross about 15 minutes earlier than we were supposed to according to the railway estimates. The first thing we did was find a map. Next, I layer the map out on a large piece of stone and began to use my highlighter to lay out our Google Maps route. After doing this we set off!
First we had lunch at a restaurant called Trio D'Or Café. This place was family run and featured some great sandwiches and salads. After eating we headed out to see the Tower of London. On the way we managed to snap several pictures of the sites with relative ease, because surprisingly there were not many people around us! (this lasted for a while, until we hit the Tower of London, then we found them). We made it to the Tower of London, snapped some photos and admired the scenery. I also found myself jealous because they have a catapult and I need one. After Ryan got some things at the gift shop for his nephew we set out to our next destination. However, we were sure to stop and admire the world famous Tower Bridge.
We next went to William Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. This new site is built on the original grounds and has recreated the original structure, with some added on structures as well. While there, I was able to purchase a copy of Julius Caesar (one of my absolute favorites by Shakespeare) for about 7 quid, I was happy with the affordability, way to go Shakespeare. I was a bit disappointed because I wanted to buy a bust of the man himself and sit it in my office in my future job (similar to Batman's Shakespeare statue button in the older comics), but I really didn't want to explain why I had a bust of Shakespeare in my carry-on and I know I cannot afford the weight on my lone checked bag.
After this, we went to see Big Ben. For much of the way to Big Ben we were able to walk right on, or near the riverside of the River Thames and I will say it was a breathtaking view of the city. Also right as we walked up to Big Ben, the bell rung because the hour was up. Ryan and I were very excited to be able to hear Big Ben roar! We both took about 1,000 photos at Big Ben and also we checked out a statue of Winston Churchill. It was so awesome to see something that is world famous, but that also has been around since Big Ben has. It was an absolutely beautiful site, so much so that it did not even seem real.
After getting our fill of Big Ben, we headed to Buckingham Palace. I also managed to sneak in a selfie (which I rarely ever do) with a Royal Guard marching about in the background.
Next we walked past the Royal Gardens and the Wellington Arch by Green Park. While there we randomly visited a very powerful memorial for airmen who passed away in military service. I really enjoyed Ryan and my style of being flexible while visiting London, as I think we were able to see some really awesome areas that were not in the original plan! After this, we stopped briefly at a pub before heading through Chinatown and onto Forbidden Planet.
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of comic books. Today worldwide was Free Comic Book Day. This is a wonderful and magical day (where in an attempt to hook new readers) the major and minor publishing companies publish special edition comics and give them away for free. Also, stores around the world discount their prices. While at Forbidden Planet I managed to pick up a couple of free comics and treated myself to my very own Sonic Screwdriver just like on Doctor Who!!! I also was able to get my picture taken with a life sized Batman statue, I am glad I wore my Green Lantern shirt because we looked pretty close to the Justice League.
After leaving Forbidden Planet, we started the trek back to King's Cross to catch a train back to Cambridge. During our entire visit, Ryan and I did not take the tube (or subway in the State's) or a cab or anything like that once. We walked throughout the entirety of our visit. According to Google Maps, this was just a hair shy of 10 miles. However, it doesn't take into account the extra walking we did outside of the route. I will say this, I have been to many a major city, such as New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, and so on. However, never have I been in a city that is more walking friendly than London. There no time (except for about 5 feet on the way to Big Ben due to construction) where Ryan and I were without a walkway. It was fantastic! So friendly to foot traffic.
Also, Ryan and I kept complementing the city on how interesting the architecture was. London has a fabulous mix of contemporary and older architecture that actually works well together. It was extremely beautiful. I think that London has now taken the cake for my favorite city that I have traveled to thus far. Also I am proud to say that I have successfully navigated two of the biggest cities in the world (New York and London). It is worth mentioning that London was extremely easy to navigate, (though it takes some time to get used to the placement of street signs, but it is that way all over England from what I have seen so far). I am just so glad that I made this journey to see London as it was a great experience and I look forward to doing it again in the future. Anyway, my legs are tired and I am heading to bed soon as I am beat! Thank you for reading as always, it is so nice that people have taken an interest.
P.S. I am currently awaiting my photos to be uploaded to cloud storage. I will add them first to Facebook under their own album and then will add a select few here to accompany this post.
Song of the Day: Elton John - "Levon"
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