Day two in London began with a fitful night’s rest. Our
hostel room is conveniently situated next to a pub. Londoners like to gather
outside a pub and get drunk. Drunk Londoners are loud Londoners hence—
So yes. I entered a drug-induced sleep with bells tolling
every hour and raucous laughter below.
Woke up to Hostel breakfast (baked beans, eggs, stewed
tomatoes, ham, coffee, toast) slightly hung over and didn’t even question the
fact that I was sitting amidst a tour group of Scottish 3rd graders.
We headed to Westminster Abby around 9 a.m.—and folks, it
was absolutely incredible. This Gothic church is charged with over a thousand
years of history and you can feel it buzzing under your feet. Established by
Benedictine monks in the 10th century, the Abby is an intricate maze
leading off to intimate prayer chapels and small, forgotten alcoves. Sunlight
trickles in through the stained glass windows, prayer candles flicker in a
corner, and a faint smell of incense hangs lightly in air.
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| it got a bit thundery |
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| outside gothic detailing |
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| them arches, though |
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| entrance into the abby |
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| walking the cloister |
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| looking out into the courtyard |
We meandered there for a few hours, noting tombs of Winston
Churchill, Chaucer, King Henry III, David Livingston, Rudyard Kipling, among
3,300 others who have been laid there to rest.
Basically, if you’re British, died before the 20th
century, and did anything with your life or had money and connections, you could
have been buried there.
Unfortunately, photos weren’t allowed in the main Abby, but
I snapped a few of the outside cloisters/adjoining rooms.
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| jeff and sophie hittin' those streets |
Afterwards, Aseye, Sophie, Jeff, and I took the tube to Soho
and explored, sticking mainly to Oxford Street and Berwick.
We lost Jeff somewhere in the mix
(casualties of traveling, I suppose) so us girls continued on, snagging some
stall food. I munched on some Mongolian curry beef while Sophie devoured a
burrito and Aseye chowed down on fried rice.
Fully satiated, we amused ourselves in several cute cafes
and vintage stores. “Beyond Retro” really caught our eye (rompers, doc martens,
jean jackets, parachute pants) and all three of us left with some throwback
styles – we were happy campers!
Dinner was Mark and Spencers (a grocery store sort of place—I
had yogurt and fruit) on St. Paul’s steps, taking in the fresh air and evening
sunset. Afterwards, Sophie, Aseye, and I made our way to the Victoria andAlbert museum, open until 10 p.m.. They call themselves “the world’s greatest
museum of art and design,” and I’d be hesitant to disagree.
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| decided to pay old victoria and albert a visit |
We viewed an exhibit on modern luxury (lights made out of
copper and dandelions! coats made from feathers! diamonds made from armadillo
road kill!) and took in a wonderful time-line of fashion, featuring elaborate
silk dresses from the 17th century up to Alexander McQueen’s
feather-duster handbag. We wandered around the Greek statue gallery as well as
the out-door courtyard for a bit before it closed.
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| the courtyard |
My friends and I agreed- we needed something sweet to round
out the night, so we made our way to Kensington Creperie, a small café run by
commanding French women. We split a traditional lemon crepe (crepe, lemon,
sugar), a waffle (nutella, strawberries, chocolate syrup) and a hot chocolate.
It was lovely and we didn’t want to head back, as we were starting to fill the
Friday London night-life hop.
However, we boarded a train and stumbled back into our
hostel around 11 p.m.
Things I've noted about the Brits:
1) They like to smoke/drink
2) Nearly everyone is in business casual
3) Free water and trashcans are scarce
Headed to the British Museum tomorrow and have tickets for
The Elephant Man (featuring Bradley Cooper) Tuesday afternoon.
Stay tuned, friends!
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