Europe 2013: the Beginning of the London Bucket List (Day 6)

To borrow a British-ism, I had a "smashing" time in the UK. Indeed, Paris was amazing and beautiful. However, I genuinely had a good time being in London. I daresay I had less unfinished business after our visit to the English city than I had in Paris. Much of what we wanted to see and do were within walking distance from each other, which meant that we had more time to hit all of the tourist destinations we had planned to visit in our itinerary and, also, more time to enjoy each experience in the absence of feeling rushed.

In my mind, I had a bucket list of items I wanted to accomplish should I ever visit jolly old England and, surprisingly, my family and I had succeeded in checking off most of the items on my list. They were as follows (in chronological order):   

#1: Take a photo at Platform 9 3/4 in King's Cross Station"

As a huge Harry Potter fan, this activity was something I had had in mind from the get go but I had no clue with respect to how I was going to achieve it. On the day of our arrival, my family and I were waiting for a cab en route to Barnes when my sister pointed out that we were no more than ten steps away from the station. Paying no attention to oncoming traffic, I ran across the street without hesitation to see for myself. Quickly realizing she was right, I ran back to St. Pancras to grab my sister, join the queue, and take part in this chance of a lifetime.

#2: "Eat Fish and Chips" 

If there is one thing that London cuisine is known for, it would be the infamous fish and chips. While we were in London, my aunt Evelyn took us to a greasy spoon just in front of the London Eye to try the English staple. The meal itself was okay. It was definitely not something out of the ordinary and I am sure we probably could have had better fish and chips at home but, when in London, eat as the Londoners would eat!

#3: "Ride the London Eye" 

Up, up, here we go!

Although this tourist attraction is, in my eyes, a recent addition to the London scene, I still wanted to ride the London Eye and get a bird's eye view of London. For the price of some odd pounds, we were able to get tickets to the eye, the 4D experience, and the cruise along the Thames river. The rotation of the eye was gentle enough so that you could enjoy the scenery but it did reaffirm my fear of heights. :) Ah! Regardless, this was an enjoyable experience and I am looking forward to the day that I will get to ride the London Eye again, hopefully during sunset... with a glass of champagne in my hand. :D

#4: "See the Big Ben and hear it toll its bells" 

The Big Ben

Out of all of the things I had seen that Wednesday, seeing the Big Ben in person was definitely the highlight of my day. It is iconic London and I was eager to see it and hear it toll its bells live.

I cannot exactly pinpoint what I love most about the Big Ben but it really was a sight to behold. As you can see, it looked as if it was made of gold and, justly so, it would have been worth it. The next time you are in London, take a walk over the bridge from the London Eye and see the clock tower from afar and up close. You are in for a treat.

#5: "Take a photo of a red telephone booth" 

Apart from the Big Ben, London is likely most known for the iconic, red telephone booth. The English city was not short of these booths: you could find them everywhere! This particular set was located close to Leicester Square and just outside of Aberdeen Angus Steakhouses, where we had our first real meal in London. Ironically, I had Canadian baby back ribs for dinner. I know, I know. They were not English in the slightest but they were delicious regardless! :) 

(This was fun! Stay tuned for Days 7 to 9 and bucket list items #6 to infinity. ;-) - JJ)