Essential Advice: England Edition!

Here I'll share with you a bit of wisdom I collected over my 8-day stay in England. Some points are definitely practical, others may just make you laugh. Enjoy!

5 Essential Pieces of Advice for London/England:



Believe it or not, I did not once need my umbrella this time!

 1. Be prepared for ALL weather contingencies. In England, it's supposed to rain all of the time, and generally be wet and miserable. Lesson learned. The weather during my trip was gloriously warm, sunny, and breezy. To be on the safe side, pack clothing that can be worn in layers: tee shirt, sweater or hoodie, jacket. If you're traveling in the spring or early fall and like me, your foot temperature tends to regulate your internal body temperature, it's probably a good idea to pack a pair of sandals for warmer days. Also, It's a good idea to always have an umbrella handy, because if you don't have one, chances are you'll need one when the skies open up on you twenty blocks from your hotel.



View of a London Underground, or "Tube" station

 2. The Tube is not that scary. In fact, it's your friend. It really is the most convenient way to get around London, and I thought it was fairly easy to figure out. Maps are located at every stop. It is clean, MUCH cleaner than the New York City subways. A day pass costs 6.60 GBP, and buying a new pass each day can actually be cheaper than investing in week or weekend passes, though lines in the morning can  get very long. Of course, there will be the occasional delay; London has the same problems as any other modern city. On the bright side, the occasional train's operator will have a sense of humor. On Friday, ours famously told us to "relax, chill out, and enjoy the weekend," prompting some stiff-lipped Brits to burst out laughing, as such a statement is so unusual. And even at peak travel hours, when train cars were stuffed and the platforms and stairways were packed, I found the tube to be a really satisfying experience.
 

Yes, this happened to me. Be prepared.


 3. If staying in a hostel, it's probably best to take your clothes into the shower room with you. I discovered this the hard way when I found myself locked out of my dormitory at 4:30 a.m. the morning of my departure to Paris, dripping wet and holding only a towel and a useless key card. As it was so early and no one in my dorm was awake, I'd stripped in the room to save my clothes from getting wet in the bathroom. However, for some reason the card, functional until this point, would not work when I tried to get back inside, and I found myself facing a nearly-naked walk into the reception area, which was at all hours crowded with hordes of multilingual guests. I tried, I really did, but couldn't bring myself to walk down there. I got halfway down the stairs once before fleeing back to the bathroom. Finally, after about 10 minutes of frantic inserting of the card, whispered expletives and murmured prayers, I was granted access. At least I can laugh about it now.



If you have a student ID, BRING IT!

 4. A student ID will take you far. If you are a college student (or like me, a recent grad), bringing your student ID with you to the UK is one of the smartest things you can do. Not only can you receive discounts at national landmarks and most museums, but you can also get a discount at many grocery and clothing stores. Top Shop, for example, offers up to a 20% discount with valid student ID. In many places the discount is smaller, but you'll save a lot of pennies! And at the end of the trip, you can treat yourself to something nice with all of the money you've saved!



Eurostar: convenient, comfortable travel

 5. Eurostar 101. Eurostar departs from St. Pancras station in central London, with destinations all over Europe. This is how I got to Paris and back, despite multiple efforts to keep me from doing so! Firstly, you need a Visa or American Express Card to buy tickets; Eurostar does not accept Discover (which unfortunately, is the only card I had at the time; I've since invested in a Visa that works internationally). Also, book as far in advance as you can, because prices will skyrocket the closer to your departure date that you buy. I missed my Eurostar from Paris back to London and had to buy another one for 250 Euro-- that's nearly $300 --one way. Round-trip tickets for the same trip cost $140 back in January, when I should have bought! Also, it may be worth the extra charge to make your ticket refundable or at least flexible; that way, if you miss a train, like me, you won't be stuck buying another ticket. I would have saved myself money in the long run if I'd shelled out for the flexible ticket.
The train itself was very comfortable, even in standard class, with headrests designed for nodding off. There is plenty of space to store luggage. Also, I was able to purchase a standard premium ticket on my way home for the same price as standard, and was treated to a very tasty lunch and complimentary drinks, including wine. Windows are large and afford great views of European countryside. Plus, you have that charming, old-world  experience of getting on and off the train at an open platform.Not a bad way to travel at all, my friends.

So, there you go! Anyone else have any helpful UK travel tips?

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tourist: London!

The title of this blog comes from a great book that I read recently, called "The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise," a novel set in present-day London that chronicles the lives of the beefeaters, or royal guards, who are mandated to reside within the Tower of London. I did get to visit the tower (finally!), and a good bit of this blog will be about that! The rest will chronicle adventures with old friends, some museums, one interesting hostel, and some good English food.

Wednesday
Sian and I arrived in London around 11:15. Our Megabus from Cheltenham had been about half an hour late, but we'd made good time out on the motorway. Once disembarking at Victoria Coach Station, we hauled our bags onto our shoulders and made for the underground. (London Underground Tip: a tip: a daily pass for zones 1 and 2, which will get you everywhere downtown, costs 6.60 GBP a day. You can buy week or weekend passes, but it's actually cheaper to buy day passes each day. What you'll have to decide is whether you want to save time or money, because the lines for tickets can get very long even on a weekday afternoon)

Graffiti art in our hostel, Clink 78

We made it to our hostel after a bit of on-street confusion; we got to King's Cross station with no problems, but after that were a bit stumped as to which direction to set out in. The hostel, by the way, was called Clink 78 and was established in what used to be a courthouse and jail; hence the name. Three nights in a female, 14-bed dorm cost me $100; for London, that's incredibly cheap. Though the room was stuffed with girls, the bunks are blocked off for privacy. Facilities were very clean, though showers and locks could be tempermental; I discovered that the hard way
Oh, and by the way, King's Cross is the station in Harry Potter where platform 9 and 3/4 is located; they've set up a sign and half a trolley embedded in the wall. Charlotte and I looked for it, but I think it was hidden behind construction scaffolding! :(

Once we were settled, we hopped on the underground again with a mind to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum, fondly known by Londoners simply as the V&A. Unfortunately, there is more than one tube stop in the Kensington neighborhood, and we took about a 45-minute but well-worth-it diversion past Kensington Gardens, the Royal Albert Hall, some beautiful 19-th century townhouses and the Albert Memorial before making it to the museum.

Main Atrium of the Museum of Natural History

Right across the street from the V&A is the Natural History Museum, where we spent hours taking in the sights: dinosaurs, taxidermied mammals galore, geodes and jewels. Don't miss: the earthquake simulation on the uppermost floor! (It's a rockin' good time!) Also, the life-sized blue whale is quite impressive.

Thursday
Charlotte arrived, and we met her at Victoria before heading off to Oxford Circus, a busy shopping district, to meet up with the boys: Ollie and Richard! We crammed around a tiny table in a cafe for some coffee and a bit of basic catch up. It was there that Ollie whipped out his list of things to do during the day: a sort of Bucket List for London, if you will. And so it was that we crammed in the following things into one day:
Convent Garden: an area swimming with street performers (and pickpockets, so be careful) and crowded with markets. We lunched here; I had a plate of homemade paella from a vendor in the lower courtyard, and it was freaking delicious.
St. Paul's Cathedral: didn't go inside, but it's still awe-inspiring from the street. Massive.
Tate Modern: Britain's premiere modern art museum. Housed in a massive warehouse on the South Bank, easily accessible from the Millennium Bridge. Interesting, but not my cup of tea. I really did make an effort, though. There were a few things I really liked, but I think most of it went over my head.
South Bank: Apparently has a reputation as an emerging foodie scene, though we didn't eat down here. Makes for a nice walk along the Thames. Interesting mixture of old and new architecture.

Camden Town market scene

Camden Town: Very, very cool neighborhood. Markets full of ethnic food and crafts as well as original art. Canals and locks. Tattoo and piercing parlors, kids who obviously frequent such places. I could have easily spent hours wandering around here. It was here that I ate about half of poor Ollie's falafel wrap...my bad.
St. James' Park: closest park to Buckingham Palace. Trees, flowers, fountains, birds, and plenty of people watching. We used it for some late afternoon R&R, stretching and lying down in the grass to rest our weary feet for a few minutes.
It was wonderful to have the whole gang back together; if only for a day! We got drinks at one of the many Wetherspoon's disguised as a privately owned pub, then had dinner in yet another pub on the South Bank. Steak and ale pie for me; I had to have one good traditional British meal, after all! We parted ways from the boys and made our way back to the hostel, where I'm sure all three of us slept like rocks after such a long day.

Friday

British Library main atrium

Got up early and took a stroll down to the British Library on my own; Charlotte and Sian had a marketing thing that morning, which resulted in a two-week work placement! Congrats, girls! The library has a wonderful display of precious books; 17th century editions of Chaucer and Shakespeare, unspeakably old Korans and Hindu texts. I also got to see pages from Jane Austen's girlhood diaries, and Paul McCartney's scribbled first draft of "Yesterday." I was in gloryland. And let's not mention how long I spent wandering around the gift shop without buying anything...

It was while I was walking back to the hostel from the library that I thought to myself, "I'm really comfortable here. I could do this. I could live here." I felt comfortable on the Tube, never too lost or rushed, even during peak commute hours. I felt like I was learning my way around pretty quickly. Honestly, if somebody offered me a job, any job there, I'd move in a heartbeat, and not look back.

But anyway...to the Tower!!

Tower of London interior

The Tower of London is one of the city's most famous landmarks, and a place of intense personal interest for me because it is where Anne Boleyn was imprisoned and eventually executed; she is also buried within its walls. As it turned out, the chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, where she and other executed nobles are laid to rest below the floor, was closed to visitors; and so, the closest I came to her was at the sculpture marking the scaffolding site on Tower Green. But she was with me in spirit, as well as on the pendant I wore around my neck that day. And I am determined to get in there someday!

Charlotte, Sian and me in front of Tower Bridge

The Tower also houses The Royal Jewels, some of which are still in use today. Some of them may even be dragged out for the royal wedding, a week from today. We also got to see the ravens, whose wings are clipped to prevent them from ever leaving the Tower; legend has it that should they ever leave, England will fall. Personally I think clipping their wings is cheating, but better to be safe than sorry, I suppose. The wall walk is a great way to see the castle from above, and the display of Sir Walter Raleigh's quarters is a good stop as well. Admission is steep, 15 GBP for students, but you can opt out of the "optional donation" which is included with the listed price, and save a few pence.

And then, far too soon, my time in England was up. I'll be wrapping up later with a list of highlights from the trip, including helpful tips for traveling in the UK. Stay tuned!