Back to Britain

What better way to procrastinate on studying for finals than by blogging?

Two weeks ago, I left continental Europe and went to the UK to spend a weekend in London. I had the fortune of going to London over New Year's 2012 with my family, and I knew immediately it would be a place to which I would want to return when I went abroad. While in London I met up with an old high school friend of mine, Lenny, who has been studying there this semester. It's always nice to have a friend show you around, and we had a grand old time roaming the city. If you are ever in London, here are four things I would recommend doing.

1) Buy lots of tea.

Everyone knows that no one does tea like the Brits. And among the Brits, no one does tea better than Twinings. Twinings has been around since the early 1700's in the same exact shop in a bustling corner of London. You can go in, browse their selection, and even sample some tea at their tea bar! If you are a tea drinker, it is definitely worth the visit.

So much tea!

2) Go see Phantom of the Opera or really any theater production

Theater is kind of obligatory when you are in London. I was recommended to go see Phantom of the Opera and I am SO GLAD I did. It was AMAZING. This was my first time ever seeing a live production of the musical, so I can't really compare it to anything, but the singing was incredible, the costumes were fantastic, and it was just a seriously stupendous show.

3) Ride the London Eye

This was one of the few touristy things that I didn't do with my family while in London, so I decided to go for it. Anyone can tell you, I am not the biggest fan of heights, but the Eye moves so slow, it hardly feels like you're moving, which makes it better. You can see a lot of classic London landmarks from the Eye (Big Ben, Parliament, Trafalgar's Square, Buckingham Palace, etc) which is pretty cool. 

4) Go to Windsor Castle

Windsor is about a 20 minute train ride outside of London, and it is most definitely worth the trip, especially if you are an English history lover. Windsor is the resting place of many famous British royals including Henry VIII and Charles I, and it is still being used by the Royal Family today. The Royal Apartments are exquisitely beautiful and you can see on display a variety of royal collections and treasures which include a crazy huge dollhouse that is more expensive than my real house and a ridiculous china set that looks like pineapples. 

The town of Windsor is also quite charming and fun to walk around. The town is right along the river Thames, and there are lots of different nature paths you can stroll down. Sevilla is completely lacking when it comes to wooded areas, so Windsor was definitely refreshing. 

So in summary, when in London, buy lots of tea, see a musical, ride the Eye, and go to Windsor. If it's your first time you will probably want to add to this list and see The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben/Parliament, The British Museum, The National Portrait Gallery, Covent Garden  and Picadilly Circus. As you can see London is a city worth visiting again and again. I know one day I will be back for another visit!