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London

First Time Out

by Jerril

A June 1999 travel journal

Last Updated: February 7, 2001

Journal Usefulness Rating 3 out of 5
Journal Usefulness Rating
13
Reviews

Coming from a small city in Americas midwest, I felt like a tiny spec running around London. I felt it was a good place to spark my interests in travelling the world.

First Time Out

Overview

There's no reason to be bored in London. Whether I was in the mood for learning about ancient history or wanted to party all night, I could make whatever I wanted out of this trip.

Quick Tips:

Because it was my first trip overseas, I played it safe and went with a pre-arranged tour group. Some people are tourists, others crave something more, and that's a valuable lesson I took home with me.

Best Way To Get Around:

Public transportation in England is great. You can get ANYWHERE with public transportation, and it's relatively cheap if you buy day passes for the underground. I would never recommend renting your own car though. Parking is terrible and drivers have no patience!
I remember our group being shuffled into the lounge of this small building. The first thing our tour guide told us was that we were standing an a building older then our own country. Pretty amazing.

This building used to be small houses converted into a hotel. That''s the story of most of the hotels in this area. We could tell that the area we were in must be a nice (read expensive) area because where there weren''t hotels, there were nice looking houses grouped together and very expensive cars parked in the front. Although, no front or back yards to be found at all.

Anyway, because we were in a medium sized group there were five beds to a room and we shared a bathroom with one other room on our floor. That didn''t bother me since it was cleaned, twice (I think) daily. Nothing spectacular to the rooms-- there was a single black and white T.V. sticking out of the wall, and a dresser not worth fighting the other girls for, and a large window with a beautiful view of someone''s cleaning supplies. I''m not complaining about the room being plain since we would hardly be spending much time there, I would just think twice about spending that much on it.

Now that I have some travelling experience, I think I''ll just spend the money to stay at a hostel.
  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by Jerril on February 6, 2001

Alexandra
159 161 SUSSEX GARDENS London, England
44-2074026471

I actually stayed here on a different trip, but wanted to include it in my entries about England.

Two of my friends and I were coming to London for a few nights to see Smashing Pumpkins do a show. I had found this hostel on the internet before we left for London, and it turns out it''s the cheapest place to stay in London (at least that''s what the receptionist said. And that would account for how busy it was).

Being hardly a block walk from the tube station it was very convenient to get to, but it''s very busy. We had reservations a week in advance and they still couldn''t get the three of us in the same room. They convinced us it was a good thing because you meet new people, so it was good. We didn''t spend much time there, anyway... But boy do I have stories about my roommates. All I can say is that an emotional Cuban guy and a very creepy Greek man are an entire night''s full of entertainment.

The showers were more private then I''ve seen in other hostels, but they weren''t as clean. And there was no sink in the bathroom, but in our own room, which is inconvenient at 2 am when people in your room are trying to sleep.

I liked this place enough that I would stay again if I were visiting the area for a short time. The neighborhood is nice and peaceful and has everything you need in the same block as the tube station.

p.s. If you don''t like walking long and many flights of stairs, pray you don''t get rooms 60-75. ;)
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Jerril on February 7, 2001

International Backpackers
London, England

The most expensive cheeseburger I've ever eaten! It was nothing fancy, either. The food was generally plain, but did taste a little like home.

We had gone a week of eating Shephard's Pie and other local cuisine so the craving for a decent cheeseburger (McDonald's should be outlawed in Europe) was overwhelming. Our menu was already picked out for us (pre-arranged tours. oi!) so I didn't get to see what else they had to offer. The cheeseburger was pretty plain; didn't come with all the fixings like at home. The fries were alright and what is with Coka-Cola in the U.K?! Maybe it's just me, but I can't drink the stuff there. When I asked for water instead the waiter hesitated and then asked if I was ill. My guide told me that carrying bottled water with you at all times wasn't as popular there, yet.

How cute.

As for a recomendation, It's not wise to spend your money here. There are better oppurtunities for a burger. There has to be.
  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by Jerril on February 6, 2001

Hard Rock Cafe
150 Old Park Lane London, England W1Y 3LJ
+44 20 7629 0382

Rat and Parrot

Restaurant

We stopped into this Pub because we liked the name. It was a great experience. The waitress was very friendly, there's a wide selection of drinks and very good starters. The atmosphere was fun, too. =) I'd go there again when I'm back in the neighborhood. Reminded me a little bit of the American restaurant chain Applebee's.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Jerril on February 6, 2001

Rat And Parrot
250 Haverstock Hill London, England NW3 2AE
(020) 7431-0889

So our first Friday night in London we HAD to go out and get a taste of the nightlife.

At first I was shocked to have all sorts of people approach me with something to say. Before the sun went down that night everyone I met was very quiet and kept to themselves. We went to several clubs and there wasn't anything really unique about any one of them. Really loud music, lights flashing, and lots of people crammed into small spaces best describes the party scene. Drinks were a little more expensive, but some guys are more then willing to buy them for you. ;) Just a word of caution: watch what you say. And DON'T go wandering around any dark streets. There are some really shady characters out there.

Piccadilly was fun pretty fun but I wouldn't go there again. Especially while I'm on a budget. A lot of people describe it as a tourist trap and there are better places to mingle with the locals.
  • Member Rating 1 out of 5 by Jerril on February 6, 2001

Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus London, England W1

I really liked walking around and seeing things for myself in this walking tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and I didn't get bored for a minute (considering I have an attention span of a mouse). You're learning history (not just about bad ol' Jack, but about the significance of the neighborhood through London's history) and excercising at the same time... but actually enjoying it. Crazy.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Jerril on February 6, 2001

London Walks: Ghosts of the Old City
St. Paul Tube Stop London, England
+44 (020) 7624 3978

Covent Garden

Activity

When I went to England, I went with a group of people from my school. What do Junior girls in High School make sure they do while visiting London?? Shop for shoes at the Dr. Marten store, of course! To me, the four floor building full of overpriced, trendy, shoes was nothing exciting so I went across the street to the flea market. Every Sunday, local merchants gather and sell all sorts of neat stuff. You can buy just about anything here, and at a good price. For the first time I got to bargain down a price a few pounds.

The people at the flea market are so nice, except for this one older man who seemed upset with me because he kept reaching over and tapping me with his cane. This is a fun place even if you don't buy anything. But get there early. I think they close at noon.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Jerril on February 6, 2001

Covent Garden
Covent Garden London, England WC2
+44 20 7836 9136

Windsor Castle

Activity

No wonder everything in London's so cramped.. It has to make room for Windsor castle! It took me about ten minutes to get the picture of how grand everything was in Windsor castle, so I didn't spend long touring through it. Tour guides aren't allowed to do tours inside the building so you're on your own in learning about the specifics on the insides (I think you can rent head sets for cheap, though). The history was interesting but not the most exciting part of my day, here. I went down to the little town around the castle where there are shops and markets and talked to people down there. Good place to do some shopping, not very expensive. =)

Because of the historical significance... I wouldn't pass it up.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Jerril on February 6, 2001

Windsor Castle
Windsor Berkshire, England SR4 1NJ
+44 1753 869 898

WoooHoo... a giant clock! Well, at least I expected it to be giant, but it's actually just big. St James park is fun, to run around in, though.

I'm not into politics so maybe that's why I felt a little silly standing outside of Parliament staring as if something exciting was going to happen. The same thing happened at Buckingham Palace. A bunch of people gathered around a building, almost like they're waiting for something to happen. If I were someone inside that building I would perform a puppet show in one of the windows. At least that would be entertaining.

Westminster Abbey was absolutely beautiful. I wish we had more time to spend there. If you're into art and architecture then you can just get swallowed up in this place and never come out. And you can learn about the history untill your ears fall off. It's all very interesting. I highly recomend Westminster Abbey.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Jerril on February 6, 2001

Big Ben
Parliament Square London, England SW1A 2NE

Tower of London

Activity

People like my Dad, who have a thing for military history, can spend the entire day here. And right across the street (where Tower Bridge is) there is a nice little Haagen Daaz ice cream place that serves the best Bailey's ice cream I have ever tasted. NOTE: Do not ask one of the guides about a Guillotine. ("Guillotines are in FRANCE!!")
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Jerril on February 6, 2001

Tower of London
Tower Hill London, England EC3N 4AB
+44 (207) 709 0765

Blood Brothers

Activity

This is a hilarious show about two different social classes of London. There's a really good story to it, but you can read about that in magazines. The theatre is really comfortable, and the acoustics are excellent, unlike the theatre we saw "An Inspector Calls" where all we could see were the actors' feet and shins, and could only hear yelling, and some mysterious bell that confused me.
Over all, the theatre is worth visiting in London.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Jerril on February 6, 2001

Blood Brothers
The Theatre district London, England

Outside of London

Experience

My favorite parts of the trip were when we left London by coach and traveled to a few of the historical cities near by. Stratford-upon-Avon was a beautiful, historic, little town that is a must see for literature buffs. You can tour Shakespeare's house and actually see where he scratched on the window the names of some of his characters. It's very hard to see and the light has to hit it just right, though. But it's magical when you spot it. =)

When I was younger, I studied pagan religions, so I thought our stop to Stonehenge would be a very spiritual place for me. Actually, it didn't feel so much spiritual, rather just a tourist wonder. It is a great mystery and it would just be wrong to visit England and not Stonehenge. Something spiritual (for me, atleast) did happen there, but just because of dumb luck. Unannounced the Morris dancers played there and I could have watched them dance for the rest of the afternoon.

Oxford scared me. Maybe since I'm a student getting ready for college. The atmosphere was stiff, quiet, and not exactly the place you go to party. The cathedrals and colleges are definitely worth seeing. Very beautiful, and very interesting standing in buildings that are older then my own country.

Over all, I had a really good time in England and I won't forget the experiences I had there, but I won't be playing the part of a tourist anytime soon. But I felt like such an outsider walking around taking pictures, with a tour company's logo painted on my backpack. Next time I'll bring my own backpack, and do just the things I want to do.

About the Writer

Jerril
Jerril
Cottage Grove, Minnesota

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