Two Week Update
My adapters finally came in!! Thank God because typing on an iPad was hell.
I wrote a small update on my Facebook, and since then I’ve done some sight seeing, as documented on social media. I went to tower bridge and a had a great meal by the river. I went to Buckingham Palace, Kensington gardens, and Notting Hill another day. And on my third adventure day I saw St. Paul’s cathedral, and then went back to Notting Hill for churros… totally worth it. There’s still much to see on my list, but I figured I’d share some cultural things I’ve learned so far:
Everyone says sorry all the time. I know the stereotype of Canadians is that they over apologize, but English people say sorry when they walk past you on the sidewalk. It’s so strange because I keep thinking these people are genuinely apologizing to me- they are not. They are just walking past me.
The tube and trains are easy, the bus makes no sense. I’m sure native Londoners would disagree, but every time I’ve gotten on the bus I have gotten lost. I’m sure I’ll figure it out, but the bus has not been a friend of mine.
Just because the forecast says it’s rainy, does not mean it will rain. There were four days last week that were supposed to be rainy, and it did not rain once in those days. I was so prepared for the rain, and there was nothing.
Renting a bike>>>walking. Having lived in Austin, I have rented my fair share of scooters and bikes. So on my second outing when I noticed everyone on the same red bike, I thought “That seems better than all this walking I’m doing.” And I was right. Sure I had to take a couple breaks because my body hasn’t ridden a bike in maybe five years, but it was significantly better than walking. I went to one of the HUNDREDS of bike renting stations, and rented that bad boy for an hour and a half. Managed to do a LOT more sightseeing than the day before.
And my last little bit I want to share comes from my first twenty minutes in the UK. As we were landing, and getting closer to the city, everyone on the plane was looking out a window. We flew over the countryside, around some of the city, and everyone silently stared outside a window. It was so cool, because I’ve never truly experienced that on plane before, where everyone is silent and gazing. It was a very interesting first experience. That’s all I have to share for now, enjoy this picture of Notting Hill.
