I would have only dreamed in the past that I will be able to say something like visiting London for a weekend. It seemed impossible before. Yet here I am writing a post about it. Naks!
After taking our OSCE exam, the last hurdle for international nurses to be RN’s in the UK, my friends and I decided to go to London as a treat for our hard work. Coincidentally, we have got our separate friends and relatives where we could stay and hang out while there. Because London can be a pricey destination for traveling.Â
In my case, a very good friend of mine from college welcomed me to her and her husband’s apartment to stay in. She made this trip exciting and memorable so I am dedicating this post to her.
London Trip
From London, we rode the train from the countryside which took almost two hours. Then, my dear friend met us at the train station. That was the beginning of our short exploration of the city I have only seen most of the time on TV.
Let me also just share that the moment we came out of the train station, we felt overwhelmed with different emotions. Happiness, of course, excitement, and gratefulness because finally, we were in London! Additionally, everything just seems beautiful out there. Having stayed in a small town for a couple of months before this journey, going to a city like London is a bit intimidating.
With all the skyscrapers and people in every corner going about their busy lives felt like we were truly in a different place. The first famous spot we went was Tower bridge. Even from afar, it looks majestic.
And then a few more walks, we reached the London bridge. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as appealing as Tower Bridge. It is just a bridge and obviously not falling down, ha!
My awesome friend treated us to have the famous fish and chips as we still haven’t had it ever since we arrived in the UK. We ordered codfish and it was really good.
The Next Days…
Most of our means of transportation were through the tube or the train. Sometimes we also rode the bus and Uber.
Every time I look at the tube’s/train’s maps, I get dizzy. It impresses me when people seem to know where they were going. Or it could just be me, being new at it. Guess if I live in London and take the trains every day, I would know where to go too.
Buckingham Palace
Of course, if you go to London, you should not miss visiting this palace. Since we are on a global pandemic, I think the royal family was not there at that time, But the palace is huge with those guards in red doing their routine.
London Eye
Within a walking distance is the London eye or we could have taken the bus as well. However, it is always more memorable when you explore a new place on foot, in my opinion.
Unfortunately, due to Covid, it was not operational when we came. So maybe, next time.
Park
There are many parks in London from what I heard. And these parks are massive and very scenic. People go on walks and during sunny days, they enjoy having picnics with friends and families there.
Covent Garden and Chinatown
This is where various restaurants and shopping malls are located. A few people play music for the public which added to the cool and relaxing ambiance.
And of course food! We ate in a few restaurants during that weekend. The photo below is one of them. As I recall, it’s in an Italian restaurant along a very long shopping street.
Overall, London is one of those ‘bucket list’ types of cities we all dreamed of visiting. It is full of hidden jewels and three days is definitely not enough. Nevertheless, I am lucky to have been able to see it for the first time but I will definitely go back for more.
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