londonhopping

Goze from Canada, shared a perfect day of her London with London Hopping.

Going to London was a big deal for us; after all, London was (and still is) home to fascinating history.

For one, it is the birthplace of capitalism and the culture that came along with capitalism was supposed to be traced in every corner and every alley of  London, from primitive accumulation days to the high-tiered financial machine era. Hence, discovering the city on foot was very important for us and we spent most of our days sauntering in neighborhoods, at least 6-7 hours a day, of course with our 'touristy duties' always in mind.

One cannot be considered having visited London without going to a few high culture events, as somebody whom I esteem very much says. This is true for any major European city but especially for London, since it is home to one of the best symphonic and philharmonic orchestras in the world. So, as soon as we had even considered going to London, we booked our concert tickets for the at royal festival hall and for the symphony. This is quite a challenge, I reckon; we had to buy our tickets two months in advance for both events. The venue where the philharmonic plays is fascinating and a must-visit. Even if you are not into any classical music stuff, I'd highly recommend this place for an afternoon drink. (Click to buy tickets and check the calendar.)

Another reminiscent feature that London highly deserves is its museums. They are fascinating in so many ways. There is a great variety from classical art to modern art, from ancient artifacts to sci-fi gadgets. Also, they are pay-what-you-can, which is hardly a case in any other major city. There is always something happening in museums; a surprise encounter with a major exhibition is guaranteed. Being into museums and all, we spent a whole day at the British Museum and a good half day at the Tate Modern among many others. I would recommend doing these in a few days apart, though, as there is so much one could take in.

Perhaps, it's better if I just talk about our first day in London to give the readers an idea on our take on London hopping. The first day had a carefully laid out sequence with hours and hours of walking ahead. We started off by walking through the Lambeth Bridge going south. From the South Bank, we could see the beautifully stretched out house of parliament across. Passing by London Eye , we kept walking along South Bank, occasionally diverting to little alleys and private parks. Of course we gave lots of mini breaks at little cafes during our stroll. There were a few small theatre collectives performing at a film association (most likely a not-for-profit one) on the south bank and we stopped by to check this place out. I was told that the place was also home to some free jazz concerts two-three night a week. Despite the brioche and coffee we insistingly had at every stop we had, we were quite hungry by 1pm so we decided to give a chance to a local pub close to Tate Modern. After a filling lunch and a pint of locally brewed cream ale, we strolled along to Tate Modern . We spent almost all afternoon there and with the energy left in us; we walked across the pedestrian bridge east of Tate, towards London Bridge.

It was almost dark and by then, almost all of the landmarks by the Thames were illuminated. It was such an enjoyable walk across with all the landmarks visible to us that I would always remember that walk very pleasantly.

However, we were quite beat then and were in a desperate need to boost our energies so we were headed to All Bar One , London Bridge branch. This is a great place to watch the sunset and grab a few drinks. That was, indeed, what we did; grabbed some drinks and relaxed for a while. Having got back on to our feet with the drinks and the rest, we paid a visit to the notorious cathedral, St Paul's..

Then tired enough, we took the tube and were headed over to Covent Garden, where one of the oldest pubs of  London, the lamb and flag, was located in. The place is said to be over 300 years-old and had served to many great names, including John Dryden. (Address: 33 rose street,  covent garden, london,  wc2e 9eb) Admittedly, the pub had a great bar (I mean the actual place where you put your drinks on, sitting). It was oak covered with copper. I was told that the wood was a part of a giant oak door from the palace (I guess it was the London Tower then) where the Tudors had resided. Once, I heard that the most imported asset a bar could have had was its bar and the lamb can in fact be proud of its asset.

Having done our part in touristy things in our first day in London, we had a few more pints and headed back to our dwellings, tired and tipsy but with a good London day in our pockets.