Wednesday 29 July 2009

London Unravelled

During my parent's visit to Scotland, we decided to hit off to London for four days. After meticulous planning for nearly two months, we were ready to explore every nook and corner of London. However, on the first day of our trip, we learnt there's been a tube strike in London. Oh well, the planning goes down the drain! And yes, the strikes aren't exclusive to India! It happens in UK too!!

Despite a slight havoc at the airport to reach the hotel, we were able to stick to our itinerary. We had to spent extra bucks on black cabs and buses. On a positive note, we got the real outdoor flavor of London rather than burrowing underground!

Day 1: Westminster Abbey

Being an avid fan of The Da Vinci Code, I was thrilled to go into the abbey. Though factually incorrect and considered blasphemous by many, the book did attract tourists. As a confirmation for this, there were handful of curious onlookers at the tomb of Sir Isaac Newton. The abbey was magnificent with the high decorated roofs with stained glasses and paintings. A coronation church for many years, it is also a place where prominent figures in English history were buried or commemorated. The list starts from the royals (Henry III) to poets/writers (Charles Dickens, Alfred Tennyson) to scientists (Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton). Though we have been awed by their intelligence and talents over the years, it was immensely blissful to silently offer prayers at the place where they have been laid to rest.

Big Ben


Being London's best known landmarks, it is the world's third largest free-standing clock.

Downing Street


No 10 Downing Street, probably the most recognised address in the world, is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister.

Nelson's Column - Trafalgar Square


It was a unique experience to sit in the square and enjoy the hustle bustle of the London city.

Day 2: Madame Tussuad's

It's London's most famous attraction - the land of wax models. We had a gala time posing with our favourite celebrities. There was also a tour on wax modelling which was quite informative.

Sherlock Holmes


221b Baker Street - residence to fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.

Canary Wharf

Quite different from the Victorian London, Canary Wharf with its modern and sophisticated buildings gave a cosmopolitan touch to the city.

Lord's Cricket Ground

We, Indians, worship cricket. Our trip would have been incomplete without a tour to Lord's ground especially when India had its match on the day! Unfortunately we couldn't get the tickets and India lost royally to its opponents.

Greenwich

Going back to your school days, you would remember your Geography teacher explaining the Prime Meridian - the imaginary line which separates eastern and western hemisphere.

London Eye

London eye, situated at the heart of the city, gives a panoramic view of London.

Day 3 St. Paul's Cathedral

It was the venue of the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The church had an aura of tranquility. The walls were oblivious to the chaotic world outside.

Museum of London

This museum documents the history of London from the prehistoric times to plaque hit city to burning London to the modern city it is today.

Tower Bridge
Now who would want to miss the tower bridge? Undoubtedly an iconic symbol of London which you would find in every Bollywood movie possible!

Platform 9 3/4

London surely does know to attract tourists! My sister, one of the many die hard fans of Harry Potter, considers this photo priceless.

Natural History of Museum


The museum illustrated the various spheres of life that evolved, that are extinct or endangered. It holds historical and scientific value since many specimens of fossils were collected by Charles Darwin himself.

Buckingham Palace


Speaker's Corner at Hyde Park

My dad wanted to be there and give a speech at the Speaker's Corner at Hyde park. Many famous orators have aired their views here.

Harrods


Our final destination was the most expensive shopping mall, Harrods owned by Mohammed Al Fayed. Guess the price of this clock we found at Harrods..

I know you wouldn't have guessed 8k pounds!..Yes, 8 followed by 3 zeroes. I would not pay the heap even if I had millions in my bank account!

That ends our amazing tour of the London city. We were exhausted to the core but at the same time enthralled that we had the chance to experience the capital city.

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