London: Day One
It’s just clicked past 4:50 am and the final part of my journey to the other side of the world is now over, having been spread across 23 long hours. Flying long distances truly reminds me of how tiny Australia really is within the broad scheme of the world.
The overall realisation of what is happening is absolutely surreal; even now almost 12 hours later, I still have moments of doubt that I am actually here. I step off the plane and the effects of a blast of cold air are immediate. After the airport process I arrive at my hotel where I leave my bags and now must figure out how to occupy 6 hours before I can check in to my room. The jet lag hasn’t hit. Yet.
After grabbing a coffee and becoming slightly anxious over the daunting task of what to do next, I decide to just go out and start walking. In my opinion it’s the best way to explore a new place (if you are confident in remembering street names and various landmarks). This is what I spent most the day doing, just wandering across a few of the local sectors surrounding the district I am staying in. In doing this, you truly get a feel for what it might be like to inhabit this grand city on a permanent basis. Of course I also cannot help but notice many of the differences between Sydney and London.
There is some type of food eatery on literally every corner, and what can be increasingly disorientating is that many of them are the same chain brand within meters of each other. (Which for some makes having any notion of direction incredibly difficult.) Many of the smaller streets all loop and connect to the larger main streets, it’s more a matter of whether or not you know the shortcuts. One of the best things about London and its obsession with food is that there is no shortage of gastro-pubs in every alleyway and corner. They all add a certain British charm and glorious detail to the bustling city, not to mention an abundance of rich old world architecture mixed in with the modern.
Everyone here seems to be constantly on the move. The driving here is fairly haphazard, yet everyone seems to coexist for the most part without any issues. Another thing I’ve noticed and which gets me nearly every time is the fact that the traffic lights in Australia beep to signal pedestrians to go, where as here they don’t. It’s more the slight country differences that are the most noticeable.
During my walk today whilst looking for another landmark altogether I stumbled across the Museum of London. Possibly one of the lesser considered central London museums, but still great. Featuring London’s history across a broad spectrum, including the Paleolithic time periods through to modern day Britannia.
At this point, tomorrow will hopefully be a day of ‘touristing’ and exploring the city. The winter weather has certainly set in here, with today averaging a biting 7 degrees, and tomorrow shaping up to be even colder, the hunt for the perfect coat is on!
Till next time!
The Lord Mayor’s Coach At the london museum
The Shoreditch/
Islington district
Obligatory squirrel shot, they run through all the parks here
Kathleen Freeman is a graphic designer and freelance writer; she is currently undertaking a Media and Communications degree. In her spare time she continues the search to find the book/coffee shop combination store throughout the globe.
All images, unless otherwise stated, are copyright of Kathleen Freeman, and may not be reproduced without express written permission of the author.