Hello again!
So today we ended up with a relatively late start. It's been nice to have the freedom to go about on our own but I think it's also made us all move a bit slower too.
A group of us decided to go to the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace.
The crowd there was intense and not exactly my favorite thing in the world. We got pretty close to the fence but were still too far away to see anything clearly. In all honesty, unless you're going to get there early (and by early I mean early because we got there by 10:30 and it was already packed... for those who don't know, the ceremony starts at 11) I don't really recommend this as something to do during your trip to London.
I mean it is kind of cool to be able to say "I saw the changing of the guards" but I have to admit I didn't really see the ceremony much at all. I had to watch most of it through the phone screens of other people. I didn't take many pictures at all because I just wanted to enjoy the moment and I figure everyone else at the ceremony has pictures enough for the entire world.
After the changing of the guard, DyAnna and I went off to explore on our own. We decided to go to the Benjamin Franklin house which was quite cool!
Here's a little bit about the house from the brochure we got:
"The Historical Experience uses the historic spaces where so much took place as a stage- blending live performance, leading edge sound, lighting, and visual projection- to tell the rich story of Franklin in London in his own words."
"The Historical Experience uses the historic spaces where so much took place as a stage- blending live performance, leading edge sound, lighting, and visual projection- to tell the rich story of Franklin in London in his own words."
It was a really interesting experience and since we are students we got to see it all for the discounted price of six pounds. I would highly recommend this.
After that we stumbled upon the Victoria Embankment Gardens.
They had a koi pond and ping pong tables here!
Then we finished up the day at the British Museum.
I think from my experiences today I would have to say that I would highly recommend finding more back alley experiences (like the Benjamin Franklin House). The touristy stuff is cool too, don't get me wrong, but I think that experiencing unique things adds to trip more than crowds do. It's fun to get out of the way and see things that no one else will.
Anyways, I hope everyone is ready for week two! It's going to be a great one!
Meagan! I am so glad you wrote about something that most people never think of - the downsides to popular attractions. So many people only ever write about the positive aspects of things. I do agree with you that the changing of the guards was quite hectic and a liiiiiittle crazy! I wonder if perhaps the weekdays are less crowded? I do hope you enjoyed some aspects of the experience, despite the tense atmosphere. I think the part I enjoyed most was watching the mounted guards and police! There were so many beautiful horses!
ReplyDeleteHi Meagan! I completely agree that those "back alley experiences" are often more worth one's while. While traveling in Amsterdam this weekend with Shayna, Alissa, Caleb, and Matt, we found many beautiful sights and delicious smells while wandering the side streets of the city and avoiding major tourist attractions. We did enjoy our share of standing in lines and crowds during some of our adventures; the Anne Frank house, Van Gough museum, Artis Zoo, and "I amsterdam" sign always boast crowds, but I would still recommend them regardless as iconic Amsterdam experiences not to miss!
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