Saturday, February 4, 2017

Europe Trip D3- A Couple Pints, See the Sights

This was my first day waking up in London, England.  I was excited to see Emma that morning because the day before I hadn't really had a chance to spend much time with her.  Unfortunately, she had to work that day, so as she got ready for work I chatted with her and it felt like the old days back in Korea.
I wasn't exactly feeling at the top of my game in the morning, so it was nice to have a slow start and drink coffee without being rushed into doing too many things.  As Pam was getting ready that morning, I looked out the window into the back garden behind here house which looked just as charming as if it were a movie set. The thing that really shocked me the most was that on a nearby rooftop there was an orange fuzzy little animal sleeping in the sun.  In Korea, I am used to seeing all the street cats sunning themselves, but I have rarely seen any other animals. So when I saw this furry little creature and realized it was a FOX!!! WHAT THE FOX?!?! hahaha I was completely shocked and excited. Of course, Pam was used to seeing the cute, furry little guys and explained to me that its really normal to see them, and in the Spring it is even more exciting because sometimes you can spot a glimpse of them along with their babies.

After we got ready, Pam had planned my first day for me, so it was nice to not have to worry about making a schedule. Our first stop for the day was walking around the Brixton area and checking out these cute markets with international vendors and sellers from all around the world. The markets were filled with cafes spilling on the road and an abundant selection of bars and restaurants to relax at and grab a drink.

On this day though we were going to meet her boyfriend for lunch and do some site seeing, so we hopped on the tube and went down to the busy upper class part of town.  We excited the subway outside of green park and were given a breathtaking view of tall old trees, lining the streets surrounding the outstretched park. Old buildings were framing the scene, and it was all as picturesque as people in business suits chatted, and fit runners made their way around the park.

Our first stop for the day was to meet Pams boyfriend and have a nice lunch along with a pint. For our lunch, we entered a typical British pub which was surrounded outside by tall men in suits smoking. Upon entering the pub, it was also a pleasant surprise to see the crowd inside was very representative  of the crowd outside- MEN! So many refined business men in suits enjoying a pint on their lunch break making this a place where any girl would feel like a kid in a candy store.  But we didn't get a chance to chat with any of these men because we were too busy catching up and telling Pams boyfriend and telling him all about our crazy times in Korea.

After leaving, I realized that the 2 pints I had in the afternoon had made me quite tipsy, we grabbed a coffee in an attempt to sober/wake up a bit and headed to Buckingham Palace to begin our day as true tourists.  The palace and surrounding area was very beautiful and had a calm prestigious  vibe to it.  I had seen these places on tv but in real life you definitely feel the power and historical importance as you peer through the tall gates to see the guarded fortress.  I expected there would be more people outside of the area, but actually it was fairly calm on this cloudy afternoon giving us a great opportunity to get photos without having to deal with too many other tourists.

We walked to a few more places and I exchanged me money and got a sim card at a shop where the worker was a quirky guy from Manchester who wanted to take me out for a drink.  I had made the mistake of only exchanging my money to Euros instead of to pounds, so I needed to change some money and also I wanted to have a sim card so I could have contact with the world while I traveled.

Before going back to Pam and Emma's place we stopped by the supermarket to buy food and things to eat for the next days breakfast.  The supermarket was really similar to the ones in USA, but I think the difference may be that portions are smaller and they have alot of Cadbury chocolate.

The rest of the evening went a bit different than we planned.  Originally, we were going to go out for the night and grab some drinks but once we were at home and got settled we decided to stay in and watch tv because we were all tired and couldn't be bothered.

So first full day in England was finished and I am very pleased with the beauty and sophistication of this classic city!

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