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!

Europe Trip Day 2- Traveling from Shanghai to London

Waking up in the big soft bed in my beautiful hotel room was a nice way to start the day, but it did make me lazy and I changed my plans from getting up and going site seeing to laying in bed right up until it was time for me to go.

My flight from Shanghai to London was leaving at 1 so that meant I needed to be at the airport by 1130 or so I headed to the airport, which took about an hour to get there from my hotel (The Bund Riverside Hotel. I walked to Nanjing Rode station and got on line 2 metro and headed to Longyang Road station and then I transferred on o the high speed rail line. The high speed train only goes a short distance and costs 80 yuan for a round trip ticket but it was cool to ride on it and check out the high speed. (about 300km an hour)

The Pudong International Airport was really nice and easy to get around. My flight was through China Eastern Airline, and I had never flown with them  so I was expecting the worst but I was really impressed! First of all, my seat was in the perfect location! I was in the first row of the economy section which meant I had tons of leg room and could put my legs up on the wall in front of me. Also, honestly the food and beverages were pretty good! For my 12 hour flight they served two meals, one of which was rice and chicken and the other was beef and noodles. In addition, I had some beer, wine and juice so I was really satisfied.

One of my favorite parts about traveling is watching movies during my flights, so I watched 6 movies. I don't normally watch movies, but when I do I always get sappy and if there is even something remotely sad I am a TOTAL sap! So my first choice was a japanese documentary about rescuing cats and dogs called, "A Dog Without a Name", which caused me to cry like a baby for the entire 2 hours (probably not the best movie to watch on a plane).

Arriving at Heathrow airport felt so unreal. Literally as I got off the plane, I felt the moist London air hit my face and heard the accents of British chatter all around me making me feel like I was in a dream.  Everything, went  smoothly and quicker than I expected so within 20 minutes I was walking out to meet my friend Pam who I had not seem in 6 years!
Pam and I met while working at Kids College (an academy in South Korea), and she has been living in London since she left Korea.  She greeted me with a smile and a much needed americano, and as we made our way to her flat we tried to fill each other in on our loves, losses, and current situations while talking a million miles an hour on the tube(aka subway).

Pam lives with my other good friend Emma in a 2 bedroom flat in the neighborhood of Brixton. I didn't really have any pre conceived ideas about what  London would be like but as we walked out of the tube and headed to her flat I was pleasantly surprised at the beauty and charm of the city.  The building had beautiful white molding lining the windows, the streets were lined with beautiful tall trees, and people of all races, sizes and shapes were bustling around the roads.

After walking the short walk to their place and dropping off bags we went to a nearby pub to have a couple pints. Before coming to London, I had thought that British people weren't usually the most attractive....but I was pleasantly surprised to see many people who weren't half bad. The crowd was mainly 20-30 something young professionals sitting around having wine and beer in the relaxed atmosphere. Pam and I had 6 years of catching up to do, so while we sipped on our beer we soon lost track of time and 1 beer soon turned to 4. We finally decided we had to go, but on our walk home there was a this alluring aroma or street food that pulled us in to a nearby bar. The bar charged a small cover and inside had live reggae bands playing, while outside the food vendor was selling jerk chicken.  Another pint there along with some of the best jerk chicken I have ever had and we headed back to call it a night for my first day in Europe.