A postcard brought to life.
BY PHILL FELTHAM
“London is not a very eventful city” or “there is nothing to see in London.” Many of my friends echoed these sentiments before I left. I didn’t believe them, though. England was a country that I had wanted to visit for almost ten years—and I wouldn’t be denied.
Among my travels overseas, my greatest experiences were in England. The anticipation began at the airport. I checked my bags, went through security and did all the routine airport procedures. The seven-hour airport flight didn’t phase me that much because I slept for most of it. When the airplane touched the ground, the kid on Christmas morning woke up. There had to be a way to push through all the people waiting in line to get off the airplane. Alas, I had waited this long for my first European adventure, might as well wait a few extra minutes.
When my feet touched English soil, I began taking pictures immediately. The odd picture you see of my foot is to capture my first step in England. My traveling buddy Tim called it, “weird and sentimental.” I say, “Amen.” The pictures continued from the Gatwick Express (the train was a brilliant bright red) and to Victoria tube station. In London, the subway is called “the tube.”
Tim was a first-time traveler. So, he like me, was excited about everything—the clouds beneath the plane during the flight, the difference in time zones (except for the ear torture going up and down in the plane). I’m not a big fan of that either.
We checked our luggage into a nearby bed and breakfast and then went to the Westminster tube station to begin our wanders. The post card came to life after emerging from the tube station exit.
My first sight was the London Eye on the famous Thames River. I turned my head to see one of the most famous clocks in the world, Big Ben, which is part of the Houses of Parliament. Pictures do not do these sights justice—particularly for Big Ben. Unfortunately, the clock is barred off with a big black ugly fence (that’s unless you’re a government employee).
Ben is the 13-ton bell, named after Benjamin Hall, who commissioned the tower for completion in 1858. The best view of the entire complex is on the eastern side of Lambeth Bridge.
The London Eye is a recent addition (built in 1999) to London. Tim and I clicked pictures, but we didn’t get a chance to go up onto the huge ferris wheel until our 5th day. Some of the best views of London can be caught from the London Eye. iT!
Phill Feltham is the Publisher of The Weekly Wanderer. He’s traveled accross Asia and most recently, started traveling Europe.
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the pictures from the eye are pretty impressive, aren’t they? i went the weekend before i went to live in japan. a great way to spend one’s last weekend before leaving home.
My friend and I went to the London Eye in the evening. I wish that we went around one more time without using the camera. This time, just to absorb the beauty of the city.