The temperature outside was announced to be 0֯ C by the flight crew as the flight landed in Heathrow airport, London. A cold breeze welcomed me as I stepped out of the airport. Though it was 0֯ C, the sun shone brightly, caressing me with its warm rays.
A female cab driver (yayy!), Jaslin Kaur, came to pick me up from the airport. It was a 1.5 hour drive during which she was sweet enough to tell me about the prominence of important places along the way.
All the roads were busy, it being a Monday morning... I was happy to watch people rush to work while I was on a holiday (mean, I know :p). I spent my first few days at London at the World Travel Mart (WTM-London) event. The event extended all day, so I could not spend much time outside the event. I enjoyed the cold evenings- winter just started- and sunsets were around 4:00 pm every day. With Christmas coming up, the streets were already decorated.
One of the best evening I spent during the event was on the Emirates Air Line. The start point was a short distance from Victoria docks, where WTM London was held. It was an unforgettable sunset I saw, riding in the cable car with the river under me.
From a few fellow local organisers of the event and traveller friends, I derived a list of things to see and do in London. This time I made daily schedules for exploring the city (something I don't normally do). However, nothing went according to plan (in a good way).
I went to the tower bridge and got lost in the food stalls across, and forgot the time watching the cruise boats sail by. I went to the museum and ended up spending the rest of my day at the pretty Christmas markets. I spent hours at random photography exhibitions... I was delighted to see the work of photographers from all over the world. I watched free plays in the Shakespeare's GlobeTheatre, and went to night museums. I visited some old libraries (very pretty ones) and galleries; they were incredible and held years of history.
And all of them, I never planned to go to! Street watching was a favourite hobby of mine while I was in London. It was a delight to see artists showcasing their work right on the streets. The city is a blend of old classic buildings and modern architecture- the views from high rises are amazing. The sky garden in Fenchurch Street was my favourite of all the places and had a spectacular view of the city.
There is so much London offers to everyone who wants to explore, and it's different everyday! Getting lost in so many places, I realised that I never went to any of the typical tourist attractions like Big Ben, the parliamentary house or the cathedral- I went to all these places on the last day of my stay in London.
It was an experience I will never forget.
What are your favourite things to do in London??? Please comment below, I'll keep them for my next trip ???? ????
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