Boy Meets London

The first stop on my spring break trip was to London.  It was incredible.  I spent the first day in Notting Hill, which is a quiet little area on the edge of London.  People there seem separated from their inner city counterparts and move at a more relaxed and leisurely pace.  It was great to walk around and get a feel for the area, in which all of the houses and shops were painted in a variety of bright colors.  The next stop I made on my first day was to Harrod's, the largest department store in the world, which is a title they don't intend to lose anytime soon.  Even with the help of a map, the place is overly-massive and I found myself asking for directions constantly.  In addition to clothes, the store has its own restuarant, grocery department, music department, toy department, and electronics department.  It was amazing to see.  The next day I got an early start and took the Underground to the Houses of Parliament to see Big Ben, whose name by no means overcompensates for the size of the massive clock, which could be seen from many blocks away.  I also saw Westminster Abbey and found a little park near the Houses of Parliament full of swans.  It was beautiful.  I walked down the river and found myself in front of Shakespeare's Globe Theater.  A tour I took of the site laer revealed it to be a recreation of the original Globe Theater, which was destroyed several years ago.  The theater was built using many of the same methods, tools, and building materials as the original.  It was a fantastic sight to see.  Sadly, the London rain interfered with my plans for the rest of the day, but I made up for the lost time by visiting the London Bridge and the Tower Bridge the following day.  London Bridge is less remarkable than you may believe, especially when compared to the grandeur of the Tower Bridge right next to it.  The Tower Bridge is ornate to say the least and rises and falls on certain dates to allow massive ships to pass through.  It was remarkable.  I also saw Abbey Road, which isn't much other than a street crossing and a recording studio, which isn't open to the public.  My final day in London was quickly spent enjoying the Royal Gardens and the Queen's Palace.  I watched the changing of the guards, which was more a musical spectacle than a military exercise, and quickly returned to my hotel to gather my things before moving on to my next location.  A few pictures from my trip to London are below.