London: Day Two

The second day Claudio and I spent in London, which was also our first full day, was very exciting. This was when we took a trip on the London Eye River Cruise as well as on the London Eye itself, which meant we got to see practically all of the city's main attractions in a short space of time.

But first of all, we saw a few more famous sights on foot, starting with Dover House, where the soldiers in the silly outfits were practicing their marching, and Admiralty Arch.

Then we walked down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, where there were more men in silly hats.

Next we walked through Saint James's Park in order to go in the direction of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. It's always such a nice park to walk in, with its scenic lake and its large population of squirrels and different types of birds. One squirrel even came right up to us and stood on my foot. I felt very lucky!

Unfortunately we weren't so lucky in terms of the weather, as by the time we reached Parliament Square, we were already soaked to the skin! But the boat trip was going to start soon and it was too late to go back to the hotel and get changed, so we had to carry on sightseeing! 

It was great to see Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and all the other impressive buildings in the area, even though Big Ben was still covered in scaffolding like it had been back in February.

Luckily, it's still possible to see the actual face of the clock from Westminster Bridge. The bridge is also a great place for views of the London Eye.

Then it was finally time for us to go on the River Cruise! The trip lasted forty-five minutes and took us from the London Eye to Tower Bridge and back again, so we got to see a lot of the city centre. The guide told us lots of jokes and interesting facts about all the different places we passed, which helped us get to know the city a little better.

We had to wear masks on the boat and keep socially distanced from other passengers, but that wasn't difficult, as there were only a few other people on board. (Travelling during Covid does has some advantages!) We had a choice of sitting outside or inside, and chose the latter because of the awful weather, though we were brave enough to keep the window open in order to get better views!

Sights that we passed in the boat included County Hall...

...the London Eye...

...the OXO tower...

...the Tate Modern art gallery...

...Shakespeare's Globe Theatre...

...the Shard...

...HMS Belfast...

...and City Hall.

Then we reached the turning point of the voyage: the iconic Tower Bridge.

On the way back, we passed even more of London's famous sights on the other side of the river, including the Tower of London...

...the Walkie Talkie building...

...St. Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge...

...Somerset House...

...the Royal Horseguard's Hotel, which was built in the style of a French château (I took this picture after the boat trip, as the picture I took from the boat came out really badly!)...

...and the Ministry of Defence building.

All in all, the London Eye River Cruise was a great experience and a fantastic way to see the highlights of the city. I would highly recommend it, especially if you only have a short time to spend in the city. In addition, if you buy the boat ticket together with the ticket for the Eye, it only costs £36.50 per person, meaning that effectively you only pay £11 for the boat trip.

Afterwards we had a couple of hours to pass (in our soaking wet clothes!) before our trip on the Eye, so we explored the South Bank area a bit more. The Jubilee Park and Garden was an especially nice area, with lots of squirrels and great views of the Eye.

Then at last the time came for us to take our "flight" as they call it. It was my second time on the London Eye, my first time being well over 10 years ago, and I'd forgotten just how big and tall it is, so it felt a bit scary at first! But we both really enjoyed the ride and had great views of the city, despite the rain. And there was only one other person in the pod with us, so it was totally Covid safe.

Afterwards, it was a relief to be able to go back to the hotel to shower and change. The rain had caused the red from my coat to dye my white jumper pink; that's how bad it was!

Later on, we went out for a really nice Italian meal at Caffè Concerto and then took some all-important phone box pictures!

Despite the weather, it was a fantastic day, where we really felt like we saw lots of the city.

Next I'll be writing about our third day in London, which was equally exciting. We visited an attraction I'd never have thought of going to - the Emirates Stadium - as well as visiting some of the places from the River Cruise in more depth. It's going to be another long post!

Read about London: Day One here, London: Day Three here and London: Day Four here!

London: Day One

When I last went to London in March to sort out my visa for moving to Chile, I assumed I'd be back in the city again a few weeks later for the same purpose. But of course, like nearly everything in 2020, that didn't happen as planned. Back then, I never imagined that the next time I'd visit the capital would be with my boyfriend, who'd travelled all the way from Chile! 

This year has brought a lot of surprises, both good and bad, but Claudio visiting me has definitely been the best thing that's happened, and perhaps something that wouldn't have happened in normal circumstances. So both of us feel very lucky, all things considered.

We decided to go to London shortly after our quarantine finished (which I'm glad we did, because now it wouldn't be possible to go) and spend a few days there in order to take in all the most famous sights.

When our train arrived at Paddington station, we had a couple of hours to pass before checking into our hotel. So we used the time to find a nice Japanese restaurant for lunch and also to go and see Paddington Bear. It was nice to meet another South American in London!

Once we'd checked in to the hotel and unpacked, it was time to explore! We were staying right by Piccadilly Circus, so it was very easy for us to get around to the major sights of the city. I was excited to be in the middle of the West End with all the famous theatres nearby!

On that first day, I decided it would be a nice idea for us to follow the route I'd walked last time I was in London (Trafalgar Square to Chinatown), but going in the other direction, starting from Chinatown. This time, the lanterns there were different, and everything looked even more colourful than before.

Next we had a look around Leicester Square, where we came across famous characters such as Mr Bean and Batman (it's hard to see him, but he's on the roof of the cinema).

And then we walked to Trafalgar Square, which is always so impressive. Every time I see it, it's like I'm seeing it for the first time. Of course, it was a great place for taking photos, especially as it was evening, and the buildings were lit up.

By that point it was getting too dark to do much more sightseeing, so we headed back to the hotel. But on our way, we took the opportunity to visit the Harry Potter shop and also see the theatre where the Harry Potter And The Cursed Child play had been taking place before the pandemic.

Our first day in London was brilliant and on our second day, we got to see even more of the city's famous sights. I'll be writing about our trips on the London Eye River Cruise and the London Eye (among a few other things) very soon!

Read about London: Day Two here, London: Day Three here and London: Day Four here!