Spring Break 2011 - London

March 10 – March 12

After checking out in Vencie, we took an hour long bus ride to the airport where I was able to have my first Ryan Air experience. Ryan Air has very cheap flights and is unlike any company in the United States. You are only allowed to have one personal item with you on the flight and it has to be within a certain size limit and they make you prove that your bag will fit before you get on the flight. Also, there are no assigned seats on Ryan Air so when the gate opens it is a madhouse to get in line. Furthermore they board from both the front and the back of the plane so to get a seat; people will literally run to the back of the plane! Landing is also a very scary experience, when we landed we were going so fast I did not think we were going to be able to stop and we also landed at an angle and to correct it, the plane severely jerked whipping everyone on the plane from right to left. I do not have any problems flying but I was very scared! Once we landed in London we took an almost 2 hour bus into London and then found our hotel. We met up with another Aquinas girl and her friend and had fish and chips for dinner before calling it a night.

The next morning we walked to Westminster Abbey, Parliament and Big Ben and also walked to Downing Street. Downing Street is blocked off so we could only see limited things from behind the blockade. After walking around the government buildings we walked to Buckingham Palace and watched the changing of the guard. It was a forty minute ceremony and was elaborate. There was a band which played and guards on horses, very different from the changing of the guard in Athens. After the changing of the guard we walked to Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens and found the Peter Pan statue.   After the park, we stopped for lunch and then walked to the London Eye, bought our tickets and rode on the London Eye. We were so lucky because only 9 people were in our capsule while other capsules had almost 20 people! The view was incredible and you could see for miles around London. After the London Eye we went shopping where everywhere we turned there was William and Cate memorabilia! Seriously who buys and ash tray with their faces on it? I do not get the fascination with the tea towels, the plates, the t-shirts, I think it’s funny.

The next morning we walked to Harrod’s and walked around inside marveling at the prices and merchandise. When we walked in, I was afraid that I was going to get stopped at the door and asked to leave because I was in jeans and a t-shirt, but luckily I was allowed in :-). After Harrods we went to Kings Cross Station and I went to Platform 9 ¾ but unfortunately the portal had closed and I had to stay in the muggle world. After lunch, we went and saw the London Tower and walked across Tower Bridge and went on an adventure to find the Globe Theater, but we eventually made our way there. After walking around, we took the bus to Oxford Street and went shopping on Oxford and Regent Street. One of the highlights of the day was going into Hamley’s Toy Store. We were in the 7 story toy store for over an hour playing with the toys and seeing every floor. This toy store was so big that there was a candy shop and a Build-A-Bear store inside! After our evening shopping we went out to dinner and then packed for the next day of travel: a flight to Shannon and then 2 busses to get to Tully Cross!