When I travel, or reminiscence on my previous travels, I am filled with gratitude and deep thankfulness to be able to have experienced such places. Each place holds a special notion of its own - a secret to discover. The treasures to find whilst walking the streets, eating in the restaurants, exploring the bookshops, wandering through museums, learning about and admiring the architecture, and fueling up at coffee shops.
Sometimes I randomly start thinking about a place I love, and London is one of them. For being such a huge, expansive city, with almost two thousand years of history, it might make one feel overwhelmed by it. But in my experience, I have only felt overwhelmed in the most touristy spots, and not elsewhere. When I get out and about in the unique neighborhoods, I get a different feeling.
When I first went to London (back in 2009 - ten years ago!), my tour was all touristy, and I do admit, it was exhausting. I saw the famous sights - Tower Bridge, Big Ben and Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, etc...which means I really didn't get to see the heart of London. I saw the busy, hectic, historic and beautiful, but crazy and touristy parts of the city.
Since that first visit, every subsequent visit has been less and less touristy, and more and more enjoyable. Riding the Tube has become a fun discovery of history and differences in stations, trains, and details. The different neighborhoods are what grab my heart, attention, and time. My favourite days have been spent in Chelsea, Kensington, and Marylebone. Sure these areas can get busy, as there are many shops and cafes, but it's a different kind of busy. It has more of a local feeling of busy. And I am just one of those locals.
Packing List:
- Brolly (umbrella)
- Good walking shoes/boots
- Roomy bag to store all the books you will buy
- Camera
- CityMapper App (highly recommend!)
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