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I would be lying if I said I wasn’t tired after six days of traveling to Ireland and Scotland, but my eagerness to get to London masked it. Chicago is a big city, but doesn’t compare in size to New York City. I’ve been to NYC twice and can still remember being in awe of the scale both times. London made NYC seem small in comparison. After a late arrival on Wednesday night, we met friends at Walkabout bar and enjoyed too many “snakebites”: a half cider, half lager drink with a splash of liqueur. The next morning – surprise, surprise – we went on a free walking tour of royal area of the city. I have now gone on four walking tours lead by Sandeman’s New Europe, all of which have been enjoyable.

After a quick stop at Harrod’s, the famous department store, we bought tickets for 39 Steps in Picadilly Circus later that night. It turned out to be a very funny and entertaining show. The night was capped off with a memorable performance by some random cover band at O’Neill’s Bar in Leicester Square. No matter where we are, it’s hard to resist American music in an American-ish bar. The next day consisted of an attempt at recreating The Beatles Abbey Road album cover (with little success) and a ride on the London Eye, the largest ferris wheel in the world. (Side story: In Florence I posed for a picture atop the Santa Maria. My friends thought it was a funny pose/picture and now make fun of me for making the “RSefer pose”. Everywhere we go, someone always does it.) Here is Bre atop the London Eye, RSefer style:

The London Eye was followed by the Tate Modern, a very bizarre modern art museum, and a walk through the financial district. That night we all went to a Motion City Soundtrack concert in the Camden Town neighborhood. It was nice to forget about Europe for a moment and have fun American style. The next morning the girls wanted to go shopping in Camden Market, not far from where we were staying. Camden Market is a breeding ground for the hipster crowd, meaning there was a lot of very bizarre clothing and quite a few characters roaming around. It was a site to see. From there we went to Hyde Park (The great thing about London is the ease of transportation. The Tube, officially called the London Underground, is incredibly efficient, clean and easy to use. If the EL system in Chicago was half as nice, there would be far less complaints).

Hyde Park is a massive green field in the middle of the city with lots to offer. Unfortunately we got stuck in the rain and had to run to the nearest bus to get home, cutting our visit short. On Sunday, with much of the group already gone, my friends Mitch, Jackie and I decided to make a day trip to Windsor Castle, about an hour outside of the city. The castle turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip. Far different from the castles I saw in Ireland and Scotland, Windsor Castle is the main residence of the Queen and is still in phenomenal condition.

The tour included seeing the Queen’s old doll collection and a walk through the State Rooms, where Heads of State from all over the world are entertained. As one could imagine, every inch of every room is intricately decorated and probably costs millions. After seeing many royal residences, a part of me thinks that the pomp and circumstance is an extreme waste of taxpayer money and completely unnecessary. On the other hand, however, I am beginning to understand the idea of “royal” and how that can bring a bit of national pride to the country. It’s far different from a democratic system like in the States, but is interesting none-the-less. The castle visit was a relaxing way to end what amounted to a week and a half trip to the UK. It was quite a whirlwind trip, one that I will not forget anytime soon.