Big Ben
London, England
When I do these "100 Places" posts, sometimes they're about the actual thing, and sometimes they're really about the location. For example - Pisa is a nice town, just like a lot of other nice towns in Italy, but you go there to see the leaning tower, otherwise there's really no point. Conversely, Big Ben is cool, but this is really about visiting London.
Regardless, here are a few quick Big Ben facts before I switch to the city. Technically, it's not the tower or clock that's actually called Big Ben, it's the largest of five bells inside. The name is now the Queen Elizabeth II Tower, but everyone just keeps calling it Big Ben. Another not so fun fact that really slams home that this "100 Places" entry is more about London than the clock is that you can't even take a tour of it unless you're a UK resident - no exceptions!
OK, so Big Ben is really a bell you can't see and will never see unless you move to the UK. Still, for me it's one of the most iconic structures in the world and the symbol of London, along with the Tower Bridge. If you see a movie scene with either of these things in it, you know exactly where it's taking place.
So now that we've covered Big Ben, let's talk about the real reason for this post: Go to London. London is one of those cities that should be on every travelers wish list. It's got history, it's got culture, it's got architecture, it's got touristy stuff. You can spend a week here and not run out of things to see and do. We did just that not too long ago so I'm going to list some of the things we observed and learned. These are just my opinions, but here goes.
I'll start with the London Eye, since that's clearly where Nel is in the picture above. It's cool, and I would say do it if you're there. It's expensive and I wouldn't stand in line for too long to ride it, but if you buy tickets in advance or can just walk up and get on like we did, why not? The views are pretty spectacular.
Westminster Abbey was a real pleasant surprise. I felt more immersed in history here than anywhere else in London. It's quiet and peaceful and doesn't feel all that touristy...except for all the tourists. For some reason, the day we went it was free and not particularly crowded. I don't think either of those things is the norm. Don't miss it!
Another can't miss on your visit is the Tower of London. It's on the Thames near (not coincidentally) the Tower Bridge. Yes, the crown jewels are there as well as a number of other mini-museum type places on the grounds, but really it's just a fun place to go. There's all kinds of stuff going on and you can just walk around checking things out at your leisure.
My favorite thing there were the Beefeaters. They kind of just tell stories in different locations from time to time. Pretty much all the stories end up with someone (or many people) meeting a gruesome demise, but they're hilarious! They have organized tours with Beefeaters which we didn't do, but I would recommend it.
Back to the Tower Bridge for a second. There's a tour you can take - we did - but I wouldn't recommend it. It's hot and there's not really much to see. Just skip it and walk across it at street level.
If you're visiting London, you're probably going to visit Buckingham Palace. It's very nice, but it wasn't my favorite stop. The tour is very "cattle drive" to me - you just follow a path and look at things as you go. Many people will love the clothing displays, etc., but I was not one of them. We had lunch out back afterwards and that was nice.
Another very touristy place I was disappointed with was the Globe Theatre (not misspelled - that's just how they write it for some reason). It's just a recreation of the original sort of near where it used to be. The tour just shows you around, but our guide was at least quite entertaining. If you're an English Lit major, or just a big Bill Shakespeare fan, plan ahead and actually go to a play there instead of taking a tour.
I could go on and on giving a thumbs up or down to the myriad of touristy things in London, but I'll just make a couple of suggestions and call it a day.
I hate public transportation. I realize it's a necessary evil in congested places like London, but it's still just an awful way to live. That said, the tube works pretty well getting you around but don't forget about the boats. If you're moving up or down the Thames, the boats are actually really cool...and quick.
Go to a soccer game (or football match if you prefer). If you can't get tickets to a Chelsea or Tottenham game, just go to one of the lower division games. We went to a Fulham game and loved it. There may not be anything more English than a football match. Even if you couldn't care less about soccer, go!
Get out of London. Do it on your own, or take a tour. There is no shortage of companies that will take you places and it's not that expensive really. We hit Stonehenge (which was also on our "100 Places" list and has already been covered in a previous post), as well as Bath and Windsor Castle. Bath I could take or leave really, but Windsor was a lot of fun. Regardless of what you do, get away from the city and see the English countryside for at least a day. It's not that pretty but it's charming.
Talk to people. Look, I'm not exactly a social butterfly, but you can learn all sorts of things chatting with local folks. They're almost always nice and they want you to enjoy their country.
Warning - This tip does not apply in New York.
Do something weird. We do lots of weird things when we travel, and in London one of those things was having tea at a place where you could play with cats. We really liked it.
So that's it. I highly recommend visiting London at some point on your travels. While you're there, say hi to Big Ben.
Another can't miss on your visit is the Tower of London. It's on the Thames near (not coincidentally) the Tower Bridge. Yes, the crown jewels are there as well as a number of other mini-museum type places on the grounds, but really it's just a fun place to go. There's all kinds of stuff going on and you can just walk around checking things out at your leisure.
My favorite thing there were the Beefeaters. They kind of just tell stories in different locations from time to time. Pretty much all the stories end up with someone (or many people) meeting a gruesome demise, but they're hilarious! They have organized tours with Beefeaters which we didn't do, but I would recommend it.
Back to the Tower Bridge for a second. There's a tour you can take - we did - but I wouldn't recommend it. It's hot and there's not really much to see. Just skip it and walk across it at street level.
If you're visiting London, you're probably going to visit Buckingham Palace. It's very nice, but it wasn't my favorite stop. The tour is very "cattle drive" to me - you just follow a path and look at things as you go. Many people will love the clothing displays, etc., but I was not one of them. We had lunch out back afterwards and that was nice.
Another very touristy place I was disappointed with was the Globe Theatre (not misspelled - that's just how they write it for some reason). It's just a recreation of the original sort of near where it used to be. The tour just shows you around, but our guide was at least quite entertaining. If you're an English Lit major, or just a big Bill Shakespeare fan, plan ahead and actually go to a play there instead of taking a tour.
I could go on and on giving a thumbs up or down to the myriad of touristy things in London, but I'll just make a couple of suggestions and call it a day.
I hate public transportation. I realize it's a necessary evil in congested places like London, but it's still just an awful way to live. That said, the tube works pretty well getting you around but don't forget about the boats. If you're moving up or down the Thames, the boats are actually really cool...and quick.
Go to a soccer game (or football match if you prefer). If you can't get tickets to a Chelsea or Tottenham game, just go to one of the lower division games. We went to a Fulham game and loved it. There may not be anything more English than a football match. Even if you couldn't care less about soccer, go!
Get out of London. Do it on your own, or take a tour. There is no shortage of companies that will take you places and it's not that expensive really. We hit Stonehenge (which was also on our "100 Places" list and has already been covered in a previous post), as well as Bath and Windsor Castle. Bath I could take or leave really, but Windsor was a lot of fun. Regardless of what you do, get away from the city and see the English countryside for at least a day. It's not that pretty but it's charming.
Talk to people. Look, I'm not exactly a social butterfly, but you can learn all sorts of things chatting with local folks. They're almost always nice and they want you to enjoy their country.
Warning - This tip does not apply in New York.
Do something weird. We do lots of weird things when we travel, and in London one of those things was having tea at a place where you could play with cats. We really liked it.
So that's it. I highly recommend visiting London at some point on your travels. While you're there, say hi to Big Ben.
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