First Impressions of London by Laura Sawka

Today, July 7, was our first full day in London. Since we were all still becoming used to the time change, we had a bit of a sleep-in before starting our day. However, once we left the residence, we did not waste a minute of our time! We were all equipped with several city maps, instructions to stay in groups of four and detailed instructions on how to use the London Underground, known here as “The Tube”. Then we were off for our first taste of the city. We took the Tube south towards the River Thames, the location of many major sites in London.

As we walked on to the street, we caught our first glimpses of structures that we have seen in movies, read about in books or heard of from others who have already been to London. We saw the London Eye, Big Ben (which, we learned, is really a bell tower), the British Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Large crowds flock to these sights every day, and today was no exception! Despite the high volume of tourists, we made our way to Trafalgar Square. This renowned site is home to the Nelson Column, which highlights Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar many years ago. This year, Trafalgar square is also the location of the countdown clock to the 2012 Summer Olympics. In just a few hours, we had seen some of the most famous sites in the world!

After lunch we had planned to walk down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace. However, these plans had to be changed when we realized London’s Gay Pride Parade was marching along the same route! It seems we will have to go see the palace a different day. Instead, we had the option of going to either the National Gallery of the Portrait Gallery, both of which contain art from a wide variety of time periods. I went to the National Gallery and saw some spectacular impressionist paintings, but I hear the Portrait Gallery was also an excellent museum. From the art galleries, the group proceeded on foot to Covent Garden, a large shopping district in downtown London. We were all given free time for shopping and eating dinner. This vibrant district was an excellent place to soak up some culture.

          The day culminated with an evening performance of Shakespeare’s Henry V at The Globe Theatre. On our way to the theatre we walked right by St. Paul’s Cathedral and over the Millennium Bridge, where we could see the Olympic Rings hanging from the Tower of London! The performance was very well done, though many of us found it hard to understand at times. We were standing in the pit of the theatre, just as peasants would have done in Shakespeare’s time. This was somewhat uncomfortable as we had been on our feet all day. As well, this is England and it was raining off and on for the duration of the play. However, it was well worth it in the end – it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the acting was quite good. After the play, and exhausted by our long day’s travels, we headed back to our residence and fell asleep before our heads hit the pillow! Our first day in London was truly memorable, and I think I can speak on behalf of the group when I say we are excited to see what the rest of the month has in store!


- Laura