London has been
a city that I’ve dreamed of visiting for a very long time. How long, you may
ask? Well, take today’s date and subtract it by a couple of centuries and
that’s still not long enough. So you
shouldn’t be surprised that the moment I stepped off the plane into Heathrow I
was ecstatic. Even after only an hour of sleep. I believe my first words to my
friend, Ellie, were, “Do you know how may awesome people have been in this very airport?” Quite a few,
my friend. Quite a few.
This is
your all-access guide on how to properly take over London!
*Disclaimer: Belle has
only stayed in London, England for a total of four days or so. Being said, her
knowledge of ‘How to Properly Take Over London’ isn’t very extensive, yet she
believes it to be so. Whatever she says, just smile and nod and give her the
moral support she needs. She honestly believes she lives there. Thank you for
your understanding.
1.
Look RIGHT
This one is for
you, my fellow Americans. Wait, that’s a lie, it’s for the whole world BUT
Britain. I put this rule as number one because it could save your life the
second you leave Heathrow and almost get hit by a double-decker bus hurling
down the opposite lane than you’re used to. England is super awesome about reminding
the rest of the world about this rule on the sidewalk right before you cross
the street. So if all else fails, look down.
2.
You’re a tourist, so please don’t act like one.
Tourists often
get a bad reputation for being, well, annoying. Especially Americans such as
myself cause we’re viewed as loud and self centered. I try my best to avoid
this label while traveling anywhere. Including in America. Some examples of
what NOT to do include…
-Taking up the entire walkway.
Stick to your designated side, which for some reason is still the right side of
the sidewalk even in England… quite ironic.
-Being obnoxiously loud or
screaming unless there’s an emergency and no, this does not include spotting
your favorite band member. In case of that emergency, please calmly approach
them and ask for their hand in marriage.
-Not accommodating the culture
you are currently in.
But the overall major reason to
not act like a tourist is there are pickpockets everywhere and they prey on
tourists that are unfamiliar with the area and aren’t necessarily paying
attention to all their belongings. So stay alert and aware.
Just be respectful.
3.
Talk to as many Brits as you can.
The Brits are some of my favorite
people. They’re all incredibly friendly and welcoming and usually hilarious.
Not to mention, their accents are just a pleasure to listen to. And you never
know whom you’ll end up talking to. It could very well end up being Ed
Sheeran’s second cousin Tom…
Yes that IS Ed Sheeran’s second
cousin Tom on the left. And you thought I was joking. Now strike up a
conversation!
4.
Attend a musical if you have the time.
The show I saw while in London was
none other than Les Miserables and it was phenomenal. I figured this would be
my only chance to see Les Mis with people who had the closest thing to a French
accent without the dialect being in French. Not to mention, they had a circular
rotating stage that made scene transitions look smooth and effortless and a cast
filled with amazingly talented voices. Oh, and Marius was drop dead gorgeous.
5. Follow-up on ‘You’re a
tourist, so please don’t act like one’. Please DO act like one in all the right
ways.
I really really
hope I’ve got you all confused now. I don’t suggest you act like the bad side
of the tourist title, but you should take advantage of seeing all the touristy
things such as…
-Big Ben
-The London Eye
-Eating fish and
chips, bangers and mash, and sheppard’s pie
-The Tower of
London
-Buckingham
Palace
-Tower Bridge
-The National
Gallery
-Trafalgar
Square
-Piccadilly
Square
-And so many
more.
They really make the trip exciting and adventurous.
Especially when you finally get to see all the places you had only seen in
pictures come to life before your very eyes.
6. Take so many pictures, and
dare I say it, vlog.
Pictures are
immensely important. You don’t realize how fast your stay really goes until
you’re off on a coach to the next country. Don’t let your camera get in the way
of your memory making, but make sure to take some time for it. Your mental
snapshots may fade, but a photo helps you keep the memory in check for a very
long time. London is filled with great photo opportunities and sticks to a very
lovely trilogy of colors: black, white, and red. It really makes your photos
interesting without trying too hard. May I also suggest one, or twelve hundred,
jumping photos in front of significant landmarks with your friends. For some reason people suspended in air
with interesting backgrounds makes the trip worthwhile. If you didn’t jump in
front of Westminster did it really even happen?
Now let me
explain vlogging. For those of you that have not yet been sucked into the world
of YouTube, vlogging is basically blogging with videos at random exciting or
uneventful parts of your day. You update the camera on what’s currently
happening, where you’re going, and who are the losers your with and I promise
you you’ll record some hilariously stupid conversations to look back on.
7.
COFFEE SHOPS
I don’t care
who you are or what your opinions on a cappuccino are, but please stop by 9 out
of 10 coffee shops you see. The atmosphere in them is so calm and their drink
selections are endless. Not to mention many of them sell awesome Panini’s that
I’ve been craving for about two months now thanks to those wonderful pressed
sandwiches in London. Even if you’re like “gross, coffee” you can always get a
hot chocolate or even just a bottle of water. Just chill and enjoy the free
wifi.
8.
Have fun.
London was
everything I hoped it would be and more. The culture is perfect and
surprisingly the whether was very sunny which is quite unusual. It was probably
just fate drawing me farther into the city, where I hope to live for at least
some period of time in the future. I don’t need long, but I need it. Probably
the most important rule to properly take over London is to have fun. The city
is full of promise and opportunities if you take advantage of it. It’s able to
accommodate any personality there is, you just have to find what works for you.
Whether that be exploring all the museums there are, taking on the night life,
going on a river cruse, a ride on the London eye, attending a festival,
shopping, or just relaxing by a window in a cozy restaurant with your fish and
chips.
Now if you
would care to request a follow up including more tips, you can come visit me in
my newly established flat in the heart of London.
-Belle
xx
Paris,
you’re next.
