Hello loves! As some of you may know, I was given the incredible opportunity to travel to England and Paris for the Vimy 100 Memorial Trip. We left Toronto on April 3rd and arrived at London Heathrow that night. On Tuesday morning, we drove into Central London and saw the beautiful Notting Hill and South Kensington. I absolutely loved South Kensington as it was so gorgeous with the white buildings, black doors, and black fences that made everything look so chic and sleek. We also got to see the standard red double decker London buses. Also, we stayed in a hotel on Old Street which is a modern spot in London for a lot of the younger, ambitious demographic. I really liked seeing all the locals just doing their independent thing whether that be going to work or creating art.
After lunch, we took our first ride on the London tube/underground. It was a very efficient transportation system and I was very impressed. We also headed to Leicester square where all of the premieres take place and that was really fascinating to see as well. Later, we did some shopping in a side market that absolutely stunning and was decorated with beautiful spring flowers.
The biggest part of London day 1 for me was getting to see the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. They were as stunning as all of the pictures I have seen of them. They were both old structures, but the intricate designs of each structure was phenomenal.
After dinner at Nando's (which was so so good by the way), we were able to go see the musical production of Wicked. Wicked is a prequel to the Wizard of Oz and I was so excited to see the play. Personally, I thought the choreography, the story, and the music were all incredible and I loved how they tied in the story to the classic.
On Wednesday, we headed first to Trafalgar Square which is a popular square in London that features the Trafalgar statue, the National Gallery, and gold fountains. This was one of my favourite spots because you can just sit by the fountain and take in the beautiful buildings around you. Also, you can see Big Ben from the middle of the square as well.
Of course we made it to Big Ben! It was grand and absolutely stunning. It is definitely a crucial monument to see if you are ever there. You can see it really well if you exit through Westminster station which is where we were. We got some time to take pictures by there before we went to Westminster Abbey. We could not go into the parliament buildings because of the events in past weeks. Unfortunately, we also could not go into Westminster because they were setting up for the Royals to arrive. On that Wednesday, there was a small Vimy memorial that was held by London so there were newscasts around that area at the time. We did get to see it though and walk around that area as well.
Next on the London tour was Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guards. I love seeing these kinds of ceremonies so it was really interesting to watch this ritual. Also, Buckingham Palace was one of my favourite sites in London because it was absolutely breathtaking with the gorgeous flowers and gold gates. Also, it is where all the Royal Family has been and I am guilty of waking up early to have watched the marriage of William and Kate so it was so surreal to see the balcony where they came out on.
Shortly after seeing the palace, we headed to a park just outside the gates to watch the Vimy ceremony which was very well done. The park was surrounded by military officials and a sea of red jackets all worn by Canadian students, including myself. All the students with EF tours had red Vimy jackets we wore at this ceremony and we had a great view of it all.
Shortly after seeing the palace, we headed to a park just outside the gates to watch the Vimy ceremony which was very well done. The park was surrounded by military officials and a sea of red jackets all worn by Canadian students, including myself. All the students with EF tours had red Vimy jackets we wore at this ceremony and we had a great view of it all.
Our last event in London was the Harry Potter tour. We had an amazing tour guide for this who had many connections when the movies were being made and had been to set multiple times. It was really interesting to hear her stories, facts and trivia. I also really love looking at behind the scenes footage and facts for movies so it was really interesting seeing it in real life. We went to various filming locations (my favourite being where they filmed Diagon Alley becuase it was such a beautiful, wealthy, and unique square) and were able to take the infamous, red, double decker bus to different locations.
Overall, I absolutely adore London from the culture to the people to the architecture. It was so phenomenal being there and experiencing it all. I will definitely be back!
I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know if you have any questions or if you have ever been to London!
xx
