Vacation: London!

The “main event” of my vacation was my trip to London.  I liked the city a lot—it seems to have the size and diversity of NYC, with the personality and ambiance of DC (the best of both worlds).

With Lily for the first half of my trip and on my own for the second, I checked off a standard list of historical and touristy sites. It was neat to see places like Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye (I have a new thing for ferris wheels, apparently. My favorite spot was definitely the Tower of London – maybe I read too many biographies of various Tudors during high school, but it was really fun and interesting to be there in person.

I explored a few museums and different neighborhoods during my stay as well.  The Victoria & Albert Museum was my favorite; it’s an absorbing place full of art and cultural history.  I stumbled upon a temporary exhibit there that details the evolution of London fashion from 1700 – 2012, and I thoroughly enjoyed examining the array of clothes on display.

Of course, I also have to mention the food. Not exactly what you go to England for, but Lily and I did have a fantastic fish and chips dinner one night. Eating fish and chips was on my “must-do” list for my trip, and the restaurant where we ate in London’s Soho did not disappoint. I made sure to try all the traditional side dishes (including homemade tartar sauce, mushy peas, and pickled eggs).

~ Tower Bridge ~

~ Tower of London ~

~ At the London Eye and Tower of London ~

~ London Eye at night ~

~ Fashion exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum ~

~ Egyptian artifacts at the British Museum ~

 

~ Big Ben and Parliament, day and night ~