Have you ever felt just a random pull to a city? You simply feel like you belong there; you need to go there. That’s London for me, at least it has been ever since I first visited in the summer of 2024. I started my family trip to Europe expecting London to be my least favorite, especially in comparison to the other places we went to, like Paris, Tuscany, Monaco, and the Amalfi Coast, among other places. We stayed in Westminster, the heart of London, and I immediately fell in love.Â
The initial tube ride from London Heathrow Airport to our hotel was filled with such a diverse group of people, and not like what you see in America. The people weren’t just from different cultural backgrounds, but everybody was from different countries- different languages all around me, a variety of accents and experiences, and yet everybody was minding their own business. People dress nicely every day too, men were almost exclusively in suits, women dressed in fashionable trench coats as you see in the movies. I love fashion and shopping, and it felt like a place my large closet could actually be used. On top of that, people were actually able to dress nicely because it was 65 degrees in the middle of June, while it was over 100 degrees back in Texas.Â
We heavily relied on public transportation and walking to get everywhere, and it was so freeing. There were so many things within walking distance, ranging from museums to beautiful parks to restaurants to stores. Even 100+ year old monuments like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, The Eye, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral, and that was just 5-10 minutes away. In around 15 minutes, one could walk to Chinatown, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, and Piccadilly Circus. If you don’t know what those places are, they are huge shopping and eating districts, also while being historically and culturally important to London. Also meaning, you could have access to anything you could possibly want or need. Anywhere else was by tube or train, which was very easy to navigate with an app like CityMapper or Apple Maps. All you had to do to get on was to scan your credit card on the way in and out – you could also get tube cards with them, but as a quick visitor, apple pay was easier. Everything was still very close, to put it into perspective, Paris was a 2 hour train ride from central London, that’s like Austin to College Station.Â
My favorite places that I visited were St. James Park, a beautiful green and luscious park where you could sit on the grass and read a book, or walking around Piccadilly at night after seeing Phantom of the Opera at a West End theatre. There was so much active community everywhere you went, street performers including the audience, farmers’ markets, and historical tours. I had the opportunity to explore the Tower Of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral; they were both fascinating.Â
As for food, I think London does not get enough credit for all the good food it has. The classic fish and chips was delicious, and I really enjoyed a steak pie I had at a pub, with sticky toffee pudding for dessert. I didn’t get the chance to try Indian food there, but I have heard it’s delicious and will be back for it (among many other things). I think the most negative thing I have to say about London is its Chinese food. I absolutely love Chinese food, and I was excited to try it there because they are always talking about Chinese “takeaway” on TV, but it was not my cup of tea. Nothing like American Chinese food, obviously, but nothing like traditional Chinese food either- just some strange British creation. However, I hadn’t tried it in Chinatown, so maybe I will give it another chance.Â
Overall, though, I really enjoyed my time there and have been missing that city ever since; I am applying there for my master’s. I hope to be back one day, because I truly just love London.
