Once we arrived at the busy Liverpool St train station we enquired the best way to get to our motel but once we made it out of there a budget meeting was held and since it was a honeymoon we decided to catch a famous London Cab. With trepidation the cabbie was asked roughly how much it would cost and the answer was to our liking so we jumped in. It was only a short journey to the motel but enough time for us to feel really comfortable with the local driver who remarked how tired we both looked. It was a scorcher in London that day and thankfully we got into our room so we could change and adjust to the weather.
Jason was like a schoolkid bristling with energy so we attacked London by foot and headed out into the masses and walked along the Thames as we were intending to find a "public viewing" spot for the football game between Germany and England to be played that afternoon. Navigation proved no problems and before we knew it we were in Covent Garden a very popular area for shopping. This was proven as we found Birkenstocks much cheaper here than back in Australia even allowing for the exchange rate so Anja was able to grab a nice pair as we continued our search to find a large screen.
This allowed us to head through Leicester Square and back down to Trafalgar Square where our desperation led us to ask a English bobby (police officer) but we were beaten by some lads dressed in their English kit so it was off to Hyde Park as game time drew nearer and nearer. Sadly as we made our way following this group we made a wrong turn and after asking some more locals a decision was made to get to the nearest pub. Nearby was Westminster Abbey and we thought being in London finding a pub wasn't going to be a problem but the best we could do was a small one with a front bar of about thirty people hovering in front of a TV.
Being thirsty we needed some cold beers to quench our thirsts while we watched this game but again we forgot we were in London so we sweated as we drank the warm English lager but to our collective joy Germany scored first! By the time Germany led 3-1 and then finished 4-1 winners it was quite funny how apologetic the English supporters were!
So it was indeed a very different experience but very fun so we made our way back out into the sun and to walk through the crowds past the House of Commons and back over the Thames to see how many people were waiting for the London Eye.
Even allowing for it being a perfect Sunday we just couldn't get over the number of people around as we wandered the streets to eventually drag our tired bodies back to our motel to rest after a long day. Jason was excited to watch English TV but all we found was Top Gear!
A new day arrived as we awoke in London and took advantage of a buffet breakfast before we endeavoured to head out onto the streets. Wimbeldon was on in London but alas it was too late to get tickets.
Throughout our time in London we savoured the delights of this very old historic city. We made sure we visited Buckingham Palace and stood with the masses to watch this daily event which goes off with precision. A trip to Notting Hill was on our list as we wandered along Portobello road and looked into the many fashion stores and even again found an obliging cabbie to take us across town to Harrods where we soon found out that having a burger and fries can make a small dent into anyone's budget but that was simply something we couldn't miss. Anja even managed to find a bargain in there and purchased some new sneakers so we proudly walked out with a bag but strict rules inside dictated you couldn't keep your backpack on as you never knew what you could knock over!
London's iconic red double decker buses helped us get around a bit easier on a jump on - jump off service which made it easier to see a fair bit more of London. It also was a good chance to take loads more photos as we sat in a typical traffic jam which must have been worse before they put in the congestion tax. The east end was where we went and saw a musical, although it happened to be an Australian one! Tapdogs was amazing and we loved being able to sit in an old theatre that must have had a thousand stories to tell.
In Leicester Square we tried to get the cheap tickets but it worked out just ok to go the theatre itself so that was very cool. Jason loved Lilywhites which is a big sports store where we spotted a former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh trying to blend in but we let him be.
This was in Oxford Circus which led us to be trampled by the unbelievable shopping crowds on this supposed midweek quieter period and as there was a Starbucks on every corner a nice cold Iced Frappo went down extra well. Funnily a bargain was to be had at H&M as well for men's clothes even with the exchange rate and the fetching blue polo Jason bought matched stunningly with Old London Tower Bridge which is a bit smaller than you would think.
From the Tower Bridge we soaked in the late night daylight and strolled along the Thames and made the obligatory stop at some pubs to have some English beer. We stayed not far from Shakespeare's globe so that was another unforgettable experience.
Before we knew it these two travellers had enjoyed their delayed honeymoon in good Old London town and it was time to return to the Deutschland for our last stretch before returning to Oz. From our trip to the UK Jason was able to satisfy his boyhood dream and return again to London but Anja wasn't really sold on this well known city so maybe our next trip to the UK will be in Bonnie Scotland!
Are you ready for Part Five????
More pics:
Slideshow Holidays 2010