Sunday, March 30, 2008

London - Financial Hub of Europe.

London

Easily the biggest city in UK, London is massive. It’s the financial hub of Europe, it has the biggest population of all the cities in UK, and it has the most attractions, most notably Tower Bridge, Big Ben, West Minster Abbey, the London Eye etc.

Getting around London is also easy. Their underground trains, aka the tube, has an extensive network that can get you to anywhere in the city, with minimal walking distance. But getting to London was a nightmare you could say. We opted to take a bus into London because it was cheaper, but as it turned out, what was supposed to be a 4-5 hour bus ride took us almost 8 hours. We had bad weather; closed junctions on the motorway, a replacement driver who never drove into London, an accident with a Porsche… yeah… you get the idea. But thank God for safety and a really patient driver who, through all these troubles, never stopped smiling or lost his cool.

We lost most of the first day, because by the time we checked into the hotel, it was almost 5. So we traveled around to take some night shots of London and to take a flight on the London Eye. Although the ticket cost each of us 15 pounds, it was quite worth it when it reached the top of the eye. We had an unobstructed view of the whole of London, and the view of the River Thames, where it came from and where it ran off to.

After that trip, we were starving so we went in search of food. After much recommendation from friends, the choice was simple. It had to be the Four Seasons Roasted Duck. If anyone has not tried the Four Seasons Duck, you have not tried roasted duck yet. The roasted duck is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and the sauce that comes with it… superb. We also ordered fried rice and dumpling noodles. It was probably one of the best dinners I had in a while.

The second day was a bit of a rush. Because of the lost time, we had so much ground to cover. We had to visit St Paul’s Cathedral, the change of guard at St James Park, West Minster Abbey, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, so much to do, and so little time. So we woke up really early, and started running about trying to complete all these places. It was really tiring, but yeah it was worth it. I mean, if you come to London, you have to see everything right? We even managed to squeeze in a slot to go to Arsenal’s emirates stadium. Not even half as good as Old Trafford.

Finally, we ended the day by rewarding ourselves to a really good meal, so guess where we went to? Yup, we went to Four Seasons. Hahahaha. Couldn’t help it. Food and the duck there is too good.

Okay here are the pictures!
Our 8 hour long bus ride. wenqi was starving

A welcome sign I saw at Victoria Station

London Underground. Its really good. Except for a lot of stairs. You have to climb up and down to change tubes

Picture of a tube.

Along the River Thames and the background is Big Ben and the Parliament house.

A close up. By the way, Big Ben is not the clock, Big Ben is the Bell inside the clock tower.

A view from high up.

The London Eye.

Parliament House.

Four Seasons Duck!!!!
I was starving by the time the food came. Luckily we beat the queues. When we reached the restaurant, there was a long queue outside, then the waiter asked if we needed a table for 2, we said yes and he showed us in straight away. ((::

After eating everything, eugene was sooo full and so contented.

Then the bill came..

this is it, the four seasons restaurant. If you ever go to London, you must try this duck.

Day 2: Traditional English Breakfast before running around london.

Marble Arch. Made from Pure Marble.






St Paul's Cathedral. Its really big.

The entrance to St Pauls.


Change of Guards at St James Park.


Patting the horses. there was a sign that wrote "Beware, horses may kick or bite"

No 1 Downing Street. Where the Prime Minister Gordon Brown lives and works.


West Minster Abbey. Its almost 1500 years old. It has gothic archictecture, and it's huge.

the main entrance behind us.


this is st james park. It is supposed to be the gardens of the palace. Now it is a public park. a lot of people go there for picnics.

Buckingham Palace. Nothing very spectacular though.

Tower of london. It used to be a fortress along the river thames.

It was also where we had our lunch stop.


Tower of London!



Trafalgar Square. It is to commerate the battle of Trafalgar, a british naval battle in the Napoleanic Wars. A landmark victory by Lord Nelson, who also gave his life in this battle. Scholars agree that if this battle had gone the other way, the world as we know it might be under the rule of the French.

one of the lions guarding the 18 foot high statue of Lord Nelson


Yup, I've been to the Emirates. eeee arsenal.. booooooo.

This is the only picture you'll find me smiling. haha.

Emirates stadium, next to "HDBs".

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