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I devoted a lot of time to watching Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch version, of course) so you can imagine I was pretty excited to walk the streets of London and solve some mysteries. More personal mysteries than murders, like will there be milk in my tea? Will the laundry be in the kitchen? I was amused to see the little black taxi cabs all over the city. One of those things you see in movies but don’t really expect, kind of like double decker buses. I figured it was a tourist thing but was surprised to find out they’re used for public transport all around town. Adding stairs to a bus was something nobody asked for, but it’s one of the many quirks that makes London unique. Since we’re on the subject of transportation and murder mystery, London’s Underground “the tube” might be a good place to witness or partake in something incriminating. Be warned, I had the opportunity to meet a few individuals down there with tiny eyes who might ‘rat’ you out if you know what I mean. It’s kind of magical how you go from being chuted though the dark inside a cramped tube cart to surfacing in a new, enchanting neighborhood: Notting Hill, the picturesque Convent Garden, or the posh-looking Belgravia. It doesn’t seem real.

It’s like walking through a story book

I only spent two days in the city, but I could have spent weeks walking the historic streets, every storefront adorned with hanging flowers. It’s like walking into a nursery rhyme. I passed the London Bridge, and even drank in a pub on Drury lane! If you don’t know the baker man you can’t hang, or something like that. Also, street signs are on the corner of buildings, not poles on the curb like in the US. At first I thought the English just had a great sense of direction. Surely Sherlock wouldn’t need street signs.

My Tips

If you’re like me and only have a short time in London, you can easily hit some beautiful spots: Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Princess Diana Memorial, Big Ben, and the London Eye to name a few. Hyde Park, near the Princess Diana Memorial, is full of life in the summer with swans and geese galore. London is sort of spread out so we rode the tube most days using a two day pass we bought at a station. We only carried backpacks and left our large luggage in Iceland, where our trip began.

London Nightlife 

The nightlife in London is anything but dull. We were there on a Friday and everywhere we walked  people were standing outside laughing and drinking away. A man my age asked in a club “I haven’t heard this song in ages, reminds me of primary” I had never heard this song in my life, yet everyone around me was singing. Prior, I had felt London was pretty culturally similar to big cities in the U.S., but little things reminded me I had crossed an ocean somewhere. I loved the traditional pubs for taking a minute to relax and have a drink, and Soho with its burlesque-chic feel that reminded me of Boystown back home in Chicago. Though, I’d say my favorite nighttime memories were walking through the lit-up, cobblestoned neighborhoods wondering what it would be like to live down the street from the Queen; A simple peasant, in one of the colorful 2 million dollar homes. 

Good day to you and see you next time!

You usually imagine a place before traveling there, and when your expectations are met or exceeded, you feel like a kid in a candy store. At least I do. I wish I would’ve had more time to solve mysteries, drink beer, and listen to bad techno, but I’ll have to mind the big blue Atlantic gap and wait for the next train.

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