The first meeting with London

I should mention that it was my first travelling abroad. Of course, I worried about my flight, about staying in a new country. So I planned my trip properly. I read lots of information about London and watched different videos. It helped me to choose the sights and places which I had to visit.

I was in London with my groupmates. And I want to share with you how we managed to realise our childhood dream

 We wanted to make the most of our time so we got up early. We started our trip with arriving to the Tower of London, because it becomes quite crowded later in the day. 

When most people think of the Tower of London they think “Off with their heads!” but in reality only seven people were beheaded within the Tower, instead it was the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle where over 100 executions took place during the 16th and 17th centuries when the castle was used as a prison. 

    Since we went on the tour early, I had to sleep on the Bus, but I didn’t sleep in Double Decker and enjoyed the view.

   After arriving to a new city, one of the first things I like to do is to take a bus or boat ride, or hustle to the highest point in the city to get a grasp on my surroundings.

London was no different, so I headed to the London Eye.

The London Eye is the largest observation wheel in the world, built in 1999 on the south bank of the river Thames in London. Standing 135 metres high, it gives one a panoramic view of London up to 25 kilometres in all directions. 

Ride a giant big wheel 135 metres high taking 30 minutes to travel one revolution. The London Eye is situated right at the tourist heart of London, (opposite Big Ben by the River Thames)

         The London Eye has 32 capsules, representing the 32 boroughs of London.

          Each one of the capsules can fit up to 25 people, but we were lucky enough to only have half of that, so getting a good view didn’t really require any scheming. I immediately hoarded the interactive screen that identified several of the buildings in our 360 degree view, taking note of any I may want to see close up.

          Dozens of sites can be seen from the London Eye; Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Hyde Park, Alexandra Palace, Hampton Court and so many more…

              What can I say about London Eye. This is the biggest Ferris wheel in the world and the biggest Ferris wheel I rode :)). Riding it was weird but awesome.

What surprised me most was the Buckingham Palace or rather, its history. The history of the Palace began in the XVIII century. The architectural masterpiece of Buckingham house was built by order of the Duke of Buckingham. The owner was not happy with the new house – he could smell mold everywhere, although the others did not notice it. Soon the Duke died, and the widowed wife could no longer live within the walls of this house – every object reminded her of her husband. She left and soon died of grief. The Duke’s heir has put Buckingham Palace up for sale.

George III was interested in this beautiful building. He was looking for a new private residence – the previous one was not suitable in size and decoration. In 1762, Buckingham house passed into the hands of the monarch, who began a large-scale restoration. At the same time, a large library was built, and the rooms were decorated with paintings by Italian artists.

The residence changed its name – now it was called “the Queen’s House”. Most of the time, the monarch’s wife, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was the mistress of the house, and George III visited her from time to time. Frequent visitors to Buckingham Palace were artists who painted portraits of all members of the Royal family of England. Later, the complex was “enchanted” by famous architects who created three similar buildings and combined them into a single ensemble. In the center is a spacious courtyard.

At the beginning of the XIX century, Buckingham Palace was officially declared the residence of the British monarchs. The beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria, who paid great attention to this masterpiece. The reconstruction also affected the interior, an additional wing was also created, and the location of the main entrance was changed. We have arranged gardens, waterfalls and lakes.
The people did not like this change. The restoration cost 700 thousand pounds-a large sum by the standards of the XIX century. In difficult times for the country, this seemed an unacceptable luxury. But the changes continued. In the 60s, they completed the creation of a ballroom and used it for the first time for a reception in honor of the end of the Crimean war.

At first, the interior of the house was created in the Georgian style. During the reign of Edward VII, the decor was changed to French art Nouveau, and some rooms were decorated with Chinese themes. Today, Buckingham Palace continues to serve the Royal family – there are celebrations and receptions of national significance.

Just a 5-minute walk from Leicester Square is Brown’s Bar & Brasserie that is a nice place for dinner at a reasonable price. Personally, I’d recommend a London tradition and have some fish and chips with mushy peas that are delicious!

My trip was unforgettable.

I wish everyone to visit London because it is a very impressive and inspiring city .