Circuit / Day 60 of 64 / 08 July
It’s day two here in warm and sunny London, not exactly what you’d expect from an island usually portrayed as grey and dull. I woke up at 9am, and had the included breakfast at the hostel. Mmmmm, nothing like a full English breakfast to start the day.
The first thing I did today was laundry: I’d be here in London for the next seven days, so I had to make sure I had enough fresh clothes. Laundry took about an hour, and I got done at 11am.
My next destination was Camden Market, one of the many markets in London, but undoubtedly the most “hipster” of them all. Need some scented candles? Camden. Need a leather jacket? Camden. Need some vinyl records? Camden. And that’s why I came to Camden: there’s probably no better place than here to look for flag patches. I reached the Market at 11.45am, and I just dived right into the hodgepodge of exotic and eccentric stores. Somehow, among the eclectic mix of goods on sale, I managed to locate and pick up a UK flag patch for my bag as well.
After wandering the alleys of Camden Market, I met Wenke at a bar near London Bridge for some drinks, and to catch the F1 Silverstone Grand Prix. The race began at 2pm, and we watched it over some wings and beer.
Both of us were pretty buzzed after our drinks, so once the race ended, we decided to go for a stroll along the River Thames. We began at London Bridge and made our way towards Tower Bridge. We crossed Tower Bridge to the other side of the Thames, and we decided then that it was time for some dinner. Wenke knew of a Chinese restaurant in South Kensington, so we headed there for dinner.
London Bridge, and it’s more famous cousin, Tower Bridge. Don’t confuse them.
After dinner, we continued our strolling tour of London, beginning with Buckingham Palace. We tried to take a few nice photos, but the angle of the evening sun was working against us. So, we decided to head to 10 Downing Street instead. Unknown to us however, 10 Downing Street was not open to the public: when we arrived at the address, a large gate separated us from the “gated community” that 10 Downing Street existed in.
The famous avenue running away from Buckingham Palace, The Mall.
Still, at least we managed to catch a Royal Air Force (RAF) exhibition along the way. The RAF was celebrating its 100th anniversary, and its aircraft was on display for the public to see. After snapping a few photos of fighter jets parked in old gravel courtyards, we walked towards the Palace of Westminster, following which I parted ways with Wenke and decided to head back to the hostel.
– Ryan
Sixty Four Days 