London; Being a Tourist in my Own City

I don’t know about you, but I rarely appreciate what’s right in front of me in the city where I reside…

I’ve walked across the Tower Bridge now more times than I can count, where I’ve passed by tourists from all around the world taking photographs. By the time I get to the halfway point, I’ve regularly felt twinges of irritation at the human traffic jam in between me and my destination. On future walks, I have to stop and remind myself to walk a little slower and appreciate it.  The bridge really is magnificent!

Tower Bridge view from Butler’s Wharf neighborhood

A Day out in Central London

Earlier this week, I spent an entire afternoon and evening within the tourist zone.  I emerged from the deep tube station at Piccadilly Circus, where I shopped (browsed is probably the best description) on Regent Street.  From there I met a friend near Green Park, a park situated next to Buckingham Palace Gardens and Hyde Park corner.  We walked down Piccadilly street, past the fancy “afternoon tea” spots and glittering indoor arcades filled with expensive watches and ties. After coffee with my friend,  I walked alone through Soho, lined with alternative shops and quirky cafes, where I stopped to have a quick bite to eat before the West end show I bought tickets for earlier that same day.

Phoenix Theatre, Charring Cross Road, London

The musical “Once” put a permanent smile on my face the rest of the evening. I’ve always been a musical nerd.  From the time I saw my first Broadway musical at twelve years old, I was addicted. The Sound of Music was and still is one of my favorite films. As a child I used  the living room as my stage and the furniture as a prop to mimic the gazebo dance performed by the characters of Liesl and Rolf. By the time I was a teenager, I knew the soundtracks of Rent, Les Miserables, and Phantom of the Opera by heart.  Romantic and beautiful, the music in Once brought me back to those times I was so passionate about theatre in my younger days. The two hour and fifteen minute performance breezed by in a flash.

When I left the theatre, the city felt magical. On a narrow street somewhere between Covent Garden and Leicester Square, sultry jazz music echoed from the third floor of an old apartment building. Crowds of friends were in groups laughing and mingling at every single one of the twenty-five pubs I passed on my way to the bus. The Covent Garden shops were closed but the piazza was framed in elegant, soft white lights, calm and quiet compared to its normal state of contained chaos during the day.

Covent Gardent at night

From Covent Garden, I boarded the bus and stared in awe as we crossed the Thames River, where I saw a picture perfect view of Big Ben, Parliament and the London Eye. I often forget that all this liveliness is happening only a few miles away from apartment.

Previous picture I took of Big Ben & Parliament a few months ago

In approximately seven months we expect to move back to the United States. In many ways, I’m ready – but I also know how much I’ll miss it when we leave. Before we moved here, I longed for a change and often reflected on how wonderful it would be for Jim and to live out of the country together. That dream came true. All I have to do now is relax and open my eyes.