London: Just My Cup of Tea

Number four on my list of places to go before I die is possibly the most cliché travel destination of all time. London is one of the most popular international travel destinations, and I'm pretty sure that every white teenage girl ever had London on her "Places to See" list. However, cliché though it is, London is home to some awesome accents, fascinating history, adorable parks and neighborhoods, interesting attractions, and guys wearing fluffy hats.

Fluffy hat guys in London.
Image Courtesy of: London Pictures

One super touristy thing I want to do while visiting London is ride the London Eye. The London Eye is a HUGE ferris wheel in London (you've probably seen it on TV before). The ride on the ferris wheel lasts thirty minutes, which is pretty long compared to most other ferris wheels, but you won't spend the ride burning up in the sun, sitting on a seat with chewed gum stuck under it, and staring at a parking lot, like you would on many ferris wheel rides. The capsules (people carriers) of the London Eye are enclosed in glass, air-conditioned, and very The Jetsons-esque. The ferris wheel is said to offer riders the best view of London, and I believe it after seeing this beautiful panoramic shot taken on the Eye:

View from a capsule on the London Eye.
Image Courtesy of: Collection Panorama Art

Another thing I want to do in London is visit Kew Gardens. Kew Gardens is basically the mother botanical garden of all botanical gardens. It is the biggest collection of living plants in the world and is home to over 30,000 different species of plants. Kew also has one of the world's oldest greenhouses, a four-story high treetop walkway, and a handful of gorgeous, historical structures scattered throughout the 326 acre lawn. I'm not usually much of an outdoors and naturey sort of person, so to speak, but what's not to love?

Part of the treetop walkway. In the background is the Temperate House.
That thing is massive and pretty much the Taj Mahal of greenhouses.
Image Courtesy of: The Telegraph

Kew Gardens Waterlily House.
Image Courtesy of: Wikipedia

I love public transportation. It's great, not just for the means of transportation, but also for entertainment. Some of the best people watching in the world is found on public transportation, and taking a city's public transit system, though often a long and inconvenient process, is one of the best ways to really get a sense of the culture and the people of a place. My friends, Sage and Audrey, can attest to this after our adventures on CalTrain and the New York Subway. London's main public rapid transit system, like the New York City Subway or the D.C. Metro, is called the London Underground (very creative, right?) or the Tube. The Tube is the oldest underground railway in the world and was pretty much the inspiration for all other major public transportation systems today. While in London, I would definitely want to experience a trip or two on the Tube.

A train approaches a London Underground station.
Image Courtesy of: 3 Days in London

One last thing I would love to do in London is visit Notting Hill, and not just because of its role in the Julia Roberts rom-com, but also because it has to be the single most adorable neighborhood in the history of all adorable neighborhoods. The streets are lined with markets and colorful nineteenth century townhouses, and gorgeous green parks are found spread throughout the neighborhood. To me, it looks a little bit San Francisco-y. I would move in to a Notting Hill townhouse right now, if it weren't for the fact that even the smallest cost upwards of two million pounds, which is roughly 3.2 million U.S. dollars!

Don't you just want to pinch its little cheeks?
Image Courtesy of: Travel Bites Deep

The city of London might be a pretty cliché travel destination, but it certainly has a lot to offer.  London seems like a beautiful, fascinating, and enjoyable city,  and I hope that I will be able to experience the city myself.