Flashback Friday: London
Posted: April 9, 2010 at 11:56 amHappy Friday to all my wonderful friends! Once again, I am going to go for a Flashback Friday post. I think most of you enjoy reading those over the "fun facts" and they are more fun for me to come up with and write. It works out nicely. 🙂
About a month ago, Peter found this in one of our closets.
It completely motivated me to do some flashbacks of what is written in those leather bound covers. What is it? None other than my personal journal from the almost 2 months I spent backpacking through Europe!
total goofball even back then
It may be cliche, but people do it for a reason. It can't be beat. That was one of the BEST vacations of my life. One of the pluses of getting hit by a car as a pedestrian and having lawsuit money to help pay for college + summer before working full time. 😉 I absolutely cannot wait to go back, but I know that won't be for a long while so the flashbacks will suffice. Time to get packing!
We started our Europe trip in London because we were seeing some of my friend's family for her cousin's high school graduation from a boarding school there.
Since we started the trip around familiar people, it didn't seem REAL that we were in England. Even after hitting up Windsor Castle with her family it wasn't quite real I was in another country.
Maybe seeing the guards helped a little bit. 😉
Eventually, we left her family to start the true backpacking experience and head to our first stay at a hostel. Haha. I think every place we went has an interesting hostel story. This one was sharing a room with a chick that laughed and talked to herself...all.night.long! After checking in first thing that morning, we set out to explore downtown London. We visited Buckingham Palace and showed up just in time to witness the changing of the guard. All that pomp and circumstance was pretty interesting.
We also made sure to walk around for the traditional sight seeing hot spots.
Tower Bridge
London Eye
Big Ben
Westminster Abbey
There is something surreal about seeing things you had previously only seen in pictures. I remember both of us watching all of the London episodes of Friends before we left. We ended the first day crashing in our bunk beds. That first day, we walked over 16 miles! You will hurt in places you never knew after doing that suddenly. All of you runners who run that much at once...you're crazy. And I say that with the utmost of admiration. 😉
The next days we continued with the sight seeing to things like Hyde Park and the Tate Modern, as well as (window) shopping in Harrod's and (really) shopping in H&M. This was before they were common here in the States, so that was like heaven. We also got some of the "must-have" shots in London. Like this one for example.
We also took a trip down the Thymes River to head into Greenwich.
The Maritime Museum and Meridian Line are located there, along with a cute little town. I did two things I had never done before in Greenwich.
Stood in Two Timezones at Once
Ate Fish & Chips
The homesickness started kicking in towards the last of our London days. It was more just a surprise missing of people. And for me, the biggest surprise was missing Peter. We had only been dating for a month before I left, but I missed that boy like no other. We say my trip helped solidify our feelings and speed the remainder of our relationship along (engaged 7 months in, married 6 months later, etc). Absence does make the heart grow fonder.
Even with not even an entire week, I had already experienced a more exciting vacation than I could have imagined. And it only got much, much better. Stay tuned for future Flashback Fridays to read on about my trip. 🙂
- Where is the best place you have ever traveled? Mine = Barcelona!!!
- Where are you dying to go? Australia or Greece!
Tags: flashbacks, travel
I am dying to go to Greece, too! I have never been out of the country – I am so not cultured. I’ve only traveled in the US, but we go to Northern Michigan every year and it is my favorite place.
I’ve been to Italy and loved it–and like you said, it is surreal to see things that you’ve only seen in pictures and its even more surreal when you see things that have been there for hundreds and hundreds of years!
How cool!! I went to London back in high school and loved it!! I would love to go back some day. Looking forward to reading more about your exciting adventure!!
who cares if it’s cliche? i’ve been dreaming of backpacking through Europe for years now…i guess i should find a car and get hit, right? 😉 LOVE those pictures!
Oh my gosh…what an AMAZING trip! I can’t wait to hear about where else you went. I’m dying to go to London!
Best place I traveled was Ireland….though rainy and COLD, it is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. And they love beer, so I love them. 🙂
Agreed!! Ireland is amazing. I left my heart there, as corny as that sounds!
WOW! What a wonderful trip! You look SO happy in all the pictures:D
Awesome. I can’t even imagine a 2-month vacation. I am dying to go to Italy.
I’ve never been to Europe…I need to!
Looks like you had so much fun!!! Great pics!
I love reading about travel! My favorite places so far have been Paris, Egypt and Italy and one my list is Vietnam and Australia.
you got hit by a car? oh my gosh, i hope you were okay!!
I’ve never been to Europe, but haven’t really had a strong desire to go there. I’m more of beach vacation person. I’m also dying to get to some of the amazing national parks out west..yellowstone, grand canyon, the sequoias, etc.
The best place that I have ever traveled to was Ireland and London when I was a Junior in high school. London is amazing!!!! Your flashback brought back many memories of mine like the London Eye, which was SO fun to ride! We rode it as it was just about to close and the sun was going down… gorgeous. But I have to say that I loved Ireland even more. I’m going back this June and I absolutely can’t wait!!!! I may do a post similar to this one about my own trip…
And I want to go to Greece and Italy!
[…] that wraps up this week’s installment of flashback friday! did you participate? i know tina and lisa did!! let me know if you did so i can link back to […]
I love this post! London is definitely at the top of my list! I miss it! I wish I would’ve journaled while I traveled in Europe. I think it’s brilliant, not cliche!
I loved Barcelona, too. But I was there alone and I know I would’ve had more fun with others. Greece was wonderful, but not my favorite.
That is so awesome that you got to experience backpacking through Europe. I would absolutely love to do that. My grandfather is a retired missionary and went to Romania many times and always brought me back dolls when I was little. I would love to go to Paris one day. Our living room has a modern Paris like theme with a couple of black and white portraits of the eiffel tower. That’s so neat you stood in 2 time zones at once!
Best place traveled.. for sure it was Norway with my Mom, Grandma and Grandpa as a kid
Where I want to go…Denmark and Australia
I studied in London for a semester in college and loved it. I would like to go to Australia or the Czech Republic.
London is one of my favorite places. The food is spectacular and I love the classiness of the city. I love Paris even more- it might be my favorite place! Can’t wait to see japan though!
How fun! My best vacation was probably Paris. You are totally right that seeing pictures of something and then seeing it in person is pretty amazing. The Mona Lisa was like that for me! 🙂
My husband and I REALLY want to visit South Africa! Ah…one day!
Paris is my favorite place. People say its dirty, but that was so not true! And the people were so nice.
I’d love to go to Australia or Ireland.
I am SO JEALOUS of you!!! 😉 I’ve always wanted to study abroad but unfortunately when I was in undergrad my program didn’t allow us to transfer credits…booo.
I’m also dying to go to Greece! I hear it’s beauuuutiful!
Have a great weekend <3
I love London. It’s where my hubby and I got engaged and said our first vows almost 11 years ago.
How fun! I’ve never been to Europe, but I really want to go to England and Italy. My favorite trip has been snorkeling in Belize!
Love this!! Especially the top pic of you two with your backpacks 😉 Best trip was the one I took with my mommy to Mexico which I briefly flashbacked to in my post! Number one place I want to go to is Scotland. Not to travel, but to LIVE!
That trip looked like amazing fun!!! I love England! My Mom was born in London and all her family lives there so I’ve been fortunate enough to go there and visit a few times. Its such a great city!!
YOU WERE HIT BY A CAR?! That is madness! I’m glad you were ok and got college+traveling money out of it. I’ve always wanted to go to Peru and see Machu Pichu! I think that’s you spell it.. 🙂
Wow girl!! It looks like that was one amazing trip!! I absolutely LOVE your pictures and you look so happy in all of them!! And that wrap looks delicious 🙂
I love those flashback posts – they are so interesting to read.
My best place: definitely South Africa
Where I want to go next: New Zealand
I was supposed to go to Greece this summer but we just had to back out. Too much money right now. Boooo!
I love your pics from the UK. I was in London last summer and had so much fun. I can’t wait to do more traveling in Europe.
i was keeping this unread until i could savor it. i used to live in london and i REALLY loved this flashback!