London tips part two

After 4 weeks in London I thought it would be nice to give you some tips about places I’ve visited. Maybe you like them as well when you come for a visit to this amazing city. I’m having such a great time here and I’m really falling in love with England! But in 2 weeks I'm going back to Holland, I don't want to, but my money is running out. I really, really like it here. 
 

Camden

The Camden Passage is one of my favorite places of London. It has a really characteristic and artistic atmosphere. It’s famous for its enormous range of shops, arcades, malls, and markets. Come early on Wednesdays and Saturdays to find Camden Passage at its liveliest.

Portobello road

Who hasn’t heard of it? The famous Portobello Road antiques and flea market in Notting Hill takes place every Saturday although there are also stalls from Monday to Friday. It’s a huge and colourful market and you can find almost everything. I’ve been here twice and I really love the vibe in the streets.

Outside London

My first trip outside London was to Brighton. It’s situated along England’s south coast. It’s the most popular beach in England. I think one of the reasons that Brighton beach is so popular is the many restaurants, attractions, pubs and clubs that are concentrated right on the beachfront and because of it’s Brighton Pier. It was a lovely sunny day and it’s great that I’ve been there. The day after we had breakfast at Goring, “South England Village of the year”. Afterwards we did a sightseeing tour by car through the landscapes of England, really beautiful!

Another city that I’ve been is Reading (pronounced like "redding", not "reeding"), it’s a town where my friend Naomi lives. Its main attractions are the medieval abbey ruins and it’s surrounded by the river the Thames. Reading has a big shopping center and a lot of restaurant and pubs.

Side streets

Everybody knows the commercial shopping streets like Regent and Oxford street, and it’s true, they’re great for shopping though it’s also worth it to try some side streets like Heddon street, Carnaby street,  Burlington Gardens or Neal’s Yard. The Abercombie & Fitch store is situated in Burlington Gardens, you’ll find models instead of shop assistants selling clothes and there are models dancing on balconies all the time. By entering the shop, a half-naked model will welcoming you.

Musea

In London, all museums and galleries are for free. I’ve been to the Tate Modern, Saatchi Gallery and Natural History Museum. My teacher has prepared a lesson “describing art” at the National Gallery for this week.

I hope you like my tips! In my previous blog I wrote more tips for a visit to London.
I’ve only 2 more weeks left in London. Sanne, Lies and Sigrid are coming over this Friday. They will stay for 4 days. I’m really looking forward to it!

Sightseeing tips

If it’s your first visit to London, you’d like to see as much as you can in just a few days, without paying a high price for all the hop-on-hop-off busses. I am in this gigantic city for 2,5 weeks now and found out a few nice touristic routes which you can discover by yourself:

Route 1

Take the underground to London Bridge (FYI: do not make the mistake like all other tourists: London Bridge is NOT the famous Tower Bridge) and walk along the Thames to the Tower of London. You can get a boattrip for only a few pounds to Westminster. This boattrip is a great way to do some sightseeing. You will see the Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, the London eye and other important buildings along the Thames.

Route 2

If you planned a day of shopping I recommend this route. Take the underground to Covent Garden, then walk through Soho and Chinatown for some food and drinks. Piccadilly Circus is within walking distance and walk further to Regent street. A side street of Regent street is the famous Carnaby street with a lot of nice hidden stores and it’s also next to Oxford street.

Route 3

If you’re wearing good walking shoes this route is really great. Take the underground to Westminster and when you get off the station you will see the London Eye, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and the Westminster Abbey immediately. After this beautiful place you can walk to Trafalgar Square, it’s about a 15 minute walk and this street is called Whitehall. You walk along Downing Street and Horse Guards. If you walk from Trafalgar Square to the west you see Buckingham Palace, it’s about 15-20 minutes but you can make some stops at St. James Park or Green Park. If you have some energy left, you can walk from Green Park/Buckingham Palace to Piccadilly Circus.  

That’s it for now! Hope you like the tips! Read more about my experiences and favorite places in my next blog, which you can expect in a few days!