Things I have learned Part 2

11.  London is amazing! So many sights to see, and beautiful buildings!

            But the air quality is still poor, with exhaust and smoke everywhere.  I was a little nervous about staying in such a big city for so long, but it’s actually great!  There is so much to see and do, and it’s all at my fingertips! 

22.     The tube is easy to navigate and use.

            Get an oyster card and use the public transportation here.  The oyster card is a card you can load money on and use to get around the city, deducting money for every ride.  Cheaper and faster than individual tickets, so definitely worth everyone’s time.  It’s also so easy to navigate around.  The map is comprehensible and concise, even if it is not entirely to scale.  If you have to get to someplace quick, it’s the easiest thing to use. 

33.    Walking is also a great way to get around here.

            It’s quite something when you just stumble upon Buckingham Palace, or St. Paul’s Cathedral while just wandering around.  Taking a path around the river will get you to a lot of the biggest sights.  But if you wanted to be somewhere quieter, take some of the back paths around the city.  There is some amazing architecture hidden around the every corner. 

44.   Everything is more expensive here.

            From food to merchandise, London can really be expensive, especially for student travelers.  Look for non-expensive sandwich shops, and chain restaurants can be a good resource for a quick, cheap meal. Not all chains here have terrible food either! 

            Luckily, there are some things that are cheaper.  The theater here is much less expensive than in the States.  Especially with student discounts, tickets can be anywhere from 20-40 pounds for really decent seats.  I personally am going to see Aladdin and Phantom of the Opera, and each ticket was under 50 pounds, and I am not even in the nosebleed section. 

55.    I really love London.

A lot!