It is not a secret to those who know me that all over England - London specifically is one of my favorite travel spots. I love everything from their “accents”, to the history, to the scenery all around, the feel of the attitude, to most of the culture in London. Normally I love to go somewhere new every time I travel but London is one place I want to go back to again and again. I don’t know why and I can’t really explain it but I feel a part of me belongs there.

I had wanted to visit London most of my life. I was always working to go and I just couldn’t get everything to work out. It was one emergency after another. 2013 was one my worst years of my life and I struggled through it. After quite literally suffering through, I decided in early 2014 that would be the year we would go finally. It was really calling to me and I just couldn’t let everything else decide when I could go anymore. I needed it.

I began planning in February of 2014, after the last piece of 2013 fell, I was propelled into planning. I planned as much of England as I could fit in but I threw in Iceland, Edinburgh, and Paris into our itinerary just for as much of a culture shock as I could possible send myself in 10 days. I mapped everything in London and timed it all so that I could get it all in in the time we were there. Things I had to see and do. The London Eye, Tower of London, The Globe, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, a hop on/hop off bus tour, Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square, Circus St. Paul’s and so much more. I got the London Pass to help us with some of that.

I planned for us to leave London and go to Bath and Windsor Castle for a day during the trip because both are a fairly short train ride from London. Bath was very cool and is a place where you can browse Roman artifacts as well as soak in hot springs. It’s a very laid-back feeling town. We spent most of that day there. We got to Windsor close to close and had to rush it quite a bit, unfortunately. Still super amazing to tour that castle because I absolutely love castles.

Back to London: we walked the entire city. We were there at the end of April. It was a bit chilly and cloudy most days but I don’t mind that one bit. London definitely has a pretty grim and dark past so touring places like Tower of London under the darker sky and clouds felt all too poetic. As you walk the grounds where everything from celebrations to beheadings and punishment, and many other things that happened all within those walls that have existed since the 12th century, as well as museums of armor, jewels, and items belonging to the royal families through the centuries, you can’t help but feel a big mix of feelings and it’s so hard to not spend hours in each section. There is so much to study and take in. Pace yourself.

Touring the Globe Theater has been a long-time dream of mine since I was a young actress-in-study. Shakespeare was a major fascination of mine. Even though the original Globe is no longer around, the replica they built gives you a great sense of what it was like for the audience back then as well as the actors. I didn’t get to catch a show there but touring it struck a giddy cord for me.

St Paul’s Cathedral was a must see for me as well. I love old churches wherever I go, but this one was special to me. The old St. Paul’s was gutted in the fire but the new one was rebuilt in 1697. It’s 365 feet high. You can climb to pretty much the top to look out over London. For many years it was the tallest building in London until 1967. It was where Prince Charles and Princess Di got married. Princess Di was such an idol of mine that I just wanted to see it. I have acrophobia but decided I really wanted to climb to the top balcony. As you walk up the narrow, winding staircase with steep steps that are as old as the church, you actually feel the change in altitude. I felt my stomach sink as I escalated. We got to the first level we could get off on, and vertigo set in for me. I felt slightly dizzy and the acrophobia was unlike anything I had felt at that point. My legs felt weak. I pushed on and kept climbing to the top. We stopped at each level we could along the way but by the time we got to the top balcony, I was grasping the railings as tightly as I could. I attempted to go out on to the very tiny balcony which already had people standing on it and everyone had to maneuver around each other carefully to get by because of the lack of room on the balcony. I stepped outside and had to go back inside because the vertigo was so strong at that point. I gladly climbed back down but this cathedral is a must see on your stop to London because it is beautiful inside and offers amazing views outside.

As you walk the streets of London, you will see ruins of buildings that once were, tucked away restaurants and even museums that don’t make the top recommended things to do lists, and much more than you expect to see. We mostly walked and occasionally took transit or cabs. We ended one night on the London Eye at sunset and were up there after dark. That is the time I highly recommend doing that if you are going to. It was beautiful to see London at night. We also ended one night walking around Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square and got stuck watching a really good street magician for quite a while. I might have been high off of fulfilling a long-time dream of mine, but I could not get enough. There is always plenty to do and you shouldn’t find yourself getting bored in or around London. It has a little something for almost everyone. Pretty much everything you see in London has a history associated with it. You may think you are taking a picture of something cool but later find out it’s a memorial for someone from the past, or a tribute to something the city went through. It’s almost impossible to memorize every monument in London but if something really strikes you, look it up online and I am sure you will find a very fascinating story about why it is there, or what it used to be.

Until we meet again, London, I will keep you secure in my happy memories.

Trivia: -Around Easter, McDonald’s in London usually has Cadbury McFlurries that are delicious. -Ravens are kept at the Tower of London because it was believed that if the Ravens ever left, London would fall. -Big Ben is the name of the bell, not the clocktower. -Tower Bridge is commonly called London Bridge but it is not the London Bridge. -Cleopatra’s Needle is actually a 19th century time capsule. -The Beatles only place they shared together was near Hyde Park in London, and their last show was on the roof of Apple Corps which is now an Abercrombie and Fitch store. -Jimi Hendrix’s last public performance was also in London at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in 1970. -More than 1,000 bodies are buried underneath Aldgate station in a plague pit from the 1600s.- London Busses are not always red. -They used to be color coordinated for different routes. -All Hallows by the Tower, which is near Tower Hill and is also the oldest church in the city dates back to 675 and the undercroft has Roman Pavement which dates back to the 2nd century A.D. -Black-cab drivers must pass the Knowledge which is a very difficult geography test and it can take two to four years to fully learn. -Harrods sold cocaine until 1916. -Henry VIII’s wine cellar is located under the Ministry of Defence’s Main Building in Whitehall. -Hyde park also has a pet cemetery.

Packing List: Comfortable walking shoes, Jackets most of the year, Pound Sterling, Type G power adapter, London Pass to get in to as many places as possible quicker

Do: Stay in the city because outside of the city will not always be convenient after hours, Walk as much as you can, Be aware of your surroundings at all times but don’t be scared or obvious, Round to the nearest pound when you do tip, Know your rights around photography in the UK anywhere if you plan on taking pictures. They have laws around taking pictures of public buildings and you may get questioned but stay on public ground when taking pictures and be respectful of privacy, The London Eye at sunset into night time to see London at night, Study maps before going and try to have a good idea where you’d like to eat as well, Book things early online, Try to avoid the tube during rush hour to allow citizens to get to and from work, Look for apps like mytaxi before going, Use the black cabs (cabs tend to be cheaper when used with an app in London than Uber), Try to get everywhere early because many things are not open very late and queues can be very long, Check schedules to all of the places you want to see online before showing up as some of them may not be available on certain days, Avoid holidays if possible

Don’t: Litter, Photograph the Crown Jewels or the Westminster Abbey, Clog areas while looking at maps or taking pictures, Bad mouth the Royal Family, Feed the pigeons in Trafalgar Square

All photos were taken by Heather Snodgrass. Some are completely unedited and raw. I wish I had the camera I have now back then, especially for my night shots.

St. Paul’s Cathedral dome across Millennium Bridge

City of London from St. Paul’s Cathedral

Millennium Bridge and London from St. Paul’s Cathedral

The Building of London from St. Paul’s Cathedral

Tower Bridge which is commonly and incorrectly referred to as London Bridge

Big Ben (although Big Ben is the bell and not the clocktower) and the London Eye

Tower Bridge from inside the walls of the Tower of London

Tower of London and other buildings in London

Beautiful parks and gardens are found throughout London

The front of our hotel just looked so perfect with the cab and the clock tower together

I have a picture of Cleopatra’s Needle too but it might’ve been lost in my moving of pictures since this trip

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