London

When in Manchester, you must go to London, otherwise, you have surely wasted your time in England! Which is why it was the perfect place for me to meet up with my friend Rebecca, another Cornelian studying abroad in Rome. And of course, the New York City of England was nothing short of amazing. In fact, both me and Becca could agree that London seemed more palatable to us compared to the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple.

As many young college students, or 20 somethings who have little money to spend on fancy hotels, so we opted for a hostel that was in a nice location, walking distance from all the main attractions. We stayed at Safestay London Elephant and Castle, a youth hostel close to the Elephant and Castle tube station and a nice 20 minute walk from Big Ben, Hyde Park and the London Eye. However, don’t bother with 4 pound breakfast–it’s cold bread and watered down orange juice. Just get a nice English breakfast at cute brunch place, which there are plenty of!

First of all can I just say how many well-dressed attractive people there are in London? Piccadilly Square was rich with posh, powerful looking men in suits and ironed shirts and ties, complemented with sterling silver watches, very James Bond-esque–not to be too stereotypical. It was also interesting to enter different neighborhoods and see the wardrobe change. We began to see a lot more high-cut jeans and scarves, more youthful, but very stylish nonetheless.

Advice/Tips for Travelers:

– London Eye is always a must-see for anyone who wants a view of London in its entirety–and of course for those with an eye for photography to take some awesome photos of the city.

– Be prepared to spend a lot of money. London was an expensive trip in terms of eating out, and using the Tube. One thing I should have definitely looked into is a tube pass. The tube trips start to add up quickly and became costly. As young tourists, we didn’t create an itinerary or plan out a list of events or places and wanted to play by ear. We didn’t anticipate where in London we would explore, so getting a tube pass is a good way to just have a solid method of transportation for any spontaneous adventures throughout London.

-If you like watching drunk elderly people singing to piano music, then you will love dinner at Duke of Kendal on Connaught Street. It’s well priced food and a really nice ambiance!

– For all Sherlock Geeks, check out Baker St. and the Sherlock Museum (15 pounds). It is the London home of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. You can take pictures with the hour glass, hat and stove pipe, as well as the fancily dressed cop at the doorway!