The National History Museum, London

HIYA. So, that's probably going to be the last London post for a while :(. In April, some girls from my college class came to London and I took the train into London, slept at theirs, and went back to Bristol on Sunday because I had school on Monday. Sadly, the holidays in the UK don't match the ones in Switzerland most of the time. 

This time, I went by train. I just wanted to try it once - it is more expensive than going by coach but it only takes 1h45 instead of 3h, plus it's so much fun! I payed about £30 for each of the journeys - Bristol to Paddington and back - (tube and bus pass for London included though), but I didn't take an open return, which would have been have the price. Now I know. 

Bristol Temple Meads Station is beautiful!! 

Paddington

I've developed a bit of an obsession with train stations here. Maybe it's because I never really use the train at home except for going into Zurich, which takes about 16 minutes but the stations here are all so much more beautiful and old, which also makes them more inconvenient.. but oh well.

First, we went to Camden town to visit the Camden markets, which started in 1973 :D. 

Lovely place!

I saw on time out offers that there were celebrations at Trafalgar Square for the Saint George's Day, so we went there. Massive amounts of people.

In the evening, we went out for tea and then went to the cinema:) Spring Breakers. I quite liked it but some others were a bit... shocked. Afterwards, we went back to their youth hostel , which was really comfortable. I was a bit worried at first as it was the weekend right after Margaret Thatcher's funeral. The service was at St. Paul's Cathedral and there was loads of coverage of 'celebrations' on the news the whole time. I know there was some rioting going on in Easton, Bristol as well, and there was loads in London. When I got there, it was all finished though.

On Sunday we went to the National History Museum. Finally! I've wanted to go for such a long time. I keep passing it when I get into the city by coach and when I was younger and came here with my family, I noticed it a couple of times. I was always a bit intimidated by the enormous queues but it actually doesn't take long at all to get in. And it's completely free!! The weather was lovely too:).

strange escalator

and a lovely building

Then, one of my friends and I were done earlier, so we went to the 'Sensational Butterflies' exhibition right outside the museum:). That part isn't free, it costs 4.50 but I reckon it's worth it. It was lovely!!

Then we had some ice cream and I had to catch the train home. 

xxx

Tired of London, Tired of Life

"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
— Samuel Johnson
just change that to 'person' or something more .. neutral.



Hello again. My last post is really long already so I'll continue here. The next time I went to London, I met up with a friend from my college class back home, who is doing an exchange year (well, half a year) in Bournemouth.

We went to Victoria's Secret (New Bond Street 111.. sad that I know that by heart.) Reeeeally posh place!

I don't want to always ask people to take pictures but selfies don't come out right either:P

China Town!!:D

I really want these!

Tube fun;) 

 In the afternoon we went to see 'Potted Potter' at the Garrick Theatre near Leicester Square. I've always wanted to go see something that is advertised when using the escalators for the tube, and I made it:D.

I randomly came across it on the web some time and told my friend about it. I read that the show did a world tour and just came back from Broadway .. plus I'll do anything Potter related anyway. The show used to be around £22 but I found it on Time Out Offers for 15 quid each, so we got them. It was quite good - really funny - although it wasn't a big production whatsoever. There were only two actors, a coffin, a closet and loads of soft toys.. but it worked:).

xxx

LONDON and CARDIFF (CAERDYDD)

HIYA. 

I've been travelling quite a lot in the last two months, especially to London.. 3 times. I flipping love it! London has been my favourite city since 2007, when I first went with my family (The year of the bombings, which everyone seems to remember quite vividly. Even my friends could tell me which year that happened as I wasn't sure, and they usually aren't the best with dates..). I also went to Cardiff (Caerdydd, the capital of Whales if you don't know (I sure didn't;)))with one of the girls from my school last half term. It's only about 4 quid each from Bristol by megabus. Pretty good. We only went shopping, sadly, because all of the museums and castles are rather expensive, apparently. I do want to go back and visit them though. Oh, and Cardiff is also the filming area for Doctor Who - a British telly programme. I've never actually seen a full episode, it creeps me out a bit but it is also hard to follow the story when you just watch it randomly. It's been on for about 50 years and my host brother says it used to be better.. 

Here are some random pictures..:)

I love Welsh though. Makes me feel at home because the people 

pronounce their 'sorry' reeeaally strongly, just like us Swiss folk;). And their English accent is amazing! 

We always watch Welsh weather forecast as it includes the West too..

And in the same holidays I also went to London to meet two of my Swiss friends of my old high school class. It was lovely. One of them hadn't been to London before so we went tot all the touristy places. My other friend, however, has been doing an exchange year in London, well, half a year, so she knows the city quite well. She also explained the tube system to me a bit, which I now understand much better. I've  always wanted to understand that!! I still have a tube app though, which helps  a lot - Tube Map.

I went early in the morning by train. I arrived at about 8 o'clock, which is far too blooming early
as most shops open at 9.30.. lazy British people.

LOVE those houses!!

Once I met up with my friends we went to the National History Museum, which I've never gone to before (it's free!). To be honest, I didn't particularly like most of the art in there but the architecture is beautiful (you're not supposed to take pictures though.;)).

A bit of Van Gogh. It has been brought  to Amsterdam now. I asked last time I went:/

I see this everytime I go to London (as it is outside the M&Ms shop;)) and I still don't know what it is actually about. You definitely do not feel that 'lasting friendship' ;). 

The M&Ms shop is on 1 Swiss Court!!

 I absolutely love spending time in London:). It's becoming an almost normal every-day thing by now, which is awesome..

Thanks to my parents for letting me spend far too much blooming money and see you later xx