Getting to Know London
Public transport in London is absolutely amazing, yet I find myself walking everywhere all the time. It’s not even about saving money, it’s just about a general feeling of ease and the discovery of hidden gems made possible only by walking around London. When Shannon and I did our two-month backpacking trip in Europe, we dedicated four days to this lovely city. During that time, we saw a lot because we walked pretty much everywhere.
June 2015
The bus ride from Inverness to London was supposed to take twelve hours, but due to traffic, it took fourteen. Our forty-five-minute stopover in Edinburgh ended up being twenty, leaving us little time to use the toilets and grab something to eat.
Shannon made it back to the bus with our food as it was loading. I sighed in relief, thinking we were golden, but little did we know there was a rule about hot food on buses in the UK as the smell can prove quite bothersome.
We scarfed our food down like ravenous wolves devouring a carcass and made it aboard with two minutes to spare. The cramped spaces, long overnight trip, and stress of the journey left us utterly exhausted.
Searching for LAMDA
After dropping our luggage at the hostel, for it was far too early to check-in, we went in search of my school and coffee.
I was accepted into a semester classical acting program at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and was moving to London in a few short months.
LAMDA wasn’t too far from the hostel but it was exceedingly difficult to find, due to dead batteries and a lack of GPS. There were only a few people out and about and none of them had ever heard of LAMDA, which led to minor anxiety on my part.
What if the school didn’t exist? What if I had wired an obscene amount of tuition money to a school that didn’t exist? I, of course, knew these thoughts were absolute rubbish, having gone through an interview and audition process with the school as well as virtually meeting a few of my classmates.
Eventually, we did find it, coincidentally as they were starting a tour. Almost every other person on the tour was a prospective student and the guide was pleasantly surprised when I mentioned I was already accepted to attend classes that autumn.
It was definitely a theater school. There is a particular aroma associated with theater. It’s a combination of unfettered ambition, disappointed tears, determined sweat, and the chalky facades that lead to complete transformation.
We got to see some of the classrooms, the common room, and the lunch area. However, a large portion of the school was undergoing construction and wouldn’t be reopened until late 2016.
After the tour, we returned to our hostel to check-in, relax, and wash our clothes.
Parks and Palaces of London
Smelling fresh and feeling refreshed, the next morning joined a free walking tour of the city. It began at the Green Park tube stop, which was only an hour and a half walking distance from the hostel. So, we did what any sane person would do before a half-day walking tour and walked there. ~Sarcasm intended~
The sun was out, and the journey took us through Hyde Park. Grandfather trees reached their bouquets of leaves up towards the pale blue skies, while joggers weaved through the crowds, their eyes focused on something beyond our perception.
Dale led our tour group through Green Park as he dictated its history. Long ago a queen, whose name I can’t recall, caught her husband picking flowers for another woman. In retaliation, she ordered all the flower beds ripped up and forbade the planting of anything colorful. To this day there are no flowers anywhere in the park.
We lingered at the edge of Buckingham Palace long enough to watch the changing of the guards. A sea of heads stretched out in every direction, awaiting the soldiers in their tall fluffy hats and red coats. Once they marched by followed by mounted cavalry clad in golden helmets, Dale quickly ushered us away from the chaos of the departing crowds.
Our next stop was St. James Palace. Dale told us it was built by Henry VIII, selecting people from the crowd to act out the affair. Shannon was selected to fill the role of Henry’s first wife, who he controversially divorced when she failed to provide him with a male heir. I ended up being Jane, his third wife. I succeeded in providing him with a son, only to perish tragically in childbirth.
The short rhyme to remember the fate of Henry’s six wives is:
Divorced, beheaded, died
Divorced, beheaded, survived
Death of a Soldier
Shannon and I chatted with our mutual husband Henry, whose real name turned out to be Jackson, as we walked to Leicester Square. This lavish region of London was populated with private clubs for the wealthy gentlemen of society.
Next, we visited Trafalgar Square which was closer to the theatrical region of London, known for movie premiers and high-quality theatre. Both squares were decorated with statues of mounted soldiers and historical figures.
Across the globe—except the US because they just want all the statues to look cool—when a soldier is on horseback, the position of the hooves indicates how the person died. All four on the ground signifies a death that was unrelated to battle. One hoof raised indicates he died of his wounds. Two lifted hooves, or a rearing horse, means he died in battle.
Embracing London
We passed by the Ministry of Defense and came to a large grassy area known as Parliament Square. Along the edges of the square were the statues of notable peacemakers including Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela—the only person who was alive to see the unveiling of his statue.
Big Ben hugged the House of Parliament, overlooking both the river and the garden of statues. On the opposite side of the plaza, Westminster Abbey rose with pride. I had never been on to like cities, but there was something about London that was quickly stealing my heart.
A few days later, we returned to the square on our way to the London Eye. As we walked along the banks of the river, we watched street performers proudly displaying their talent from the tiny sections of the sidewalk that had claimed for themselves.
A light breeze drifted through the rafters of the trees that bordered the path. Our feet found their way to The Globe theater, which unbeknownst to me would become a favorite spot during my months at LAMDA. Shannon and I didn’t get to go inside but simply standing outside was satisfaction enough.
