London, Day 1

I'll probably go ahead and divide my adventure in London into a couple of different posts, by day I think. So, without further ado:

Day 1-

Actually, Day 1 started the night before when I made my way by bus to the Madrid airport. When you make 700 Euro a month and know that the city you're going to is super expensive, sleeping in airports is often the best option. Not only that, but trying to make a 7:30 plane is tricky when the metro doesn't open until  5:00 or so. The Madrid airport is not one for creature comforts, but if you get past security (I got in at 23:00, and they were still open) there are  a number of benches, some with four chairs between the arm rests! I got about 4 hours sleep. I think I'm becoming quite good at this. You need a sweater, a fluffy jacket, a glasses case (I do anyway), and something to lay your head on (I recommend your bag if possible). Also, ear phones. Ear phones are great. Especially when someone is snoring like a bear (but I'll get to that later).

I arrived in London at about 10:30, Gatwick Airport, and took a train from there to Victoria Train Station. It was such a relief to hear English again! And especially British English. This was the first time I noticed the stark contrasts between Spain and England. The train was rather crowded, and an older gentleman had to make his way up and down it several times. "Pardon me, excuse me, so sorry." It was almost a caricature. I realized though that it was pretty similar to the US, and the opposite from Spain. In Spain, you don't have to apologize for slightly bumping into people, you just do it. I also realized I've gotten used to the Spanish system. I was 'rude' a couple times on my trip, and I imagine that's kind of how it will be when I get back to the States. But more on that later, I'm sure.

I started out by making my way to my hostel. It was fine place, although I've decided that a must have for me from now on is a locker in every room. Anyway, by the time I managed to get through customs it was already 13:00, so I went straight away to a Sherlock Holmes tour with a company called London Walks. I highly recommend this company. It's only 7 pound if you're a student (with a card) and the guides are really knowledgeable. It was also a great way to see various parts of London. We went down all these little back alleys, and the guide pointed out all these things that you'd normally just walk right by. For example, the lamps behind St. Paul's are original, working, gas lamps! It was a very interesting walk, and I posted a bunch of pictures and a mini tour on my Facebook page.

One quick note on getting around in London- don't buy individual tube tickets. You can get one day ticket, regions 1-6, for about 9 pounds. And you'll be able to get your money's worth, easy. You can also get an Oyster Card, but I did the day pass and it worked out just fine.

After the tour, the guide mentioned that we were just around the corner from the only surviving Benjamin Franklin house in the world. He lived in London for 15 years trying to negotiate peace with England, and he loved London. There's no furniture in the house, but all the rooms and sconces and what not are all original. It was really neat to walk where he once walked. Another interesting aspect of the house is that when they were cleaning it up, they found a massive grave in the basement. Was Franklin involved in something shady? 

Actually, the owner of the house was a Doctor, and ran a sort of surgery school. But in order for his students to practice, they needed cadavers. This was illegal then.  They could only obtain the bodies of convicted criminals, which were not enough for all the medical schools, so instead they contracted these guys called 'resurrection men' who would dig up graves and steal bodies. Funny enough, it wasn't illegal. The only thing that would be illegal would be to steal their possessions.  

After the house I went to King's Cross  to check out the shops, most importantly the Harry Potter 9 3/4 doorway. One of the coolest things about London are the main train stations. Some are completely new, but some are a mix of new and old buildings, shops that have been in use since Victorian times. Finally, after eating some dinner, I went back to the hostel and passed out.