This seems like a handy website, as I'm not sure how reliable internet map services will work outside the US. It will be good for budgeting the costs of the various fares and tickets for travel, anyhow.
You might consider seeing a play or some standup. I imagine that they have a good scene for that type of thing.
If you like old time science stuff, I've heard the Royal Observatory in Greenwich is great! Also if you want a fun, easy-to-get-to and non-touristy thing to do in London, try the Camden markets, I think they are busiest on Sundays. Walk along the Thames. Really close to The Globe is one of the oldest pubs, called The Anchor. Amazing history. There are also ghost tours around London I'm sure, you could look into that! The British Museum and Science Museum are both free, so not too shabby.
You can easily take a day-trip to Stonehenge if you have a bit more money. As to getting out of town, you can even more readily take a bus or train to Oxford or Cambridge. Both cities get a lot of hype, but they are beautiful and fairly low-key. There's the pub where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis would hang out (The Eagle and Child in Oxford) or the pub where Watson and Crick first discussed DNA (The Eagle in Cambridge).
Windsor Castle is quite close to London, and another decent day-trip. Windsor was a lovely little city! You could also go down south to Brighton if you want to be on the ocean, the walk along the beach and the pier were picture-perfect when I was there.
Good luck and enjoy!
So I'm waiting for my flight. Thank god for rooted phones and tethering. I'm still coming up with a plan when I get to London. I'm thinking of renting one of those mobile hot-spots. I have wifi at the hotel, well see how that works out.
So my flight from canada to england was canceled, and I spent the night up here in the Great White North. You Canadians are a friendly lot. The free wifi in the airport is nice too.
Warning to international travallers going through Canada though. Check your roaming yo! I can se how people can rack up a $20,000 phone bill. Once I get to the UK that shouldn't be an issue as I don't have a GSM phone.
Also, it is as I feared. UK does not like when you have a non-chipped credit/debit card. (99% of cards in the US) You can get refillable cash cards with the chip, but I went through a non-international terminal in the states when I went through Canada and didn't offer the service. Once in Canada, they only give the chipped cards to Canadians. Just a heads up for travallers
You still don't have chipped cards in the US? They became the standard here in... 2004? 2005? A long ol' time ago.
American banks won't do chipped cards because its too expensive. Also you have mercents who will not buy the equipment because there's no point if no one has the cards. The only way we are going to get them is through a government mandate, and that will create a political shitstorm not worth the hassle when our cards work fine without the chips.
In other news.
I'm in Ilford. I pass the crown-looking stadium thing everyday when I go to Liverpool Street. That location has been my nexus, here I decide where to go for the day. So far I've visited Douglas Adams grave (there is a QR code on the backside!) I saw the tower bridge and that really tacky set of Olympic rings hanging from it. I visited the HMS Belfast. As an ex-navy guy, that was a lovely boat. I wish more warships live out a retirement like that.
Saw the science museum and the history museum and now my legs are wanting to fall off my body. I'm also pretty positive I've lost weight as I had to buy a belt for my new pants. Had a round of drinks at an Irish pub here in Ilford. I was thinking of going to Hyde park, but it seems that it was taken over by the IOC.
Today I'm going to Westminster Abby to visit Issac Newton. If anyone has any other ideas or if anyone here in London wants to have a quick meet-up ill be watching the thread.
Oh and my phone doesn't work here (I knew this would happen as I have a CDMA phone. I don't have a SIM card.) However, wifi works and you can't get free wifi almost anywhere.)
Final thing. As soon as I arrive in London, I hear about the shooting from Wisconsin. That happened a few miles from where I Live. Way to make international news Milwaukee!
Yesterday I decided to play touist. I went to Westminster Abby and saw Newton and Charles Darwin (along with Shakespeare's memorial. So my "famous dead smart people tour" includes Ike, Chuck, Bill, and Doug. I then went on the London eye, and visited the aquarium. I got lots and lots and lots of picture of the clock tower and Parliament. Ill be uploading these soon.
Today I'm going to do a comparitive geographical analysis of Jack the Ripper's crime scenes. I then might visit Paddington station to try and find the cute bear.
Today I'm off to whitchapel to solve the mysterious whitchapel murders I'm afraid the evidence might be a little old, but I'm gonna CSI it all up ins.
Touring by yourself is like watching a really long documentary that makes you legs hurt. Only I'm the director, so stopping for commercials is as easy as sitting down.
Posts
You might consider seeing a play or some standup. I imagine that they have a good scene for that type of thing.
You can easily take a day-trip to Stonehenge if you have a bit more money. As to getting out of town, you can even more readily take a bus or train to Oxford or Cambridge. Both cities get a lot of hype, but they are beautiful and fairly low-key. There's the pub where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis would hang out (The Eagle and Child in Oxford) or the pub where Watson and Crick first discussed DNA (The Eagle in Cambridge).
Windsor Castle is quite close to London, and another decent day-trip. Windsor was a lovely little city! You could also go down south to Brighton if you want to be on the ocean, the walk along the beach and the pier were picture-perfect when I was there.
Good luck and enjoy!
Warning to international travallers going through Canada though. Check your roaming yo! I can se how people can rack up a $20,000 phone bill. Once I get to the UK that shouldn't be an issue as I don't have a GSM phone.
Also, it is as I feared. UK does not like when you have a non-chipped credit/debit card. (99% of cards in the US) You can get refillable cash cards with the chip, but I went through a non-international terminal in the states when I went through Canada and didn't offer the service. Once in Canada, they only give the chipped cards to Canadians. Just a heads up for travallers
American banks won't do chipped cards because its too expensive. Also you have mercents who will not buy the equipment because there's no point if no one has the cards. The only way we are going to get them is through a government mandate, and that will create a political shitstorm not worth the hassle when our cards work fine without the chips.
In other news.
I'm in Ilford. I pass the crown-looking stadium thing everyday when I go to Liverpool Street. That location has been my nexus, here I decide where to go for the day. So far I've visited Douglas Adams grave (there is a QR code on the backside!) I saw the tower bridge and that really tacky set of Olympic rings hanging from it. I visited the HMS Belfast. As an ex-navy guy, that was a lovely boat. I wish more warships live out a retirement like that.
Saw the science museum and the history museum and now my legs are wanting to fall off my body. I'm also pretty positive I've lost weight as I had to buy a belt for my new pants. Had a round of drinks at an Irish pub here in Ilford. I was thinking of going to Hyde park, but it seems that it was taken over by the IOC.
Today I'm going to Westminster Abby to visit Issac Newton. If anyone has any other ideas or if anyone here in London wants to have a quick meet-up ill be watching the thread.
Oh and my phone doesn't work here (I knew this would happen as I have a CDMA phone. I don't have a SIM card.) However, wifi works and you can't get free wifi almost anywhere.)
Final thing. As soon as I arrive in London, I hear about the shooting from Wisconsin. That happened a few miles from where I Live. Way to make international news Milwaukee!
https://picasaweb.google.com/118414546438418942236/LondonTrip
https://picasaweb.google.com/118414546438418942236/LondonTripDay2
What were people drinking in Ilford? Anything different?
Today I'm going to do a comparitive geographical analysis of Jack the Ripper's crime scenes. I then might visit Paddington station to try and find the cute bear.
https://picasaweb.google.com/118414546438418942236/LondonTripDay3
Today I'm off to whitchapel to solve the mysterious whitchapel murders I'm afraid the evidence might be a little old, but I'm gonna CSI it all up ins.
Touring by yourself is like watching a really long documentary that makes you legs hurt. Only I'm the director, so stopping for commercials is as easy as sitting down.