The Perfect Day in London!

Coming from the small town of Kona, Hawaii, going anywhere is a huge deal, especially when it’s out of the country. I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the vibrant city of London with my family over the summer. It was an experience I will never forget. My mother, father and I were always discovering something, whether it was sneaking an inside look at the BBC studios or watching the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace; wherever we were, there was always excitement. All of these activities require time, so if you have one day in London or not very much time there, you should definitely spend it as I did my first day there.

            When we arrived in London the first thing we accomplished was we walk across the London Bridge, and what a sight it was! It was 860 feet of brick that made I just stood there and looked up in awe. It truly is a stupendous site; the bridge was hundreds of years old. I could smell the sweet gelato and roasted nuts that the street vendors were selling. While walking across I could see the murky brown water and floating on top of the water are the gargantuan cargo boats.

            After we crossed the phenomenal London Bridge we took the tube, which is the underground transportation system, over to the Tower of London. When we stepped into the Tower of London, it was like stepping back in time, I could almost imagine the kings and queens holding their prisoners hostage in these dungeon that looked like it came out of a Harry Potter movie. The Tower of London is a historical castle on the north end of the River Tames in London. We took a tour of the Tower with a Beefeater, a guardian of the castle, as our tour guide. Our tour guide was fervent and had a plethora of knowledge about the tower. It was as if you were taking a history lesson, except you were actually at the site. This was a enlightening cultural experience that would interest any age. Another beautiful site is the Tower of London where the Crown Jewels were. The crown was a deep purple encrusted with diamonds, aquamarine and ruby pieces of jewelry. I can assure you, I will never find a wedding ring with that much bling!

            To finish off our perfect day in London we had afternoon tea at the Dorchester, a posh hotel in Park Lane, London. Right when we walked through the door, we were treated like the Royal Queen, being very pampered. Our waiter who was dressed in a suit that was very old fashioned pulled out your chair, pushed it back in for you and placed the napkin on your lap. We jumped into these decadent finger sandwiches filled with smoked salmon, egg, chicken, cream cheese, and cucumber. The crusted-removed white bread melted in your mouth and was absolutely heavenly. As if these divine sandwiches weren’t enough we then had savory scones with a strawberry jelly and cream cheese jams. Then our tea arrived, a British custom; I ordered the mint tea and it was so refreshing. Of course, I stuck my pinky out and drank it with class. After my tea, I thought our magnificent experience was over and our server brought out a platter of beautiful desserts. The mini desserts were ambrosial, filled with chocolates, jellies, and caramel. London opened my eyes to new cultures, people, and experiences that I will take with me forever.