Destination London

Alone in scorching Austral sun
My mind has wandered far away-
To a place where cathedrals pierce
Clouds which hover above the fray.
London, I’m yours.This sad excuse called ‘winter’
Is barely nipping at my toes.
No mischievous wind dances,
To arrange frost upon my clothes
London, I’m yours.

These sprawling, heat-flattened houses
Observe each occasional train.
Their bumbling ineptitude…
Oh, for the London tube again!
London, I’m yours.

Praise youth, I have time on my side;
To return, from exile ‘cross sea.
Stranded on the Great Southern Land,
Old London’s where I’d rather be.
London, I’m yours.

Perhaps the poetess Lauren Watkins sums up the majesty of London best. It has an irresistable charm and an allure inescapable.

Much of my formidable knowledge on the city was based on the musical “Oliver” where I imagined boys much my age running around pickpocketing and stealing apples all the while escaping the clutches of sketchy characters - beggar women, crippled men, bald barons, and snobbish madams. As I grew up the dinginess of the orphanage was replaced by the debonair ease of Hugh Grant and his boyish charm. He became my version of London with a Radiohead soundtrack playing in the background. I could stand it no longer and just before the turn of the millenium I hopped aboard a British Airways headed for the square mile.

It was summer and besides being unseasonably hot the August rains had already set in. I was vehement on not letting mother nature foil my plans. I had sites to see, food to taste, castles to make believe in, and I was determined to “bump” into Hugh Grant himself.

I must say London puts on a good show for the summer months. When the mercury does finally rise, out come the patio tables on Southbank, the open-air theatre in Regent’s Park, the questionable folks in Soho, and the deckchairs in Green Park. I honestly felt like I was walking through a Herman Pekel piece where the cement sidewalks glistened and the people walked casually by each other.

Between the culture, the food, the history, the art…there was simply too much to take in and I realized that within my first few hours. I decided to make a Top 5 list and stick to it. In seven days I was treated to a city like no other. Oh, and I never did find Hugh.

Top 5 Things For A Lad To Do In London

• The Great British Beer Festival at Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre held each August 7-11. Having grown in popularity in recent years there are lessons in beer tasting, live music, and hat day, which unlike the Ascot catwalk is a comic event showcasing homemade hats with a beer theme.
• Most of London’s museums are open to the public for free and there are plenty of them. I couldn’t miss the Natural History Museum and Museum of London for a thorough and creative display of local culture and history. Enjoying museums as I do I also checked out the Science Museum, Horniman Museum, Geffrye Museum and British Museum.
• So I obviously like art. I was sure to hit up the Tate Modern or see works by artists dating back from the 1500s in the Tate Britain. I chose the former. You can also take advantage of the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery in Trafalgar Square and White Cube, if you like.
• Call me disillusioned but I absolutely had to see the men in the fuzz hats as they rotated position like clockwork, ignored my remarks, and protected the palace. In fact, a trip to London would not be complete without witnessing the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Call it British institution.
• The London Eye really has to be included in a trip to London. So I included it. The 32 capsules carry around 10,000 visitors every day. Because of the way the capsules are suspended it allows for a full 360 degree-panorama when you’re at the top of the wheel.

And so my time was up. The days had passed and my pocket had grown lighter. As I walked to the tube on my way to the airport I did stop at a little gift shop where I found a small greeting card. It was empty on the cover but opened to reveal this Samuel Johnson quote, “By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.” Perhaps you too should see what the world has. Perhaps you should make your next destination London.

Coming to a city near you,





Drew is a blogger, community enthusiast, ecological evangelist, and coffee connoisseur. When not playing poker and dominoes with his colombian friends, he is blogging about life in Brooklyn.