November | 2015 | Krystle Aunger

Last week we were in London checking out all the things we couldn’t pack into our fly-by visit six months ago. Interestingly, this time, for the first time, I didn’t feel like a foreigner in London. I attribute this to having spent such a length of time in the UK; going from Edinburgh to London felt akin to a trip from Adelaide to Melbourne, where things are the same but different and just a bit weird. Instead of wandering around London with wonder, I actually found myself critiquing the city and comparing it with its Scottish counterpart.

In the crypt of All Hallows-by-the-Tower I found a drawing of old London town long before high-rise buildings were part of the scene. London’s skyline looked like a network of 5 story terrace buildings with church spires protruding all over the city, with St Paul’s Cathedral standing dominant. London a century ago reminded me of Edinburgh today, and I have to admit I lost my heart to Edinburgh a while ago.

Today’s London was a massive hit with our appetite for culture, history and sights. We shopped markets – Camden, Brick Lane and Southbank Centre, we climbed monuments – London Bridge and the Monument, we saw musical theatre – The Book of Mormon and Matilda the Musical, we visited galleries and museums – Courtauld Institute of Art, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Modern, Serpentine Galleries, British Library, Royal Botanic Gardens, Design Museum, V&A Museum, Science Museum, Royal Observatory Greenwich, Benjamin Franklin House, HMS Belfast, Churchill War Rooms Museum Cutty Sark and the London Transport Museum, we took a cruise on the Thames and toured Westminster Palace, we even paid to look through a cemetery, plus we went bowling, twice!

This trip to London marks the beginning of a 4-month bout of travel. As of 29 October we have no fixed address. A Spaceship (camper van) is our new home for the next three weeks whilst we drive Scotland, England, Wales and Irelands! Then we’re onto the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Germany, Czech Republic and back to Edinburgh for Christmas and New Year before heading to Italy in 2016 followed by a few unconfirmed countries. It’s going to be an adventurous 4-months!