"No more dreary spectacle can be found on this earth than the whole of the awful East…the colour of life is grey and drab. Everything is helpless, hopeless, unrelieved and dirty…and the rain, when it falls, is more like grease than water from heaven. The very cobblestones are scummed with grease.”
Jack London.
We had a dream run through Customs at Heathrow, and my bag had prioity at baggage, so we were down the ramp towards the London Underground. Just keep following the signs to the Piccadilly Line, the blue line, and at the machines on the left you can buy an Oyster Card using a credit card. We loaded 25 pounds on the card, which is a 'Touch and Go" type Travel Card used on the public transport system in London. It is the easiest way to get around in London and the cheapest. The trip from the airport to East London cost 5 Pounds. Changing at Kings Cross Station it was two stops to Old Street Station and Shoreditch.
Shoreditch “ the leading criminal quarter of London, and indeed of all England” said Charles Booth – the home of the pickpocket, or ‘dip’, and gangs of shoplifters or ‘hoisters’. It is now one of London’s coolest neighbourhoods, and a centre for creative industries and nightlife. Reminds me a little of the suburb of Newtown in Sydney.
A short walk later we were at our accomodation a two bedroom apartment that we had booked through Airbnb, which is a way of obtaining rental accomodation online. Basically, people rent out their properties, and even spare rooms for short term stays. You can read visitors reviews, and select the accomodation that works best for you. It's usually half the price of staying at a hotel or motel. Our landlady had coffee and treats waiting for us on arrival. The best thing about Airbnb is the local knowledge you obtain from the owners of the best restaurants and places to go in the area. I think you get a better sense of how the locals live.
Airbnb link - Airbnb UK
Ironically, many of the good cafes are run by Australians in Shoreditch, like the Shoreditch Grind near Old Street Station. London's Universitys are close, so there is a young vibe. We had lunch at The Grocery Kitchen, an organic food store and restaurant as recommended. There's a wide variety of restaurants from Vietnamese to Indian, and uber cool clubs and pubs.
The Tate Modern is one of the top ten attractions in London. It's across The Thames, on the Southern side of the city, and the best station to get off at is London Bridge. Other attractions nearby are Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the London Dungeon, Francis Drake's ship - The Golden Hind, and further down river is the London Eye. The Tate Modern is easy to find; just follow the river towards that building that looks like an old power generation plant, because that's what it was, but don't let appearances fool you, for inside is some of the World's best artist's work.
There's Pablo Picasso (above). There are many interesting pieces, like Dan Flavin's (see below).
Entry is free, but you are encouraged to make a small donation, a small price to pay to see Picasso, Monet, Richter, Dan Flavin, and other great artists. I recommend the cafe on Level 6 for a fine view (when it's not raining) across the Thames to the city.
I guess I have to talk about London's weather, which is patchy at best. I guess this holds for most of Northern Europe as well. Basically, you have to be prepared for anything when you step outside. So, you'll need to carry an umbrella, rain coat, warm coat, maybe even a wool hat, scarf, and gloves depending on the time of year. The rain stops and starts, so you have to be quick with the umbrella. Now, I made the rookie mistake of wearing my old Van's canvass shoes, and I ended up with cold wet feet all day, which kind of sucked. Yes, get yourself some good leather shoes or boots, or anything that keeps the water out. Think layers of clothing. I carried a Down jacket that can roll up quite small, a light weight rainjacket, mini umbrella, gloves, and had a wool cap and Thermal T shirt in my daypack as a last ditch reserve.
Late afternoon, and we are battling the effects of Jet Lag, but we keep moving. It's fatal to stop on the first day, or you'll fall asleep. We went shopping at Tesco's, that must be the biggest chain of supermarkets in the UK.. A little stroll around Shoreditch, and then we finally collapse around 9pm and sleep like the dead.
Our first day after a long haul flight from Australia and we survived, barely.
Airbnb link - Airbnb UK
Ironically, many of the good cafes are run by Australians in Shoreditch, like the Shoreditch Grind near Old Street Station. London's Universitys are close, so there is a young vibe. We had lunch at The Grocery Kitchen, an organic food store and restaurant as recommended. There's a wide variety of restaurants from Vietnamese to Indian, and uber cool clubs and pubs.
The Tate Modern is one of the top ten attractions in London. It's across The Thames, on the Southern side of the city, and the best station to get off at is London Bridge. Other attractions nearby are Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the London Dungeon, Francis Drake's ship - The Golden Hind, and further down river is the London Eye. The Tate Modern is easy to find; just follow the river towards that building that looks like an old power generation plant, because that's what it was, but don't let appearances fool you, for inside is some of the World's best artist's work.
There's Pablo Picasso (above). There are many interesting pieces, like Dan Flavin's (see below).
Entry is free, but you are encouraged to make a small donation, a small price to pay to see Picasso, Monet, Richter, Dan Flavin, and other great artists. I recommend the cafe on Level 6 for a fine view (when it's not raining) across the Thames to the city.
I guess I have to talk about London's weather, which is patchy at best. I guess this holds for most of Northern Europe as well. Basically, you have to be prepared for anything when you step outside. So, you'll need to carry an umbrella, rain coat, warm coat, maybe even a wool hat, scarf, and gloves depending on the time of year. The rain stops and starts, so you have to be quick with the umbrella. Now, I made the rookie mistake of wearing my old Van's canvass shoes, and I ended up with cold wet feet all day, which kind of sucked. Yes, get yourself some good leather shoes or boots, or anything that keeps the water out. Think layers of clothing. I carried a Down jacket that can roll up quite small, a light weight rainjacket, mini umbrella, gloves, and had a wool cap and Thermal T shirt in my daypack as a last ditch reserve.
Late afternoon, and we are battling the effects of Jet Lag, but we keep moving. It's fatal to stop on the first day, or you'll fall asleep. We went shopping at Tesco's, that must be the biggest chain of supermarkets in the UK.. A little stroll around Shoreditch, and then we finally collapse around 9pm and sleep like the dead.
Our first day after a long haul flight from Australia and we survived, barely.
