London

Yesterday, I read the London Guide in order to make the most of my day. I made the list of the museums with free admissions. My original plan was to buy a weekly London Pass, but as I did some research, I realized that most museums had free admissions and that I only needed a one-day pass. This is why it is always important to plan the day beforehand in order to save both time and money.

Thus, today, I took the Jubilee line from Waterloo Station to Green Park, and then changed to the Piccadilly line to head to South Kensington station. From this station, various museums are walking distance. I started with the Victoria and Albert Museum.

This museum is filled with different kinds of arts: objects, sculptures, clothing, paintings and has even a history of money currencies. My favorite part was the Asian Japanese exhibition of samurai cultures. I could see several kinds of armors and weaponry, as well have an insight of the Japanese culture in general.

Afterwards, I crossed the Exhibition Road to go to the Natural History Museum. What I was most impressed with is the escalator that goes through some sort of metal round planet, filled with strange colors; as well as the different rocks from outer space displayed around the escalator. The museum also offers the discovery of the skeletons of some old sea and terrestrial creatures that disappeared hundreds of thousands of years ago.

When I was done, I hurried to the science museum. As most museums close quite early, I had to keep a strict visiting schedule in order to maximize my time. It did include a lot of running. The science museum offered a wide display of technological machines, from old times to the modern time. It also has some educational games for children, especially regarding biology. I will admit that I tried all of these games and found them quite fun.

I attempted to cross the city of London to St Paul's station and go to the Museum of London, but I arrived as it started to close so I could not visit it. I went instead to the Barbican centre, but did not find it very interesting. There is, nevertheless, a nice terrace where people can eat and meet up with friends. I particularly enjoyed the fountain in the middle. As I still had time in my day, I went back to near the museums; I took the Central Line from St. Paul to Holborn, then the Piccadilly line to Hyde Park Corner station. While running from train to the next, I stopped at a shop in one of the train stations to enjoy a delicious chicken samosa, which gave me the energy to keep going on my touristy adventures. I visited both Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. This is what I absolutely loved about London: its parks! Not only are they free, but they are also numerous, wide and absolutely beautiful. There isn't a flower, a sculpture, or a fountain that did not took my breath away.

Somewhere between the two parks, on Kensington Road, I saw the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Albert Memorial. The Memorial is particularly beautiful to look at when the sun is starting to set.

I eventually went back near the London Eye, where I ate a Chicken Sandwich at Le Pain Quotidien. I bought the One Day London Pass on my way home and spent the evening planning and optimizing my next day.