London Through My Eyes

Overwhelming is perhaps the only word to describe my first glimpse of London that I got from some hundred feet above the land, courtesy the vantage British Airways seat. A misty fog had engulfed the city and lent it a dreamy look while the myriad twinkling lights tempered it with the right amount of life and zest.

After arriving at the swanky Heathrow airport (which has so many connecting gates and terminals that could easily confound a new comer), I made my way to the exit after passing through several elevators, stairs, lifts, and a tube!

(Various Terminals inside the airport)

(Shops and FIDs inside the airport)

An icy cold wind hit me as soon as I got out on the road, and the temperature would have been close to five degrees. A few days ago there was a heavy snowfall in London and it looked like its after-effects still continued. I shivered in my boots as the cab lollopped all its way to Guildford, another beautiful town. Apparently, this place derived its name (Guild) from the golden flowers that grew on the river banks. I saw tiny cottages lined up on the roads with thatched roofs and wooden stockades. Vast stretches of farms and gardens also dotted the landscape alongside. It looked like a scene straight from the romantic novels set in the early 19th century. And guess what, I saw the posters of one of my all-time favorite "Pride and Prejudice" splashed all over Surrey. It evidently remains the most loved novel/play in UK.

(Posters adversting the "Pride and Prejudice" play)

(Dream houses in Guildford)

The hotel room in Holiday Inn where I was to stay for the next seven days looked exactly like it did in the pictures, with tastefully done interiors and rich luster paints.

(An Exterior View of Holiday Inn)

(A Fireplace Corner inside the hotel)

(A View outside my hotel room)

(My Room Interiors)

Quickly delving into the menu list, I decided to order an item cleverly called “oodles of noodles” that I thought would be a heapful of food for me to tuck into. However, it turned out to be a measly bowl of noodles and veggies.

(Cup Of Woes: Oodles of Noodles)

So with a half empty stomach, I nevertheless went into a deep slumber to dream of a better morning meal. In the morning, I traipsed down to the restaurant to see some delectable food items stacked up neatly in a corner. I had rustic breads, baked beans, soup, fresh farm butter and also a variety of fresh fruits plucked from the farms nearby.

(Breakfast at Holiday Inn!)

Later in the day, I visited my Avaya office in Guildford to attend a training and met some of the people there who had come from places as far as Egypt and Belgium. Some of us made plans to visit London in the evening. At around five, when darkness had begun to set in, we embarked on the journey to the famed city. We hopped into the train from Guildford and alighted at the Waterloo station after an hour.

(Inside the Train to Waterloo)

(A Busy Waterloo Station)

This station resembles our own Victoria terminus and buzzes with sounds of similar frenzied activities. My paraphernalia of overcoat, gloves, and shawl proved inadequate to brave the cold storm that started blowing as soon as we stepped outside. As we walked our way out, we spotted the London eye (celebrating its 10th anniversary). It was offering free rides to people till a couple of hours ago. We missed the royal ride but saw the colorfully lit up giant wheel set against an evening backdrop.

On the other side stood Big Ben that chimed in with its architectural glory along with the Houses of Parliament (Westminster Abbey). Its shadow could be seen on the clear waters of the Thames river. It was a rare sight to descry this blend of the world’s most amazing forms on the rippling stream below. We had a peek at the House of Lords and House of Commons with its Victorian undertones and Gothic structures. The buildings of Whitehall and Downing Street towered the spaces around us.

Apparently these palatial structures were built after a fire had destroyed the erstwhile royal palaces that had been the primary residence of the Kings of England. Now it serves as a Parliament house. We passed by the Royal Courts of Justice and Victoria Tower Gardens on the south of the palace.

We walked the entire stretch till we reached Trafalgar square and realized it was better we mount a bus than continue on our foot journey.

(Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and its reflection seen on River Thames)

(Statue of Oliver Cromwell outside Palace Westminster)
(A view Opposite the House of Lords)

(Thames Lion Statue Opposite Big Ben)

We inserted coins into a machine that punched us the tickets to tour the city. A double decker bus arrived a couple of minutes later and we climbed up to the top eyrie to see some more gorgeous glimpses of the city. We got down at Piccadily Circus that swarmed with shops and advertisements. One of the best shops to visit during the festive season is Lily Whites that houses all the popular sports brands and sells them at dirt cheap rates. Almost all the shops were selling off their wares with 70-80% discounts.

We walked around the Oxford street which had discotheques, shops, pubs, theatres, saloons, et al packed in like sardines. An amazing thing about London is that it wedges together the modern and the old; gothic structures dovetails beautifully with high-rise buildings while a church at one end of the city draws in the same amount of people as a riverside bar. The city also is a melting pot of diverse cultures, with a rag tag group of people from different countries and origins that do not come together to explode but rather live and thrive in harmony.

(Inside the bus)

(Neon Ad Board at Picaddily Circus)

The London roads though narrow are squeaky clean and so are the bus/rail stations. There is a camera installed inside all the transport systems that monitors the movements of the travelers. The shop attendants carry a walkie-talkie to communicate with each other, while security guards station themselves outside every small or huge shop on the streets.

A whirldwind tour of the city ended at midnight for us but gave us something to cherish and take small memory rides over for a lifetime.

I was lucky to see a snowfall the next day in Guildford followed by rains the day after. It was almost as if life had ordained sweet surprises for me in small packages to uncover each day.

(Snowfall outside Avaya - clicked through a glass window)

(Rainy day in Guildford - 1)

(Rainy day in Guildford - 2)

I realized that just as many inquisitive questions are asked about the life in London by people living outside it, the same amount of curiosity is held by the city dwellers about India and its culture. The most popular cuisine in the Avaya office was an Indian one, and people thronged in queues for a serving of basmati rice, dal tadka, lamb curry and onion pakoda. The popular serials/shows in UK explore the life and activities in India with much fervor. One such telefilm called “Gordon’s Great Escape” on Sky channel showed how Gordon Mackay, a famed anchor cum food critic travels the length and breadth of India to relish the Indian flavors of sambar, karimeen, and dosas.

Believe me or not, a poppadum and mango chutney enjoy the status of a standalone menu item unlike its counterpart in India.

(Popaddum and Chutney)

(Gordon's show)

People love the quaint accent of an Indian and even feature them on the popular cartoon shows such as the Simpsons.

Six days and a night later, I am back in my own country carrying a bagful of amazing experiences. Through my blog, I wish to thank all the people who made this trip possible and my journey memorable.