Nine hours in London.

The last leg of my trip was also my shortest.  I had a twelve, no, make that a nine hour layover in London (I missed the earlier flight, whoops).  So I really had to make the most of it.

Charlotte made me an itinerary that fit perfectly into my day.  I started in Knotting Hill (A), looking at rows and rows of identical doors and some super awesome shoes that were all five pounds (unfortunately they didn’t have my size but I certainly tried).

Then, hopping on the first of many buses, I made my way to the British Museum (B) to check out the breathtaking foyer and the actual Rosetta Stone.  It was also nice to take a break from the London drizzle.  I ate lunch on the steps and watched school kids chase pigeons.

Next stop was St. Paul’s Cathedral and it was magnificent (C).  I met an Indian business man and we chatted lazily about what sites there were to see.

I crossed the Millennium Bridge-breathtaking and so iconic-to the Tate Modern (D).  It’s a huge, stark space and I got a quick look of some of the permanent collection.  There were a lot of familiar artists (hello Picasso!) but the sky was clearing up and I wanted to spend as much time outside as possible before my next twelve hour flight.  So I headed up river to the London Bridge (E) and London Tower (F).

Then another bus to Piccadilly Circus (the most tourists I saw all day, it felt like Times Square, G) and then to Westminster and Big Ben–my last glimpses of London before I had to get back on the tube for my flight (H).

London was brilliant.  I went down the tube steps at Westminster with a heavy heart.  I would have loved to stay longer, meet up with friends, do some shopping, visit different neighborhoods, watch a rugby game at a pub.  But another time.