Friday, September 12, 2014

A Walk Through the City

Our first Saturday we were given the opportunity to walk through the financial district of downtown London.

I have three conclusions from it:
1. They save so much road space with double decker buses. Seriously, just think about it.
2. College means I can only afford to stare through the shop windows there and drool because #poor and the exchange rate is killer
3. The juxtaposition of this city is unreal.

Let's focus on number three, because it is what is draws me to this place (and Europe in general quite frankly).

Swiss Reinsurance Tower. Totally fangirled hard over seeing this building because I definitely studied it last year in my interior design class. Dreams come true in London folks. 
You can walk down essentially any street and see the most modern buildings and design, but right next to it is a church (or something) dating back hundreds to a thousand years ago. The contrast is insane. It's beautiful and amazing to see not only how far we've come as a society, but how much still remains of those who came before. It is incredible to think of what their life was like hundreds of years ago and realize they left us little clues. The streets of England were not built in the most logical way; there's no grid pattern, no 100 east 200 east etc that I am used to back home. Instead their streets are build right on top of the old ones. They just paved over the carriage tracks and kept the same names. The street names themselves further your view into their world because you will find "Wood Street," "Grocers' Hall Court," and "Cheapside" just to name a few. It isn't hard to guess what used to be found on the streets a couple hundred years ago.

King Street

Shout out to all the "Knight's Tale" fans out there

Again with the juxtaposition.

Minister Court. Wicked combination of Gothic and Modern architecture so again, I was swooning. 

Want a change in your life? Take a walk through London (and it's alleys).

Ancient jewish church with stunning new garden.

Lloyd's building; another fan favorite.
London is a city where you can see pieces of the past set next door to hints of the future.
London is a city where your imagination is free to go backwards or forwards, because here they are one in the same.
London is a city for anyone and anything and I am so happy I get to call it my home for this short time.

Love Always, Aimee

The Heart of the City; the Roman looking building on the left is the Royal Exchange so yes, there were lots of classy business men walking the streets. It was pretty sweet.

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