From people thinking we were Irishwomen to riding the Tube to ice dancing celebrities, we’ll give a run down of some interesting things that did and did not happen to us, along with some general tips for navigating London.
Are We Secretly Irish?
We’ve never been to Ireland. The only Irish accents we’re familiar with are those we’ve heard on TV and in movies. Even still, we thought we had a pretty good idea of what Irish people sounded like, and that it was in no way like us.
We are from Georgia and most definitely have southern accents. Anytime we venture out of the Southern US, people always ask if we are from Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, etc. But never have they thought we were not from the South and never ever have they thought we were not Americans. Until we went to London.
We were innocently perusing a museum when two older gentlemen standing nearby called out to us. “Were we Irish?” one asked. Umm… what? was the initial reaction. “No”, we told them. “We’re Americans.”
We wrote it off as a fluke. One person thought we were Irish. So what? But then… sometime later on our trip someone else asked us the same thing. So it made us wonder…do some southern accents really sound like Irish accents?
In our minds, Irish people all sound alike. But really, that isn’t true. Much like with America, people who live in different areas sound different. But it had never occurred to us that our accents could resemble accents from other parts of the world. And it wasn’t until years later that we really understood it. We were watching America’s Next Top Model, British Invasion. There was one contestant from Ireland that, when she spoke, often sounded like she had a southern accent. It was very strange, but also eye opening. Everything clicked into place. Maybe some Irish folks do sound like us and vice versa!
Mallory- On a somewhat related note, a waitress in Vancouver last year thought I was British. Like, she was 100% convinced. She was ready to argue with me about it when I told her I was American.
Also, on our recent trip to Italy, our tour guide told us that if she hadn’t known we were Americans, she would have thought we were from another part of Europe…like Ireland or England.
Celebrating St Patty’s with a Serial Killer
Whilst we were in England, St. Patrick’s Day rolled around. A lot of people in our group (pretty much everyone) decided to go out drinking. Although, they did that every night so it really w
asn’t anything new. We, however, decided to do something a little different.
We went on a Jack the Ripper Tour. The tour took us to several locations where known Ripper murders occurred. It also discussed the theories about who did it and why. The tour was excellent and our tour guide, Steve, did a phenomenal job. What better way to spend St. Patty’s Day?
Also on the plus side, while everyone else was on the verge of puking the next morning on the train, we were totally fine and having a good laugh at their expense.
My Word is My Mother !@#$% Bond
On our last night in London, we did something potentially unsafe. We went to the movies very late at night. Why is this unsafe? Because the Tube closes at midnight and we didn’t fancy paying for a ride (since we were cheapskates), so we walked back to our hotel. It’s not that it was super far, maybe a mile or two, but we passed many a dark alleyway. And once we left Leicester Square, there were no people. It didn’t help that we had just gone on a tour detailing gruesome murders committed by a serial killer. The good news is that nothing happened. We made it back in one piece, all the time wondering how our fellow travelers had made it back drunk every single night of the trip.
But why did we decide to go to the movies, you ask? On one of our many Tube rides, we’d seen a movie poster for I Love You, Phillip Morris starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. We were intrigued. More so when we found out it was not playing in the US. It turned out to be quite the…interesting…movie. Not very good by any means, but it had its moments. To this day, we only know one other person who has ever seen this movie.
That Time We Didn’t Meet Jennifer Aniston or Robert Pattinson
While we were at the movie theater (The Vue), one of the employees informed us that Jennifer Aniston had been there for a movie premiere like a week before. We were quite sad we’d missed that, but we hadn’t been in London at the time so what can you do. However…
Robert Pattinson has never been either of our favorite celebrity, but in 2010 he was pretty dang popular. One morning as we were getting dressed, we had the news on. They began to talk about R-Patz, but Courtney changed the channel, not thinking much about it. The next day, as we were riding along, a newspaper article caught our attention. There had been a movie premiere the previous night in London for Remember Me at a theater not too far from where we were staying. We’d had a chance to at least see Robert Pattinson in real life and missed it! Also, we missed the chance to stand outside of a movie premiere while celebrities walked the red carpet…
Oh well. That’s life.
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
Celebrity ice skating wasn’t necessarily something we ever expected to watch. Dancing celebrities, sure. But ice skating? Not really. That is until we were in London with only 6 channels on our hotel room TV. We discovered Dancing on Ice one night and were hooked. We had to watch it every night! They did try to bring a skating with the stars show to America, but it did not do very well.
Salsa Dancing Queens
Our professor really wanted to go salsa dancing. Why? We’re not totally sure. But our group set off one night in search of a salsa bar. As we were walking along the street, he somehow managed to find a couple who had a friend that owned a place (how fortuitous). So we followed these strangers to what we think was actually called Salsa Bar. And, since they knew the owners, we got in for really cheap. We have no idea how we got there or how to get back, but salsa dancing is fun.
Like with most dancing establishments, you have to watch out for creeps. There were a few older men who kept hitting on us and wanting to dance. And dancing is fine, but staring at us for an hour and then asking for our numbers when we are about to leave is not.
Overall, we had a great time dancing, mostly with our professor. Despite having to fend off unwanted attention, it was a highlight of the trip.
Walk the Mall-way Like a Runway
When you hear that the biggest mall in Europe is nearby, you can’t not check it out. Westfield Mall, at the time, fit this bill. It was HUGE. They had a digital interactive map, which, at the time, was really cool. It also had very high end stores and the food court had several fancy restaurants. We were very impressed. Compared to the malls we had been to up until this point, it was magnificent. The day we went, there happened to be a fashion show. We got to watch the show and the ensuing auction, wondering if any of the models were famous.
After the show, there was a mini concert with an artist namedĀ Jessie J. Who was this girl? we wondered. Oh, just some British singer (who we actually thought was named Jesse James until years later). Little did we know she would come onto the scene in America and we could say we saw her when. It’s not everyday you happen upon a surprise fashion show and concert.
So, after reading what all we had to say about London, are you thinking of taking a trip? If so, here are a few other things to note…
There is No Ice, Ice, Baby
We’re used to having ice in our drinks. Quite a lot of ice. So we were not impressed by the lack of ice at every single place we ate. Now, it should be stated that we drink water almost everywhere we go. And perhaps that had something to do with it. But even when we asked for ice, we got maybe two small cubes. And if you don’t ask, forget it.
Also, as might be the case for several countries (Italy for sure), when asking for water, always ask for tap or still water unless you want to be presented with sparkling. Personally, we both detest sparkling water. So we had to get used to drinking luke-warm water from a tiny glass.
Mind the Gap, Please
If you need to get around in London, your best bet is going to be riding the Tube. It is basically an underground (sometimes overground) train like the subway in New York or MARTA in Atlanta. Upon first glance, it can look very confusing, but anyone can figure it out given a little time. It’s just a good idea to plan ahead. When you are in the Tube stations, check to see if there are any line or station closures. When we were there, there were several stations and lines that would be closed on various days at various times, so we needed to allow for that and plan around them. We took pictures of the signs showing any closures so we could review it in the hotel at night and plan our trips for the
Ā next day. We made it just fine, so we have faith that you can too.
One thing to note; however, is that when they say mind the gap, they mean it. There is quite a large gap between the platform and the train and if you are not careful, you might get your foot caught in it. Also, do not think the train doors will open if you are standing in them. They will not. They will simply close on you and the train will proceed with you partially inside. When we were leaving one station, we literally had to shove a girl in our group inside the doors because she got her arm stuck. When those doors start to close, you better be in or out. We were used to the MARTA trains whose doors sense if someone is too close and will not close. Do not expect this with the Tube.
Also fun, they sell Tube socks at most souvenir shops.
Need to Pee? Make Sure to Have Change.
Public Restrooms cost money in London. This was a shock for us because we’d never experienced such craziness. They are charging us to pee? We were appalled. Nowadays, it is not such a shocking concept (they also do this in Italy). Most of the time, you can pee for free at any restaurant or attraction you visit (as long as you buy something). But, if you do have to use a public restroom, don’t worry. It doesn’t cost much. Just a few coins. Just make sure to carry at least a little bit of change with you at all times.
Our London adventure was our first international trip and the longest either of us had ever been away from home. It had its ups and downs, but overall it was an amazing trip. And we definitely have some memories that will last a lifetime (some of which we did not share to protect fellow travelers).
If the opportunity to take a trip like this arises in your life, jump on it. Get out and see the world. You won’t regret it.
Our McTravels 