That first day, we did hardly anything. We got off at the wrong tube stop, so we had a miserable walk to our hotel. We were lost, cranky, exhausted, and I was definitely hungry. Finally we found our hotel on a beautiful little residential street.
We checked into the Cleveland Hotel and were led to our room. It was quite big; definitely equivalent to any American hotels I've been in. There was a nice big bed, two separate tables with a lighted mirror over one. There was a kitchenette tucked into a closet with a microwave, sink and stove, with servingware included! There was another large closet with a safe, and a GORGEOUS bathroom with an amazing shower, a two-setting toilet, and a sink with medicine cabinet. I could have practically lived in this place...it's certainly nicer than my dorm room!
At the hotel we checked out British tv, tried to keep from sleeping, slept, and got fish and chips from a local place. Halal Restaurant on Queensway (if you're in the Notting Hill area) had a HUGE portion of fish and chips for L5.80. It was literally the length my arm from elbow to wrist, and about three times as thick. Share it, no joke.
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On Tuesday, we set out bright and early for our ride on the London Eye. We bought a peak-hour tube pass (bought around 9am, during rush hour) for L8 and set out to the riverside. We had already bought our tickets for the Eye in advance (there's a discount!) and we are students (even more of a discount!) so we grabbed some breakfast as a coffee shop to waste some time. I got a hot croissant for 50p and Mel got a coffee and croissant for a couple pounds. We rode the Eye for L17 each, and even though it's a total tourist trap, I really recommend it. It's a nice ride, and you get to see gorgeous views of the city. Avoid the 4D "Adventure", however, unless you have little kids. I'll spoil it for you: you watch a seagull fly around and they spray you in the face with water. Seriously. Avoid it.
We spent about five hours just wandering around after the Eye. We ate lunch at Panini Restaurant at 20 Buckinham Palace Road. They have breakfast until 1pm, and abso-freaking-lutely delicious paninis all around and mostly under L5. I got a meatball and cheese panini and Melanie got one with avocado, pesto, cheese and tomato. Definitely recommended!
We found Buckingham Palace between guard changes so it was wonderfully uncrowded. We got great pictures of the building and the gates, and even got a picture with a Matt Damon look-alike police officer who was in front of some open gates. I squealed like a seven year old princess when I saw cops on ponies EVERYWHERE. This area is gorgeous and covered in pretty parks, so you can always get your panini to-go and have a picnic. Trafalgar Square is great for pictures of gigantic lions and pretty fountains. There's an art gallery right behind it, which is a nice two-for-one bonus.
For dinner we went out to the Cleveland Arms pub. We got cheese toasties (grilled cheese, to us) and a gin and tonic for L5 total. I'd steer clear of most of the other food, it comes prepackaged and is heated in the microwaves down at the end of the bar. The toasties are made fresh and cooked in a toaster oven. They were absolutely overflowing with cheese, and delicious. I dipped mine in ketchup for some American Class (tm). Later that night, I had a cranberry juice and vodka for L3.75. This was definitely a local joint; the patrons were mostly businessmen home from work and old grandads in their usual stools. Some of the old guys had fun talking to Melanie and I, which was pretty hilarious. One guy at the end of the bar was giving our toasties the eye-- according to the barmaid, he had given up carbs on his wife's demand, and he sure wasn't happy about it. If you're looking for a rowdy party and a club atmosphere, this isn't it. However, if you're looking for the "I'm pretending to be a local" experience, the Cleveland Arms is perfect.
Our first official day in London was a roaring success. We flopped into bed exhausted, and woke up ready for more adventures.
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