Group of 50 guys, we landed at Heathrow in the afternoon of 6th August 2006. We were taken away to Lewisham by coach. A part of London in the southeast, where we were separated to go to our host families.
7th August 2006
The next morning we started the one-week-long course of Business English. While free in the afternoon during this week I started to explore and discover beauties of London. I love wandering alone in an unknown city! In this way I can enjoy all aspects of the city, both good and bad.
The first problem was to orientate myself in the public transport of London, which is quite different to one of Madrid. The first day I wanted to go to Hyde Park, then I had to go by train from Lewisham to London Bridge and there I had to change twice for the Tube. That day some of the signs were not clear for me but now it is better.
Finally, I was in Hyde Park. I walked around the Park, I saw the Serpentine Lake with boats, amounts of water birds, several squirrels, some of them climbing up people for food, and also two hares. There were also the Serpentine Gallery and the Albert Memorial, in one part of the park, and the opposite of the Kensington Road was Royal Albert Hall.
The next to Hyde Park, there are Kensington Gardens with Kensington Palace. Then I left the parks and wandered around Kensington. Finally, I went home.
8th August 2006
The next afternoon I went again to London Bridge by train, where I started my stroll along the South Bank of the river Thames, in the area of Southwark. I saw the Globe, the theatre of Shakespeare, the Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge, which is only for pedestrians, as far as Westminster Bridge. Near which is the London Eye. There was a very large queue to look around the city from the height of 135 metres. Then I crossed the Westminster Bridge to the famous Houses of Parliament, with its Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey.
9th August 2006
That day I had an interview for the job related to the grant, therefore I could not continue my visit to the city.
10th August 2006
That afternoon our group had programmed a trip by boat along the Thames from Greenwich to Westminster. It was wonderful, in spite of the bad weather. It was cold, cloudy, windy and sometimes rainy. We took beautiful pictures of The City, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, South Bank and North Bank, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, again.
11th August 2006
The last school day, I went to Charing Cross by train to explore the area of St. James’s and Soho. At last I knew the famous Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, Oxford Street, and so on. Then I walked around streets and parks at random without looking my map. In this way I discovered for example, the Downing Street. I had wondered if it was a normal street like others and if people and cars were passing along this famous street, in front of the residence of the British Prime Minister. But no, I found out that it was closed to public. Later, walking around the St. James’s Park and the Mall I came to Buckingham Palace.
12th August 2006
In the morning I decided to go to the National Gallery, in Trafalgar Square, because the weather was not very good and it looked like it might rain. The pictures were really beautiful! After some hours I left the gallery for a lunch and in that moment it started to rain. When it stopped I wandered around the street of Whitehall and Westminster. I walked along Victoria Street up to Westminster Cathedral. I would like to climb up its tower someday.
13th August 2006
My birthday, early morning it was raining but I wanted to make use of the last free day. I decided to go to the British Museum in Bloomsbury, this was perfect as I was in an enclosed area away from the rain. It was wonderful! So many interesting things! In the afternoon I went to Hampstead, to visit my Spanish friend.
14th August 2006
I had a busy day. I started work and I had no time to visit other place apart from the place of my work, Discount City Hotels in Croydon. In the evening our group of grant had a meeting to speak about impressions of the first day in the work and about our host families.
15th August 2006
The second day of work, a little bit calmer because I could pass the evening at home chatting with my family and answer the messages of my friends.
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