After long hours in an airport, a plane, and a bus, my first moments out and about in the city of London were wonderful.

On our bus ride from Heathrow to our hotel on London’s east end, I got a good orientation of what everything was like, but I was itching to just get out and see the city from its sidewalks. Finally, after resting up, our whole group set out on a walk that led us around The City, London’s financial district, which led us to sights such as the Tower Bridge, a glimpse at the Tower of London (which we’ll visit soon), and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The City truly feels like a city. We were warned early on that traffic does not stop for pedestrians or have sympathy for jaywalkers, and saw that as we were out walking. One after the other, red double-decker buses were speeding down the narrow streets. Even still, people heading home from work talked on cell phones and crossed streets with little regard for traffic. It was a little odd to see so much hustle and bustle amidst the elegant buildings that surrounded the streets.

Although I enjoyed the walking, our group of jet-lagged and hungry college students then headed to The Minories, a pub where I had my first taste of English pie.  

Tomorrow we’ll head on one of the parts of the trip I’m most excited for — a tour of the BBC Broadcasting House.