Capital: London … 66,040,000 People … 242,495 km²
The Country
Known for their royal family, love of football, and global presence for hundreds of years, the United Kingdom has a vast economic and cultural history. With great cultural icons like Shakespeare and The Beatles, the United Kingdom has provided the world with great pieces of literature, music, and most of the sports we enjoy today. The United Kingdom stretched around the world, at one point in time controlling 25% of earths landmass; with over 53 commonwealth countries (including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada), British influence has undoubtedly changed the world in numerous aspects.
Fun Facts:
There is no point in the United Kingdom more than 120km away from the sea.
Big Ben is not actually the clock, but it is the name of the bell in the clock tower.
French was the official language of the country for over 300 years.
My Experience
Going to the United Kingdom in 2014 was my first experience leaving North America; this trip was part of a program in high school to experience drama and art, so during my week there we saw Phantom of The Opera, The Book of Mormon, The 39 Steps, Wicked, and my favourite musical, Les Miserables. I was able to experience a new but familiar culture, but I also became acquainted with a new experience that I knew I would be feeling again: jet lag.
When we arrived in London, we met two other high school groups that would be joining us. The students were from Texas and Tennessee, and it was the first time abroad for many of them as well. We checked into our hotel, and then took the tube to Trafalgar Square. We then explored the area around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square before getting some bangers and mash and heading back to our hotel.
Our hotel was not technically in London, but rather in the town of Wembley. We did some driving around Wembley before going back to London. This was the day of typical tourist activities: walking through Hyde Park, visiting Westminster Abbey & Big Ben, going up the London Eye, and going to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard. We also went to the Tate Modern Museum of Art, and crossed the Millennium Bridge to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral. That evening we saw our first West-End show, Wicked, and then concluded the day. Since we were in high school, there was a “boys” floor and a “girls” floor in the hotel. We found a way to send notes through the floors, adding a healthy amount of flirting to our trip.
The next day began with us visiting the Natural History Museum with a pitstop at Harrods department store. We also visited the Royal Opera House, an extremely large theatre with ornate decorations everywhere. We were given a tour back stage, which of course included a few ghost stories from our host. We spent the next few hours wandering the streets of London before going to our next show, The Book of Mormon. I seriously can’t recall a time where I’ve laughed more during a performance, and I have seen the show 4 times since. That night we had a prank war with the girls from Tennessee, and the boys absolutely won.
The next morning we made our way to Camden Town, specifically the Camden Town market. After my friend spent, without exaggeration, 45 minutes bartering for a custom fitted top hat, we went to the neighbourhood of Notting Hill to have some fish and chips (seemed like a mandatory experience since we were in London, right?). For dinner that night we had some more bangers and mash, and the group from Tennessee made us a sign saying “Canadians, we love y’all". Absolutely heartwarming, we then went to watch the 39 Steps.
The next day was another typical tourist day, taking us to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre which was destroyed in 1612, but rebuilt in 1997. We also crossed the Tower Bridge over the River Thames, which led us to explore the medieval torture rooms of the Tower of London. For dinner that night we had, you guessed it, bangers and mash (but also some mozzarella sticks and roast beef this time for some variety). That night we saw the Phantom of The Opera, continued our prank war with the girls, and snuck out to try British McDonalds. Probably the biggest point of culture shock was seeing a “Chicken Legend” on the menu, something that absolutely took me by surprise (I was much younger, did I assume that McDonalds had the same menu items around the world? 100% yes).
The next day we took a train to Stratford Upon Avon, to see the birthplace and final resting place of William Shakespeare. This medieval market town was calm, relaxing, and the first place in the U.K where I was called a “bloody wanker” by a young boy. Again, being young and not knowing about other cultures, I did not know what that meant but I knew it sounded disgusting. Apart from that, walking down the River Avon and entering the Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried was a solemn experience. The entire town was quiet and peaceful, unlike downtown London. That night we did NOT have bangers and mash (hallelujah), but instead had hummus and falafel. Possibly saving the best for last, our final West-End show was Les Miserables. After the show we concluded our prank war with the girls, packed our things, and the next morning returned to Canada. Although I have had numerous layovers in London since, my first experience leaving North America was one of the most fun experiences I have ever had, and will always remember it as the trip that gave me the travel bug.
Photos of The United Kingdom