If you study any of the great explorers throughout history, from Marco Polo all the way up to Neil Armstrong, you may notice that they all have one thing in common: not one of them had a clue what they were getting themselves into. Sure, they may have all had a vague idea of what their destination was like, and a sense of how to get there, but not one of them knew exactly what “Point B” would have in store. To them, the foreign obstacles and unknown beauties they would face were quite literally unfathomable. It’s that exact admiration and yearning for the unknown that defines the spirit of adventure. After all, if you travel knowing exactly what your destination is, how you’ll get there, and what you’ll do while you’re there and exactly when, then you aren’t on an adventure, you’re on an errand.
Make no mistake, taking a trip to London doesn’t make you the next great pioneer. Fortunately, it doesn’t take a trip to the moon to feel what they felt. All it takes is a willingness and preparedness to wander, that is, to travel without any definite goal, to navigate according only to your own will, and to abandon all expectations. Willingness depends on you but judging by your reading this book and even entertaining the idea of traveling to London, the odds are that it’s already in you. Preparedness, on the other hand, can be slightly trickier. At the end of the day, as long as you have a good pair of walking shoes, a topped-up Oyster card, and a spare hour or two to really become familiar with the Tube map, every last inch (er...centimeter) of London is yours to explore! You’ll never be more than a few blocks away from the nearest entrance to the famed London Underground, so if worse comes to worst and you really don’t know where you are (an experience I strongly encourage), simply keep your eyes peeled for the sign with the big red circle which indicates a station. There’s a lifetime of exploration to be done in London, but remember: Big Ben and Buckingham may make for good pictures to send home, but the soul of London lives in the pop-up side street markets, in the five-table cafes and corner pubs, in the thousands of miniature monuments that never ask for the attention of tourists, and in everything never mentioned in any “top 10 must see spots in London” Facebook article. So, by all means, turn down whichever alley suits your fancy, admire the paintings on the streets like you would those in the National Gallery, grab a cup of tea from that empty cafe, and for your own sake, get lost.
0 Comments
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |