FIRST VIEW OF DOWNTOWN LONDON AT WESTMINSTER

I know my plane landed at Heathrow yesterday and the great fish and chips at The Kew Inn was a sign that I'd arrived in England, however, there has been no proof so far that we are anywhere close to London. Life in Kew seems to be slow, with little noise other than the planes flying over, and everyone seems to be going on with their own lives at their own pace... until we decide to get on "The Tube" and head to "London". 

In about 25 minutes, we get to the Westminster station, and almost magically, the Big Ben is chiming as we ascend the stairs:

Suddenly I feel the excitement rising inside me, in a way it always does when I see something I've seen in photos a hundred times before, but realize that I'm looking at the real thing. This is exactly how I remember London, and I must admit that it is absolutely amazing when your first glimpse of London is Big Ben welcoming you with four loud gongs as you raise your head and realize how beautiful the building is, especially when it is lit for the evening. If I were to plan anyone's arrival to London, I certainly would do it this way. - OK, now the mandatory explanation that the Big Ben is neither the clock nor the clock tower, it is the bell inside the tower... Once we get on the street, there is the river Thames, the London Eye, the iconic double-decker buses and they all seem to smile at me: "Welcome to London" - yes, I certainly am in London. 

Despite the cold and rain, the Westminster area is full of tourists, cameras, people posing, looking and pointing - just like I remember from 3.5 years ago. This has to be one of the things that make London London. Summer or winter, rain or shine, the city is FULL of tourists everywhere. But it is still pretty. 

We walk around and join the tourists, taking photographs, and pointing at beautiful buildings. As the darkness of the night sets in (yes, around 4:30pm) the monuments, buildings, and the beauty of the skyline intensify almost reintroducing a different side of London: a city with action and entertainment in the night. 

First we stumble upon a German Christmas Market on the Southbank, under the London Eye. I find that it is fun to run into multiple cultures in one day, as we walk through the market sniffing and sampling through German sausages and beer, Spanish churros, and pretty much everything else you can imagine at a big city Christmas Market. 

Then we walk back across the river and towards Trafalgar Square through hotels and other buildings. As we walk along, one can almost feel the laughter and the warmth coming out of pubs, cafes, and restaurants while people get ready for their evening or their week... 

Sherlock Holmes Pub in London

Garfunkel's Restaurant in London

It sure is fun to start a new week in London for me. Let's see what it will bring...