Day 13 : Europe Tour (London, UK - Part 1)

Hari yang ke 13 aku berada di bumi London.

Pagi-pagi selepas breakfast di rumah M, kami semua bertolak ke London menaiki kereta M. Perjalanan mengambil masa sejam suku. Aku tengok kat Europe kebanyakan teksi dan kereta menggunakan GPS. M pun gunakan GPS untuk ke London. Yelah bukan semua celuk sudut di London ni semua orang tahu jalan.

Then, M parking his car kat Camden Town, sebuah kawasan di Kota London. Memang area ni tempat pelancong kerana kalau nak dapatkan t-shirt yang murah, souvenir yang murah...di sinilah tempatnya. Tapi ingat... kita kena pandai bargain ok!! Nanti aku tunjukkan gambar di kawasan ini next entry. Tempat ni lebih kurang macam Petaling Street.

After dah parking di sini dengan bayaran GBP12 sehingga jam 7 malam, kami berjalan kaki menuju ke underground di Camden Town Station. Terus terang aku bgtau, kat London ni memang aku tak buat apa-apa research seperti mana aku buat di Europe country lain. Aku harap 100% pada M untuk membawa kami berjalan. Aku just bgtau M, mana-mana tempat yang kami nak pergi. Aku hanya ikut aje dia. Dia naik tube , aku ikut. Dia naik bas, pun aku ikut. Kalau dia sesat, jawabnya aku pun sesat gak. Huhuhu!!!

Sebelum kami ke tube station, aku tukar duit dulu kat bank. Aku bawa banyak note GBP50. So, kena tukar duit kecil di bank. Banyak kedai yang tidak terima note GBP50 di London ni. Lagi satu aku terbawa note GBP20 versi lama. Nasib baik bank nak terima note lama tu. So, korang kalau nak tukar duit kat money changer di Malaysia ni make sure you dapat note baru tau. Hati-hati!!!

London Underground di sini memang lah complicated gak seperti di Paris. Kalaulah M takda, memang aku sesat wei!!! Aku pening tengok tube map kat sini. Memanglah 24 jam kena pegang tube map tu. Kami beli ticket dengan harga GBP5.60.

harga ticket GBP5.60

tube map yg complicated tul...

aku kat Camden Town, London Underground

begini lah keadaan di bawah tanah tu....

I'm here babe.....London Underground

Dengan menaiki London Underground, kami berhenti di Tower Hill Station untuk ke Tower of London dan Tower Bridge. Dua tempat ini bersebelahan aje. Ketika kami sampai ni tidaklah berapa ramai orang. Ada matahari dan sejuk berangin. Alhamdulillah tidak hujan pun.

Kali ni aku macam tak berapa sakan nak mengambil gambar sebab aku tak sihat lagi dalam keadaan batuk dan tonsil aku dah bengkak. Tengoklah muka aku masa ambil gambar ni..macam tak ceria aje. Pastu muka sudah mulai kering sangat dan kulit muka mula mengelupas. Bibir dah kering sangat. Aduhhh......tension betul aku. Aku dah pakai lotion dan lips gloss yg jenis liquid.

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower), is a historic fortress and scheduled monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames. It is located within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and is separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It is the oldest building used by the British government.[1]
The Tower of London is often identified with the White Tower, the original stark square fortress built by William the Conqueror[1] in 1078. However, the tower as a whole is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and moat.

The tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I). This last use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower" (meaning "imprisoned"). It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
Today the Tower of London is cared for by an independent charity, Historic Royal Palaces, which receives no funding from the Government or the Crown.

Tower of London

me @ Tower of London

Selang beberapa langkah kami dah nampak Tower Bridge. Satu lagi tempat yang aku impikan. Inilah salah satu mercu tanda di London. Jika anda ke London, kalau tidak singgah ke tempat ini, memang rugilah percutian anda. Aku cukup teruju bila dapat melihat Tower Bridge di depan mata aku sendiri.

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, which gives it its name.Name[›] It has become an iconic symbol of London.

The bridge consists of two towers which are tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways which are designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. Its present colour dates from 1977 when it was painted red, white and blue for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Originally it was painted a chocolate brown colour.

Tower Bridge is sometimes mistakenly referred to as London Bridge, which is actually the next bridge upstream.[2] A popular urban legend is that in 1968, Robert McCulloch, the purchaser of the old London Bridge that was later shipped to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, believed that he was in fact buying Tower Bridge. This was denied by McCulloch himself and has been debunked by Ivan Luckin, the seller of the bridge.

tower bridge

me @ Tower Bridge

I'm here babe...

jalan di sepanjang gi Tower Bridge

Masa nak naik ke Tower Bridge ni, sempat beli kacang yang digoreng salut gula hangus kat tepi jalan tu. Sedap betul. Harganya lupalah lebih kurang GBP2.50 macam tu. Aduhh aku ni dah ler sakit tekak, nak makan kacang lagi. Tapi memang sedaplah kacang ni. Masa lalu tu, bau kacang ni sungguh sedap gitu. Ramai gak yang membeli. Kat area ni memang ramai tourist. Masing-masing sibuk mengambil gambar di pelbagai angle yang menarik.

Kalau u all perasan , kat belah kiri Tower Bridge tu mcm tertutup sedikit sebab ada renovation. So, gambar yang kami ambil tu agak cacat sedikit. Sayang kan !!! Nak buat camna kan.

ini dia kacang yang bgtau tu......

adakah aku bermimpi berada di bawah Tower Bridge...???

Then, kami meneruskan perjalanan dengan menaiki bus ke Tower Hill Station semula. Kali ini kami berhenti di Victoria Station. Tempat ini agak happening dan sibuk sikit. Kalau nak cari B&B , di sini agak banyak pilihan juga. Kami kena berjalan kaki dalam 10 minit untuk ke Buckingham Palace. Memang tak sempat nak tengok upacara change of guard.

Sebelum sampai ke Buckingham Palace, kami masuk ke dalam kedai di masa pelbagai jenis royal product di jual di sini. Woooo..memang mahal. Aku hanya sempat berposing aje. Hehehe. Lupalah apa nama tempat ni.

aku merasa naik London bus yang merah tu...huhuhu

this is Victoria area......

nampak tak London taxi yang comel tu...unikkan...

kalau nak naik bus Hip On Hip Off...boleh amik kat sini

ni kedai yang royal product tu...

bus hip on hip off....

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch.[1] Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a rallying point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.

Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site which had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was subsequently acquired by George III in 1761[2] as a private residence for Queen Charlotte, and known as "The Queen's House". During the 19th century it was enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, forming three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East front which contains the well-known balcony on which the Royal Family traditionally congregate to greet crowds outside. However, the palace chapel was destroyed by a German bomb in World War II; the Queen's Gallery was built on the site and opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection.

Semasa di Buckingham Palace ni, agak ramai gak tourist. Masing-masing berebut nak ambil gambar mengikut angle yang paling cantik. Disebabkan banyak sangat berjalan masa ni, kaki aku dah mula sakit dan lenguh. Aduhhh. Memang betul lah apa yang M bgtau. Kat London lagi banyak kena jalan sebab tourist attraction bersepah-sepah sana sini.

Then, next destinasi ialah untuk mencari Hard Rock Cafe. Disebabkan tempat ini agak berdekatan dengan Buckingham Palace, kami amik keputusan untuk berjalan kaki sahaja. Sampaikan kami tersesat sebab M dah lupa kat mana HRC. Dia pakai GPS melalui handphone...pun tak jumpa gak. Padahal dia dah banyak kali sampai HRC ni. Hehehe...siap tanya orang camana nak gi HRC. Masa ni sejuk betul wooooohhhh. Sampai ke tulang sebab angin agak kuat juga.

I'm here babe @ London Public Phone....original hokayyy...bukan yg kat Genting tuuuuu...

London Public Cab

London Post Box....

Akhirnya kami sampai juga ke London Hard Rock Cafe. Terletak di Old Park Lane. Aku memang pengumpul HRC t-shirt, so aku wajib pergi mana-mana negara yang ada HRC. Wahh...HRC Shop kat sini memang besar dan t-shirt pun banyak choice. Aku beli 2 pasang t-shirt di sini...iaitu satu untuk aku dan lagi satu kiriman my sis in law, Alya.

Lama gak kami spent time di sini coz masing-masing sibuk membeli untuk koleksi diri sendiri dan kiriman orang. Memang puashatilah akhirnya aku ada London HRC t-shirt..huhuhu.

I'm here babe @ London HRC

Destinasi seterusnya kami ke Harrods pula. Naik tube dan berhenti di Station Knightsbridge. Di samping tu memang nak gi Zara butik gak. Kebetulan pulak memang bersebelahan dengan Harrods...pusat membeli belah mewah di London. Masa ni dah mula gelap. Kami kena beredar awal ke Camden Town untuk ambil kereta sebelum jam 7 malam.

Fuhh...shopping kat sini memang giler lah. Syurga membeli belah. Tapi sebab aku mcm dah penat, aku hanya sempat membeli baju baby untuk 2 orang anak buah aku yang bakal lahir. Aku beli t-shirt baby kat Zara butik. Murah sikit berbanding di Brussels. This area memang happening lah...ramai orang.

Kat Harrods aku hanya window shopping...hmmm mahal lah. Tak mampu aku nak membeli. Lagipun aku tak habis jalan di sini. Dah kelam kabut nak balik dah.

I'm here babe @ London Harrods

Then lagi sejam nak ke jam 7 malam, kami pun beredar dari situ dan terus ke Camden Town Station semula. Sampai di sini, terus shopping souvenir pulak. Banyak choice di sini dan kena pandai pilih kedai mana yang bagi harga murah. Setiap kedai memberi harga yang berlainan. Satu lagi kena pandai tawar menawar.

Kat sini juga aku borong London t-shirt untuk my brothers, my sis in-laws, my nephews and my cousins. Semua t-shirt tu ada tulis London word. Memang aku borong t-shirt banyak di sini. Memang kedai t-shirt sini style Petaling Street. Kena pandai bargain tau. Aku perasan yang meniaga di sini kebanyakannya foreigner....not local tau!!

Then, after dah bershopping, kami pi makan pulak. Kami lapar nasi...nak cari nasi. Then makan kat Wembley area...makan nasi beriani dan lauk-pauk style buffet. Sedap...ada ikan..ada mutton and chicken. After dah kenyang....kami terus balik ke Northampton semula.