Adventurous Maite: 2- London (UK): 7th June 2015

7th June 2015 (Sunday)

Sunday. Our first full day in London! First place to visit: Camden Town, one of London's most popular areas. We went in the early hours of the morning and we enjoyed visiting its market. We were there until lunchtime and then we opted to return to the hotel to leave the bags. In the afternoon we visited Picadilly Circus and we did the tour with the tourist bus: the London's original and best open-top bus tour. It was a great day out. The tour with the bus is the best way to see the city quickly and quiet and take many photos! I recommend it if you go to stay just a few days. Before returning to the hotel we visited some shops. The worst thing was the could weather! I was frozen on the bus... so I recommend to bring a jacket.

Early in the morning. Some pictures at the hostel reception

Bolton Gardens Street

Victorian building, located close to the junction

with Old Brompton Road and close to Gloucester Road

207 Earls Court Road

Waiting for the metro (Earl's Court Underground Station)

Triny and I inside the metro train. Yeah, sometimes it was possible to find spare seats!

Camden Town Underground Station

Laura and Triny :)

Spending our Sunday morning in Camden Town.
Fortunately the weather was much better than the day before!

We arrived to early and the shops were still closed

Camden Town is an inner city district in London and the most bohemian and eclectic place I've seen. It’s known for it’s outdoor markets, arts and crafts, alternative fashions/shops, and international food stands. This place is really amazing! It looks like a some exotic location where you can find unusual antiques, handmade items and the wildest fashion :)

Shops in Camden Town are special, with very colored and original facades

Quarter shop, 241 Camden High Street

Rebel State Clothing

Fashion and tattoo Shops along Camden High Street

A giant Union Jack Dr. Martens Boot in Camden High Street

Dr. Martens shop front

We stopped for coffe here. From the terrace we could see the Lock 17, a busy pub and restaurant in the heart of the famous Camden Market. It's the typical local Camden venue, with a mix of indie rock and hip-hop played loud over the customers in the bar

Behind me the views of the bridge and the Regent's Canal

Arts and Crafts

A lovely bird who visited us <3

Regent's Canal

People began to arrive...

Attention to the child behind me with an orange juice...Funny xD

Standing in front of a mirror and trying on sunglasses

Beautiful sunglasses with yellow lenses :)

Bridge over Regent's Canal in Camden Town

The canal is frequently used today for pleasure cruising; a regular waterbus service operates between Maida Vale and Camden, running hourly during the summer months

Welcome to CAMDEN LOCK :)

Camden Lock is a part of the historic Camden Market and it's considered the creative and cultural heart of London. Deservedly it's one of the favourites spots for locals and tourists

Camden Lock features some of London's finest designers, artists and independent sellers,

as well as a delicious selection of the best food venders in town

Behind us: Camden Lock bridge

Triny posing for the photo

Portugal's Flag

Resin jewellery (handmade)

Aura & Aura

Everything sold here was handmade

Popular images in London

Thames River/London Bridge

Vinyl discs from three pounds!

Walking through the outdoor market, enjoying the atmosphere and shopping

Band T-Shirts

Several stalls inside Camden Market

Framed pictures and drawings

Fashion retro vintage 3D postcards.
Amazing origami designs of different English stadiums!

I've always enjoyed visiting the markets, but this one was especially interesting

I wanted to buy the British clock but it was too big for me!

And in this kind of clocks it isn't possible to reduce the watchband :(

Paella on display at Camden Lock Market situated by the Regent's Canal

This is a busy market with cuisine from all over the world

I love Nutella!

Here you can find the best food at a cheap price! Just amazing

Walking around this popular tourist market where you have a chance to eat delicious food from most parts of the world: including Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Mexican, Tibetan, Jamaican or Turkish foods (to name but a few)

Just looking carefully at the street food stalls

This is my favourite stall in Camden market! Donut & cronut heaven

Yummy food!!! Healthy diet xD

Homer Simpson's favorite donut! Giant sprinkles donuts. How many calories? No matter xD

Chinese food. I like the spring rolls :)

Many food stalls are operating along the entrance of Stable Market

Pizza assortment in Camden Town stand

Laura walking on Camden

In between the food marathon, we checked out the quaint shops that line up the market selling quirky souvenieurs, t-shirts printed with the pictures of ‘places London is famous for’, etc. I bought two London t-shirts, the Arsenal FC t-shirt and the official scarf :)

And in several souvenir and gift stalls I bought also key-rings, magnets, a pen, and the London Double Decker Red Bus and Black Taxi Models (Pull Back & Go Action). Made of die cast metal and plastic parts. Undoubtedly a very typical souvenir of London :) :) :)

More souvenir shops

This place is full of life! I don't like the crowds, however I felt well here

Street sign of antique shop, Horse Hospital, in Camden Market, also called Camden Lock

More pics walking through Camden Town

Typical British souvenirs sold in the streets

Carrying bags after shopping!

Cereal Killer Cafe, a cereal cafe and obviously a total paradise for cereal lovers like me!

Very original café with a huge range of cereals, toppings and milk (basically the only thing they serve). They also have toast, coffee, tarts... but from the second you step in the place, cereals are the only thing you can think about! :-)

This place is ideal for me! I've always loved to have a breakfast with milk and cereals

Entrance to the cafe

Vintage shop. There's some awesome vintage shops in Stables Market

Triny and I at the Stables Market

The current Cyberdog store in Camden Market, a store which also feels like

a rave and has go-go dancers, loud electro music and dayglow makeup

Good environment

Laura and I. Our latest pictures in Camden Town

Street signs

Camden High St

Some things I bought in Camden Town

After leaving the bags at the hotel we went out again

Earls Court tube station. The entrance on Earls Court Road

Towards the subway to Piccadilly Circus

Train between Earl's Court station and Edgware Road

The escalators inside Piccadilly Circus tube station

Piccadilly Circus Underground Station

The Sting store at Piccadilly Circus

London bus in Piccadilly Circus

In the middle of Piccadilly Circus stands the small statue of the Angel of Christian Charity by Alfred Gilbert, erected in 1893 in memory of the Victorian philanthropist, Lord Shaftesbury. Today, however, the statue is commonly regarded as depicting Eros, the Greek god of love

Vogue, TDK, Hyundai, Samsung advertising boards

The London Pavilion, now the Ripley's Believe it or not Museum

The Sting store

County Fire Alliance Office

San Carlo Cicchetti is an Italian restaurant ubicated in 215 Piccadilly

Piccadilly Circus street sign

Tube sign Piccadilly Circus

More photos around Piccadilly Circus

London is always very crowded... A little bit stressful for me!

The Criterion Theatre and the whole block. This theatre was opened in 1874

Shaftesbury Avenue near Piccadilly Circus

Coventry Street

Aberdeen Angus Steakhouse - 21 Coventry St, near Leicester Square

Red telephone box

And after our walk through Piccadilly Circus area

we finally took the London's original and best open-top bus tour!

It's the fast way to see the most important areas in the city

During the tour we learnt about London through one live English speaking guide

First selfie from the bus

Piccadilly Circus

Regent Street / St James's

Laura enjoying the journey :)

Triny and I

The Ritz Hotel Casino Ltd in 22 Arlington St

Trini and I - Keep calm and it's selfie time!

Arlington Street

Views from the back of the bus. Stratton Street on the left

Hyde Park, one of the largest parks in London

Wellington Arch, set in the heart of Royal London at Hyde Park Corner, is a landmark for Londoners and visitors alike and a great addition to a memorable day out in London

St George's Hospital, Hyde Park Corner, Westminster

Wellington Arch seen from another angle

Hilton Park Lane Hotel, a tall building in Park Lane

Yin Yang metal sculpture on Park Lane

The Marble Arch Tower and multi-screen Odeon cinema

The bronze sculpture is 'She Guardian' by Dashi Namdakov

This spectacular statue rises 11 metres from claw to wing tip, and depicts a female feline protecting her young. 'She Guardian' is placed next to Cumberland Gate, Marble Arch, against a backdrop of green parkland and urban architecture

Marble Arch fountains

Marble Arch, a 19th-century white marble faced triumphal arch and London landmark

Originally the front entrance to Buckingham Palace and now at the end junction of Park Lane and Oxford Street, which location is accordingly known as Marble Arch

Aston Martin W-One Gallery, Brook House in 113 Park Lane

Hilton Park Lane Hotel, stunning modern building with views over Hyde Park

The InterContinental London Park Lane

Wellinton Arch, Hyde Park Corner. On top, the largest bronze statue in Europe

Queen Victoria Street

Iron Trades House at Grosvenor Place

We saw many construction cranes during the trip... There were cranes everywhere!

Laura and I from behind

Magnificent architecture around Grosvenor Gardens

Lower Grosvenor Place

The Goring Hotel, London SW1

Buckingham Palace Road SW1. The Rubens at the Palace Hotel.

The closest hotel to Buckingham Palace

207 Victoria Street SW1

National Audit Office building, previously

the Empire Terminal, in Buckingham Palace Road

The majestic Grosvenor Hotel in London Victoria

St. Peter's Church, Eaton Square

Another modern building

The Pimlico Beer Garden reopened as Moo Cantina,
v43 Vauxhall Bridge Road, Pimlico, London SW1V 2TA

Penguin Random House UK, Random House office in Pimlico

The Embassy of Lithuania in Pimlico

Tate Britain art gallery in London's Pimlico

Lambeth Bridge from Millbank, facing east towards Lambeth

The Victoria Tower, Palace of Westminster, flying the Union Flag

The Victoria Tower stands at the House of Lords end of the Palace of Westminster

More photos of the Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster

This is one of the most beautiful and amazing buildings

in the world. If you love history, visit Houses of Parliament

King Richard I Statue outside the Palace of Westminster

The beautiful and emblematic Big Ben, the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster

The tower is officially known as the Elizabeth Tower, renamed as such to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Big Ben looms above St. Margaret Church on St. Margaret Street

Parliament Square adjacent to Westminster Abbey

Parliament Square is a square outside the north-western end of the Palace of Westminster. It was laid out in 1868 by Sir Charles Barry in order to open up the space around the Palace and improve traffic flow, and featured London's first traffic signals. Its original features included the Buxton Memorial Fountain, which was removed in 1940 and placed in its present position in nearby Victoria Tower Gardens in 1957. In 1950 the square was redesigned by George Grey Wornum. The east side of the Square, lying opposite one of the key entrances to the Palace of Westminster, has historically been a common site of protest against government action or inaction.

Other sculptures in the Square include Winston Churchill, Robert Peel (also by Noble), Lord Palmerston, George Canning, Jan Christian Smuts, Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield, and Abraham Lincoln

Statue of Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby in Parliament Square

The Parliament Square statue of the 14th Earl of Derby, by Matthew Noble (1818-1876), was erected in 1874 and depicts Edward Smith-Stanley in contemporary dress but with cloak for added authority. Stanley was a British statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and is to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party

Laura & I with Big Ben behind us <3

I love the beautiful gothic revival architecture of Big Ben

Several ships on the River Thames with Tower Bridge in the background

Beautiful views, London Eye and River Thames from Westminster Bridge

Good captures with the Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in the background :)

Our bus still crossing Westminster Bridge

Triny took this picture of the London Eye while I was taking another pic with my mobile phone. I loooooooooooooooveeeeeeeee it. This is our favourite area of London

This building is the Southbank next to Old County Hall. The Southbank is one of London’s most heavily tourist-populated areas, thanks to the London Eye, London Dungeon, Aquarium and view of the Houses of Parliament to name but a few. This is a relatively recent phenomena, having really kicked off with the opening of the London Eye by the southern shores of the Thames in 2000

South Bank Lion. Originally a logo for a brewery, this lion stood outside a pub that was flattened in the Blitz before moving here to the south side of Westminster Bridge. Made from a secret process called Coade stone, it's a casting rather than carving

Westminster Bridge Rd

Next to the St. Thomas' Hospital, A302

Beautiful photos of the London Eye in the Sun :)

Admiring these nice views

Triny taking a selfie!

Royal Festival Hall with London Eye

More wonderful panoramic views of the river and the London Eye

Ships passing the London Eye while travelling on the River Thames

People crossing the brigde

Precious background. Modern Skyscrapers make up part of

the City of London Financial District by the River Thames

Laura and I with the best background for photographing!

Somerset House ubicated in Lancaster Place WC2

Somerset House is a large Neoclassical building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge

The Novello Theatre on the corner of Catherine Street and Aldwych

The Royal Courts of Justice building on the Strand in central London

Fleet Street is a street in the City of London named after the River Fleet, London's largest underground river. It was the home of British national newspapers until the 1980s. Fleet Street is now more associated with the investment banking, legal and accountancy professions

More pictures of London's Royal Courts of Justice

Clock at 187 Fleet Street

33 Fleet Street - Abokado (a Japanese restaurant)

In Fleet Street still. On the right side of the photo The Temple Kiosk

Ludgate hill Street, some views of the St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral, was desiged by Sir Christopher Wren and took 35 years to build

St Paul's clock tower houses Great Paul,

the largest bell in Britain which rings at 1pm each day

A British flag of the Club Quarters Hotel, St Paul's

Triny and Laura concentrated observing the plane

Two more pics of the St Paul's Cathedral, a famous neo-classical masterpiece

Godliman Street

Columns at St Paul's Cathedral

The neoclassical dome of St. Paul's Cathedral

I love neoclassical architecture

St. Mary Woolnoth, located on the corner of Lombard Street and King William Street

No 6 Lombard Street. A street notable for its connections with the City's merchant, banking and insurance industries, stretching back to medieval times

Picture taken between Lombard Street and King Street,

a prime location for banks and financial services companies

Starbucks at Monument is just north of the famous pillar on the corner of Eastcheap and Gracechurch Street. Plenty of seating inside and no more than a minutes walk from Monument Tube Station

Daiwa Bank, King William Street. Another clock with eagle on top

I was so interested in the city views that I forgot the cold weather... or almost xD

Still in King William Street

Regis House, A3 King William Street

Fishmongers' Hall, London Bridge, EC4R 9EL. The Fishmonger's Hall, on the western side of London Bridge at its northern end, is the home to the Worshipful Company of Fishmonger's

Neo-Futurist beauty. The Shard, also referred to as the Shard of Glass is an 87-storey skyscraper in Southwark, London, that forms part of the London Bridge Quarter development. Standing 309.6 metres (1,016 ft) high, the Shard is currently the tallest building in the European Union. The iconic tower has redefined the London skyline and is already an international symbol for London

Several boats along the Thames

The nearest train station to The Shard is London Bridge located in Duke Street Hill. On the left we can see a part of the Colechurch House (Mental Health Foundation) at 1 London Bridge Walk. This vibrant and cosmopolitan area is served by a huge number of bus routes going to and from all parts of London, including the City, South London and the West End

29 Tooley Street

Next to the London Bridge Station :-)

Advertisement of The London Dungeon

Tooley Street

Building opposite the Tower Bridge/City Hall bus stop

The Draft House, Tower Bridge SE1, is a charming small
group of pubs which have a huge selection of beers

Tower Bridge Road

Getting closer to the Tower Bridge over the River Thames <3

Pretty backdrop

Our bus crossing this exuberant bridge

Enjoying the magnificent views

This bridge bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London. Below we see the Tower close up

Fascinating arches of the London Tower Bridge

The North Arch

Tower Bridge Approach

Lamp posts on Tower Bridge Approach

Tower of London

Next to the Tower of London

A plane flying over London

Beautiful views of the Tower of London

The building which has an unusual bulbous shape is the London City Hall in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge. There're the new offices of the London Mayor. This building was designed by Norman Foster and opened in July 2002

The back façade of the Tower of London and a part of the Tower Bridge :)

The Tower Of London Ticket Office

All Hallows by the Tower, one of the oldest churches in London

and a living church serving today's City community

This church is ubicated in Byward Street

All Hallows by the Tower, Byward Street, London EC3. Information Sign

Plaque: William Penn. Inscription--> William Penn, quaker, born on Tower Hill, baptised in + All Hallows Church, 23rd Oct: 1644, founder of Pennsylvania. Penn was Quaker leader and founder of Pennsylvania. Born in the Liberty of the Tower. After studying law, he spent several years in Ireland managing his father's estates. During this time he converted to Quakerism. In 1681 he obtained a grant of territory in North America and sailed to establish the colony that was to become Pennsylvania. Returning from a period back in England, he found that his constitution had proved to be unworkable and needed to be much altered. Died at Ruscombe, Berkshire

Malta Siege Memorial on Tower Hill, small memorial dedicated to Maltese nation, inaugurated on August 15th 2005. It has been built to commemorate the sacrifice and bravery of Maltese women and men. One of the four sides of the Memorial with description of the bombardment in 1942. At right we can see the map of Mediterranian during WWII (World War II). Theatre of Operations of the Mediterranean Fleet. Each of the four sides has a carved slate slab: two first give information about the Siege of Malta, the third side contains details about the George Cross award and the tribute by President Roosevelt and the fourth side contains a map showing the theater of operations in the Mediterranean

Emblem of the City of London on a railing

Triny and Laura

The bus passing through a short tunnel

Again our preferred landscape

The Yacht London, Temple Pier, Victoria Embankment. It's a restored 1920s boat, permanently moored, with a restaurant, art deco cocktail lounge and deck bar

With my finger pointing at the Big Ben

Always impressive!

British Airways airplane overflying the Palace of Westminster

Parliament Square Garden at the heart of Contemporary British Politics. This is an area of significant historic and symbolic value to the British People and many others worldwide. The Square is surrounded by unparalleled cultural spaces and historic buildings. Our neighbours include Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Palace of Westminster, House of Commons, House of Lords and the QEII Centre :)

The bus was returning and we could see again the Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, etc. Another chance to take splendid photos of these great places

A guy took these two pictures before the end of the route

Unforgettable moments in London :)

Byward Street / Trinity Square

British flags

Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square

Nelson's Column stands in the center of Trafalgar Square. The monument was built in 1843 as a tribute to Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson, who defeated the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The four lions guarding the base of the column were added in 1867, 25 years after the statue was erected. It's one of my favourite places to go to in London and a must-see for all tourists. It's a very iconic London landmark!!!

Canada House, Trafalgar Square. It's home to the Canadian High Commission to the United Kingdom, fulfilling a wide variety of services, including passports and consular assistance

Confederation Of Spanish Savings Banks - Confederación Española de Cajas de Ahorros, ubicated in 16 Waterloo Place, Westminster. The Crimean War Memorial is situated on Waterloo Place, the junction of Lower Regent Street and Pall Mall. It was originally unveiled in 1859, and cast in bronze from cannons captured at the siege of Sebastopol. The sculptor was John Bellthere. Like so many other wars, the Crimean War was about allegiance, expansionism and ambition, and it was widely reported on in Britain. It also highlighted the plight of the wounded and brought the work of Florence Nightingale to the fore