Sara Collantes - London: Concrete, glass and flesh

What could I say about London that hasn’t already been said? How can I, in barely 600 words, live up to a city that gave me so much in such a short time?

It gave me the freedom which comes from anonymity, you know, to walk throughout the city as if it were mine. I felt at home every moment of every day while walking down its famous streets and parks: St. James’s Park, Camden Town, Covent Garden, Bishop’s Park or the Soho at night. I was exposed to lots of culture, since London is known worldwide for being a paradise for people who love art, history, theatre, music and cinema. Its cultural offer is simply endless (and often free): The British Museum, The Natural History Museum, The National Gallery, The Victoria & Albert Museum, etc. And the most important thing, it gave me a new point of view from a more open mind.

London had never been one of those cities I was looking forward to visiting before I die, but over a year ago, the chance of going suddenly showed up. A friend of mine was there doing an internship as part of his University doctorate in Neurobiology. Héctor, that’s his name, was having a really hard time as he was there all alone, away from his family and friends, and he didn’t stop telling me how amazing the city was. So I didn’t think about it twice and two weeks later we, my boyfriend and me, were there, in the big city.

It was a gloomy Tuesday but it seemed to me like all was glittering when I went out of Picadilly Circus tube station. Everything there is big and intense but at the same time absolutely accessible and unpretentious. There’s a perfect blend of the highest office towers with the simplicity of some old buildings. A really good example is the Globe, a reconstruction of the 16th-century theatre where most of Shakespeare’s works were played, whose next-door “neighbour” is the Tate Modern, a former power station turned into the most visited gallery of modern art in the world.

Find me if you can!

Now, you should juggle what the day can offer you with its astonishing nightlife. I mean, when you’re in this enchanting city with your perfect partner and one of your best friends, time just flies. We went to every rock bar we could afford or we found on our way, regardless of whether they were big and popular or tiny and filthy, until we lost the track of time - and missed the last tube as well! But the second floor of a double-decker at 4 in the morning is great fun.

Brian May live!

London is the city par excellence. Not only does it have its own life, which runs giddily through its veins, whether narrow streets or big avenues, but it’s this life which also trapped me and I didn’t even notice. London is a blend of cultures and races, a labyrinth of concrete, glass and flesh but I didn’t want to find the way out. It didn’t win my heart at first sight but little by little: every sip of my pint, every step I took in a park and every “sorry” I got from a stranger, tied me to the city inevitably. Everything is possible in London, even seeing Brian May in concert in St. Pancras’ railway station - like it wasn't important at all!

It is ironic how people always highlight London’s vast proportions and infinite possibilities but then we all get amazed for its quiet and cozy isolated, places, and eventually, end up falling in love with it.

I want to finish this post with some beautiful words stolen from a book by Peter Ackroyd called “London: The Biography”: “London goes beyond any boundary or convention. It contains every wish or word ever spoken, every action or gesture ever made, every harsh or noble statement ever expressed. It is illimitable. It is Infinite London”.

Sara, congrats on a fantastic post! It's really written from the heart, and I can see how much enjoyed London.

Tell you what, guys. Samuel Johnson used to say "When a man (sic) is tired of London, he's tired of life". The things is I went to the British capital a few times in a row in the early / mid 80s, so eventually I kind of grew tired of it myself. I mean, don't get me wrong, how can anyone deny there's so much to do and see there? So many instantly recognizable landmarks (do I need to write a legend under each photo?!) to visit. But still I thought enough was enough and I should know other equally interesting places in the UK. Besides, I daresay I've never been that keen on huge cities, and the usually chaotic traffic, the "hustle and bustle", made London somewhat less appealing.

I  know someone else in the class has also visited this "wonder"ful city, so will you post your own comments about it, now that we're dealing with the subject of "Wonders of the world"?