Ellie is Back from London

Well this was supposed to go up on my last day, but we didn't have the Internet at my house, so here I am anticlimactically giving you my tearful last post from my parents' basement.

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I hated the whole "last blog" thing. I decided the best way to avoid it/fulfill the need for it would be to gather the immense wisdom of my housemates (and my friend Joe), a mixture of Kiwis, Canadians and Americans all living in London for six months to a couple years. We have all managed to carve out our place here, and while there are disagreements on the good/bad aspects of London, we agree on a lot. Below is their responses to what they would recommend to someone visiting London:

Morgan: "I'd go to Borough Market and spend the whole day there just looking at food and vegetables. You have to buy lunch at Borough Market and sample olives ... and those big brownies ... and the things you can dip in different olive oils ... I really love Borough Market."

Matt: "A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in London is to go up to the Tate Modern and drink tea and eat scones and then walk across the Millennium Bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral for the 5:00 free organ recital."

Joe: "I like London best when I'm lost. I like being somewhere and knowing where I'm going -- but not how to get there -- and having to walk." He also adds: "Rent a bike on the Thames and justs go. Don't come back."

Andrea: "I would recommend going to Richmond Park [in the greater London area] and spending a few hours running around there, trying to track down the deer. And then go the main area of Richmond and do some shopping there."

Erika: "Kew Gardens. I heard it's the prettiest in April when the flowers are in bloom."

Chris: "I think the coolest thing I've done is getting a on a bus and going around London and getting off the bus when you see something cool."

Kate: She recommends Canary Wharf in Southeast London (near where I used to live), where she works. This financial district is one of those places people often don't think of as a must-see tourist stop. It houses the tallest buildings in London though, which is a cool site. "The wharf actually is nice. You can go down and walk along the river."

Nick: "A football match. It's awesome because you suddenly become friends with everything around you. Pick a team to root for an go their home game."

Me: "Brick Lane. Don't spend all your time on the West End. The East End is bustling with the best markets and the most diverse people."

Other must-go places:
Regent's Park (OK and all parks in London!)
Chinatown -- Waxy O'Connor's is a bar my housemates recommend
The Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens (It's so ugly but you have to see it!)
Camden Market
Notting Hill
Covent Garden (especially at Christmastime)

Avoid:
Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square (OK they have their merits, but these touristy spots are NOT all London has to offer.)
American establishments, such as the Cheers Bar and the Sports Cafe in Piccadilly Circus
Primark on Oxford Street (whoa crowded)
Sitting at home and blogging about London on a Friday night (guilty)
Walkabouts (I have never been, but this popular Australian hangout is both loved and hated. If you do go, Joe suggest being drunk.)
Buckingham Palace

Damn, I'm going to miss this place.