London Town
by Lizzie Buckthorpe

The cold air and mist surround you, confirming that you’ve arrived in the historic city of London, England.

People pass you left and right while snippets of British accents reach your ears. As a newcomer to the city you decide to take a bus tour in order to see everything you desire. After careful speculation you decide on the, “Big Bus Tour Company”, as the best way to experience the city.

Upon purchasing the twenty-two pound ticket you wait patiently at the covered bus stop for the next apple red double-decker to come along. To pass the time you open the glossy pamphlet the bubbly tender handed to you with your ticket purchase. It highlights all of the wonderful things you get to experience with the “Big Bus Tour Company” tours.

Namely it talks about the tour’s most popular feature, the fact that you can get on and off the tour as you please, as you would any regular city bus. So now, instead of just having to hear about all of the wonderful things about London while driving on past, you can get off and explore first hand the cites of the city.

Suddenly the glare of red comes into sight and you know that your bus has arrived. “Welcome to London,” says a chipper driver, adorned in a navy blazer with a matching top hat. You decide you want to sit on open-air second level in a hope to not miss any of the action.

After tackling the windy stairs you make it to the top of the bus and choose a seat. The tour guide in the front of the bus, a tiny man who looks rounder than tall, announces that he is very pleased you are all here and can not wait to share the city with you.

The first stop the bus comes across is Reagent Street. You have never seen shops like it before. They are lined like dominos, seeming to go on forever. You decided this is a place you cannot miss and hop off of the bus. You spend time darting in and out of the endless stores, marveling on all that they have to offer. An exchange student from High Point University, Margaux Cote, says, “I had never seen a place like it, it was shopping heaven!” As time continues however you realize there is much more to London that you want to see, so make your way back to the bus stop.

You again make your way to the open-air deck and find a seat. This time your guide is a young girl who seems eager to share all her knowledge with you. She exclaims that the next feature is Buckingham Palace. Excitement bubbles inside you, this is one of the things you have wanted to see the most. The guide explains that Buckingham Palace is the home of the Royal family of England and is guarded by the famous stoic guards.

Upon arrival you make your way off of the bus and over to the closest guard. He is dressed in their traditional attire of a brilliantly red jacket and fuzzy black hat. You decide that you want to try the age-old challenge of attempting to get them to crack a smile. After endless efforts, with no results, you give up and decide to move onto your next destination.

Back on the bus you hear that the next attraction if the Tower of London. The guide explains that this massive White Tower is home to a replica of the King’s Chamber along with the Crown Jewels of the Royal Family. However as you glance down at your watch you realize that there are so many other things you want to see and decide to save this attraction for later.

The next one on the list is the Merlin Entertainment London Eye. As you pull up to it your breath catches as you take in its size. The massive Ferris-wheel-type contraption looks like all of your fears of heights and small spaces all rolled into one. The guide speaks about how this is the best way to get a full view of the city in the shortest amount of time. However, due to your extreme fear of heights you decide to leave this stop to the masses of other visitors leaving the bus around you.

Another stop is announced, Kings Cross Station. Being an avid Harry Potter fan you perk up, knowing this is the home of the renowned “platform 9 ¾.”

At arrival you gather your belongings and make your way through the station. Your eyes are filled with visions of high copper ceilings and rustic pillars. You eventually find your goal, the space between platform nine and ten. To your delight there is a luggage cart place between the two as if it is going through the divider, just like the real thing. You take pictures by it, imagining you are accompanying Harry, Ron and Hermionie on the Hogwarts Express to wizarding-school.

You arrive back on the bus and settle back in to the metal chair. You marvel at all you have seen today. The convenience of getting on and off of the bus as you please made the day as easy as pie. As the sun winds down you decide that you have seen all you can for the time being and make the decision to return back, anticipation of your next destination building inside.