Theatre Walk

The theatre walk, though extremely long, was a great way to explore a significant portion of London that is really popular for shopping, theatres, and city culture in general. I had no idea Leicester Square is so close to Trafalgar Square! It was fun to wander along the Thames, down the strand, through Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, and Chinatown, and up and down the crowded, bustling streets just soaking in the whole experience and learning lots. I love history, so seeing Cleopatra’s Needle, the 60 foot obelisk near Waterloo Bridge was fascinating! I had never heard of the Somerset House before, let alone that it was the residence of Elizabeth I for a time, along with James I, Charles I, and Charles II. It is huge and beautiful—I definitely want to return to visit the art galleries within, and maybe even for lunch on the balcony overlooking the Thames. While walking along the strand, it was neat to see all of the different theatres, and I definitely noted where the Lion King is performed as it is one of the shows I want to see while I’m here. I thought the location of the church of St. Mary le Strand was strange as it seems to be right in the median of two major streets.
Covent Garden was amazing! I will definitely be returning to get a better look. At a café below the ground level in a courtyard you can look down upon in the market, a man was singing “Ave Maria” and entertaining the crowd by engaging them in his performance. Buskers are everywhere in this area, which I think really adds to the whole cultural experience. I also want to return to visit the London Transport Museum and Theatre Museum.
I loved the Charlie Chaplin statue in Leicester Square. We asked a girl to take our picture, and she looked really confused until she saw I was handing her a camera. She didn’t speak English—oops! This square has great deals on tickets to any show you could want to see. Nearby in Trafalgar Square, we took pictures mounting and sliding down the backs of the lion statues in the square’s center. Continuing on, we found several embassies, including the Texas Embassy; the only one in the world! I was pretty excited, because I lived in Texas for more than half my life. I also love all the statues everywhere, ranging from honoring historically significant people to mythological masterpieces. Piccadilly Circus is incredibly crowded and provided a unique experience all on its own.
I’ve never been to any Chinatown before, so I was fascinated walking down the street with incredible smells wafting out of restaurants on either side. Red lamps were strung above us, down the length of the street. By the conclusion of the walk, I was exhausted but had such a great experience. I feel so much more confident just exploring that large area of London now. It was so neat to get out there and really experience the city and culture.