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{#25inLondon} learning to love London
Okay, I’ll admit it. London has not been all the glamour and love that I expected. There’s been a lot of grey skys… literally, and figuratively. And, as a dear friend pointed out to me, I’ve been stuck in a bit of a pity party. While yes, Canada is full of amazing beauty and dear friends and family, London is stunning in its own way. So, here is my list of what I love about London so far.
1. The people
There are few places in the world where you feel so fully free to express all the quirks of who you are. Londoners fit into different distinct categories and yet no category at all. That’s the beauty of it. Everyone lives in the juxtaposition of this city. Neither traditional yet rooted deeply in tradition. Creative and carefree but reserved and down-to-earth. I love watching people and I just long to hear their stories because this city is full of the most beautiful people!
A street market vendor setting up on Leather Lane.
Mans' best friends.
Daily commuters.
2. The clouds
A lot of the time, the clouds in London form a thick barrier between us and the glory that we call the sun. I checked, and London gets 1500 hours of sunshine annually. Okay, so that’s not a lot. But in the evening, for that 20 minutes or 2 hours when the sun is lower in the sky, the clouds are stunning. Big, and fluffy, and riding along the wind, constantly changing. They are beautiful and definitely photo worthy. I love the clouds here!
The clouds this evening from my flat.
Clouds near King's Cross.
Cloudy afternoon at the bus stop.
3. The unending list of things to do and see
I think I could live in London the rest of my life and still only experience 1/4 of what is going on. Maybe even less! There’s a saying by Samuel Johnson, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life” and it’s most likely true. (There’s even a book dedicated to this!) There is no better place to explore all the things you enjoy and learn more about what you like. With amazing theatre, dance, galleries, parks, gyms, cycling, fields, festivals, shows, concerts, pubs, restaurants, cafes, museums, palaces, conferences, courses, and cinemas, it always just comes down to, “what do YOU want to do.” It’s really amazing. I feel like I have been given the opportunity to really define what ELYSE likes simply based on the amazing choice here. I can really do whatever I want!
Sufjan Stevens performing at the Barbican Centre with Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner.
Reflecting at the Saatchi Gallery.
Glass bottles from the Wellcome Collection.
4. The opportunities
Similar to New York or other amazing big cities in the world, London is full of opportunities to make your dreams come true. You have to work for it (and I’m still working on it) but in this city, I can see it! You can see people living out their own dreams and it spurs you on to keep pursuing yours. As a photographer, there’s so many magazines, newspapers, and designers always on the lookout for new talent. Not only that, but there are over 7 million people in this city, and so much history, just waiting for me to photograph it! The opportunities are there, you just have to make the effort to make it happen.
Oh hey London! @ The Wellcome Collection
London, city of dreams!
5. The history
It goes without saying, but I love living in a city that has seen so much for thousands of years. And you really can sometimes recall Jane Austen’s London or the streets the Charles Dickens described or the reign of ancient kings or the footsteps of Romans. There are little reminders all over the city. I always say when I am showing friends around the city, “just imagine all the dead people you’re probably walking on!”. Morbid, I know. Absolutely fascinating, indeed! I actually saw a book recently at the Wellcome Collection that was all about all the hidden cemeteries and burial grounds around London and then had a collection of photos of what stood on those spots now. It was things like council houses and random street corners. The idea of walking over all those people gives me a thrill.
Leather Lane Market, one of many street markets that has been around for hundreds of years.
Crossing Waterloo Bridge.
Farringdon Station, one of the world's oldest underground stations.
At this point, I have been in London for four months, and there are probably more things on the “what I miss about Canada” list than this one. But this list is growing. And London is home and I love calling London home.
x
elyse
There is beauty and wonder in everything and everywhere. Enjoyed seeing London through your eyes Elyse!
I am so late in seeing this! Love your honest words and beautiful photos. So glad to see the things you love about London through your eyes. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks Chelsea! This is an amazing city with so much to offer but you have to peel a few things away to see it.
These lists are priceless. Keep ‘em up! (Honestly, one source of inspiration of ‘things i like’ is actually ‘things i will not miss’. I just let it all out, all the little bitty things that I could live without. Like the lack of bins – wtf? Somehow all the poo-poo things drift to the side and provide a frame and border to the picture I actually love. Plus, complaining while laughing feels good.
Haha that’s great! I’m going to give that a go next time. This is such a funny city sometimes!
This is such a great list! I know that after living in England for a year I decided that I belong in Canada. I can understand how subtle cultural differences kind of wear you down in a way you maybe didn’t expect since the UK seems so similar to North American culture.
That being said everything on your list is so true, so much going on over there and you look like you fit right in. Enjoy it!
You said it exactly right. You really just don’t realize how different it really is until your fully immersed in it. It’s a bit shocking. But then you learn to just appreciate all the weird differences and suddenly you find you just can’t remember why they seemed so different. If that makes any sense, haha, I’m just rambling a bit here! I still think I love Canada more than anything but I am so blessed to be here and am going to enjoy everything I can while I can. x
Love it!!!
This is so lovely! It’s the first time I’ve visited your blog since I started following you on instagram! I hope London treats you well and that God shows you things that are amazing!!
Brooke
thebebebirds.blogspot.com
Thank you so much Brooke! And thanks for stopping by. So lovely to meet new friends through Instagram!