Arts-in-London: London city tour

By Naomi Klassen

“On our first full day in London, while all of us were only slightly jet-lagged, Solomia and her husband Arthur led us in a walking tour of the city. This was a great chance for the group to get our bearings, as well as identify landmarks that we might return to later in our trip.

We began with a short tube ride to Barbican Center, a brutalist-style inner city, reconstructed after significant bombing during World War Two. An expansive collection of apartments, gardens, and entertainment spaces has solidified Barbican as one of London’s rich cultural hubs. While there, we took a quick break to enjoy the scenery before strolling to Saint Paul’s Cathedral. This beautiful Protestant church was designed by Christopher Ren, an English architect, mathematician, and physicist from the 1600s.

After visiting, we familiarized ourselves with nearby Millennium Bridge on our way past Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and the National Theater, spots we’ll return to later in this trip. After an hour break for lunch at a jam-packed street food market, we finished our tour by visiting some of London’s most famous landmarks such as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, The National Gallery, and Saint Paul’s Church. This leg of the tour brought us to the heart of historic London, ripe with bustling streets and abundant tour buses.

As we ended our day of exploring, our feet were tired, yet minds full with excitement for the three weeks to come.”