[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Me in Trafalgar Square"]<a title="Me in Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674249317/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6674249317_85598083b3_z.jpg" alt="Me in Trafalgar Square" width="576" height="384" /></a>[/caption]

London for those of you not in the know is a big city. A really big city. They have a great (but rather expensive metro). They have plenty of free museums (which then tell you how much the suggested donation is). They have red telephone booths and matching buses (this may or may not be trying to hard).

Over Christmas holiday I spent a week there. It wasn't cheep but it was well worth it.

I didn't really know what to expect but I found that I liked the city. I was ready for rain. Gray. Rain. And more rain and gray but I think that I got exceedingly lucky and the only day with really heavy rain was January 1st. It drizzled another day or two for part of an afternoon but I can't complain about that.

A huge part of my to-do list included exploring and museum going. In my mind these go hand in hand and it's even better if you've got a camera on hand as well.<!--more-->

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Telephone booth"]<a title="Telephone booth by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674271819/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6674271819_9af48315b2_z.jpg" alt="Telephone booth" width="576" height="384" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Trafalgar Square"]<a title="Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674250805/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6674250805_d8a14c6a11_z.jpg" alt="Trafalgar Square" width="576" height="384" /></a>[/caption]

My first day I wandered from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. It's big but somehow I expected more. What I am not sure but it comes off as a little plain from outside. Then I meandered over to Westminster and Big Ben. From there I strolled up the street to Trafalgar Square. I admired buildings, took pictures and ate a sandwich and a bag of chips on Trafalgar Square.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Inside the National Gallery"]<a title="Inside the National Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674254143/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674254143_676b86a7c6_z.jpg" alt="Inside the National Gallery" width="576" height="384" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="National Protrait Gallery"]<a title="National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674268755/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6674268755_d99e75fa2e_z.jpg" alt="National Protrait Gallery" width="576" height="384" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Fence detail at the National Portrait Gallery"]<a title="Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674260217/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6674260217_f2b466033b_z.jpg" alt="Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery" width="576" height="384" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="National Portrait Gallery tile floor"]<a title="National Protrait Gallery tile floor by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674259041/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6674259041_7dbb305c65_z.jpg" alt="National Protrait Gallery tile floor" width="576" height="384" /></a>[/caption]

From there I popped into the National Gallery. I got yelled at for taking this picture in the foyer. Ops. Sorry.

I was impressed by the National Gallery and if there had actually been tickets to the the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I would have gladly paid to do so. Of course there were no tickets. That's okay though because there were plenty of other paintings to keep me busy.

Upon exhausting the National Gallery, I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. My sister C. said I would love it. I did. This is one of those museums that holds paintings that you've seen prints of in text books/history books and then you think to yourself: it's better in person. I guess though that's always the case.

Afterwords, I wandered around the great neighborhood window shopping, drinking coffee and taking plenty of photos. London at dusk is so pretty.<a title="Dusk falling in London SoHo by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674292143/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674292143_2fd345979d_z.jpg" alt="Dusk falling in London SoHo" width="640" height="427" /></a>