London
Yes, you may wonder at the title. This is, after all, a travel blog of my journeys around the world. So why would I want to mention the place I grew up and lived in for 18 years of my life? The reason is simple – I have met too many people who have had negative views towards London.
At a rough estimate three quarters of the people I speak to about London dislike the city. True, some of them have never even set foot within the M25 boundary but they vilify London as willingly as the next. And they could easily be forgiven for their misnomer. After all it is smelly, crime ridden, crowded, smoggy, dirty, and some residents would rather step on you than look at you! However it is a misnomer. The negative aspects listed above are on balance characteristic of any city. But London is not just any city; in fact it is the city.
I have spent most of this year abroad so far but the last month I’ve been back in London and have revelled in many of the fantastic features of the city which the rest of the world does not have. The culture for one is incredible. Whatever you’re in to, whenever you like, London has it. I have been learning pretty quickly that this is a luxury. You are spoilt for things to do, places to see, and food to eat. The list of possibilities is endless. I think I feel partly aggrieved because, in my 18 years of residency, I have only scratched the surface of what London has to offer.
Only a few places in the world have such a dynamic. London is not a place to be viewed from afar like a foreign land. It is there to be enjoyed and lived in. Go and see….
