I grew up between two cities. Huntington Beach, CA and Frisco, TX are the two towns that I have called home for each part of my childhood. While both are very different in culture, politics, and from my teenage perspective, things to keep me entertained (or lack thereof), these two cities are very alike in one way. In the grand scheme of things, they are new. Huntington Beach was established in 1909, meaning I was born there only 93 years after its founding, and it is known as a surfer’s paradise – a reputation that came after its initial boom in 1920 due to its the oil-rich soil. Frisco however, which was incorporated in 1908, feels far newer. Since 1990, Frisco’s population has grown from a mere 6,000 to well over 200,000, rendering 10 of our 13 high schools and the majority of our neighborhoods products of the 21st Century. This is not to say that my hometowns are lacking in history, in fact, they both have interesting origin stories that are indicative of America’s expansion out west. Rather, this is to say that I have never witnessed (or even pictured) a synergy of eras over 1000 years of history occupying the same physical space. That is, until I came to London. 

London gave me a nice, rainy welcome when I arrived here last Thursday. Traveling here was a whirlwind, to say the least, but I stepped out of Heathrow Airport, ready to explore this great city! For the first few days, I stayed in Kensington, which was my first encounter with the mashup of timelines that is London’s architecture. On one side of the street, a beautiful row of (nearly) identical white townhomes stood tall, reminding me of New York’s famous brownstones and overlooking the vibrant green space on the other side of the street. Just a few steps south, a staggeringly ugly Marriott that was built in 1969 adorns Cromwell road – a stark contrast to the classically beautiful townhomes. This was my first clue that I was in for a treat in comparing the many centuries of London’s architectural expression.

When the time came to begin my Bookpacking experience, I was anxiously awaiting the opportunity to explore London through the centuries, from my own perspective as well as Charles Dickens’ vivid descriptions in his novel A Tale of Two Cities. The next five days were a blend of following Dickens’ characters’ old stomping grounds around London as well as visits to many of the “touristy” parts of the city, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

On the first day with the class, we began our journey to Piccadilly Circus, a hub for the West End of London. Many describe this busy roundabout as a London equivalent to Times Square, but to me, it felt unique. 

I wasn’t sure where to look when we emerged from the Underground. On my right, there was an 8500 square foot high-resolution electric billboard fastened to a 200 year old building. To the left, there was a hybrid-electric double decker red bus rounding the corner and an overwhelming amount of pedestrian traffic, jaywalking every which way (which is apparently legal here – who knew?). All of these moving parts swooshing around me made the circus a confusing blunder of new and old, yet a perfect stage to showcase London’s lively and tenacious culture. 

We meandered along and found ourselves on a road that brought us right back to a different time. All of a sudden, the street was quiet, and every shop was either an esteemed and royally endorsed tailoring shop or further around the bend, a gentlemen’s club that served the men of the 18th and 19th centuries with every libation and comfort that a noble man would expect. Additionally, they provided the perfect place for political discussions and proceedings to happen under the table, meaning many of Parliament’s legislations at the time were born among the smell of whiskey and cigar smoke. Here in the 21st century, those same establishments exist in their original state.  

Here we are, just a few hours into our first walking tour, and I am beginning to pick up on the intense commitment to tradition that exists here in London. The idea that Dickensian characters could have walked through the same streets that we did and could have been looking at the same tailor’s shops and gentlemen’s clubs with the same royal crests and elegant fonts made me think about the profound impact of English tradition, a tradition which dates back 1000 years. Soon, I began to notice blue plaques placed all around the city, all of which indicate a person or place of historical interest. While simple, this effort by the City of London to preserve historical tidbits of varying significance around the city for the public to indulge in is another example of their profound pride in tradition and preserving national history – an effort I, as a student and a tourist, appreciate very much.

When it comes to England’s traditional tendencies, nothing is a more shining example than our next stop, Buckingham Palace. The palace is not only the King’s primary residence, but it is a symbol of the blend of modernity and antiquity in London. As an American, monarchies and royal families have always seemed like a thing of fairy tales. This is not to say that I think they are silly or childish, but more that they have always seemed like a thing of the past, and the British Royal family is an example of the “fairy tale” living on into the 21st Century. Pop culture has embraced many of the family’s prominent figures to be more like celebrities than rulers, with people obsessing over the breaking-news family drama or the color of Kate Middleton’s dress. As many countries in the world progressively move away from monarchy and toward democracy, the strength of tradition and the presence of the British Monarchy further feed into the blend of ages to be absorbed in London, as a somewhat antiquated form of government leads a contemporary society.

From my perspective as a person from a young suburban town, London is an overwhelmingly historically rich city, and it has way too many neighborhoods and intricate details to sum up into one post (or three). With that said, I have thoroughly enjoyed the deluge of information and historical knowledge that Bookpacking through London has given me thus far, and over the next few days and weeks, I am excited to absorb even more about what this amazing city has to offer.