Beholding London!

Last weekend, I got a unique opportunity to be a London tour guide for a day. I was stepping up for a friend to take their parents around London. It was not my first ever visit to the capital. Hence, I thought to look at the city with a fresh pair of eyes. However, within the first hour, I was comparing the place and the atmosphere around me to all my previous visits. I failed to appreciate the beauty of the present. I understand never again I will be in the same place with the same people, the same weather(highly unpredictable in the UK), and with the same state of mind. I had a misplaced expectation that the place would remain the same for centuries. The continuous restoration and maintenance work across the city brings to light things that are right before our eyes, yet we never notice them.

To see the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge - popular as London Bridge, after a year left me dizzy. I was busy figuring out what changed and what remained. Although the Tower, the White Castle, was first built in 1078 AD, it had a lot of extensions over the century and looks fresh and newly built. It holds the Crown Jewels and is hence very popular with the tourists. The Tower Bridge near the castle, built in the late 1800s, is the most iconic bridge over the Thames River. People fondly call it London Bridge, although multiple other bridges have the same name. I could even spot the differences in colour as a few sections of the bridge were newly pained with the royal blue colour shining in the sun. As always, there were hoards of Tourists on the bridge taking selfies.

When we were at Big Ben(Clock Tower at the parliament), which opened after four years of restoration work, I was in awe of its beauty and intricate glass and metal work. The golden colours were shining brightly on the otherwise dull winter evening. Although built in 1859, it looked as fresh as built last year. I could imagine how the people back then would have felt looking at this watch from far and wide. The parliament square ( a small garden with benches and few trees) in front was guarded with barricades to allow the grass to grow, which had withered due to the constant protests staged here. And to my surprise, the statues of all the world leaders had a thorough clean this time. At the Westminster Abby, just across the street, I could even notice the uneven shades of bricks after the restoration work. I forgot what it was like when I saw it for the first time.

Buckingham Palace looked deserted in the evening now that all celebrations were wrapped up for another year. The Victoria statue in front was a stunning view as I had never seen it empty, as if the entire place was for us. For the first time, I could see all the statues up close, even in the dark. To my surprise and height of optimism, the spring clean-up was to commence shortly as the ponds were dried up.

Piccadilly Circus, another popular tourist place, was gleaming with the last few bits of Christmas lights. Although it is not a circus, people behave like one when taking instaworthy photos. It was my first time noticing all the new brands, pardon my lack of knowledge, might be old and famous, running their advertisements on larger-than-life screens. The ads were alluring enough to drag anyone to the nearest high-end stores. Yet again, I was comparing the experience with all my previous visits. Most of the time, I ignored the large boards and the brands. At the square, I enjoyed the Bollywood songs sung by street artists that gathered large Indian crowd. I don't remember sitting on a footpath in India to listen Hindi songs but here I was enjoying the popular songs and the cheer from the enthusiastic crowd.

The other popular area tucked behind the by lanes but glittering as always SOHO was deserted. Maybe people are recovering from the festival hangover. It's a small area with several shops, pubs, and restaurants that offer various cuisines, a journey on its own. I noticed new shops opened and old ones renovated or closed forever throughout the day.

The city still maintains its charm and fashion in all the seasons. The vibrant culture and the hustle & bustle still attract people from far and wide. End of the day, I learned that change is constant, yet again. That London I saw for the first time is etched in my memory forever. But the London I continue to see reminds me that I have to move on with the time like the city.