The very first day, we learned how to use London’s tube system. This is the main way people travel around London. It is possible to get to many places on the tube. To ride the tube, I had to buy an Oyster card. Everyone must use their Oyster card to enter and exit the tube stations. The tube ran underground and had to be accessed via elevators, stairs, or escalators. The escalators and stairs both had advertisements for plays and musicals going up them.
Inside the tube stations, the walls and ceiling were made of green and white tiles and were very old. It felt dingy but was very well lit. There were also large advertisements along the walls where the tube runs.
The amount of people on the tube varied throughout the day. At noon, there were not many people on the tube. It was still kind of difficult to get a seat, but there was plenty of room to stand. At 6:30pm, the tube was full of people packed in like sardines. There was no space on the first train that showed up and we had to wait for a second train. By 10:30pm, the trains were very open. There was a lot of space and plenty of open seats, which was nice after a long day.
Many different types of people rode the tube. While most people were younger and appeared to be in their 20s to 50s, there were some older people in their 60s to 70s, and I saw a young teen, who seemed to be traveling by herself. Most of the people were wearing leisure wear but some were dressed up and wearing fancy clothes. Everyone either had their bag in their lap or by their side and they always had at least one arm around their bag.
Was the tube difficult to use: yes and no. If I were a little bit more competent it would be fairly simple to navigate. I got confused on where I’m supposed to get off and which train I’m supposed to get on. I’m sure I could fix that by studying the train map and downloading a tube app.
After we left the tube station, I got to experience London. I had always heard that big cities were dirty, but I was happily surprised to see that public areas in London are kept very clean except for the occasional pile of trash bags. The environment is accessible and beautiful. Even the ground is pretty. The sidewalks are made of stones, not giant slabs of concrete.
There are also lots of shops and eating places and I noticed many removable gates and fences. Public areas are very open and I think it is definitely possible to walk anywhere. While we were walking, I noticed many many statues with plaques describing what and/or who they are.
Theatre in London U of A 