St. Paul's Cathedral at Night

One last evening stroll before I leave for Canada. Two of my flatmates have already left London to spend the holidays with their families in Hawaii and L.A. Even though I am leaving behind a truly magical and festive city, which is my home now, I am looking forward to be reunited with my loved ones. It feels a bit strange flying back to a country that was my home for over a decade, and now I no longer have an address there.

Inside the Covent Garden Market

Londoners are in the shopping mode. The city's stores are extra crowded with shoppers getting ready for the holiday season. I went shopping today, on a Tuesday, hoping that the stores will be less busy. Nope. Very busy. The stores are sparkling with decorations, the city is lit beautifully, and the holiday spirit is in the air! So is the freezing wind.

Trafalgar Square

The Nelson's Column, a big laud fountain, and now a huge Christmas tree. All in this lively square which is located at the heart of London. This is also where The National Gallery and The National Portrait Gallery are located. This photo shows how dark, cloudy, and "winterly" London is at this time of the year.

Charing Cross

I must admit that it took me a while to train myself to look in the correct direction when crossing the street. Most people in London cross the street anywhere and anytime, as soon as there is an opening. On most intersections there are actual signs painted onto the sidewalks that tell you which way to look before crossing the street. They have saved my life on numerous occasions.

The Pub Scene

I do frequent the city's pubs, especially with my classmates after a full day of lectures and talks but only to order a nice glass of pinot grigio. In London the pubs are full on any day of the week, especially after work and in the evenings. Some of them have really interesting history, and some are just simply traditional. The Porcupine attracts the tourist crowd flooding out from Leicester Square and the theatre crowd on their way up to Cambridge Circus.

Knife on Fire

Dinner time in flat 19! I share a large kitchen with four flatmates and have an amazingly functional unspoken system in place, from sharing food, to washing the dishes and preparing meals together. But once in a while something(one) malfunctions. This time I was boiling the milk on the stove for home-made lattes while apparently melting the nearby knife at the same time. I quickly turned it into an art project.