I had intended visiting the UK when I was older, more appreciative of museums than mountains and could hopefully afford more salubrious accommodation than is a backpackers want. Fate had other plans for me. A two year sojourn in Bermuda had ended and I found myself adrift with a small bank balance and a big idea — to sail from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean. After all, having lived on The Rock in the middle of the Atlantic, I thought I might as well traverse it the old fashioned way. With that in mind, I fetched up on Old Blighty's shores. At that time, my United Kingdom bucket list was short - consisting of a visit to Salisbury Cathedral! In eighties New Zealand, placemats featuring works by the Romantics were all the rage. My favourite was Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishops Grounds by John Constable. This was trundled out at dinner time and special occasions. Years later I saw the original painting during an exhibition. It was mesmerising. Whilst the cathedral was the focus, you could almost smell the cows grazing under the trees, eavesdrop the parishioners making their way to church. It felt more alive than any photograph could ever do. It appeared the stars were aligning for me to see the real thing, and even better, I had found a boat that needed crew! This story has nothing to do with Salisbury Cathedral, minimal correlation with sailing and everything to do with dinner. To be specific, it occurred because of a dinner invite. For me, food is the best part of travel. It represents culture, history, celebration, commiserations, seasons, religions. Never turn down a dinner invite with locals. Dinner was for 7pm, meeting at Charing Cross Station. I had a whole day to think about food, find a chandlery, buy a life jacket and to explore the district. For the uninitiated, this part of London pretty much contains the entire history of the English speaking world in about three blocks: Trafalgar Square - Horatio Nelson on a column guarded by a pride of bronze lions. Houses of Parliament - Actually a palace with a specific entrance for the Queen, overlooked by a clock on a bell tower. Westminster Abbey - Jeremy Irons provides the pre-recorded commentary. His voice lends itself to inappropriate thoughts when in a place of worship. Horse Guards - The shortest man on the tallest horse. The parade ground round the back is wonderful. The London Eye - Eerily visible, it literally is the all seeing eye. 10 Downing Street - What you can see of it from behind the barriers which is a sad indictment of current times. With all this in mind, I found myself on the top deck of the N155 bus from Balham to Trafalgar Square, surreptitiously stuffing my face with Jaffa cakes during the morning rush hour. Touring London by bus is under-rated. Picking the longest route between your stops gets you a very scenic trip that doesn't just cover the highlights. Nearing the City, you glimpse the Thames, Tower Bridge, the Shard and you understand you are IN LONDON. Then it happened. Around a corner, standing against the dull grey backdrop of the London sky, it appeared. Big Ben. I had an internal melt down. It was all I could do to stifle the urge to grab the passenger next to me, shake them hard, whilst exclaiming “it’s Big Ben, BIG BEN, it’s real” which would have been a massive breach of public transport etiquette. I couldn't believe it — everyone was more interested in their cellphones than looking at one of the most iconic bell towers in history! I disembarked at the first stop, doubled back post haste to Westminster Palace to look in awe upon something I had never been interested in. I kept returning to it all day and well into the evening for good measure! Travel! It’s the little things that can leave the most lasting impressions. It turns out Big Ben, I am a Fan Girl. Yours forever, Sarah. XXX P.S. I got the life jacket, had dinner, explored Salisbury and sailed across the Atlantic, but those are tales for another time.