I just got back from London. It was my first trip to Europe. My wife has been there several times so she helped navigate us.
First off it was really really expensive-$60 for a simple lunch at a dinner. How the American dollar has fallen!
It was a fantastic experience and London was amazing, a beautiful and great city. Ancient history everywhere!
If found a lot of things refreshing compared to the US-
I did not see many obese people like you do here, but that could be to the Tube transit system. A lot of steps and running around. Orlando in contrast is like going to a pig farm!
No one walks around yaking on their cell phones 24/7 and if people do use their cell phone they stand away from people and speak quietly. It's also against the law to drive and talk on a cell phone without a headset or bluetooth. As soon as we got back we were at the US terminal and some US guy was literally talking at the top of his voice on his cell phone.
Traffic in London was not the clogged mess like Chicago, New York or LA. The high congestion areas you have to pay to enter (they tried to pass it in NY, but failed recently)There was also not the belching smog of LA or the dirty diesels of Chicago, busses & trucks ran cleaner.
London that we saw, was mostly, no more than 5 story older buildings and the new modern buildings built were shaped like giant pine cones, apples & bee hives.
As Americans, were treated nicely by the English, which seems to be about 40% of the people there. But with other foreigners, it was a different story. People from other countries would look us up & down then ease drop to see what language we spoke, then determining we were American's, gave us dirty looks. This happened many times and became embarrassing after a bit - we are not loved.
At our hotel my wife & daughter went down early to breakfast and the hostess seated them next to an Italian couple. She said hello & good morning, the couple snubbed her and moved to another table!
Reading the papers and watching the news there were not gun related killings everyday, like here in Chicago. It was strange. Also it was funny how Americans think Gun crime while there. Other American tourists would ask about do thy have bullet proof glass on things or protection.
London was also one of the most security camera cities I have been to. You don't see a lot of police, but there are cameras everywhere and in the Tube subways, every ten feet in walkways. They words they warn you about are pickpockets, not car jacking or being robbed by gun point, but just pickpockets!
Also people do not spit on the sidewalk everywhere and is considered very rude, unlike Chicago where the sidewalks can be covered by huge amounts of mucus. I used to commute to Downtown Chicago and had about a mile walk each way-you have to really watch where you walk. I was also surprised on how clean the city is of litter, even the subway tracks & highways were pretty much litter free!
They also have pigeon spikes & wire in all the public transit areas.
It really was an eye opening experience in many ways. If can get the chance, it well worth he trip inmany ways.