- Discovering, as we struggled to hoist our 30+ lb packs on our unprepared backs, that we may be in for more than we expected.
- Coming to terms with the fact that the dollar is not worth shit. Ouch. London is expensive!
- Getting lost on our first night after Kim (who's very good at directions--thank god because I'm directionally challenged and easily frustrated) assured me that she knew exactly where we were going. After following her lead for well over an hour, I again asked if she knew where we were. This time I was not as reassured when she told me we were still good. As we approached a body of water, which later turned out to be the River Thames--a river that was by no means close to our hostel--Kim admitted that maybe she wasn't quite so sure about where we were. No biggie though. We had a good laugh and took some good pics of the Chelsea Bridge. We also had the honor of nearly stumbling upon a stray pig's leg. Yes, a stray pig's leg. How perfect that two ladies--one Jewish, the other a pescaterian--find a full-on, raw pig's leg. It wasn't like we were in a bad part of the city either. Very odd....and by "odd" I mean "hysterical." We were lost for at least 3 hours, but it was a quality stroll.
- Meeting up with the newly betrothed Ben & Deborah to frolic around town and eat yummy fish and chips with their friend Jolene.
- Touring the Tower of London and listening to stories of murder and torture. Then being rained on. Actually I wouldn't actually call it rain. It was an official downpour. This was wildly convenient considering we only had one very small umbrella to share between the two of us.
- The Tate Modern museum! I loved it! There was a fantastic photography exhibit and amazing street art covering the outside of the building. Even the walk to the museum was phenomenal! To there we trekked across the River Thames on a funky twisted metal foot bridge.
- Westminster Abbey. Wow, there are hella deadies here. (We've come to label all grave sites/tombs/monuments as "deadie spots"...These sights are our fave. Macabre, maybe; but, we're clearly OK with it) The stained glass and various monuments were really pretty. There were also different sections that paid tribute to poets, artists, and musicians--even Darwin. Yes, a monument to Darwin in a church. I figured his "we came from monkeys" theory might have ousted him from such a tribute. Pretty cool that it didn't. Maybe this was the church's way of admitting that he's right?
- Princess Di monument in Kensington Park. This monument was really great. We paused here for a picnic. The monument consisted of water that runs in an eternal circle. The cement that contains the stream is varied in its grades so that at points the water flows rapidly and at others it slowly makes its way around. People are welcome to interact with the monument, dip their feet in the water, and sit upon the edges. It was really peaceful. It seemed a fitting tribute to a woman who lived her life with such humble grace. It was the perfect picnic spot.
- Riding in a double decker bus. C'mon! We had to do it!
- Last, but not least...stumbling upon a bar advertising a 4th of July celebration. The sign outside of the bar was hilarious. "American beer...Budweiser, Coors, etc. for cheap! USD accepted!" It was on this day, in an unintentional display of serendipitous irony, that I found myself in London on July 4th wearing a blue and white striped tank top. I did not make the connection earlier that morning while dressing myself. I may as well have carried around a liberty touch and sang "I'm proud to be an American..."
Next up...Amsterdam. Where you can buy a cheap hooker from the comfort of your canal taxi.
No comments:
Post a Comment