London

Hello, from London!
 
Sorry for the delay; internet's been hard to come by!  Thus, this is coming from a phone, so it won't necessarily be pretty.

We arrived on Thursday morning to Heathrow Airport and took the Underground to Victoria Station, from which we walked to our hotel.  Our first Tube ride was a great success.  Our walk from the station to our hotel was a bit more confusing but we ultimately found ourselves.  After checking in and taking a brief but much-needed nap after our redeye flight, we walked to Buckingham Palace (photo below), as well as Green and Hyde Parks. 

For dinner we went to a pub in the area, where Eric got a steak sandwich and Meredith opted to try to local specialty: fish and chips, which Eric tasted, too. It was pretty good, especially with the fish's side sauce and vinegar on the 'chips', aka French fries. As we waited a long time for our food, which arrived by dumbwaiter, we realized that we need to readjust our patience to European time and entertained ourselves by guessing/remembering what the menu items mean. Examples: 'bangers and mash' = sausage and potatoes; 'bloomer bread' = a loaf.

Yesterday, we walked out into a downpour of rain, taking a bus tour around London to get acquainted. We hopped off at Oxford Circus for some lunch and shops, and then took the loop all around, seeing the bridges, Big Ben, and the Tower of London, just to name a few sights. We passed through Trafalgar Square, where the Harry Potter movie premiere was happening, red carpet and all! We got off the bus at Tower Pier for a boat cruise down the River Thames, sailing under the London Bridge and the more beautiful Tower Bridge. The weather cleared up by then, so it was quite nice.

Today, we did some more sightseeing, starting with the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace. We took a slow bus up to St. Paul's Cathedral and toured the floor, the crypt, and climbed the 365 feet up to the dome for a spectacular view of the city. From there, we crosses Millenium Bridge and browsed Borough / Green Market, which was both fun and delicious!

This evening, we saw The Mousetrap, a fantastic whodunit play, which we both (yes, even Eric! Swear!) enjoyed. Then we went out in the Covent Garden area for a while before calling it a night!

More busy days ahead, so goodnight!

- Eric and Meredith

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Blackberry