Some Sites and Sights

Hey! Above you can see some of the sites I was able to see yesterday.   Yesterday was quite an eventful day.  Alex, Caitlin, and I woke around nine o'clock and got ready to go out.  We needed to buy our pay-as-you-go phones, and we were very excited to just explore for our first full day.  The Carphone Warehouse opens at eleven o'clock a.m. here, so we went to Tesco to kill some time.  Tesco is like the child of walgreens and a mini grocery store.  I bought a loaf of bread, Caitlin found some peanut butter (although it does look a little suspicious. Kind of natural and oily. No Jiff!).   It took us awhile to get the phones, but they were relatively inexpensive.

We came back to campus in time to go to an orientation meeting at 1:00 (or 13:00, depending on whom you ask).  The meeting just had general information, rules, how to get about, etc.  Afterward we debated on joining the London Scavenger hunt, but I think I speak for the three of us when I say we are glad that we did.  

We took the Underground, or the metro, to Central London.  They gave us a packet of questions, a map, and said "See you at the "Freemasons Pub," in an hour and a half, good luck! It was slightly unnerving to simply be cut loose like that, but I think it was beneficial.  We all definitely learned to read a map! 

We walked past Big Ben and the Parliament building, the street that the Prime Minister lives on, the London Eye, and an adorable downtown area.  There were plenty of shops and stores. I would like to go back to that area and spend more time there, instead of trying to get through it as quickly as possible to win!

The very first picture is a picture of Big Ben and the Parliament building, the second is of me with a soldier guarding... something. I'll find out later, promise. The third is of a typical London street, I love the architecture! (Sean McCrary if you're reading this, I think you'd really like it all. A lot of the building are like the ones you told me about in St. Louis.) The fourth is of the London Eye, with Big Ben in the background. 

Funny story about that soldier/guard.  He definitely is not allowed to move, or talk, wink, smile, anything.  But my group of course was talking about him, right in front of him.  It was a bit weird, talking about him, knowing he could hear us, but he not being able to respond whatsoever.  My friend JC however, said, "It can't be that hard of a job, he gets to stand there and have his picture taken with beautiful American women all day."  That was the point that he maybe cracked a wee bit of grin. It definitely made us chuckle. 

After rushing back to campus on the Underground to make it in time for dinner, my friends and the people we met in my group, went out to explore Camden.  There are a lot of pubs and clubs, basically London nightlife, in that area.  We had a few drinks, talked with some our British peers, and generally had a good time.  The thing I did notice however is that beer here, in comparison with beer in America, has a much higher alcohol content.  I had an oranjeboom beer from Holland, and I am almost ashamed to say I was a bit tipsy after just that one.  And I am not ashamed at all to say I was not even carded for that beer! The drinking age here is18, so I guess I look older than that! :-)

Until later, love from London!