Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday at the Tower of Power
Monday was our visit to the Tower of London and our first trip on the London Underground, more commonly known as "the tube". It appears to be a rather complex system; so many lines and transfer points. It was a little overwhelming at first. The station names were clearly marked and the audio cues were very clear so we were just fine.
The Tower was packed, as expected, so were we glad that we purchased our tickets in advance. After a few pics, we shot down to the entrance and joined an in-progress tour. The tour guide was quite knowledgeable and humorous. He could have went on for another hour! The one downside to our visit was that we didn't get to see the crown jewels. The exhibit closed early due to construction.
We picked up some coffee and a croissant and got back on the tube to head over to Piccadilly Circus. By this time it was rush hour and the tube was on fire! Wow! I thought DC and NY commuter trains were "fun"...
After narrowly escaping a London stampede, we made it to the Prince of Wales theater for Mama Mia. The show was incredible! The cast and the crowd had great energy! I especially loved the song and dance numbers that they did for an encore.
We walked around Piccadilly Circus for a bit after the show. We couldn't believe the amount of activity on a Monday night.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
When In London...
Checking In & Eating Out
So off we went to the neighborhood internet cafe. This was a pretty cool experience since we've pretty much never had to do so at home. (The nearest internet cafe to our home is the public library.) Afterwards, we walked a bit about the immediate neighborhood and found our first pub!
Our server was a young Italian lady who had been in London for only two months. She was incredibly friendly and offered great suggestions. Of course we had to do the fish & chips! It was also interesting that we had to pay for our food & drinks up front before it was served.
It's a small, small world.
A short while later, up walks his Uncle Gus, who came to assist in the event planning. Turns out Uncle Gus is on the board of directors for a San Diego non-profit that puts refurbished computers into the homes of low income families.
Uncle Gus is also an alumnus of the U. of San Diego, where our eldest child has just been accepted.
We ended up sharing a shuttle to our respective hotels as we laughed at how all roads led to Heathrow.
Back Online
One cool aside is my new vocabulary! Here's what I've picked up so far:
pop = put (just pop it under your chair for now)
queue = line (the queue is way too long; let's go to another store)
love = friend, darling, etc (thanks for your help, love)