London

Today was spent touring London. We caught the bus back to the airport, then caught the underground train from there. It was really nice because we bought a ticket that was good for all day, train and bus for only 8 pounds.

It took about an hour to get ride the Picadilly line to central London. We got off and did all the typical tourist stops, and I don’t remember them all but these are the highlights: Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, The Tower Bridge and Tower of London, The Parliament buildings, Downing Street and The Globe Theater. We did lots of walking, with stops at cute little café’s for lunch and supper. We also caught the occasional bus to take us to the places a little farther away. The city is huge and beautiful, a good mix between old, intricate architecture and new, modern looking buildings. There were people everywhere! The streets were more crowded than the streets in Lusaka! It was also cool because we saw some things that are getting prepped for the Olympics. There was an Olympic countdown clock in Trafalgar Square, and there were railings and bleacher type seating being set up in various places around the city.

On the way back to the hotel in the late afternoon we stopped at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Natural History. It was close to closing time though so it was a very quick walk-through. We saw lots of sculptures and precious jewelry as well as dinosaurs and animals.

It was cool to see the sights, but one day in London was definitely long enough for me. Now I’m just ready to get home and see my family tomorrow.