London Calling

So today the school took us to London. I was on lucky coach #6 which is a lot worse than it sounds. We were not the last to leave but when we got to London there was so much traffic and we were running so late that we actually had to get off and walk to our destination, it was less than a ten minute walk but still. Our destination was a boat tour. We had a very funny commentator, James, who pointed out landmarks and gave some brief histories. I'm used to boats and all, but I am naturally a horrible photographer and the rocking of the boat did not help. I've only got so many pictures to share. As you can see it was quite gray and chilly today and I was not dressed for it, I had to go under when it started to rain. Luckily by the time we landed the rain had stopped and I was on to my next location. 

I had very few things that I wanted to see in London, I don't love doing touristy things. Most of the important things - Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, London Bridge, Millennium Bridge, and the London Eye - could be seen from the boat tour. Additionally we docked at Westminster and went over Tower Bridge so I got a good look at most of them. The only thing that I really wanted to see was Trafalgar Square, which as luck would have it, was right on the way to the British Museum. I really love history and so museums are a great joy to me. It was different navigating through London mostly because their street signs are not familiar to me and because I drive on the other side of the road I was looking in all the wrong places. I did get where I wanted to go rather easily which I credit to the amount of time I've spent walking around New York City. 

The British Museum is huge and maps were £2 so I spent a lot of time wandering around trying to figure out where I wanted to go. I spent most of my time in the BC Europe exhibits. There were so many cool things to learn. I was really hoping to find more exhibits that dealt with the post-industrial world, but alas it was not meant to be. I think being American is sometimes really easy, my history doesn't start until after the Middle Ages. Yes there are Native American tribes present but we're really good at limiting them to one chapter at the beginning and bringing them back for Thanksgiving and conflicts. 

I think I at least walked through every open exhibit. There was so much to see and I had to catch my coach back to Cambridge. I was exhausted by the end, besides the half-hour walk between the meeting point and the museum that I had to do twice, it is a two hour ride both ways, and museums can easily be replaced by watching an interactive slideshow on a treadmill. 

I'm looking forward to my first day without a schedule tomorrow, I really need to sleep in! 

View of the Shard from the boat.

The Tower of London. 

Tower Bridge. 

We don't have those in America. 

Ditto. 

Trafalgar Square. 

Senet (Egyptian board game) at the museum. If anyone wants to play with me I know how. 

Parthenon parts. 

After I got out of the museum, the sky had cleared up considerably. 

Eye see you. 

Another view of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. 

While on our way back I spotted a rainbow, it was pretty faint and I don't know if you can see it but it was a pleasant ending to a very long day and week.