London

We began our European travels with a week in London. We were lucky to avoid the high costs of accommodations by staying with some acquaintances in St. John's Wood, the neighborhood where Paul McCartney has his tea and where the Beatles took their famous Abbey Road picture. 

I was walking through this neighborhood, and stopped at a busy street to wait for the cars to pass. It took me until someone yelled out their window, "what are you just standing there for?!?" until I realized that I was on a "zebra" crossing, which meant that cars had to wait for ME. Whoops. As soon as I got over my embarrassment, I was able to laugh.

I enjoyed the diversity of London, spread out over miles and neighborhoods and connected by a wonderful underground train system. I was surprised to find that the museums are free and the churches and historical sights cost a fortune, which is the opposite of other places I've visited. So here are some photos from our trip. Even though we admired the British Parliament, Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, London Tower, Tower Bridge, and Westminster Abbey, I decided to share some more experiential photos rather than the scenic ones. Missing from these photos are the comedy club we went to and the production of The Lion King, which were both very well done.

Our mode of transportation...

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Traffic Jam in the London Underground.

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These functional phone booths are everywhere. Perfect for tourists to pose inside for pictures.

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The alley where Sweeney Todd is said to have killed people to be made into meat pies. Tom looks scary, doesn't he? 

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Speaking of Meat Pies...

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At Borough Market, I enjoyed choosing from many different chocolate truffles.

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And in Whittard of Chelsea, a tea shoppe, I made my own tea. Green and Black tea leaves with peach, vanilla, rosehips, and cinnamon. mmmm!

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The old pub where Dickens frequented while working on a book. 

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Zaya and I pose with the Beefeater who gave us the tour of London Tower. He told us stories of the British royalty over the years.

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This modern bridge connects St. Paul's Cathedral with the Tate Modern, a fantastic modern Art museum. We enjoyed a free organ recital that echoed through the cathedral, followed by the museum.

From London I like this photo that Tom took, and the statue.

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Ancient Aztec art amazingly preserved and on display in the British Museum. This is an actual human skull, decorated with turquoise mosaic.

From London

We are now in Germany...more stories and posts to come!

Karissa