Thames = The Muddy Maumee?

After spending the first couple days getting acclimated to the west end of London, Regent's and the masculine pink and purple walls of our flat, it was time to put on our tourist hats and get crackin'.

On a somewhat cloudy mid-morning, we boarded a big, brown tour bus and sprinted up the stairs to the top level. Instantly, the wind cut through my supposed "windbreaker" jacket, and I realized just how chilly it was going to be. Awesome. This was not a concern for long as I was (almost) instantly distracted by multiple pictures of Emma Watson at the flagship Burberry store, hilarious conversation, and a highly entertaining audio guide. We decided to jump off at the Trafalgar Square stop and take a look at the uber-cool National Gallery. Instead, we found a massive group of (what looked like) professional photographers. They were photographing a baby (Zach is convinced it was royal) in a stroller-- probably one of the creepiest things I have ever seen. Still no word on what the occasion was..

After taking some hilarious pictures in/around the main fountain in Trafalgar Square, we spotted Big Ben and made a beeline for it. I can't tell you how awesome it was to put on my tourist hat and see one of the most famous places in London!

From there we walked down to the Thames and got our first "good" look at the London Eye (Even though we can see it from the window of our flat, it was so neat to see it from a few feet away). Surprisingly, the sidewalks lining the river were pretty empty... always a plus.

We saw signs for "Boat Tours on the Thames," and after remembering they were included with our bus ticket, we ventured down to the water to see what all the fuss was about. About that water: If you did a side-by-side comparison of the Thames with the Maumee, the poopy/muddy/ultra-gross Maumee would probably claim victory. No bueno.

To keep this story going and to save your eyes from reading every possible detail of my day, we ended up cruising down the Thames, flying by London Bridge, Tower Bridge, lots of INCREDIBLE apartments, and calling it quits at the Tower of London.

We hopped off with our stomachs growling and decided to grab a (late) lunch at Gourmet Burger Kitchen. BAHHH. 100% Aberdeen-Angus Prime Cut Beef? Slightly ridiculous/unnecessary/but absolutely incredible? It was.

To wrap up a long and exhausting day, we stumbled upon St. Martin-in-the-fields right off Trafalgar Square on our way back to the Tube station. I knew my Aunt Ellie had mentioned a brilliant little restaurant downstairs in the Crypt, so we decided to take a quick walk through the place. The restaurant looked delicious and the concerts at the church are happening all the time. I definitely anticipate grabbing a quick dinner before a show sometime in the coming weeks.

I hope everyone back in the U.S. is doing well!!

Cheers from my purple bedroom,

Andrew