Day 2 London

Well we both woke up nice and early this morning at 12:45 AM london time. We were in sheer panic that morning was before us and that we had overslept our alarms. Amanda was able to get back to sleep shortly thereafter but I (Gabe) was not so fortunate. I stayed up reading Enders Game until about 3 in the morning at which point I flipped over to get more comfortable and fell asleep with the book in my hands.

Once we both woke up for the second time at 7:00 AM we got ready for the day. Our hostel offered a breakfast of toast, oatmeal, and instant coffee. After our leisurely breakfast we walked to Tescos again and picked up a pack of tangerines, hummus, and naan to go with our leftover carrots and took off in the direction of the river once more. We ended up touring some really cool sights that weren't expected.

We have been utilizing an awesome app that Gabe added to his iphone through tripadvisor that can be activated without accessing the internet. This particular trip took us to the Golden Hind, a replica of Sir Francis Drakes ship previously known as the Pelican. This particular type of ship is known as a galleon (oh hey Harry Potter!) and was the only one of five to return from its voyage.

Right around the corner from the Golden Hind was the imposing Southwark Cathedral.

This Cathedral west facing wall is a black stone with a little bit of white trim around the windows and edges. Once you go through the fence on the right side you enter the grounds and the design takes a turn incorporating more white stone and taller windows. 

Finally when you enter the cathedral everything is a very light color really taking full advantage of all light coming through the windows. Unfortunately we were not able to take pictures inside so you're imagination will have to do. 

A short while down we came to the London Bridge. It really is not as impressive as some would think it to be and after the cathedral it was a bit of a let down. 

A short walk east took us to Tower Bridge, which makes up for the lackluster of London Bridge many times over.

 Gabe and I (Amanda) took the opportunity to climb us to the top of the bridge and look over the Thames. 

The architecture was beautiful and I am really glad we took the time to pause, admire, and take in the scenery. 

We exited the Tower Bridge on the north side of the Thames and found unexpected but very much appreciated views of the Tower of London. We plan on an early wake up so we can be the first in line to explore the rest of the Tower tomorrow. 

We caught the tube after a quick bite to eat and relocated to Trafalgar Square. We were met with a HUGE crowd of people all there to watch a reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in honor of Good Friday/Easter. We have seen Trafalgar Square busy but never like this.

We led ourselves into the National Gallery and it was really spectacular. 

We were overwhelmed with the display of art available on hand and with how close you could come to it. You could literally reach your hand out and touch these magnificent paintings (though you would most likely be immediately taken into custody and in very big trouble) but that should give you a sense of how personal and interactive it felt to be there. We lament the fact that we were not allowed to take any photos of our favorites. Amanda really loved some of the works of Degas while Gabe is a Monet man. Impressionist art seems to be Gabe's cup of tea.

After exiting the National Gallery we made our way to the West End and purchased some tickets to see "Singing in the Rain" on Tuesday. Updates on that when we actually see it but it is safe to say that we are extremely excited!

We were going to spend a few minutes relaxing in a park in Soho but unfortunately a man, not pictured, (who was not shy about his intoxication or his feelings) proceeded to hit unabashedly on Gabe. We took a polite "thanks but no thanks" route and decided to call it a day. We made our way back towards the hostel where we stopped off for a few pints and some fish and chips. 

I (Amanda) don't think I have seen food disappear off a plate faster than it did during this meal.

We are constantly counting our blessings and feel fortunate for the time we get to spend here. This is only the beginning! Miss you at home, wish you were here!

Day 1 In London

We are here! The flight felt a little excruciating around the 6th hour when we were trying desperately to sleep. It is amazing how anybody can get some shut eye in such a compact area. I (Amanda) was lucky I was right next to Gabe who took my sprawling in great stride. Im pretty sure I "woke up" (because I don't think I technically achieved what you would call sleep) to my leg tingling and numb on 4 separate occasions. However, sleep issues aside, the flight was uneventful, just the way I like them.

When we finally wrapped up airport business (passport checks, money withdrawals, oyster card purchases…) we caught the tube into the center of the city. Our hostel kindly let us check our packs into their luggage room and after a quick trip to Tescos (picked up bread, brie, a big sack of carrots for cheap, the local sweet and some yogurt) we set out on foot to explore the city. Luckily we brought jackets and scarves because the weather here has been pretty cold, consistently around a brisk 30 degrees, though it feels like significantly less when the wind howls across the Thames right into our faces. Most of the time we ditched the map and just let our curiosity take us wherever it wanted.

We headed roughly northeast and stayed along the Thames River walkways. We stopped at a bunch of small random places and a few big ones.

Our big stops included:

Shakespeare's Globe Theater

The Millennium Bridge

The millennium bridge was extremely pretty. We had views up and down the river and did some planning for our next couple of days while on the bridge. Luckily we were also able to get a woman to take our picture while on the bridge (said woman not pictured).

St Pauls Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral is ridiculous. Massive building with massive statues massively dominating the landscape from every direction you look.

We didn't get to go in because we didn't feel like we would appreciate it as much with our jet-lag ridden brains; however, we are planing on going back to adventure.

and the Tate Modern.

While most of the art was out of our comprehension

we did find a few pieces that really struck a chord.

 The first exhibit was "Dreams and Poetry" which featured a ton of surrealist artists with everything from oil paintings to strange statues. I have to say with the lack of sleep and coffee the art began to freak me (Gabe) out, but it was pretty cool.  It is safe to say that the highlight of the Tate was stumbling upon Monet's "Water Lilies".

It was massive and so beautiful. Any of the replicas that we have seen don't do it justice.

Towards the end of our day we happened uopn the Temple District and saw the Temple Church along with some beautiful gardens.

We took a few minutes to sit and appreciate the beauty that seems to constantly surround us.

It seems crazy that a city can mix the extremely old and the most modern of buildings almost seemlessly.

First day in London done, now we are heading to bed early after a couple chapters in our books and a nice english beer. Stay tuned!

Airport San Francisco

So, here we are, casually sitting at the airport awaiting the flight that will eventually drop us in London. Who are we kidding? We are freaking out. We were waking up every hour on the hour last night frantically checking to see if it was light out. It's Christmas but under the tree are fascinating places and amazing experiences, along with a big fat pile of culture shock and jet lag. 

It feels like we have slowly been shedding layers of our life. In Mac we let go of our apartment, jobs, friends, and the casually comfortable lifestyle we have grown to love. After spending time with the Rinehart crew we left behind most of our possessions and our car. During our last few weeks state-side in the Bay we have narrowed our belongings down to the bare minimum and have nothing left but our backpacks and each other. 

Because we have been planning and dreaming for months now it seems surreal that we are actually going. In preparation we have taken some precautions; we adjusted light cycles and eating patterns. Being with nieces and nephews throws sleep cycles onto an oddly european pattern. We're ready to go but terrified to move. First up is London, we'll update soon!