Lazy Sunday

I feel like I have been in this city for weeks already. I'm not totally sure if that is a good thing, but going to take it as a good sign that a part me feels very at home here...and who knows, maybe I will be someday...

Yesterday was our orientation day with Brandon, our contact. He is a professor of Business and Tourism at the University of Hertfordshire, just outside the city. He was kind and gracious to show us around all day, despite it being is 17th wedding anniversary! We started by taking a bus down to Reagent St., where all the most fancy shopping is, and then we walked to Piccadilly Circus to have lunch in a fabulous book store. For someone who doesn't read as much as I would like, I found I could get lost in a bookstore like that, spending hours browsing and desiring the money, time, and patience to read all the great stories there.

After lunch, we walked down towards the riverfront, we walked an awful lot, passed Buckingham Palace, #10 Downing Street, and the Houses of Parliament. We crossed the river by the London Eye and caught a riverboat down to the Tate Modern Museum, neither my stomach nor my migraine sensitive head enjoy this part of the journey. We got to the Tate which was jammed packed as the clouds had finally lost their battle with the rain, sending everyone inside for some tea and art. I didn't have time to really look at anything in the museum, but I will make it back there eventually.

When the rain let up, we walked back across the river to St. Paul's Cathedral and said goodbye to Brandon, who was already late for his Indian Curry date with his wife...I felt really horrible about this but he would not leave us on the "other side of the river." We made our way home and stopped to pick up some more groceries. It's amazing how little you can buy at a time when you know you have to carry it all the way home. After dinner, Summer and I spent a long time figuring out whether we are going to Paris next weekend or to Frankfurt....the jury is still out

Today has been near perfect.

I had planned to go to church, but today was daylight savings here (now I'm 8 hours ahead of the west coast) so I was a little late! It's just on the other side of the park, but it took about 40 minutes on the bus because I'm still a little unsure of the bus system so I got on the wrong line and had to make up the difference walking. The 35 minutes I was at church, Holy Trinity Brompton where Tim Hughes is the Worship leader, were great and I'm so looking forward to next week.

After church, I put on my ipod and headed for Hyde Park. I love love love parks. Even though it was cold, breezy, and about to rain, I was so happy just to be there. I spent a long time just walking around, people watching. I sat at the round pond for a while, watching the ducks. Next time I will surely bring bread for them. I can tell that the later Spring is going to be beautiful in the park. The daffodils are already starting to bloom and soon the Cherry blossoms will too. Then I got a latte and came home for lunch.

This afternoon, Summer and I are going on an adventure to find the place where she in interning. She has the longest commute and is not confident she can find it on her own. She also has never traveled alone and is nervous about all the underground, but she will get it I'm sure. Then it will be an early night before my first day of work tomorrow at 11. I'm really excited to finally be starting...

I wasn't able take pictures during our tour of the city because of the rain, but I will definitely be going back to all those places so no worries....here are some of my walk in the park