Walking, Walking, Walking

On Friday, my roommates in the flat, Paddy and Jessie, and I wandered around Hyde Park (just down the street from us) for lack of anything better to do. Sightseeing seems to be how I keep from boredom lately in a flat without internet and television, not that I'm complaining. It was during the walk that I discovered just how close we were to Kensington Palace - literally, 6 or 7 minutes from the flat!! We got in just before the gates were closed and wandered about there for a bit, stopping in the gift shop and by The Orangery, where it's been decided we will go for tea on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Yesterday morning, Bill had the Two City Walk from the City of Westminster to the City of London, which I went on with Meg, Paddy and Jessie. Most of Westminster I had already seen the day before, but it was different from his perspective. Bill is brilliant. He knows so much about everything, so it was amazing to listen to the history of it all as we walked by. On the way to the City of London, we walked along the Thames on the southern bank, which is the art-related area, and saw the National Film Theatre, the Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe, and the Millennium Bridge. Bill also took us to the site of the original Globe as well as The Rose theatre and the Southwark Cathedral. At the Burrough Market, which is only open on weekends and is for the most-part open air, I sampled some Boston sausage and two pieces of fried goat cheese, making that my first "meal" for the day. We ended the day's walk by crossing the Tower Bridge to the Tower of London, and Bill was sure to point out the lesser London Bridge as well. Though there is something to be said for random exploring and wandering, I learned a lot on his walk and really enjoyed myself.

After the four-hour long walk, my flatmates and I headed back to Trafalgar Square where the Russian Winter Festival was carrying on. It was basically music and bar tents, but the one act that we caught (Russian pop singers) was completely entertaining. A lot of the audience was screaming the lyrics right along with the guy and were waving Russian flags in the air. Somehow the pictures got lost, but perhaps I shall find them to put up.

The day left us all exhausted, so Meg and I took naps as Paddy unpacked and whatnot while Jessie and Erin went back to the hotel and to do other things. For dinner, still without food in the flat, Meg, Paddy and I wandered about our neighborhood looking for a fish and chips place, but found none that could serve us starving girls immediately. We ended up eating at a restaurant in a shopping center near us called Ma Potters, which I probably won't be going back to again just because of the money. Eating out is ridiculously expensive. Afterwards, the three of us took the tube to Sainsbury's to buy some groceries, came out with a good amount of food, and took the tube back to the flat.

I posted the majority of my pictures, and I'll probably post more once I can do it directly from my laptop. Currently, I have some pictures of the flat, our day exploring Westminster, and the Two City Walk from Saturday. Enjoy!