Touring London

Sunday morning I met my two lovely new friends from Brussels at Waterloo station, Julie and Erika. We had quite an adventurous past two days together, as we went all around the city and saw lots of cool tourist attractions and museums that I haven't seen before. After dropping bags off at my flat, we took a bus to Baker street of Sherlock Holmes fame, then walked around the beautiful Reagents Park. We then rode the 82 bus from Baker Street to Buckingham Palace. No changing of the guards, but it was still fun to watch the royal guards march back and forth. They look so silly--I wonder how they can take themselves so seriously. So after hanging out around the Palace we walked to the Royal stables then the horse guards, where the stiff Royal guards sit atop the impossibly patient black horses. We then walked past Downing street to the Parliament building and all the exciting hoopla that goes along with that fun. We went to the Westminster Abby too, but ironically it was closed to the public on Sunday. Interesting to note, there was something filming outside of the Abby...not sure what it was, but we saw a camera crew in the back and people pretending to walk up the street in business clothes and briefcases. So if anyone sees a commercial or movie that takes place outside of Westminster Abby, look for me. I'm probably in it.
Anyway, we walked from there to Victoria station where we hopped a tube to the Tate Modern. It was quite a cool museum, saw lots of Picasso. I especially appreciated the Karel Appel and the rest of the CoBrA (Coppenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam) group who try to paint like children. After the Tate we walked across the Millenium bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral, where we sat down for a quick listening of the string orchestra playing Mozart.
After the music we tubed it to Covent Garden and walked to Trafalgar Square. We took some nice pictures on the lions around Nelson's pillar and of Julie trying to climb up onto the lions before bussing through Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus back home. It was a long day, we were all tired, so after making a delicious tuna and pasta dinner, we called it a night.
Today, after class I met up with the girls at Harrod's department store for lunch. They had already ate so we went to a Benjy's across the street and had coffee and sandwiches. We took the tube from there to Victoria, where I talked to STA about my ticket home (just incase you still don't know--I am coming home for a few weeks winterbreak...the 12 of December to be exact) and they worked out their busride to Austria. After Victoria we tubed to Holborn to see the British Museum. I had never before visited the museum, but after 1 visit I fell in love. I spent 2 hours just looking at the ancient Egyptian artifacts dating back over 3000 years. They were quite fascinating. I also spent some time looking at Roman replicas of Greek sculptures from the 2 and 3 centuries BC. It inspired me to do some research on the Jews from those time periods, specifically the effects their flee from Egypt had on its empire.
The museum closed so we decided to head home. We get back, I take a shower and the girls want to make dinner, so they do with my mexican food ingredients. After my shower the rice is mostly cooked and the beans and salsa is ready, so I grate some cheese and we are ready to go. We have delicious bean and cheese burritos and cap off a full day with night at the pub with Pete, Gak, and Schloss' friend's brother who I met in Brugges and is coincidentally living in London, Jonny Ringo. From there we take a night walk to the Marble Arch busstop where the girls have to go to tomorrow morning at 3 AM so they know where to go, pick up some 16p pastries from Sainsbury's, then head home for bed. And that's where they are now, and I'm here, in the living room, recounting my exciting first experiences as a tourguide. G'night.