Location: Eastwest hemisphere

Day 2 - Today started our first full day in Europe. we got up and hit the ground running (well walking actually, don't really know why the phrase has become so popular...) Our first stop of the morning was Buckingham Palace. This Palace was much like what I expected it to look like from the picture I have seen, and it was the England I expected to see. We made it there just in time for the changing of the guards, so we got to see the band come marching in wearing their red coats and big fir hats. As any good patriot would say, I don't the actual changing of the guards was quite as neat as that as Arlington National in DC, but it was still a really cool experience. While there the band played some very interesting tunes with the likes of; the Star trek theme, The Imperial March, the Indiana Jones theme, and a few others.

After we had been at the palace for about thirty min. we decided it was about time to head over to Greenwich where the Prime Meridian is located. I had no clue this was even in London until we arrived here. (sorry Mr. Webb, 9th grade world geography) We took a boat down the Thames River which gave us a great new view of London. The town was a very pretty English town with smaller streets than that of main part of London. We found a nice pub in the city to get fish and chips for lunch. After lunch we managed to make it over to the maritime museum where the Prime Meridian is located atop a hill.

Our next stop of the day was Tower Bridge. This is what I have always thought was London bridge, but London bridge is just a normal bridge about 50 Km from the Tower bridge. This was an amazing structure and quite fun to walk over. (I am trying to think in a British accent while typing this to try and give you the best experience I can.) After the bridge we headed over to Piccadilly Circus again to take care of some traveling stuff at the EuroRail location before we leave for Paris in 2 days.

Tonight we ate Fish Pie made by non other than Mr. Bradley himself. It was soo good! I am loving all the new foods I am experiencing. After dinner he asked if we would like to go to a good pub with him. This was a really cool experience because it was something not just any tourist would know to do. He took us to a really cool part of town called, Strand on the Green in Chsique(sp?). While there he introduced us to some English beers. we each only got a half pint due to the dark bitterness of English beer. I got one called London's Pride which wasn't too bad. It wasn't quite as dark as some of the others.

Well that is about all I have for today's blog, but there will be much more to come in the future! We are currently looking for a place to stay in Paris, so if you have any suggestions please let us know.

Cheers!

Michael