Londo!

Wednesday was quite a long day.  We ended up leaving for the airport at 6:30 in the morning and didn't reach Lisa's "flat" until just after midnight.  Of course there's a 5-hour time difference, but after flying, customs, taking the tube, finding the bus, and getting here, we were pretty exhausted.  

Nevertheless, we made it.  Now we're just hanging around with Lisa and her fiancee Gavin in Crouch End, a neighborhood in Northern London.  We're getting used to the time change, the pound (damn you, worthless dollar!), and actually being on vacation.

Thursday we stayed pretty local, checking out the neighborhood and it's awesome British pubs. The first stop was at a pub with a bar game called table skittles, which Bill and I plan to bring back to the states.  I'll include a photo later (we don't have a british converter, so I'm typing on Gavin's computer), but it's a game that requires you to swing a wooden ball on a chain around a post toward 9 dowels set up on end, and attempt to knock them all down.  Sounds pretty straightforward, but it gets a bit tougher when you throw a few beers in the mix.  Hmmm....

Yesterday (Friday) Lisa, Bill and I got a little more adventurous and made our way to Central London via a double-decker bus.  The ride was a highlight in and of itself; nothing like seeing the city from above without having to actually navigate the crazy left-sided traffic.  I just can't get used to cars coming from the right every time I cross the street!  If this blog stops abruptly you'll know why.

We got caught in a downpour, which has become pretty common for us on this visit, but made it to the Globe Theatre for a tour.  This is the third Globe to be built, and because there is no record of what the first two looked like on the inside, it's just an educated guess as to what it might've been.  Therefore, our tour guide preempted every statement with "We don't really know, but we think" and then continue with what the floor "might've" been made of, how the interior "might've" been painted, or how many people "might've" attended.  As you can guess, it left a bit to be desired.

We laid low last night, but are looking forward to meeting up with some college friends this evening.  I'll be sure to add some of our photos when we're able to get back on Bill's mac, so check back to this post in a week or so.  

Cheerio!