London

August 29

England was exactly how I left it and I couldn’t be happier. I woke up when we were an hour away from London, still groggy and in need of yet more sleep. But I couldn’t ignore the view. Even at 35,000 feet, it was stunning. We flew in over the Scottish Highlands, the first thing I saw was ancient tangle of rocky islands, then onto the jagged coast that eventually gave way into the gentle rolling hills of the Scottish countryside. It made me happy to see the small quiet farms, and not just the farms themselves, but the shapes. The farms aren’t massive thoughtless squares imposed on the earth; every single farm was unique and the view looked like a collection of puzzle pieces trying to get along.

Whatever quaint and sleepy impressions I received on the plane were shattered when we arrived in London. The hustle and bustle of life in such a big city was exhilarating. Three of us arrived at the airport together, Nick, Brett and myself. All Minnesota boys ready to take on Europe. We were delirious with fatigue and jetlag, but we stopped into the local pub for a pint anyway and shot the breeze with locals while trying to master the intricacies of cricket; we failed.
Once our group caught up on sleep and adjusted to the daily schedule, we got the condensed tour of London. We encountered Buckingham, Parliament, Covent Gardens: the works, check it out.

obligatory Big Ben shot or, rather, the bell tower that houses Big Ben

Me with a Lion of Trafalgar Square

Westminster

My favorite part of the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park

 


I’d seen these sights before, but it certainly doesn’t cheapen all the history and character, just like it never gets old watching Spring spring.

Cheers,

Erik