London

Trip Start Apr 20, 2008
1
55
69
Trip End Ongoing


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Where I stayed
Rebecca's
(London hotels)

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Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Dave's friend Denny who used to be his next door neighbour in Australia has been living in London for the past few years and became our tour guide. Our first day we met her at Covent Garden, we had a beer up on a balcony overlooking the street, crowded with people watching a French busker. We spent the afternoon walking around the markets there and then around Leister Square, Soho, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square etc. We were incredibly lucky with the weather the entire time Dave was here, it was sunny and nice, one day was so warm I was sweating in a t-shirt!!?

That evening we went to see the musical Les Miserables which was fantastic! I loved it!!! Friday we met Denny again at the Burrough markets. We began the day with coffee and all you can eat baguettes and jam! We then moved into a cheese shop where we tried around 50% of the products in the store which was not a small amount!! We then spent a long time just walking around looking at all the food being sold and having taste testers at nearly every stall! We then bought some cheese, bread and some beers and had a little picnic outside. From there we had to go to Clapham juntion as I had an interview and induction with a teaching agency. My appointment was at 2.30 and I wasn't finished until after 5.30 as I had to fill in a million forms and go to the bank to open a bank account. Dave and Denny were waiting for me at the pub so they had had time to sink quite a few pints by the time I finished! I joined them for one more before relocating to Waterloo and then to Chinatown where we had dinner with a couple of Dave and Denny's other friends from Australia. London
London
 After dinner we moved to a nearby pub where we met Jo and a few of her friends and my cousin Rebecca who we are staying with here.

Saturday we had a big breakfast at home and then headed to the Tate modern art gallery. Rebecca was going there at 1 o'clock with a group of students from her school to do some improvisational dance called flocking which basically involves following each other around in a line and copying the leaders' movements. Unfortunately we couldn't stay for this but we did have a look around the gallery. There were some very intersting things in there and some that were just a bit of bullshit really... At 1pm we headed a bit further down along the River Thames to the Oxo Tower. Denny is a sues chef there in an expensive and exclusive restaurant on the eight floor with some great views of London and the river. We sat on the balcony and had two jugs of pimms before moving inside for our 6 course lunch. The food was all really really nice and after our three hour dining experience we were all ready to go to sleep!

We resisted the urge, however and instead headed to Camden where we met Jo who joined us in walking through the markets there. When we'd had enough of that we hit the pub and then relocated to a little cafe for coffee and cake. We were supposed to have a big night out but after Friday night and our big day no one was really up for it.

Sunday we met up with everybody again at Portobello Road and walked around there for a while. In the evening Dave and I went to see the Mozart Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall. We had got the cheapest tickets which were in the choir which is basically behind the stage. We were right on the end and when the show was about to start the usher waved us down to the balcony where we were right beside the stage and very close, it was great! The orchestra members were all dressed up in old costumes including wigs and they were really good so despite not being a huge fan of classical music, I did really enjoy it.

Monday was Dave's last day. We went to the science museum and walked around near Leister Square one more time before heading to the airport in the afternoon.
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