Carpe Diem

Trip Start Sep 14, 2007
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Trip End Dec 20, 2007


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Monday, September 17, 2007

Today we saw: Thames River Tour (by Catamaran Crusies, hop on hop off for reduced fare with Travelcard!) which took us past the London Eye, Parliament, Globe Theater, Tate Modern Art Museum, Tower Bridge and London Bridge and to Greenwich. Greenwich is where the Prime Meridian runs (0degrees longitude) where all time is measured from. It was really interesting and I loved the exhibitons there explaining how to find your longitude and latitude when you are out at sea. To find latitude you can measure the angle of the sun when its at its highest point of midday, on the two equinoxes (if 8th grade earth science serves me correctly...) and to find longitude you can compare the time in Greenwich with wherever you are (local time). For every 1 hour of time difference, is a 15degree change in longitude. To find local time (and this is the part I still have a few question about) you find at what time the sun is highest in its arc across the sky and that is noon. The tricky part to this was building an accurate clock with Greenich time. So we learned a bit about the trials and tribulations of the man who built that clock and saw his residence. The science-bit  really interested me though. We took our picture on the line that divides east from west and got lunch. Greenwich Park was beautiful. It feels like fall here. I wonder what our Latitude is here.

After Greenwich we took the Boat Cruise back to Westminister. I noticed that on the boat we sat behind 4 rows of couples where the girl sat on the outside near the railing and the boy sat to her right closer to the aisle. In front of those couples was a little girl who put her chin on the railing looking out, and behind them was me. Oddly enough, the couples seemed to be in age order.

We got off the boat and got a closer look at Big Ben and Parliament and the Westminster Abbey. Beautiful buildings. Got the required touristy photos.

Then we stopped at a little side street restaurant for a 3 course deal for dinner. Soup, Beef with Rice and a dessert for £5.50 !

My favorite part are the people we've met along the way. The Austrlian couple visiting their daughter who had a PentaxK100, the girl studying in France who asked us to take her picture with her Polariod camera under Big Ben and the couple from DC who sat next to us at dinner.  When we pass groups of teenagers I wonder about who I'll meet in Swansea. Being here and being somewhat settled has given me enough breathing room to start getting really excited.
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