London

So London... the plane ride was good. I got into Luton airport at about 10:30 and had to wait till 11:15pm to take a bus to central London. On the way I met a Polish lady who helped me figure out a root to get to Tufnell Park (where liz lives) if I missed the last tube train. She was really nice and asked me if it was my first time in America when she noticed I was laughing a bit because we were driving on the left side of the road, something totally new to me. But my luck, which seemed to be fantastic this weekend, found me able to catch the last trains to Tufnell park and so I got off the train at about 1am in some residential like urban London district with drunk people stumbling about and carz whizzing by. So I took a quick look at a sign map and walked...in the wrong direction for about 15 minutes before realizing this and realizing that trying to take a short cut may make me spend another white night but now in London. So I walked back and finally found myway to where I thought Liz lived and after shouting her name a few times in the general viscinity of the building, she came out. It was very nice to see her then. So we went in and after talking for a while went to bed, both staying in her room which some may call...cute.

The next day we got up and went downstairs for a "traditional English breakfast". The place she is staying is like a bed and breakfast and the people are so nice. And it was really good. Probably the best breakfast I have had since being here. And then we were off, with great weather despite the warnings that London always rains. We took the tube back in to Picadilly Circus and sat down in a park to plan our day. There was so much to do. Starting on our way, we were going to go toBuckingham palace right away but as we neared the Mall (its a street) the crowds seemed to build and there were police everywhere. So getting closer and asking a local, we discovered that it was the Queens birthday today (whoa!). So we stood and waited and watched as many many royal troops walked by. And then, following a band mounted on horses, was.. The Queen. And the streets went wild. Everyone was cheering so loud and she was in her little buggy all dressed in turquoise waving to the crowds. Walking a while more after she went by we made it to Buckingham palace and then walked back up towards the Thames. We went to Westminster Abbey and outside saw what was called Morriss dancers. It was this group of like 20 people all dressed up in old English garb doing a traditional dance. We then went inside and took the tour of the Abbey which was amazing. Although, I must say in honestly that I am partial to the cathedrals here in Paris. Leaving, we walked by Big Ben and Parliment, both of which are very amazing to look at. crossed the Thames and had lunch on the other side during which we both tried what the waitress could only describe as "rocket". Its some sort of British thing that is like an "intense" lettuce or spinach. Very hard to describe. We then went back to the abbey for mass