'Ello Govna...

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London will always be remembered as a proper good time with excellent company. As many of you know, I was the only American when I volunteered in Ghana last summer and the other volunteers I lived with were all from the United Kingdom. Five of them met us in London and it was fantastic to reunite with friends that I shared such a special experience with.
Jake and I arrived in London on the Eurostar early Friday morning. (Funny story- we literally sprinted with our backpacks to catch the train…quite a sight to see…). The rest of the crew were not arriving until the evening hours so we dropped our bags off at the hostel and headed out to see the sites. First stop was Buckingham Palace which was not necessarily the prettiest site to see but well worth the visit for its royal and historical significance. Overall London was a zoo with people and construction. Between the London Marathon, the Royal Wedding, and the Olympics it was a bit chaotic but we enjoyed the hustle and bustle of it all. Next up was St James Park for a quick picnic before heading to see Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben. Westminster Abbey was so grand and astounding! We did not pay to go inside but it definitely was a highlight of the weekend even from the outside. Likewise Big Ben was a spectacular site that made for some great photos! We ventured over the river and walked along the South Bank to Tate Modern. They had a fantastic exhibit on expressionism and impressionism. We spent about half an hour discussing what large splashes of paint on wall-sized canvases evoked memories of... made for some interesting conversation. Our day of sight seeing finished up with a walk across the Millennium footbridge and a look at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Our first evening of fun with friends began with the typical English experience- beer at a pub and fish n’ chips. This was followed by an unforgettable night out in Picadilly Circus. I may have stolen some cupcakes and Jake may have ended the night mesmerized by the security cameras on the bus. Haha good times!
On Saturday we all headed to the Natural History Museum. It was actually very entertaining- animals, planets, rocks, and a giant cocoon! After we all enjoyed an all-you-can eat pizza and pasta buffet to prepare for another fun night of being silly. We headed out to Camden for our second consecutive night of fun memories... our whole group rocked sunglasses. Good times with good people.
Sunday morning a few people had to head home and a few were able to stay for a trip to the London Tower. The London Tower is an old, medieval castle/fort on the bank of the Thames River. It houses several displays with historical significance but the highlight by far was the Crown Jewels. Placed in a vault like no other, the trip through the exhibit will never be forgotten. We said our final goodbyes after our visit to the London Tower. A special shout out THANK YOU to all those who met us in London for the weekend! Our “‘ello govna” weekend was one to put in the record books! Sunday evening Jake and I did some last minute sight seeing before we left London the following morning. Since the London Marathon had just finished the streets were filled with exhausted runners and devoted cheer leaders that made for a unique experience as we strolled the streets. Trafalgar Square, one last look at Big Ben, and a Cadbury Creme Egg McFlurry (so English right? haha) rounded out our day and we headed back early to prepare for our five am train back to Paris.

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