I have arrived!

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Today was the big day - the start of my big European adventure! My first stop is England to visit my friend Ian who I met on my cross country bus trip. Since I used frequent flier miles, I had to take a round about route to get to London - Charlotte to Dallas then Dallas to London. On the London leg I sat next to a nice girl visiting her husband in London. We headed into the city together on the Gatwick Express train. I checked my baggage in at the train station and left to explore the city until Ian got off work later that day.

The train station was really near to many of the major London sights. I walked over to the Thames River and headed north until I hit the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. I was starving, so I stopped in a pub for Shepard’s pie and a pint of Stella. After lunch I headed to Westminster Abbey. I had no idea that many of the Queens and Kings of England were buried there. My favourite two are Elizabeth I and Henry VIII. Henry is buried elsewhere though. There is also a poet’s corner with a memorial to many of the famous English writer’s like Henry Chaucer.

I walked around a bit more through St. James's Park. It was really beautiful. Then I found Buckingham Palace which looked quite magnificent from the outside.

After Westminster Abbey I spoke with Ian and found out he was off work early and was heading over to pick me up. I met him at the Victoria train station. We then headed off to Bristol to stay with his friends Caroline and Nick for the weekend.

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Photos

Westminster Abbey
Front View

Westminster Abbey
Back View