Chapter 2: Londontown

November 5: Bonfire Night. Guy Fawkes Night. The night I arrived in London. I took the train from Brussels. They require you to go through security and customs and everything, more like boarding a plane than a train. I’m not complaining: I didn’t want to see the chunnel going off the like the 4th of July any more than the British government apparently does. (I say this because I just got this image in my head of the Houses of Parliament in that scene in V for Vendetta…)

One thing I really enjoyed was the progression of languages throughout the train ride. It began in Brussels - French, Flemish, English - when the announcer came on the loud speaker. As we made more and more stops, chugging along into France I presume, the Flemish was no longer included - it was just French followed by the English. And then, just English. Once we arrived, I could read ALL the signs, I was greeted with friendly ‘Hellos!’ - I must say, it felt good to be in an English-speaking country once more after more than 3 months.

Then it was time to meet up my friends at the hostel. The group included me, one other American, a Dane, three Mexicans, two Spaniards, and one Columbian. It got loud.

Over the 2.5 days of our stay we did lots of sightseeing, and enjoyed the warmth of the pub conveniently located directly below our hostel. (And the 2.80£ pints on happy hour.) We couldn’t have asked for more quintessential London weather. I’m talking grey skies the entire duration of our stay, like you’re trapped in this cloud that can’t make up its mind whether it wants to rain or not, so it just sits there and drowns you in little misty water droplets, rendering my umbrella utterly useless and my hair in a permanent state of discontent.

The pictures probably do the best job of summarizing the weekend. Some are stolen, most are mine. Enjoy.

I always match my pants to my phone booth, don’t you? 

Channelling ANTM

Ok I stand corrected - blue skies!

» More photos after the jump »

They keep them at such distances! Dislike

30 minute pause while the Jehovah’s Witnesses convert Chavo

Marcelo… Captain UK ?

Hold on children while I take a picture of Big Ben with my camera I mean giant iPad

Tourist-ing

Strange Brits eat strange things…. at least it’s veggie-friendly

3 for 99 pence I believe it was

There are no exits in London. Only “ways out”

This was as good as it was gonna get - Abbey Road is a busy street!

Disclaimer: I am in no way a proponent of planking. Nonetheless, I give you Marcelo planking Abbey Road, and Rudy FAILING at planking. We call it corpsing. What blasphemy this is. 

Just one of the gang.

FIRST STARBUCKS HOLIDAY CUP / HOLIDAY DRINK OF 2011! Goes quite nicely with London weather. 

I know this isn’t London Bridge, but I had a long discussion here trying to convince someone that the original London Bridge is in Arizona. It really is!

I support the Poppy Appeal. And so do literally 90% of the people walking around London. 

Covent Gardens

Um you’ve got something on your head there sir….

Jumping Trafalgar Square

We get it London. The Olympics are coming. (This is the official countdown, accurate to the second.)

A quick stop by Occupy St. Paul’s

Protestors gettin creative

I don’t think these guys had showered in quite some time 

Inside St. Paul’s Cathedral 

Well this was a disappointment. 

I liked this for some reason.

I finally saw Wicked!!!! Amazing. And some hobo preformed a poem for David and me during intermission - a double feature!

I realize these photos don’t reflect my stay in London in it’s entirety. I really should start taking photos like Elaine does. Every moment I think she has captured on her snazzy little Leica. It seems excessive at the time, but I think it’s worth it in the end. (You’ll get a taste for some of her pics in the posts to come.) Next up: BarTHelona!  

Cheerio for now.