Londinium

Hi everyone!

Two Packer games have come and gone since I last updated you. I have to say that after last night's game, we are all a bit sad around the flat. Except, of course, for the people from New York and New Jersey. I did win a pound in a bet last night against a guy who swore that the Packers won the Super Bowl in 1997, and lost to the Patriots in 1998. I assured him that we won against the Patriots in '96 and lost to the Broncos in '97. He was a Bears fan. Enough said.

I've called this e-mail Londinium because that was the name of London upon its founding by the Romans (History of London, day 1). Since this is the beginning of my trip, I thought it was appropriate!


This past week has gone by so quickly, and we have done so many things in so few days!

To recap:
I've seen St. Paul's Cathedral where Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married.
Tower Bridge, which is the pretty bridge in London that everyone mistakes for London Bridge. I have seen London Bridge and it much resembled the 172 overpass of the Fox River. Yes, that spectacular.
I saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace,
Tower of London,
Westminster Abbey,
Big Ben,
Parliament,
and the London Eye.
I have not toured any of these places yet, but now I know where they all are!

I did tour Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana used to live, and it was absolutely amazing. The Duke of Kent and the Duke of Wellington, as well as others, still live in Kensington Palace. I was surprised that so many of the other rooms in the Palace were open for viewing. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert both lived in Kensington Palace, as did Princess Margaret (the Queen's sister). Their bedrooms, favorite rooms, etc. are all on display. Queen Elizabeth gave Kensington Palace to the Royal Palaces Foundation after Princess Margaret died in 2002. Before that, Kensington Palace was not open to the public. There was also a beautiful tribute to Princess Diana, and they put some of her most famous dresses on display.

I have also toured a small portion of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Of course, I went to Harrods. It is massive and utterly overwhelming. I almost bought a kitten at Harrod's pet shop, but they were 900 pounds and sooooo worth every penny. They looked like miniature leopards and tigers.

Notting Hill is beautiful, and the market on Portobello Road is so quaint and, well, amazing. While exploring the area we found The Hummingbird Bakery which had a line out the door. Naturally, we jumped in line, and I got the most amazing red velvet cupcake I have ever tasted. It was so worth the 2 pounds.
Yesterday we went to Little Venice, and then took a boat down the canals to Camden Lock Markets. I got 4 amazing panoramic photos of Parliament and Big Ben, Picadilly Circus, Trafalger Square, and Tower Bridge for only 8 pounds! They will be perfect for remembering this place after I am gone....as I'm already sure I will miss it.

I've seen The Woman in Black, which is a play that has been running in London for 19 years. The head usher brought a few of us backstage after the play ended, and we got to see how they use all their special effects.
Tonight, we went on a backstage tour of the National Theatre, and then saw Much Ado About Nothing. The National Theatre is gorgeous---and the play was hilarious!
Wednesday, we are all going to see War Horse. Tickets are very hard to come by, and it is only playing for a few more weeks, so we are lucky to see it. It is about a boy who raises a horse from infancy, and accompanies the horse into WWI by enlisting before he is old enough to do so. The horses used are actually puppets, but look so lifelike, and are true to size!

We've learned that buying our building would cost us 20 million pounds. Divided by 6 flats, well, you can do the math...it's expensive. The neighbors who have just moved in next door have crystal chandeliers in their living room and dining room, and a Ferrari parked out front. I have honestly almost been hit by more Bentleys and Porsches than one could ever hope. We all LOVE Kensington thus far, though it is quite a bit more expensive and posh than the other areas in London. The interesting thing about Kensington is that there are very large houses on the busy streets, but then there are back streets which used to be called "Mews". They are mostly cobblestone streets, where the stable people and hired help would live and where all the horses and carriages would be stowed. Now, these small houses are basically treasures, and are going for about 3 million pounds. All 41 of us have decided to pool our life savings and rent one. Each person would get a few days in it a year, and it would be so worth it. We are fairly certain that even with our pooled money, we'd probably only be able to rent one for a month's time....if that.

Last Wednesday we went to Imperial College Union to try to get a little taste of home. This Union was nothing like Memorial Union. The entire football (soccer) team was there and they drink beer at such rapid rates, and chant at the top of their lungs. That's what we get for going on Sports Night. Also, pints were a pound, and we decided it would be a good way to lose a few (lbs and cash).
On Thursday, we went to a Turkish Restaurant called El Eles because our head director Mary has a villa in Turkey. I have to say....it was interesting. The appetizers were not appetizing, but the lamb and chicken were amazing. It was never a place I'd think to go on my own, so I was glad for the experience!

It rains almost every day, and I find it so enjoyable! I'm sure everyone knows by now I hate the snow and bitter cold, and the fact that I have yet to wear my winter coat here, leaves me smiling.
Everyone has told us that we will have culture shock at some point, but I have yet to experience it. I do have some annoyances, but nothing major...
The light switch to the bathroom is outside the bathroom
I have yet to get a toilet to flush on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th try.
English muffins in England are not pre-cut.
The pound and 2 pound coins are something I just cannot understand! They add almost 10 pounds (lbs) to my purse!
Everything (food-wise) is cheaper if you get it "take-away". This is kind of complicated considering London does not have very many public places indoors to sit and there is only a garbage can every 5 blocks.
A gentleman from West Virginia pointed out to us last night at the Packer game that they rarely have garbage cans, especially in our area, because they are worried about bombs. It makes perfect sense, but I don't know how they keep London so clean!

Some of the girls here are going to the Spice Girl's Reunion concert tomorrow night. It is their last night in London, and the girls are about as excited as....well, excited gets. I was very upset to hear that The Eagles were going to be in Milwaukee while I was overseas, and I actually contemplated flying back to see them. Low and behold, The Eagles are also playing in London for a week near the end of March. I'm not sure it's in my budget...but they are here while my mom is visiting so I'm hoping she gets the hint when she reads this email.

I've booked trips to Prague, Italy, and Paris in February, March, and April. This Friday we are taking a day trip to Windsor Castle and Eton College, where Prince William and Harry went to school. I asked Britt if the Princes would be there, and she replied with her shrill British accent, "Oh, no! There are much better looking boys than them there!" Perfect.

Looking forward to another wonderful week! Hope everyone is staying warm, or at least trying!

Annette