London, Day One!
Morning:
The team landed at London Heathrow airport in the early hours of the morning (10:30 a.m., London time). The weather was a balmy 68 degrees and partly cloudy. We awaited our bus which was taking us to the famed Lord's Cricket Ground. On our way, we were amazed by sights of McDonald's and beautiful architecture. Before heading to Lord's, we stopped for coffee, and a few members of the team were greeted by a kind woman who was honored to have met the "only American cricket team." Before parting, she decidedly told them she would write about the encounter in her diary.
We began our tour of Lord's Cricket Ground by entering the famous pavilion. The strict dress code was waived as the team, tired from the red-eye flight, sported various forms of casual wear. The tour guide was impressed with the team's knowledge about the 12 test-playing nations. Up the lacquered steps the team entered England's changing rooms, and gazed upon the manicured lawn from above. We then took the same long walk from the changing room to the field through the Long Room that many a famous English cricket player had walked before us.
During our drive to Southwark and London Bridge, we drove past Kings Cross station (location of the famed platform 9 & 3/4 from the hip teen film series Harry Potter) and some more McDonald's. Before our afternoon tour began, we stopped and stared in awe at a Victorian-era bridge called Tower Bridge. During our tour, we learned about the history of London Bridge and the surrounding area. The touring company, Unseen Tours, is a non-profit company that works with vulnerably housed and formerly homeless citizens to offer tours that showcase the more unique parts of London, while addressing social issues.
Check out the Unseen Tours website: http://sockmobevents.org.uk
The day concluded with a team dinner of pizza in Earl's Court. Sprite was the most popular beverage of the evening, which coupled nicely with the authentic London pizza.