London, Day Three!
Morning:
We woke up BRIGHT and EARLY to grab a quick reakfast before our tour of the city. This time, instead of our accustomed bus trip, we braved the subway systems of London, otherwise referred to as "the tube." Our guide, Gary, was the perfect combination of informative and humorous, which we learned early on during our lovely tour of central London. One highlight of our tour was seeing the prestigious Buckingham Palace. However to our dismay, our good friend Queen Elizabeth was not home at the time. We texted her and told her we would meet up at a later date.
Another highlight included the many waterfowl that inhabit the area surrounding the palace. Gary told us that there were over 30 species living there, and that he'd once seen a pelican eat a pigeon. (Un)fortunately, we were unable to see a repeat of that particular incident. To our luck, we walked right into a large local protest advocating government acknowledgement and action on climate change. It was a busy day in the world of politics in the UK as Theresa May also announced her resignation as Prime Minister.
Our tour with Gary ended at the Tower of London. Then, we headed to lunch and sat along the banks of the Thames. After lunch, we went for ice cream from a classic British white ice cream van. We enjoyed the local delicacy known as a 99 (vanilla soft serve ice cream in a cone with a chocolate flake.)
Afternoon:
Next, we entered the Tower of London. Our first stop was to see the Crown Jewels, which can only be described as "bonkers" (sources: Gary and seeing them in real life). We saw an interesting collection of armory and weapons too, including the chair used for the last execution that took place at the Tower of London in 1941. After galavanting around the tower, we split up into smaller groups. A few headed to the Imperial War Museum, while others headed to Hyde Park.
Evening:
Some of the team enjoyed afternoon tea in Kensington. The tea, finger sandwiches and scones were excellent, but the company was... even better.
A few of us went for a cheeky Nandos in Kensington, where many chickens were devoured. Another early night for the lads, as we got back to the hotel and began to mentally prepare for the match tomorrow.
Coming up:
Tomorrow we take on the Royal Household Cricket Club at Windsor Castle. Will we see the queen? Read tomorrow's blog to find out!
Written by Paige Powell '19