Time on the Thames

Our sight seeing for today started on the river front out of the Westminster Tube spot. We had to leave straight from class to the Tube, so many people stopped at the pancake hut for a quick lunch. The pancakes looked more like crepes, and were made fresh to order on a little stove with your choice of sweet or savory toppings. A popular (and very delicious looking choice): Pancake + Nutella, strawberries, and banana.

Ros and Mike deciding which combo to pick at the pancake stand... I believe the final choices were ham and cheese for Mike and plain with syrup for Ros.

We were taking a river cruise along the Thames to Greenwich. Within five or so minutes of the start of our trip, it started raining. Basically everyone cleared from the open top deck to the covered downstairs, but Nicki and I braved the wind and rain through the whole trip!

Alison, Emma, and Kelsey on the boat

Prof Williams and company huddled in their umbrellas in the rain! They started out strong, but ended up in the dry cabin below.

Interesting fact: "Wharf" really means "Warehouse at river front"

Along the way, we saw a lot of old wharf buildings that have been converted into luxury apartments. Prices ranged from 1 million to 3 million pounds per apartments. Many still had cranes still attached to the side between decorated balconies!

We made it to Greenwich and met up with a guide from London Walks, Richard. He was going to lead us around Greenwich-- through the Queen's House, the Royal Observatory, and the Old Royal Naval College, which is now used as the University of Greenwich and the Trinity College of Music.

In "downtown" Greenwich with our tourguide, Richard

The Royal Observatory is on the top of a (very steep) hill, which we climbed with our umbrellas while hoping the surrounding lightning would not strike us! At the top, we found the prime meridian line, the point of 0 degrees longitude.

The view from the observatory in Greenwich

My feet, straddling the prime meridian...

one foot in the eastern hemisphere, and one in the west!

Emma, Alison, Mal, Christina, and Kelsey on the prime meridian

When leaving Greenwich, a group of us decided to venture underneath the Thames on the way back instead of on top. We walked through a 30-50 feet deep tunnel (depending on the tides) to the other side of the bank.

Jenny, Muriel, Nicki, Emily, Angie, Ros, Charlotte, Ethan, and Prof Williams in the tunnel going from Greenwich UNDERNEATH the Thames

Several of us decided to hit the Tube and traveled to Knightsbridge to Harrod's. As we stepped out of the Tube station, we realized it had begun raining again. Anxious to get to Harrod's, we got out our umbrellas and hit the streets. During the five minute walk from the station to Harrod's, we had to stop two times due to the torrential downpour! It had even started hailing!

Harrod's was unlike anything I have ever seen! It was absolutely mobbed with people, and the designer labels were like looking through the advertisements of Vogue: Prada, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Marc Jacobs... All definitely out of my price range, but fun to admire! Our group had split up with hopes of reuniting in the food hall, but we had vastly underestimated the vastness (and crowds) that awaited.

The food hall, a must see attraction recommended to me by my grandpa and Prof Williams, is a collection of connected rooms containing any food imagined. Chocolates, fruit, vegetables, bakery, Krispy Kremes (really??), sushi, Indian, Chinese... everything! Emily, a vegetarian, steered clear of the entire room dedicated to any and every meat.

One of the rooms of the Harrods food court... absolutely amazing!

Lucky for us, Harrod's is having a sale for the entire time that we are here! Sales only occur two times a year, and a friendly cashier informed us that we are very fortunate with our timing. He said things will be marked down as the sale continues, but I am afraid I will be long gone by the time anything nears the range of my student budget!