Whole Lotta' London Going On

Sorry for the radio silence. We've been in England for the past few days and have left the hotel early each morning, only to return quite late at night. After a long day of riding the tube and walking the city, everyone was too knackered (that's brit-speak for "tired") to write the blog. Here are some highlights from the past few days:

• After our time in Stratford upon Avon, we visited Oxford University and toured Christchurch College. This was particularly exciting for many of the students because it was used for several scenes in the Harry Potter movies. After Oxford, we hopped back on the bus to go to London, with a quick stop at the Roald Dahl Museum in Buckinghamshire.
• Upon arriving in London, we saw Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Houses or Parliament, and a whole host of other amazingly famous landmarks. These were viewed from the bus, but we would see them in person over the next few days. After checking into the hotel, we hopped on the subway to get dinner at an authentic London fish and chips shop. This trip was great fun because it was the first time that many of the gang had ridden on the tube (or any other subway system, for that matter). After dinner, we enjoyed some free time to explore London's famous Piccadilly Circus. Laden with bags of souvenirs, we headed back to the hotel to rest up for a long Day 2 in London.
• Day 2 in London was a 14 hour extravaganza of walking, sightseeing, food, and taking in the theatre. We left early in the morning to see Westminster Abbey (site of the recent royal wedding, as well as the final resting place of Isaac Newton and Charles Dickens). After Westminster, we took a river cruise down the Thames to the Tower of London. The Tower is still very much a living, breathing, entity that is rich with 1,000 years of history. Students toured the dungeons, the royal armory, and the vault that contains the crown jewels (although, some people say that the jewel on display are fakes). From the Tower, it was off to a traditional dinner of Bangers and Mash (sausages with mashed potatoes) before a show in London's famous West End. We saw the 39 steps, which is a recent production in which the Hitchcock movie has been re-imagined as a comedy with a tiny cast of only 4 people playing all of the parts. The show had everyone in stitches, and the hilarity was only increased by a pair of rowdy pentagenarians in our row. After the show, it was back on the tube and off to bed for our last full day of the trip.
• Today's plan is to take a Walking Tour through the London of Charles Dickens, followed by a trip to Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. After that, we will head over to the Thames and ride on the London Eye before grabbing dinner at an Italian Restaurant.
• Tomorrow: we're coming home!