September 22/September 23

So Mom and I decided to be adventurous last night, so we went on a walking tour called "ghosts of old town". We really didn't know what to expect, so we took the tube to the assigned meeting spot and BAM there's St. Paul's Cathedral. I didn't get to see it on my last trip to England, and it's high on my to-do list, so it was really cool to see it so soon. Unfortunately, we couldn't go inside to whisper sweet nothings and nefarious secrets around the dome, but that will come at a later date.

The tour was pretty cool. We walked down alleys and back streets to see some haunted spots around the cathedral, including the King's Wardrobe, St. Andrews church, Blackfriars, the remains of Newgate Prison, the Old Bailey (no, it wasn't actually blown up), St. Bartholemew's Hospital, and the boundary of the great fire of 1666. We also saw the Millenium Bridge (no, it wasn't actually destroyed by Death Eaters) and the Bullet Building, but only caught glimpses. The guide told us some chilling tales about witches, dark murders, and CRAZY women. Highlights include stories about Jack the Ripper, Sweeney Todd, Tannakin Skinker the hog-faced woman, 19th century bodysnatchers, and a murder at the Blackfriar monastery. All in all, quite an interesting tour. MUAHAHA!

Today we set out with the intention of getting some errands done. I had to buy some plates, pillows, etc. etc., so we decided to hit the shops on Oxford St. This place puts G-town to SHAME. I've already decided that I'm not going to spend money on food this year--- I'm going to buy clothes. We walked from our hotel down to the Oxford Circus station, took the tube back to the hotel to drop off the bags, took the tube back out to Bond Street station, and walked down New Bond Street (very posh area of town, I have to say). On our way back to Oxford Street we decided to take a bit of a detour, so we decided to go to Hyde Park via Brook St. This place is FULL of giant townhouses, fancy restaurants, nice cars, etc. We walked past a hotel/restaurant/store that had a lot of paparazzi camped outside. Apparently they were waiting for Posh Spice. Fancy that!

Further down Brook Street we walked past Grosvenor Square, which includes John Adams' house (he lived here when he served as ambassador to GB) and the American Embassy. We got to Hyde Park, where we tooled around the Marble Arch and Speaker's corner (will post video shortly!). Finally, we walked back to the starting point of the afternoon, Bond Street station.

Once we got back to Holborn, Mom and I decided to do a bit of the British Museum--- it's literally TWO BLOCKS from the hotel. We were more tired than we thought, so we bailed after seeing the Elgin marbles and some Assyrian and Egyptian sculpture exhibits. We definitely want to go back, though, as they're opening a new exhibit on Montezuma and the Aztecs. Everyone enjoys a good sacrifice with a still-beating human heart! Hmmm... maybe I shouldn't display my macabre sense of humor on a blog.

That pretty much brings us up to speed. In a few minutes Mom and I are going to dinner, and then to a pub walk along the Thames! Thanks for reading, couch travelers!