Strawberry Beer is fantastic. Not sure if this is the right brand I sampled (in the picture; I took it off of google), but this is pretty much the best knowledge I gained while on our "unofficial" pub crawl last night. The pub that serves it is just around the corner (or alley really) from our flat on Hogarth, and it's also has a really cozy atmosphere that many of us seemed to enjoy. I see us spending quite a bit of time there in the future. Unfortunately, this is all the detail I'll share about the crawl here. If you want to know more, shoot me an email or talk to me online if we happen to line up on the 6 hour time difference :)
The people are great too, and by that I mean both the Brits I've met and the people I've come here with. My roommates (from here on out referred to as my flatmates) are five great girls and we're all interning this summer. The flat itself is quite cute and in a really nice neighborhood seconds away from restaurants, pubs, retail stores, and the Earl's Court tube station. I'll post some pictures on here of our flat and the neighborhood when I get a chance to go through and empty my memory card on my camera... which I forgot to do before leaving the U.S.
We got up pretty early this morning for a guided bus tour with a Blue Badge guide named Trudy. She was fantastic, funny, and very very knowledgeable about everything and anything London; as she should be. Blue Badge guides are unique in that they are required to study for two years in intensive courses and take exams in order to get their jobs, so they really are the absolute experts on London, and it was a pleasure to hear the quirky things and important facts she shared with us. At the first stop-off point, we went to St. Paul's Cathedral. Because it's Sunday the cathedral is not open to tourism, but only for services, so we only got to see the outside. However, a flatmate and I plan on returning for a service, even though we aren't catholic, just for the experience. The sounds of the organ coming from inside and the bells outside were incredible. I'll post pictures when I return there and see it for real.
We then went around central London some more and saw two guard ceremonies. First, we went and saw the Malaysian guards in front of St. George's Castle. The government of Malaysia is "lending" a regiment of their soldiers to the U.K. so that the U.K. soldiers can go fight in Iraq. Trudy told us that this was the first day for the Malaysian regiment to be on duty. Highly interesting and so telling of the times.
The Malaysian Guard subbing in for the Brits
The second ceremony was the traditional "changing of the guard" that happens each day at Buckingham Palace. This is the traditional one you think of with the soldiers with the huge bearskin hats and such. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get very close or stay for very long, but the short glimpse was neat. I hope to come back to see it again sometime up close. We did, however, get to see the house where William and Harry live with Prince Charles. The two boys have the top floor, according to Trudy, and Harry's window was open. So, for a moment, I felt a little obsessed with the royals... I'll blame it on Trudy's crazy shrieking enthusiasm... or my fondness for gorgeous Princes... hmmm.
The changing of the guard processional outside Buckingham Palace
The tube is also amazing. Super clean, and opens up all of the HUGE and spread-out city of London to us. After our guided tour of the city this morning, we ate lunch at a sandwich/coffee place in Picadilly Circus and found our way back to Earl's Court via the tube. We then hit up Sainsbury's (the local chain grocery store, like a Jewel, or for you Missourians, a Schnucks) for some much needed groceries.
After a short walk back to our flat, we took the tube from Earls Court down a few stops (because we were tired and it was a 30 minute walk) to the Natural History Museum.... which I will also post pictures of here. The museums here are all FREE and GORGEOUS and QUALITY, and this one was no exception. Great exhibits, and looked like a beautiful ornate church. Lovely.
(So I tried to post a picture of the museum here... it wouldn't let me... if you care to see more, please see my Facebook album).
By the end of the museum today, we were all pretty beat so we headed back to the flat to chill before going out to dinner somewhere nearby tonight. We're all pretty tired and we have orientation at Imperial College tomorrow so I'm guessing it's going to be a pretty chillaxed evening. I miss you all immensely, but I'm having an amazing time... wish you could share it with me! Hopefully the pictures I posted will help bring you closer :)
God save the queen! Or at least the brewers of Strawberry Beer. Cheers :)
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