Wednesday 26 September 2007

Trip to Brighton

Brighton is on the southern coast of England, just and hour's train ride away. It began as a seaside retreat for the royals in the 19th century and quickly became popular for the public as well.
The Brighton Pier is wonderfully gaudy. You can get the greasiest fish and chips for a couple quid, go for a spin on the ricketiest rides I've ever seen, and check out the old Brits sunbathing in rented chairs. Excellent.

The day was absolutely gorgeous, and probably one of the last warm days of the season! It got up to 27 or 28 degrees Celsius. (I'm learning to use Celsius!!!)

The Royal Pavillion at Brighton




Imagine reading about a nice seaside resort built by King George something or another. And then imagine that you walk with your little tourist guide to This! Of all the things British royalty spent money on! I mean, really!

The Royal Botanical Gardens



The Royal Botanical Gardens, also known as Kew Gardens are just west of London but can still be reached by the Tube. These are just a few pictures of the highlights.

A Walk Along the Thames

I begin my walk along the river as the Tower Bridge opens to let a ship pass through it. This used to happen ten times a day and now does less in a week.
This is the skyline of the City of London (essentially London's financial district), seen just after crossing under the Tower Bridge. The particularly pointy building is nicknamed "The Gherkin".
After a lengthy walk along the Thames (and omitting certain tourist staples like the Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern), one comes upon Westminster and a great view of Parliament. (Sorry for the washed out look- it was really bright out)
The view from Parliament (on the north bank) shows the London Eye, which gives great views of the city and takes about a half hour to go all the way around. The building next to the Eye is the old city hall, which now houses the London aquarium, Dali Universe, and at the moment, a Star Wars Exhibit.

Tuesday 25 September 2007

The Common Room!



Our common area has a kitchen, dining area and couches. We also have a balcony that connects with the flat next door. Hopefully we'll have some nice neighbors!

My Room



This is my bedroom at Butlers Wharf. Every flat has six bedrooms like this, each with its own desk, bed, sink and mirror, bookshelf and wardrobe. I just bought the tapestries for my walls at Camden market.

Monday 24 September 2007

One Block From My Flat


Uhhh. Yeah. One block from my flat. Frickin ridiculous.