Buying a pint with coins...brilliant!!

Cheers to everyone in the states!!! So, now that you've seen photos of our flat and you received a fashion update from Brittany a/k/a Rosemary, it's time to update you on day number two in London.

After getting our first good night's sleep, we got up early, had breakfast in the flat and made our way towards a cafe that we stumbled across the night before - Cafe Nero. (Brittany knew it was going to be a great choice because they were able to accommodate her drink request even though it wasn't on the menu.) It was a great little spot that had seating downstairs, upstairs and outside. In fact, outside seating is very common in London. Almost every cafe, restaurant and pub has outdoor seating filled with patrons and it is rather refreshing. Brittany and I both ordered vanilla latte's and after enjoying them inside, we walked down the road to Chelsea FC Stadium. The first stadium tour was set to begin at 11 a.m. and we were the last two to make that tour. Brittany and I got bit by the futbol (or as we Americans call it - soccer) bug during the World Cup and couldn't wait to see what a professional futbol stadium is all about. We got to go down to the pitch, see the press room, walk up the tunnel, go into the locker rooms and the dugouts. It was a great tour and we ended it with a small purchase in the megastore. Since we are just a few minutes from the stadium, we may be heading back for more merchandise before we leave:) Thanks to Kelsey and Erik for purchasing this memory for us!

After shooting some pictures, we were a little hungry. There was a great fresh food market just down the street called The Union Market. Brittany ordered pasta salad, baby carrots and a rice like substance with wheat in it (don't ask). I ordered the rare roast sandwich (roast beef, horseradish, watercress) and potato salad with curry and spinach. We took our food to Eel Brook Common and had a little picnic. The food was very tasty and the weather was very pleasant. After lunch we headed back to the flat before heading to our next destination.

As we were gathering a few items for the next leg of our day, it began to downpour. So, we watched the rain from our couch and decided to head out after the sun came back out. The second leg of our day was going to consist of a visit to the Tower of London. After successfully navigating the "Tube" or the "Underground," we arrived at the Tower of London. All we can say is WOW! What an amazing structure! This castle is like a time warp and it's right in the middle of 21st Century architecture. It's absolutely stunning. The history that took place on these grounds is unreal. We've all read about Henry VIII, torture, executions, Anne Boleyn, beefeaters, etc. Of course, who can forget that the Tower also houses the crown jewels. It was a great time and Brittany and I spent about 3 hours touring and photographing this historic site. After that, we ventured across Tower Bridge for some dinner. We found a nice pub called The Bridge Lounge and Dining Room. Brittany ordered the quesidilla and wedges and I had sausage and mash (lamb, jalepaeno and mint sausage). The presentation of the food equally matched its taste. My sausage was outstanding and there was a sweet and sour dipping sauce for Brittany's wedges that was delicious. After dinner we decided to hit another pub for a few pints. We stumbled upon The Shipwright's Arms. This was a hopping "nautical themed" pub. I had a Guinness and a Deuchar IPA and Brittany enjoyed a Heineken. My favorite thing about London so far is that I can buy a pint with coins and nobody cares.

After our last pint we had to rush back to the Tower of London for the special Ceremony of the Keys. On our way back, Tower Bridge opened to let a boat go through. On a normal day we would've enjoyed this, but since we were trying to rush back to the Tower, we weren't really interested. After running, we made it, yet Brittany needed her inhaler. This ceremony has taken place every day for the last 700 years - even in wartime. We had to write in to get tickets, so we were really excited. The ceremony was very interesting, however, it wasn't as solemn as we expected it to be. After being escorted out by the beefeater, we were on the District Line back home.

Good night London - may we pay for more pints with coins tomorrow!