Huzzah to the King

Saturday June 20

As many of you probably noticed, we did not post an entry yesterday, but we'll make up for it today!

Yesterday we travelled to Twickenham which is rugby central. There we sat in a pub and drank while watching a rugby match, South Africa vs. the British Irish Lions. While AJ enjoyed some more Guinness, Erika tried a strawberry flavored hard cider.

Later in the afternoon, we went to Hampton Court Palace where England was celebrating the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's coronation. While the palace was magnificent with original art and furniture in almost all of the rooms, the entertainment was fun and comical. Located on the Thames River, the palace has just about as many gardens as it does rooms, each with unique themes. We saw rose gardens, Roman themed parks, and numerous courts with fountains.

King Henry's court jester made us laugh with his antics while eating fire, spitting flames, and well, making a fool of himself and some choice crowd members. We watched a few small plays and even got to meet the King himself, all before a fireworks show.

Sunday June 21

Today was full of adventure as we wandered through London searching for Sunday markets. Throughout several areas in London, Sunday morning is a popular day to have outdoor markets full of food, interesting people, and just about anything you would want to buy.

This is King's Cross Station where we tried to find Platform 9 and 3/4 in order to catch a train to Hogwarts, but apparently we aren't magical. Running into walls does not lead you into other platforms.

At the end of the day, we decided to go back to Southbank where Big Ben and the London Eye are to enjoy some ice cream. Behind us is the County Hall building that sits on top of the London Aquarium. From here we could enjoy several beautiful views of London and the Thames River. The ice cream wasn't bad either. In fact, it was delicious!



London is full of unique buildings that give London real character. Some buildings, including King Henry's palace, are full of contrasting architectural styles as different additions have been added throughout history.