Gatwick/JFK Fun!

Here we are, Monday afternoon, waiting to get on a plane back to Ohio. The reason we look so happy here is because, at this point, we don't know that they won't let us on the plane. But soon after this picture is taken, we find out that while they can't get us to Ohio, they can get us to New York. (What will we do in New York? We don't know; nor, do they.) We got to New York Monday evening (there's a whole crew of us not wanting to be in New York) and wait and wait and wait for our luggage to arrive; it never does. We go to a ticket counter to try to get home. Apparently we'd "just missed" the last flight to Ohio for the night. We book the earliest flight out Tuesday morning, 6am, and decide to stay at the airport. There was food, bathrooms, and concrete floor. But, hey, it was free. Not the food, the floor.
This is how our trip, basically, ended (well, except for our bags not being in Ohio, but that's worked itself out by now). Even though the last two days were no fun, the trip as a whole couldn't be spoiled.

Quote of the Day

"In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."

- Anne Frank

London - Part 8

Sunday afternoon and evening we hung out with one of my best friends from college, Marianne, and her longtime boyfriend, Daniel. They came all the way down from Scotland to visit. We went to Covent Gardens where I bought chocolates to take back to work (alas they ended up soaked and icky in my bag that sat on the rainy runway at Gatwick before showing up two days late in Cincinnati...) and then to the South Bank for dinner and walking-around-fun.



















After dinner we walked back across the Thames, took the subway back towards are respective hotels, and ended the evening with a night cap at a local pub.

Here we are outside my hotel Sunday. The pub closed before 11pm, so it wasn't too late. I've been home for about six days; can I go back yet??? Ok, maybe not. But it was wonderful having this brief change in routine and break from reality.

London - Part 7

One of the best parts about London was its subway system (the Underground). We bought all-day passes and easily went from here to there without any trouble. And it was fun being part of the crowd pushing and shoving its way up and down escalators and in and out of the subway cars.

Don't let the scowls fool you: my brothers weren't really angry, and they don't really hate me.

London - Part 6

Carnaby Street near Picadilly Circus - lots of sports stores.

On Saturday we visited the British Library - I was curious whether they used Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress. But I couldn't actually get to any books inside the library. Everything was kind of stacked away. Great for research and for scholars, tough for tourists! It is lovely inside, though - wide, open. They have a wonderful exhibition room with old manuscripts by the likes of Shakespeare and Austen, as well as original Bach, Beethoven, etc. Very cool!

These are pictures of the Tower of London. By the time we got there, it was 5pm (closed at 6pm) and it cost 16 pounds to enter - that's over 30usd! So I took pictures of the outside for free.

London - Part 5

"When you traveled eight hours across the Atlantic, what did you do?"

"I found the coolest Starbucks ever!"

Tower Bridge on Friday afternoon

London fun - Part 4

These next four were taken inside in one of the London Eye pods. Heh. Eyepod.

London fun - Part 3

Big Ben!


That big circular contraption is called the London Eye. Or, as Jonah refers to it, the Joyless Wheel.

London fun - Part 2

Trafalgar Square was much prettier on Friday. I think we ended up back there four or five times throughout the long weekend!


The National Gallery has a great Van Gogh collection.

Fun times in London - part 1

From the balcony of the National Gallery, looking over Trafalgar Square. I'm not sure what was going on, but there were newscasters and well-dressed interviewees.






Brother standing near Nelson's Column at Trafalgar Square. We're descendents of Lord Nelson.

















Pretty daffodils at St. James's Park (I don't see flowers like this blooming, yet, in the states!)

My brother, standing outside Buckingham Palace. It was quite crowded. There was a large group of French students (maybe 13, 14 years old) on a field trip, dressed way too fashionably. I kept looking at everyone's shoes.