Speaker's Corner

On the corner of Hyde Park, across from Marble Arch, is Speaker’s Corner.  Here, you will find people standing on chairs, ladders, or whatever else they can find in order to speak on different topics of debate to whoever listens.  The theme today was religion: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.  The debates were getting pretty intense, as you can imagine, and a policeman eventually showed up to keep the peace.  No matter what your views, the debates at Speaker’s Corner are definitely entertaining to watch!

Sara and I enjoyed the grandeur of Hyde Park and it was such a lovely day to stroll about and to get away from the noise and business that often comes with living in London.  We found a lake on the other end, where there are paddleboats to rent and a cafe. 

  

Earl's Court, Somerset House, and Buckingham Palace

Earl's Court is a central area of London lined with quaint matching townhouses and a variety of different cafe's and shops.  The studio Sara and I are sharing is on the second floor.  It is all white with a big window that looks onto the rose garden.  The tube station is a block away, grocery store down the road, and a massive cemetery around the corner that is quite beautiful.  I also found the local library down the road for all my reading, and more importantly, wifi needs.
Besides moving in and job searching, Sara and I have been exploring the city.  In the past few days, we've visited the Somerset House, Buckingham Palace, and a few local pubs.

Camden Town

Camden town is an artsy alternative part of London where one finds themselves in a huge market to be explored for many hours.  There are shoes, bags, graphic tanks, dresses, sunglasses, jewellery, and other little trinkets all for an a relatively low price.  Deciding on what to eat in Camden town is not easy with the variety of delicious food stands to choose from!  Oh, and lucky for me there are actually gluten-free options (yay!).  For lunch, Sara and I bought two delicious gluten-free galettes from a crepe stand made of course by a frenchman.

The hunt for living accommodations

London is a city filled with amazing sights, events, pubs, and also many people.  Finding a place to live is a mission in itself!  This week has been spent searching for that perfect flat to rent and getting to know the fast pace of London.  Don't worry, we have had a bit of time for fun along the way! We made a brief visit to downtown London and was awed by the beauty of Big Ben and the historic buildings surrounding (which we have yet to learn the names of).  We also stopped by the British Museum and plan on making many more trips!  We tried out the "Dickens Tavern" which is known as the longest pub in London and has a Charles Dickens theme.  Sara and I decided it was fitting to have a more british style meal so we ordered fish and chips and an interesting brew of cider (strawberry lime).

 

Exploring the London underground

Day #2: Today we spent way too much searching for the SWAP office- try at least 4 hours! But, the positive is that we are now experts at using the tube.