Canada Day at Herstmonceux Castle

To celebrate our big beautiful country, all Canadians (and whoever else wanted to celebrate Canada) were invited to a barbecue at Queen's University Herstmonceux Castle.  This is a moated castle built in the 15th century, about an hour train ride from London, and is surrounded by fields and forests to explore.  We had a tour of the castle, a feast of hot dogs, burgers, and poutine, and a live band to finish off the night.  If only there had been fireworks, it would have been perfect!

 

The Royal Ascot Races

This past Tuesday was the first day of the Royal Ascot Races.  Sara and I put on our dresses, pinned our fascinators in our hair, and took the train to Ascot to spend the day in the sun bidding on horses.  It was a wonderful experience to remember that felt truly british.  We even got to wave at the Queen!

The Royal Borough of Greenwich

Comfortable shoes and a taste for maritime history is mandatory when visiting Greenwich.  The Royal Navy College, Cutty Sark, the Queen's House, the Maritime Museum, the Greenwich Market, and the Royal Observatory are only a few of the sights to visit on this side of the Thames.  On a Friday morning I took supposedly the "fastest boat on the Thames", the Thames clipper, from the Tower of London to Greenwich.  Cutty Sark was there to greet me in all her shining glory.  Cutty Sark was one of the fastest british ships used in the tea trade, built in 1869.  I then wandered over to the Royal Navy College, and spent a good chunk of time admiring the architecture and the landscaping.  Next was the Greenwich Market (loved it!), and then the Queen's House for a quick brush up on royal history and an art exhibit.  After spending the whole day in Greenwich, I had only covered half of what I wanted to see.  So I came back the next day with Sara; I still didn't see it all.  Yet another place I will have to go back to another day...

  

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).