What a crazy four months it’s been since we moved to London! We are settled in our new flat and have had several adventures both in and around London. We are living in Canary Wharf, on the east side of the city.
The battle ship was about a five minute walk from our flat
It’s a new (within 20 years) financial district and is connected to the main part of London by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and the Tube. The area is called the Docklands and used to be a major hub for shipping. We love the location as we can zip in and out of central London very easily and we have all the amenities of the city right here–since Canary Wharf is like a city of its own. It actually reminds us a lot of Singapore with its underground shopping malls and such.
Roman Baths
We’ve made a few friends since arriving and have had some lovely outings with them. Back in October, we took a holiday in Bath and Bristol in the Cotswolds. Jeremy (bravely) drove us out of London and into the countryside. After a quick McDonalds run–haha–we were on our way to Bath. We stayed in a beautiful three bedroom cottage off of an adorable country road with a stone fence. It felt like a movie!
Part of the gang in Bath Circus
We went into Bath and Bristol during our days in the Cotswolds. Bath was fascinating–it hosts the northern most Roman bath ruins which were built over the local hot springs. The Romans thought the springs were magical (it’s a hot spring with bubbles coming up) and in the days before modern scientific advances, the only explanation was that the bubbles were from the gods. People traveled from miles around to have a chance to bathe in and drink from the magical spring. While there, we explored the ruins, the accompanying museum, and even had a chance to try the water, which is supposed to cure what ails you. Honestly, it tasted like metal, but I was determined to get all of the healing power I could from it. You never know when healing water will come in handy ;).
Antics in the countryside
Our next day, we went walking on the country paths that connected the lovely farms and explored the country side. We even ate a delicious Sunday Roast at a local pub complete with Yorkshire pudding!
In Bristol
The next day, we were off to Bristol. It seems like a university town and felt like a much smaller version of London. We happened upon the early days of Occupy Bristol and explored some old churches and saw a fascinating suspension bridge. All in all–a good day in the Cotswolds!
Oxford!
We also recently took a trip to Oxford for the day with the same group of friends–minus two. We saw the University and had a drink where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien met to discuss their latest works. Our day ended with a drink in a church converted into a bar and before we knew it–we were back on the train to London. It was a fun day–just so cold!!!
At Lewis and Tolkien's pub
London has been a fun place to live. John is enjoying school and I am working part-time at the American School in London as a cheerleading coach. Whoever thought I would use that skill set again? haha. I’m still on the lookout for other opportunities here as we will be here for a while longer. We are already exploring options for next year (John’s programme ends in September) but are taking this time to enjoy living in one of the world’s greatest cities.
Ice Skating at Somerset House
Our date nights consist of evenings at the museums as they are open late on the weekends and free followed by a drink at one of the historic pubs in town. It’s neat to get off of the Tube at Baker Street and think about Sherlock Holmes and go through King’s Cross and look for platform 9 3/4. A few nights ago, we were able to go ice skating with some good friends and then we walked across the bridge to Waterloo and had a beautiful view of Parliament and Big Ben on one side and St. Paul’s Cathedral on the other. We are so blessed to be in London and to get to experience these things.
The adjustment hasn’t been all a dream though. It’s a whole new country, with new laws, national healthcare, different words (yes it’s English, but it’s different–I promise!!!), and a new lifestyle. London is an expensive city and it’s cold!!! I’ve definitely learned that I am a warm weather person. I don’t mean warm weather as in summer, I mean warm weather as in equator. 🙂 But, all in all, we are loving our European adventure. 🙂
If you’re ever in the area…look us up!
John and CB's Most Excellent Adventure 