A jolly good time in England!

After a couple days taking in the sights of Amsterdam we headed towards the coast of Holland. We were actually kind of forced to do this because there was little accommodation left in Amsterdam and the flights to London were too expensive over the weekend. The coastal city, Noordwijk, we went to was about 1hr outside of Amsterdam but well situated to the airport for our pending flight to London. There wasn't a whole lot to see or do in this city which was actually a nice break for us. During our couple days here I also celebrated my 24th birthday. In typical fashion we purchased a cheap bottle of Vodka and drank it in our hostel room. Once we were sufficiently inebriated we walked down the street to a group of local pubs and bars. We met a few local guys on the street who guided us to the best one. We spent the majority of the night here having a couple more brews and talking to the local Dutch population (who speak remarkably good English!).


Jordan and I having a drink on the day of my birf (inside joke)

After this short stint in Noordwijk we boarded our flight to London. Once arriving we took a train to our new accommodation. The Hostel was little more than a few bed rooms over top of a pub, but it had a good location in the heart of London. We spent our first day walking the streets seeing as much as we could. Unfortunately for us the weather was terrible and we got soaked despite the cheap umbrellas we purchased. Before we were rained out we were able to see the exterior of Buckingham Palace, St. James park, the Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abby, and the London Eye.



Jordan modeling his £3 umbrella in front of Buckingham Palace. Normally this is where the famous 'changing of the guards' would take place but due to the weather it was cancelled this day.


I teased the swans in St. James park, they thought I had bread...suckers!


The Big Ben clock tower and a well timed drive by of a double decked bus.


After our day in the rain we were looking for something dry and relaxing to do. So, we headed to the theater district of London were we were able to see The Lion King. We purchased the cheapest seats available (which happened to be 'limited view') but they actually turned out to be great. The show was very entertaining and we are very glad we went.

Day two in London Jordan and I set out to see The Tower of London and Tower Bridge. At The Tower of London we paid the £16 entry fee (the exchange rate on the pound is killing us!) and spent the next few hours touring it. Inside we learnt a lot about it's medieval history, stories of torture, and viewed the famous 'Crown Jewels'.


Jordan stands in front of The White Tower, within the Tower of London.


Legend has it that if the Ravens are to leave The Tower of London the kingdom will fall. So, they clip the wings of the birds to prevent this...which is cheating in my opinion! Obviously this raven didn't read the sign.


Just opposite The Tower of London is the appropriately named Tower Bridge

After our second day in London we caught a train out to Tunbridge Wells to meet my parents and grandparents. Unfortunately we didn't get in until late because our train had electrical problems and we were delayed, which is becoming a regular occurrence as of late! We are now on day two in Tunbridge Wells where it has been very nice to see my family that I have not seen in some time. We have also been treated to a couple great meals which we are very thankful for!


We have been seeing a lot of the beautiful English country side in the past couple days. We stopped at this 15th century pub for lunch with my Aunt Julia and Uncle Tom.

We have one more night here in Tunbridge Wells before we move on to somewhere else, which as of now is not determined. Then Monday we catch our flight to Singapore which marks the end of our Europe trip :(