Big Ben and Westminster Abbey

Monday was my first day of class. It was fine, except I found out in class that I had to go to lab immediately after. Not the best surprise ever, but I at least had Ananya as my lab partner!

That took up most of my day, and my friends and I spent a few hours in Leicester Square at night. We got pizza, but still were not satisfied--I'm still looking for good coffee and good pizza in this city!

Today, I was done with class by 11 AM and it was absolutely gorgeous out. Sunny and 70, pretty fantastic for a late September day in London! So, Ananya and I decided to head into the city and do a bit of sight-seeing.

 Let me start by pointing out what I'm wearing here. A tank top, people! In September, in London! Let's savor this for a moment.

Big Ben is one of the most iconic sites in London. He sits right on the end of the Parliament building, looking like he's straight out of a postcard. In the background is the London Eye, a Ferris wheel you can ride (for a pretty steep price) and see views of London.

Westminster Abbey is right across the street. It's a gothic-looking church, beautifully ornate and very impressive.

 Parliament in (almost) its entirety.

 Right below the London eye, you can get a fuller view of the Parliament building.

St. Paul's Cathedral is right around the way. It's the most famous cathedral in London and its crypts are home to monumental people in British history like the Duke of Wellington and Sir Christopher Wren.

Ananya and I spent a lot of time just perusing our way through this part of London. Along the way we stumbled upon a book market,

a garden up on top of a building, complete with a really creepy mural,

and this magical little place home to a side show that's been playing for the past few months in London!

To top it off, we saw a really fantastic sunset right over the Thames River on Blackfriars Bridge.

Despite getting lost after exiting the tube (the Mile End stop was closed down due to a power outage, and apparently tube stations aren't important enough for backup generators), it was still a great day and an afternoon well spent in the city!