Some Familiar Faces in London

We arrived in London on Friday morning bright and early after a trip made easier by the traditional Swiss punctuality. A delightful coincidence meant that our dear friends Mike and Maggie were in town also, so we spent the weekend doing touristy things together. We really hit it hard, squeezing in the British Museum, Saint Paul's Cathedral, the Tate Modern, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament and the Tate Britain into two short days. It was a whirlwind, but we had a great time catching up with them, seeing the sights and spending a boatload of money. (Not sure if we enjoyed that last one, but it seems to be a fact of life here in London. It is definitely living up to its reputation as one of the most expensive cities on earth! We have yet to have a meal for less than $10 a person.)

Eric and I both have blisters from all the walking we've been doing since arriving in Europe and are now positively limping. I think we are at that strange point that one sometimes reaches after a period of extensive travel where your stamina and enthusiasm have begun to wane, but simultaneously you feel a pressure to get out there and do as much as you can, because it may be your only chance. The challenges of sorting out a new city, deciphering the public transport systems, currencies, local customs and prioritizing national treasures, restaurants and activities can quickly become overwhelming. When that happens, we usually hit the movies. We saw "The Queen" and "The Good German" and I would definitely recommend them both.

We keep saying "We'll be home soon." but we'll just be back in the U.S, not really "home". We haven't got a home anywhere anymore really, so I think we'll need to develop some additional coping mechanisms for this "strung out on travel" feeling. Tomorrow we've got some interviews lined up that we are both excited about and we've finally bought our tickets back to the good ol U.S of A. We leave Wednesday evening and are looking forward to the relief of being back in the motherland.