When we last discussed my far flung adventures, we were just leaving Washington, DC for London. That's in Great Britain, which is this whole other nation. We flew United, and we were quite happy 
with our flight. We had a decent breakfast almost right away (it was a 10:00am flight), although I think they waited too long to serve us another meal (a light meal, about an hour before landing). The worst part of the flight was getting to Dulles Airport. Let me just say this: Damn Washington traffic!!!! It took us almost three hours to drive from Fredricksburg, VA to Dulles. We had to run to get to the check-in counter on time, and then run to get to security. Luckily a nice security guy at Dulles recognized out plight and let us cut to the front of the line. We then ran to the plane and just made it. On the plane we watched Bridge to Teribithia (thumbs up) and I saw my first episode ever of House (thumbs up). I will say that the smart move was to leave America in the morning and get to London at night (about 10:00pm). Because you are tired from travel you are almost ready for bed, even though in your body clock is only late afternoon/early evening. We were over jet lag in one day.
The first day in London saw the highlight, in our view, of London. Believe it or not, it's the War Cabinet and Churchill Museum. If you go to London please see this museum. It is in the heart of the
city, between Trafalgar Square and Big Ben, and right next to St. James Park. This museum includes a tour of the actual rooms used by Churchill and his cabinet while fighting WWII. It also contains a Winston Churchill Museum, which is excellent. You can learn about the entire life of Churchill and get to see the grandeur of the man (I also recommend Martin Gilbert's one volume biography). We also went to the British Museum the first day. It has not lost its charm. But beware: unless you really dig old rocks, this is not the museum for you. I also had my first real English meal, bangers and mash, at a local pub. Excellent, which cannot be said for all English cuisine.
St. James Park is remarkably beautiful with a vast array of birds, including the first "moor hen" I had
ever seen (see picture). Trafalgar Square is also quite grand, as are the government buildings (including Whitehall). On the second say we stopped by St. Paul's Cathedral (made famous by Mary Poppins as the home of the Bird Lady) and the Tower of London, which is spectacular. It is the home of the Crown Jewels, including the Star of Africa, the world's largest cut diamond.
Some impressions of London. We stayed in Luton and took the train in. Public transportation in the London area is excellent. You can get virtually everywhere, although the trains and Underground are so extensive it is easy to get confused as to how to get from here to there. The cars in London are all tiny, and there is a bevy of bicycles and motorcycles. London seems to have a keen sense of English/British history. The monuments are all around. One does get the feeling of being in an ancient place that has accomplished great things (both noble and terrible). It is a shame that this great history is losing its meaning for the actual British peoples (more on that later).
I also want to report on the beer I had along the way. Thumbs up to both John Smith's and Abbot Ale. Smooth and tasty.
After two full days in London, it was off to Rome. Stay tuned.
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