Super Tourist Day Two

I'm having a really hard time remembering everything I've done over the past few days.  I guess that tells you how much stuff I've been doing!

After I ate dinner (I learned how to cook pasta in the microwave.  I will be eating much better now!) I started to feel a bit lonely so I went upstairs to M Mason's apartment.   The adults were all gone but I stayed with the kids and watched Monsters Inc and Brother Bear while letting the little girls do my hair and had several tickle fights.

I slept in yesterday morning.  It was beautiful.  It also helped me not feel so weird about being the only person in the room when I'm used to eleven others.  Nothing opens until ten o'clock these days so I was able to take some time getting ready.

My first stop was the Royal Mews.  Mews=stables.  I was there right at opening so I was able to see them doing a lot of early morning stuff with the horses.  The Mews is also where they house all the royal carriages.  I saw the car that Kate rode in to her wedding, the carriage Diana rode to hers, and others.  The Australian carriage even has central heating!

Kate's ride

Australian carriage

The Glass Coach

A gift from President Obama

Santa's carriage

The golden carriage

 After I was done at the Mews, I walked down the street a ways to the palace.  It happened to be the day for Changing of the Guard!  I hadn't seen it yet but I heard it was kind of lame so I didn't really know what to expect.  I was about forty-five minutes early but it was already packed.  I managed to get up right next to the gate though.  While I waited, I talked to some wonderful women from Florida.  One was here for the first time and she asked me what I suggested she do in her time here.  Aylea the London Tour Guide right here.

I didn't get to see much of the actual ceremony but I was in the perfect position to see the marching band!  They played Star Wars and The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.  I was so excited.  I was freezing, though.  It was so cold, the sort of cold that goes deep into your bones, that it hurt to walk afterwards.

 Next up was a visit to the home of Benjamin Franklin!  It was probably one of the strangest museums I've been to.  The first room showed a bunch of bones that had been dug up from just one square meter of that room.  The house had once been used for research but they bought the bodies from grave robbers and had to dispose of them secretly in the garden, where the room is now.  Then the whole thing was in character with the lady talking to people who weren't there and Benjamin Franklin yelling from the other room.  There was also no furniture which was pretty weird.  Still cool though.

Next I went to a toy museum.  I saw a lot of dolls, games, and the world's oldest teddy bear.  The worst part is that the guy running it was very creepy.  I spent most of the time there thinking, "Please don't molest me..." In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have gone in.  Oh well.  Next I tried to go to the Cartoon Museum but I got hopelessly lost.  Once I found a Tube station I decided to just hop on.  I was cold.

Last of the day was the Handel House Museum.  Not only did Handel live there but so did Jimi Hendrix!  I spent a couple of hours here.  I spent at least half an hour talking to the workers there about the bed and the color of the walls.  It was very fun.

After I was done there I went home.  Matt was in the faculty office and he invited me to eat dinner with this family.  I went and we ate pizza and had a good time.  After that I went to work on my talk for Sacrament Meeting.

Day two a success.