Time never slows

Is it really Friday???

So yesterday at Dorking turned out to be a wonderfully fulfilling day. Putting up posts for a fence followed by chopping down a small grove of pine trees, the work was a little tough but very invigorating. Our hosts Graham and Ruby were really welcoming and I could really sense how much they cared about their organization and the work we were helping with. Leith Hill Tower was beautiful and I was really glad Ruby let us clamber to the top to see the amazing views of the countryside. The grounds around the tower were also amazing, filled with good climbing trees, well-placed benches, and enough views to consume an entire day. I was almost a little sad to be pulling out of the Dorking station, though it was slightly entertaining to be separated from part of the group. It felt good to know that we were still able to find our way back to the flat without guidance from Taras.

So far today has been extremely active and quite tiring. This morning a small group of us set out in search of Abbey Road, and after several wrong turns and plenty of walking we finally found it. The small studio was slightly underwhelming but it was still pretty cool to just be there and try to picture the Beatles being there. This is where the group split, and Connor and I set off, jumping on a double-decker bus (sitting in the upper seats of course) to the next tube station and headed to the Tower Bridge. The tour of the upper levels was really awesome, and we even got to go down the engine rooms and see the original equipment. For an extra 50p we also got tickets to go see the Monument (built after the London fires) so after exiting the Tower Bridge we headed down to the London Bridge so that we could once again cross the Thames. This short walk proved to be quite interesting, with random sights of an interesting boat sculpture, a hug from a man in a large fuzzy smiley-face mask, and a quick game of human-bowling (people in bowling-pin suits getting knocked down by swinging balls tether-ball style). Climbing the 311 steps of the Monument wasn't as tiring as I expected. Thank you St. Paul's for preparing me for this. From the monument we headed to Queensway, where I visited my old haunts that I had been to with my family 8 years ago. I found our hotel and our favorite Italian restaurant, where Connor and I had lunch. The garlic bread and pasta were just as good as I remember.

Then, we entered Hyde Park. Well over an hour later we stumbled out, cold, exhausted, and overwhelmed. This park may at first glance simply look like large grass fields, but it is filled with little (and large) surprises, such as the pond filled with birds (so many swans), the statue of "potential energy," the daunting and exquisitely detailed Albert Monument, the unique Princess Diana Fountain, hilarious squirrels, the odd large steel sculpture, a small river, a small set of four fountains, and so much more. As we headed back to the flat we made two more stops: a quick search for Lancaster Gate (which was sadly just a street) and a quick peak at the Marble Arches, as well as a rather large statue or a horse head.

Now, here we sit, recuperating in the flat before heading out to find some dinner. We'll head back once we find some food to eat with the group, but after having pasta for lunch I just don't feel like eating the pasta that people are planning to cook up in the kitchen any minute. After dinner it sounds like we'll be doing crepes and a well-suggested pub, but who knows. I still can't believe we're flying out tomorrow...but let's not talk about that just yet.