Today was our first full day in London starting out with a lovely breakfast in the Imperial College Dining Hall. From hash browns and eggs to black pudding and pancakes there were plenty of options for everyone.
Next, we took the underground to Westminster Abbey for a two hour long tour. On the tour there were many amazing sites like the church where the royal family gets married and the graves of important Brits. Many major scientists, royals, and writers were buried in the abbey like Issac Newton, Michael Faraday, and Charels Dickens. It was very interesting to see the key figures of British history and learn about how they impacted the country.
After the visit to Westminster Abbey, our group moved over to the Borough Market to eat lunch. The market had tons of local food and fresh produce which made it lots of fun to find lunch (and very difficult). We split up into smaller groups and everyone found their own places to eat. It was tons of fun to dive into the local cuisine and enjoy the market.
Heading from the market, our group toured around the Tower Bridge and got to walk over the bridge towards His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London (or you can just say Tower of London). We all had a wonderful time exploring the tower and getting to learn more about the history of London. It was also interesting to see the artifacts on display, especially the armory. There was even an exhibit on torture in the Tower of London (which apparently wasn’t even that common).
Following the Tower of London, a smaller group embarked on a quest for water. After a short walk we arrived at a Starbucks with free iced water. This was by far the biggest luxury of the day, having ice in our water! At this point in the trip everyone was split up into smaller groups exploring the city. We all went to local places for dinner and continued to learn about the city (and the linguistic abilities of early primates).
Cheerio Mates
Justin Simms and Karthik Jayakumar