ENGLAND 2008!

Haven't had a chance to blog since we got here, but am going to get a short one out before the day's activities.
We've been having an incredible time - the time of our lives, really! Not much jet lag, so that's a blessing. But we are exhausted at the end of each day, because we are cramming so much in!
Sunday after arriving and meeting up with our group, we were able to pop over to Harrods (WAY crowded, since they are having one of their only 2 sales per year) and gawk. What an amazing place - but really, once you've seen a mall in the valley, you've seen 'em all! Then we tubed over to Buckingham Palace where Carrie and I chatted casually with a guard with a big gun! Hey - we needed restaurant recommendations! He told us that he wouldn't be much help, since couldn't afford to eat around here. Then he told us about a place ("Bumbles" no less) that once we got there was closed. So we ended up at a burger place that was kinda weird but we knew the food was bad in England, so we just sucked it up! Sydney and I took a bite of our burgers and kinda looked at each other like, "Does this taste right?" Then Kelli said something like, "We knew about this going into it..." and that has been one of the catch-phrases of the trip. Like yesterday when Carrie was asked if she would like sweet pickle on her sandwich and ended up with a plain cucumber slice. "We knew going into this!!" And on that note, I am going downstairs to eat another traditional English breakfast of mealy sausage, bacon that is really ham, pretty good eggs (if you like them runny), and mushrooms. I REFUSE to eat the beans, though. One has standards, even on vacation.
Today: THE TOWER! globe Theatre, Dickens Museum and if time, St. Paul's Cathedral (where I know we will all break into "Early each day, on the steps of St. Paul's, the little old bird woman comes...") Then tonight is SPAMALOT!!!