Two Hemispheres in One Day

Where in the world is Jenny now? Greenwich via the River Thames!

The third day started at noon (yay for time to sleep!) with a boat trip down the Thames. Despite some expected London weather--overcast, cold--I was really looking forward to this event! We took the Tube to the Westminster stop and were greeted with beautiful sights as we emerged from The Underground:

Jess & me in front of the River Thames, the London Eye and the Royal Aquarium

Obligatory personal shot

First Big Ben sighting (Big Ben is actually the name of the bell, not the clock tower)

Another obligatory tourist photo

For the boat ride, we were able to snag a seat on the lower level, shielding us from the cold air and allowing us to focus (for the most part) on the guide's lecture.

We passed a ton of London landmarks: the Palace of Westminster (aka Parliament), the Royal Festival Hall , Waterloo Bridge, the Royal National Theatre, Tate Modern art gallery, the Globe, Southwark Bridge, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, and the "City" of London. The mixture of old, fading architecture and modern, glassy buildings made for quite an interesting view.

The (reconstructed) Globe

The Tower of London, which I am visiting this weekend

City Hall

The Mayflower Pub, originally called Shippe, marking the spot where the pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower Ship

About 45 minutes later, we arrived at Greenwich.

Located in Southeast London, Greenwich is the birthplace of Henry VII and Elizabeth I, the home of the Millennium Dome (which hosts some of the biggest names in music and sport), the location for London 2012 Olympic Game events, and most famously, the marking of the Prime Meridian.

Strolling the streets of Greenwich

Royal Naval College (now The University of Greenwich), designed by Christopher Wren 

More of the Royal Naval College

Albert, myself, and Travis...just some BU theatre kids exploring the world

Wandering around the Royal Naval College--formerly the site of the Royal Palace before it was destroyed during the English Civil War--worked up our appetites. Lindsay, Allie, Travis, Albert, and myself grabbed lunch at a cafe called The Green Village, where I enjoyed my first cup of tea in England! I tried to be more English by adding in cream--wasn't bad!

Note the curls; London weather does not take to straightened hair

Next up, the best part of the trip: straddling two hemispheres over the Prime Meridian! We hiked up the hill to the Old Royal Observatory.

Old Royal Observatory, commissioned by King Charles II in 1675

Awesome view from the top of the hill

The Prime Meridian

Chilling in two hemispheres at once

As Lindsay said, the meridian was "pretty prime." We were basically on our own to explore Greenwich; unfortunately, that means we were also on our own to find our way back to South Kensington. My fearless friend Emily was able to navigate the Docklands Light Railway to get a huge group of us back on the District Line of the Tube and on our way home.

Soon after, our flat had a group dinner out to get to know each other. We all ate at an Indian restaurant: Masala Zone on Earls Court Road. I ordered the vegetable biryani with dal. The verdict? SO GOOD. I usually avoid Indian food because I don't like very spicy meals, but this dish was absolutely delicious. London's not exactly known for great food, but apparently they have great Indian cuisine.

I have an early wake up call for a busy day tomorrow, so tonight was a stay-in-and-organize-my-London-life/blog party. I can't believe it's only day 3 here!

Random note: I thought the sun set early in Boston, but man does it get dark early here. The sky was dark by 4:30 PM!