Pleasant Surprises on the Thames

Monday morning came and my aunt was set on seeing Westminster Abbey and riding the London Eye.  I passed on visiting the eye (maybe I'm jaded - call me cynical, but I have no interest to spend nearly $30 to ride the ferris wheel in the rain...) I decided to make my own agenda and go walk the Thames to the Tate Modern and The Globe.  Lo 'n Behold, I found a wonderful little Christmas Market that stretched the length of the river.  Adorable little gingerbread shaped houses filled with sweets, crafts, music and games...and mulled wine & cider ;)

I proceeded down the walk and stumbled on a skateboarders park, the jamaican man who sits inside the tunnel, where the acoustics ring out, playing the digerydoo...a littler farther down was a boy on the sidewalk strumming his ukulele - These little things like street performers and simple surprise finds are what make London exploring so wonderful to me. As I drew closer to the Tate, wouldn't you know it, Unilever tracked me down and was sponsoring the leading exhibit.  I had to go and check it out (although I was running short on time)...Unfortunately it was an abstract film that I didn't quite care for...
It had started to rain as I was leaving - that spitting misty rain I had grown so accustomed to.  For some reason it doesn't bother me as much over here...I popped into EAT, where I grabbed a delicious coffee to defrost my frozen fingers, and turned back to go meet up with my mom and aunt back at the eye.  I had to stop at a sweets vendor and snag my mom a Fizzy Apricot licorice rope - and Roasted Chestnuts to share!  Mmm...roasted chestnuts on a cold winters day - the first one I gingerly opened with my white little hands (which were shaking), and nibbled on it like it was the best thing I had ever tasted...Let me tell you, I'm simple to please.  Warm, smokey, roasted chestnuts from a street vendor = heaven on this brisk day!
Our next stop was Westminster Abbey, which was really beautiful inside.  We took a tour with our guide who actually participated in the Royal Wedding.  The structure and architecture inside is just phenomenal.  On our way home, we went to Whole Foods to gather the rest of our food supply for the remainder of our stay in London - Aunt CC was thrilled - 3 stories of amazingness.  Danielle, I couldn't help but miss you and our Sunday dinners together.  We hopped on the High Street tube, but not before I introduced Mom and Aunt CC to Ben's Cookies.

To say they were tickled is an understatement - they bought 8.  Again, the Gluten Free thing prevents me from having them even if I wanted to, so that left 8 cookies and 2 days they were gone between my mom and aunt - and BRITTY!  As we were cooking down in the basement kitchen of our hostel, Britty came in :)  We had some dinner, and then went up to the common room where we met a few guys in the midst of traveling from all over (Australian, Poland, USA study abroad who had been living in France all semester and another guy from London originally, but had been in Australia harvesting watermelons...)
Another action packed day - but don't want to miss a thing!  Tuesday is ready and waiting for our walking tour...

x Krista