home at last

We made it to Leeds in one piece yesterday!

Bryan and I took the 11:35 train from King's Cross in London and made it to Leeds by 2... we surprised even ourselves by finding my friends Matt and Erin's new flat in about 15 mins, walking from the train station. They've struck gold with their apartment-- down the street from Erin's new college and 5 mins from downtown. Pretty nice... and they're being amazing by letting us stay with them for two nights!

Our last day in London was great too. We took another NewEurope tour (because they're addictive) and managed to see all kinds of downtown London. In the afternoon, we stumbled upon the Canadian Embassy (hard to miss, as it's one entire side of Trafalgar Square) and went inside so I could register. The place was completely empty except for the two British guards at the entrance. The guy who was supposed to help us use the Internet (generously offered by the guards) turned out not to be there, so we found some computers and did it ourselves. And still, there was no one. The embassy was sort of an oasis.. especially in the craziness Trafalgar Square offers up, what with all the tourists and pigeons, and their interaction. But also a bit creepy, because of its odd absence of people...

So that being done, we headed over to the adjacent side, and explored the National Gallery for the afternoon; interestingly, the museums here are free, but it costs money to get into the churches ;). We saw some Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Raphael, Vermeer, Van Gogh, and some paintings I had studied in class... amazing to see them up close and in real life.

Also-- something I found interesting, but Bryan found completely, mind-numbingly boring-- we witnessed the UK premiere for Keira Knightley's new movie, Atonement. We were in Leicester Square taking a look at all the West End productions when we saw them setting up... later on we were there when she and her co-stars walked the red carpet. Lots of paparazzi and fans-- Keira's really well-liked over here in her hometown.

She even found the time to come over and say hello!! Ok... not really. But we saw the tip of her head! And heard people yelling Keira! at the top of their lungs!

The Underground strike wreaked havoc on the city over the last few days, so riding home to our hostel was quite treacherous. The Tube's really easy to navigate but it's tougher when there are thousands taking the same route. We did make it home eventually though, and needed a pint (but just a pint) in the awesome hostel bar to recover ;).

We also saw the Tower of London up close, as we ventured out again at night to see Tower Bridge all lit up... the riverside buildings are beautiful at night.

However, as I was saying, we got here yesterday and explored the city with the help of Matt & Erin, who are already seasoned vets here. Today Bryan and I hit the campus to figure out some things. I now have a UK bank account, and some temporary accommodation until I move into my permanent residence on Sep. 10th. Until then, I should be online every couple of days- more pictures to come as I have a bit more time!

We're off to take in more of the booming metropolis that is Leeds!