This sally to London was not program-affiliated. Kathleen and I were just tourists for a day, traveling on our own. It has been surprisingly painless to plot out itineraries because everything is accessible via the comprehensive rail system. Making it home in time for dinner at 7, however, is not always quite so easy-- but that's what pubs are for.
So the two of us went to London with the idea of strolling leisurely through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Because I'd forgotten my metro pass, however, I made that walking idea a little less optional. We walked from the train station to the gardens, and then spent a lot of time wandering through them.
Later in the afternoon, we hit up two museums. One was the Victoria and Albert museum, which has a wonderful fashion collection. Almost the entire ground floor of the Museum traces the evolution of dress in the West. An exhibit down the hall focused on Asia, and an exhibit beyond that focused on the Middle East. Everything was laid out tastefully; the rooms were spacious; the crowds were at a minimum.
At Kathleen's request, we also stopped by the Museum of Natural History, which was literally across the street. This museum aims at a younger audience, with interactive exhibits and dinosaur skeletons, but was fun all the same. It was way more crowded than the other museum, however, with screaming toddlers pulling at their mother's hands, and stroller-traffic congesting the hallways.
The furthest point our walk reached was the Wellington Arch. We spent a while on a park bench, rallying our aching feet for a return walk as we enjoyed a most British view.
