Round the World: London, England

Good-bye Pad Thai......Hello Fish & Chips!
Here we are in London....still. How this city changes depending on the season! A heat wave has hit the UK, and the Londoners are well into the summer spirit of things. Everywhere is alive, and the city has a certain energetic and fun atmosphere to it. And so much to do! Everywhere you go there is another thing to see and do; and event to check out, a free exhibit to see, a market to wander around or just a river to stroll along. It's great and we're having a wonderful time! We spent about a week here first, and spent most of it catching up with Vanessa's old flatmates and friends from when she lived here, and introducing Derek to the sites. What a social week! We certainly caught up on the drinking anyway. And of course we saw Buckingham Palace and The Changing of the Guard (along with a million other people!), Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, The Tate Modern, Tower Bridge and Southbank (along the Thames). We spent a lovely day down in Richmond. The day was spent wandering through the gorgeous "village", and having a picnic. We also caught a boat trip along the Thames and then checked out Richmond Park. In the evening, we had a lovely time catching up with Vanessa's friends Charlotte and James.
A crazy evening was held a few Friday nights ago, that started off with some drinks in Greewich Park with Alison, followed by a scrumptious meal cooked by her flatmate Juman, and a huge night at Fabric with Karly. We went to see The Freestylers (finally...yippeee!), who were, of course, amazing.
Derek's Aunt Patricia and Uncle Brian from Folkston in the south met us in London one day for a wonderful lunch. We first decided to check out the excitement at Trafalger Square where a huge dance event was going on, where loads of different dance groups of all different types showcased their stuff. We then explored Covent Garden area and enjoyed a yummy Italian meal with them. It was a really fun day!
We both decided to put our newly aquired Thai cooking skills to the test by cooking up a mean of Thai Green Curry and Pad Thai for Alison and her flatmates (Juman, Gavin and Hannah). It was a bit of a disaster, and way too spicy, but I think appreciated. After a few bottles of wine, Alison treated us to a bottle of Moet she'd been saving for a special occassion. Yummy!
Aki and Jima flew in last Wednesday to check out London and join us for Global Gathering (see next BLOG). We had a fun (if not a bit and tiring) day doing the pub thing and cruising around Piccadilly, Covent Garden and Camden Markets.
Yesterday we took a day trip down to Brighton. Such a cool place with a funky beach atmosphere. We both want to live there, but alas, could NEVER afford it! We checked out the beach front and Brighton Pier and then wandered around The Lanes checking out some record and clothing shops, followed by a pizza feat. Fun times in the Brighton!!
And if you think we haven't managed to cram enough into a week or so, well believe me, we have. Our trip to Stratford Upon Avon to visit Kevin and his folks, and for the Global Gathering Music Festival deserves a whole blog page to itself, so look out for that next time. Enjoy the pics.