London! part I

Last weekend we set out for London! After searching for an affordable hotel in a good location without much luck, I remembered an article I'd read in the New York Times travel section about a site called airbnb.com. On this site people can list their dwellings if they have a spare room to offer travelers for the night for a specified price. I began to search and was happy to find a lovely offering just a few minutes walk away from St. Paul's Cathedral (which I knew to be in central London and very near to the Tate Modern). I had never tried airbnb before, but it went very well. We stayed with a young couple, Aisha and Abdel, and besides their being very hospitable and offering a clean place for us to stay, they were lots of fun and really wonderful people! Something they're working on is a composite site of theme-linked podcasts and radio shows... it seems really neat, if you enjoy This American Life, Radiolab, the Moth Podcast, and Ted Talks, it'd be worth checking out (said.fm). 

It was a somewhat long journey from Huddersfield, though very smooth. Upon arrival we assessed the map and walked over to the flat from the train station. Along the way we passed by a window display of men's clothing shop. I snapped a photo for Dad, who once bought a very stylish suit while on a visit to London as a young lad.

can you see me in the reflection?

After settling into our room we set out to get our bearings and figured out where we were in relation to places we wanted to visit the following day. For dinner we found a Yo!Sushi! I'd never been to one, but it was pretty fun! They serve sushi and other Japanese cuisine. The seating is arranged along a conveyor belt on which passes food in little see-through containers. When you see something you like, you simply take it off the belt and start eating. Of course you can also order off of the menu. Here's a nice overhead photo I found on the internet. 

The following day we charted a path to St. Paul's Cathedral and then made our way to the Tate Modern.  But first found this little gem:

just around the corner is John Milton Passage!

For those of you who might not remember, John Milton is a poet most popularly known for  his epic poem, Paradise Lost. 

St. Paul's Dome

A cathedral dedicated to Saint Paul has stood at this site since 604 A.D. This particular cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great London Fire. It was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and was recently renovated and cleaned to mark its 300th anniversary.

St. Paul's from the front. 

and... Ray at St. Paul's!

much more on the way!