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In 2009, two people decided to go on an adventure.
In what is somewhat a disappointment, they did this without a phone booth that travelled through time.
That said, there are a number of interesting things that will make it an adventure. Firstly, they are travelling during the ominously named Global Financial Crisis. Secondly, they’re travelling during what the World Health Organisation has now named a Global Pandemic of Swine Flu*. Lastly, they’re going to visit a nuclear wasteland.
Check in here to see our updates of our trip to London, Paris, Berlin, Kiev in the Ukraine and New York!
*Note: while Em and Lachlan aren’t worried about Swine Flu, they are worried how all the countries around the world are reacting.
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View Adventure 2009 in a larger map. NOTE: The above map seems to playing up. If you keep zooming out you will eventually be able to see our route markers and follow the trip so far :)
A short summary of highlights and observations
So, yesterday we “did” London. To be specific, we got off the train at Westminter: wow. It’s kinda big. Initially, I thought the big bit was the Abbey, but it turns out that’s Big Ben and the houses of parliament. In comparison, the Abbey is sort of small and crappy, although, to be honest, I didn’t go inside because I am too cheap - £12! Each! All money going to the restoration of the Abbey? No thanks. Maybe I will do the London Eye instead. Or that Movie museum Lachlan wants to go to.
After hanging around in a park behind Westminster, and getting covered in pollen, we wandered across to the south bank. Here we found some Dali stuff, a dancing wizard man, and a pigeon named Paul. We ate our Emma-made sandwiches (which only cost us about £6 for two chicken sandwiches each!) and watched people doing touristy things. Most of the path along here reminds me of Darling Harbour - although simultaneously crappier (it’s just not as pretty) and nicer (it’s more human-friendly. Not so much of a wasteland…)
We walked to the Tower Bridge, via lots of other bridges; the recreated Globe theatre; Starsucks (the coffee is just as bad as Starsucks in Australia. Which is to say it’s much better than any other coffee one can get around here); and the arse-end of the Tate Modern (we were looking for a payphone). We also loitered in the Tate giftshop, looking at Miffy books and art supplies before engaging in a heated debate on why I just don’t like art (on our way to the Tower Bridge).
Due to my insistence that we go to the Borough Markets (which were CLOSED. D’oh. I saw them on Eataholics…) we ended up wandering around for about an hour and not getting anywhere, before our final troop across the bridge - my main observation, it has lots of blue! Sort of almost baby blue. WTF? I never imagined it would be so garish. Very strange. Still, it was pretty, and the Tower of London looked cool too - except Lachlan won’t let me do the tour, because the tower is “shit” :(
Other highlights of the day included: KFC from down the road (they don’t have Mountain Dew, though. OR potato and gravy. Strange land.) and playing in the Marcs and Spencer food shop (they have so much ready made, pre-prepared food, I have no idea if anyone actually cooks in London. It’s amazing!). Lachlan and I might open up an international fast-food consultancy firm, where we can import all the great fast-food innovations from different nations. Whee!
And that’s about it. I am hoping for more cobblestones, and I have yet to see a great amount of “quaintness”, but I think tomorrow might be a better day for that, on the other side of the river (also, British Museum, yay! Free!!)
Today we go on a secret adventure! Updates soon :D
~Em
