Catching up after Two Full Days

Wow we've done a lot in the past two days! Where do I begin?! I guess with, well.. yesterday!
We slept in fairly late, then made our way to the South Bank of the Thames to visit the Imperial War Museum. We spent a good deal of time there. One of my favorite exhibits is the submarine exhibit, where you walk through a sub as if you really lived on it. The bunks are cramped, the food is bland, and the head (that's the sea name for the toilet) STINKS! Literally, they had an actual odor coming out that reeked.

Down below the museum, we walked through the trenches of WWI as if we were an actual soldier. There were guns and bombs going off, radios calling, wounded men being tended to.. as gruesome as it was, I still found it pretty cool! William enjoyed all the tanks on the main floor and observing the various fighter planes suspended in the air.

Entrance to the Museum. Guns.. and more guns

Inside a Halifax bomber.. attempting to navigate?

After the war museum, we took a looooonnggg bus ride through south town to Greenwich, where the National Maritime Museum, Royal Navy College, and the Greenwich demarcation line is (the line that separates the Eastern Hemisphere from the Western Hemisphere). While I enjoyed the war museum, I REALLY enjoyed the National Maritime Museum.

I'm not sure why, but I've been fascinated by the ocean and anything within it, be they living or nonliving, for my entire life. This museum had several exhibits featuring the British navy accomplishments and explorations around the world. There was interesting information on the slave trade, as dark of a history as that has been. There were several maps of major trade routes through the 1600-1700s, involving a "triangle" from the U.K. to Africa to the Americas.

Unfortunately, I was really looking forward to seeing the exhibit on modern deep-sea exploration, but sadly it had closed for renovation.

"The Dauntless?"

Mom observing some (old) navigation equipment

I've always wondered what a boat's "black box" looked like ever since I read "A Perfect Storm." I guess now I know!

We also got to stand on the Prime Meridian at the top of the Royal Observatory! Now William and I have been to both the Equator (we went to Ecuador on a school field trip at Lovett) and the Prime Meridian. Perhaps both the North and South Poles next..?

A view from the Observatory, courtesy of William's awesome (?) photography skills..

Now for DAY TWO (TODAY!):

We woke up and made it to the changing of the guard at 11:30. Very.. ceremonial, of course. I was hoping we could go inside the Palace, but I forgot they only give tours when the Royal Family isn't in residence. We say the balcony where Prince William and Kate were married just a few weeks ago!

We also toured the Queen's Gallery. I thought it was kinda cool because I understood a lot of the myths behind the artwork, but other members of my party (mostly the tall, curly haired boy) didn't want to stay there long!
Mom and I really enjoyed the Royal Mews, where they keep the carriages and horses for the Royal Family. The carriages are grand and the horses are spotlessly clean and well-cared for.

This afternoon, we had lunch/afternoon tea at the Orangery, which I loved (Good suggestion, Hailey)! We dined on tea sandwiches, sweets, and of course, English tea. It was splendiforous! After the Orangery, we went through Kensington Palace. A lot of the Palace was closed off for construction, but we got to follow the stories of the seven princesses who had lived there. Diana, herself, actually lived in the Palace.

The Three Amigos outside Kensington Palace. Or, alternatively.. two Brits and an Austrian!

On the way back to our flat, we took some fun photos along the way:

William trying out his modeling skills at H&M

The Lamborghini that lives across the street from out flat

Whew! If you got through this update, you're awesome and mean a lot to me! Please feel free to post a question/comment. That's all for now! I meet my Verona group tomorrow :)