I paid the equivalent of about 17 American dollars for a sandwich today. This exchange rate, along with the already high prices in London, is starting to hurt a little. Granted, it was one of the most delicious steak sandwiches I've ever tasted. Still.
Took the "Big Bus" Tour of London today. Very touristy, but probably the best way to quickly see the city. The bus winds along this route of all the major attractions - Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, the financial district - just about every major sight in London. The best part was, however, that you could get on and off (they had a bunch of busses continually running the same route) at just about any point. Like Westminster Abbey? Hop off, check things out, and another bus will pick you up at any of the bus stops.
One of my personal favorites was the financial district. Simply known as "The City", the financial district covers a square mile on the Northern bank of the Thames. In addition to the Bank of England, Lloyd's of London etc., St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London are also in The City.
A dragon is the official symbol of the city, and you can see it just about everywhere. A particularly intimidating one guards the entrance on Fleet Street.
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are cool too.
- Birch
P.S. - I checked out where I'll be staying for my class at London School of Economics. This was right around the corner:
