Sorry for not posting on the blog for the past couple days. We didn't spend much time in our hotel room except for sleeping. However, the trip was wayyyy better than I expected, and I had the time of my life. The weather was 70 and sunny every day, which is very unusual for London. I went with four girls that are in my program. We arrived in London very late Friday night, and didn't get to our hotel until around 1am. Saturday morning we took the metro to the Olympic Park for our 11am tour. Luckily, the metro has all day passes called oyster cards, which only cost around 7 pounds. We toured the outside area of the Olympic Park, and learned a lot about the area, the decision making, history, and improvements that have come due to the Olympics. We weren't able to get very close to the park, but close enough to get good pictures. It was breath taking!! We saw the stadium for the track and field, aquatics, and BMX. We also saw the apartment buildings where the athletes will be staying. Holiday Inn is catering 24 hour dining services. There are stadiums located all around London too, not just in one area. While touring the city, we saw the stadium for tennis as well as the park for outdoor swimming, biking, and running. After the tour, we went to the gift shop and got lots of goodies. While we were leaving, we say a group of people taking pictures. We walked up and saw Phillips Idowu (GB long jumper) holding the Olympic torch!!!
After the tour, we went to Kensington Palace. This is the place where Will and Kate are going to be living in a year. We didn't get to see the part where they are going to be living, but we did see the museum with collections from previous kings and queens. My favorite was the exhibit on Princess Diana! They had many gowns that she wore.
Later that night we went to a local pub for fish and chips (England's famous dish). It was amazing! Then we went downtown to see the London Eye and Big Ben at night. This was one of my favorite memories of the trip, because the view was incredible. I've never seen something so beautiful in my life.
On Sunday, we got up early and went to Paddington Station to see the famous paddington bear. Then we went on a double decker tour bus to see the rest of London. During the tour, we saw Buckingham Palace, London Bridge, Tower Bridge (w/ the Olympic rings), Big Ben, and much more. We also took a ride on the London Eye, which is a giant Ferris wheel with enclosed baskets. At the very top, you could see all of London. While on the ride, a USA women's swim team athlete got on as well!!! Also, we arrived at Buckingham Palace just in time for the changing of the guards!!
After the tour, we got on the train to head to the airport for our 6:20pm flight back to Bilbao. Unfortunately, while on the train ride I got very ill. When we arrived at the airport, I could barely walk or stand. We passed through security right before I fell to the ground and couldn't get up. Luckily, my wonderful friends found the police, who found the paramedics. The paramedics spent the next 45 mins or so calming me down and helping me with the pain. They were the sweetest and nicest people. Luckily, my back and stomach pains subsided, and we were able to make our flight just in time. I'm completely fine now, and didn't have to go to a hospital. I just need to drink a lot of water and get some rest. Although the situation was quite frightening, I wouldn't take it back. I've never had such good medical treatment from such genuine people. It was so nice to get to talk to British people, and ask them questions about their culture. I was so thankful that this happened in a country where they spoke English and not in Barcelona (where we were going to go). I'm also thankful for my friends who helped me through this!
Overall it was an amazing trip that I will never forget. Although it was very short, I made a lot of memories. I definitely want to go back to England again!! The country is full of so much history and famous monuments and nice people. Pictures to come soon!
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