May 16/17 Day One:
Vans left SU at 3pm. Good thing we got to the airport three hours ahead, because it took 90 minutes to get to our gate, thanks to the longest security lines I’ve encountered at Dulles. I got moved to an aisle seat with NO ONE in the rest of the row (I think it was the equivalent to “house seats”). Good flight. Would definitely go with Virgin again!
It took a long time to get through customs and even longer to get through London to the hostel, although the coach driver from First Choice was inside the terminal with a sign waiting for us. We landed just before 7am, and it was after 10 when we got to the hostel (I think…I can’t remember). We put our bags in the storage room, grabbed some variety of coffee/breakfast and set off.
SoHostel is on Dean Street, so it was a hop, skip, and jump to Shaftsbury Avenue, where as we were checking out some theatres, Connor realized we’d left Chris Goodwin back at the restaurant. But he was soon rescued. Walked down to Piccadilly Circus and took some pictures.
Then down Regent Street, past the Crimean War / Florence Nightingale monument, down Waterloo Place to the Duke of York Column (picture!),and over to the Mall. 
Headed right down the Mall to the front of Buckingham Palace. We fortuitously arrived there right at noon, and saw some of the changing of the guard.
Then we walked through St James Park, spending much time and photos on the flowers and water fowl there! Who knew there were so many different kinds of water fowl?
At the other end of the Park we crossed over to Horse Guards Parade (Emma and Connor had excitement in realizing they were standing where Chris Pratt had stood in a movie…). Looked at the guards in their goofy uniforms and weird boots. Watched some people acting stupid around horses. Dodged a cop with a huge automatic weapon.
We turned left up Whitehall and went to The Clarence Pub for some light lunch – cheese plates, sausage rolls, pork pies, buttered kale, etc! This is the same pub my GEL 2014 group stopped in on the first day. Then headed up to Trafalgar Square. Pretty bummed that the lion statues are cordoned off currently. Someone was power washing the base of Nelson’s Column, so maybe they won’t be off limits on another day.
Walked down the Strand a bit and explored The Arches Shopping area. Ended up in Victoria Embankment Gardens. Half the group got ice cream. We walked over Hungerford/Golden Jubilee Bridge, crossing the Thames. Walked down the ‘Queen’s Walk’ on the South Bank, going past the London Eye (where there are bathrooms!), the Udderbelly Festival, The London Dungeon, The Shrek Experience (?!), and the Aquarium.
Crossed back over to the north side of the Thames via Westminster Bridge, where zillions of tv and film scenes have been shot with Westminster and Big Ben in the background. A bride and groom were taking pictures out on the bridge. Past the Boudiccan Rebellion monument. Strolled around Westminster and Big Ben, and investigated whether there was an Evensong service in Westminster, but there wasn’t. Everyone was exhausted, so we started back toward Leicester Square, via Horse Guards Rd (and more heavily armed police), & Trafalgar Square.
Note the rainbow flag flying with the national one!
We wandered around for a while in Chinatown (Just north of Leicester Sq) looking for a place to have dinner, and ended up going back to the other side of the Square to go to Wagamama on Irving St. That worked out well – everyone found something to eat and we were early enough to beat the dinner crowd. Connor was falling asleep at the table and everyone was BEAT. Walked back up to SoHostel via Wardour St, which has lots of fun places and restaurants on it; then over to Dean and checked into our rooms. A couple of us overlook the construction site for the new Tottenham Court Road Cross-rail ticketing station. Looks like that’s going to be quite a big thing.
Group meeting at 7 to confer about tomorrow. Makayla and Brynne discovered there was a karaoke night going on in the ‘Bar’ of the Hostel! Emma, Adia, and I went down to check out the performance schedule for Aladdin, as Adia knows someone in it. MANY yuppie types on the pavements outside of pubs. A very hopping area!!
Off to Windsor Castle in the morning, and seeing Doctor Faustus tomorrow, starring Kit Harington and directed by Jamie Lloyd.
Up shot of today: My fitbit says we walked 20,000 steps and 8.65 miles today. Chris Goodwin bumps into lots of people; Jess Lynch is most likely to get hit by a car or bicyclist when she crosses the road. Everyone was a trooper!
