Day 2

Re-reading last night's post, I'm impressed it's so coherent considering my eyes were half-closed while I was typing. Falling asleep at 7 PM backfired on us because Katie, Pam, and I were wide awake in the middle of the night. I guess Pam got up and watched television (she had her own room), while Katie and I tossed and turned and listened to the drunk, angry football fans returning from the bars around Russell Square. I guess the match England played last night ended less than favourably. Our token sleeper, Jenn, missed all of it and was just fine until morning.

Aside from a lack of sleep, today was an absolutely perfect day in London. After a hearty "English breakfast" of eggs, bacon, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, coffee, and orange juice, we moved into a bigger hotel room and met up with my wonderful sister! Tina even carried my beastly suitcase down three flights of stairs (that’s sibling love for you). We then spent a blissful morning walking and shopping around Camden Market, after a minor incident which involved us breaking out of a double decker bus (it's always an adventure with our research team). After picking up some souvenirs, we went to the British Museum where my sister and I spent quality time catching up and wandering through the artifacts. For once, we did more looking than reading which allowed me to see some new and interesting things. For example, did you know there is a chipped flint with a miraculous image of Chaucer inside? Now you do. Our afternoon at the museum was capped off by some wonderful steak & ale pie, fish and chips, and beer at the "Museum Tavern", originally founded in 1723 under the name "the Dog and Duck." It certainly made up for our pizza transgressions the night before.

After a full day of play, we're having another quiet evening at the hotel. I always forget how annoying jet lag is until I'm in the thick of it. However, tomorrow will be another wonderful day. My sister and I are planning to shop some of the high streets, and then see my new British extended family for dinner. My brother in law is even rushing home from a conference in Sweden to be there! So far, I couldn't have asked for a better pre-field work holiday in Europe. It has been particularly fantastic to see my sister after nearly a year of being apart. I think this is probably the lift I needed before embarking on our great African adventure.