Party Church Party Sleep

For our last weekend in London, Kevin and I decided to celebrate with a couple unique parties and experiences. The weekend started off Friday night on the famous LSE Riverboat disco. The tickets were in such high demand, they were selling for 90 and 100 pounds on facebook, but we decided to keep ours and see what the night was all about, and I'm glad we did. After about 400 LSE students from all over the world boarded the Dixie Queen, we set off east toward the Docklands. We sailed under the lit up Tower Bridge, which had to be raised so we could pass through, and passed some other cool sights like the O2 arena. It was drizzling most of the night, which kind of put a damper on things, but I was liking the music so we danced for a while inside. I also spent a lot of time talking with a friend I met in class, Dario from Germany, and some girls from Italy. Overall, it was a fun way to start the weekend.

The next morning, we decided it was about time we went to Church, and what better one to go to than the church of kings and queens, Westminster Abbey. The architecture inside was stunning, especially the Henry VII's Lady chapel with its ornate sculpted ceiling, and the Quire and Main Alter where the ceremonies, including funerals, weddings, and coronations, take place. I also felt a sense of awe standing in a building that is the eternal resting place of so many famous people, from Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin to Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain, from Mary Queen of Scots and Mary Queen of England to all the King Henrys and Edwards, from William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Chaucer to Laurence Olivier, and so many more. It made me think of what I can/will do to be remembered in a place like this forever. I also couldn't help but compare it to the LA Walk of Stars, which makes it seem trivial I guess, with the main difference being the people whose names are here are buried below them.



After exiting Westminster Abbey there was still plenty left of the beautiful Saturday, so I rented a bike  and joined in the Prudential Ride London festival to St. James park. There I got some classic British Fish and Chips and a pickled onion, and sat in the grass watching some BMX guys do their thing. After lunch I continued on to the Natural History Museum, the last museum I plan to see in London after so many, and then to Hyde Park to read a little more Oscar Wilde. I finished The Importance of Being Earnest the other day, and I definitely recommend it. The way he writes and the exaggeration, sarcasm, and irony he uses will make you smile and maybe even laugh out loud while reading it.

With Saturday night upon us, we finally got to the club Fabric where Kevin has been wanting to go for a while now. I didn't really get to experience it too much, but it seemed like a good time. Sunday, for the first time, we took a much needed rest, just chilling in the room for most of the day. We finally got up the energy to venture outside for dinner at an Indian place called Dishoom. The chicken tikka and naan was good, but was classically British (too small of portions, too large a price) so Kevin stopped at the Coop for his classic second dinner.

Overall, it was a pretty great last weekend in London.