my sunny weekend in London

This weekend I had zero use for my umbrella and quite a few uses for my sunglasses!  I started off my weekend by sleeping in on Friday morning because I had no classes. :)  Once I finally woke up around 11am, I did some laundry (successfully, and with actual detergent!!) and a few other errands.  Around 4, I set off to Trafalgar Square to meet up with an old friend, Keith, who I went to school with.  He is studying in England for the semester too and was in London for the day and had some free time.  I found this out on facebook, what a small world!  After meeting up at the big fountian in the middle, we walked around until we found a pub.  We each got a pint and caught up about lots of things that have happened in the past few years.  After meeting up with him, I went back to my flat and was ready to call it a night... until this absolutely TERRIBLE sounding fire alarm went off.  Seriously, I have never heard an alarm so excruciating in my life, and between living in dorms, TA-ing in a lab with over sensitive fume hood alarms, and sleeping many nights on EMT duty, I have heard a lot of alarms.  Worse than the sound of the alarm though, was waiting outside in the freezing cold in our pajams for probably about an hour.  Oh well, at least I got to see the London Fire Brigade in action!  ;)  There was no real fire, just a smoke detector that went off in someone's kitchen.

The London Fire Brigade!



On Saturday, Hannah and I had a fabulous day full of shopping.  We went to Harrod's (to say I loved it would be an understatement!) and then we walked around the Covent Garden markets, appreciating the beautiful weather that we had.  We also went to the Museum of Natural History.  After Hannah and I got back, she left to go to a friend's housewarming party and I hung out with some of the flatmates. 



Just before going into Harrod's!

 

Woman singing opera from a balcony inside Harrod's

 



 
  

 

After shopping in Harrod's!

the escalator in the Natural History Museum

 

outside the Natural History Museum

Today, Sunday, I did a bit of shopping and took advantage of the sunny weather by heading to the park that is right across from where I live.  I had no idea that there was such an extensive canal walk or that the park was so large, and it was fun to explore it. 



I had no idea this park even existed so close to where I live

See the brown building in the middle?  That's my building just behind the canal!