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Just a quick update before heading out for a whirlwind family tour!
After returning from Brussels, much of June and July has been taken up by periods of research and writing for the dissertation thankfully interrupted by visitors, a Independence day celebration, and adventures around London and beyond. First thing's first, the summer months have provided me with a change in student accommodation. Which meant removing all the lovely letters that have been posted on my wall as they arrive in the UK. While it was bear to moving everything, the journey to new accommodations in Victoria was made easier by a small contingency of kind friends.
Having only a day to settle in, I was greeted my Meg and her two friends, Diana and Laura who had just come in from Paris. London was the second stop on their tour of France, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Their visit brought a strange, and yet wonderful assortment of things into my life here in London including: some gospel singing, an unusual mating call, delicious Indian food, and an encounter with ducks and a packaged waffle...suffice it to say that it would have been difficult to make their visit more entertaining. During their visit we hit all the major tourist spots including Buckingham Palace, where we were fortunate enough to see many posh people queuing, invitations in hand for the queen's garden party.
Following their visit I had the opportunity to attend a charity children's concert at Royal Albert Hall to see Camille Orwin sing with her school chior. The concert exceeded my expectations and a lovely diner in Kensington follwed the performance. In little under a week I was back in Cambrige for the private view opening of "Origins of the Afro Comb: 6,000 Years of Culture, Politics, and Identity." I was able to take two friends along for the view and for a bit more touristing around town. While there we made friends with a web-footed fowl dubbed Phinneas, took a stroll through the market (where I found a marvelous little copy of The Hobbit), made mischief in a candy store, and visited the many museums of Cambridge including: the Sedgwick, Fitzwilliam, and MAA. We also entered into the Wren Library and St. John's College to see their church and the Bridge of Sighs. It was a brief visit, but exciting to be back in Cambridge.
Much of my time after visiting Cambridge has been spent researching in the library and archives of the Natural History Museum and learning how to navigate London via cycle. Although, I have made time to get out and about when I can and when I have visitors. Of course I made sure to get out for the Fourth of July! Despite a lack of fireworks, a picnic in the park with a few other Americans (and two Brits) was more than sufficient in celebrating Independence Day. My second visitor in the past few weeks was Harper, who was passing through with her family on their way home from Germany. We met up for drinks at the familiar haunt of Ye Olde Cheshire before she had to fly back off to the United States. In addition to visitors dropping in, I have taken advantage of activities around London including becoming involved in a community fencing club, attending a free streaming of the Royal Opera House's production of Puccini's La Rondine, taking a ride up the lift to the top of the OXO tower, and going to a Zoo Late Night at the London Zoo. Why? Because someone told me it's all happening at the zoo!
All in all, it has been an eventful past few weeks. Tomorrow night I embark to rendezvous with my family (Mom, Dad, and Kevin) in Reykjavik as they fly into London via an extended layover with Icelandair. From there we will hop over to London before beginning a whirlwind tour including: Paris, Scotland (Carlise, Hadrian's Wall, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Hebrides), and Cambridge.
So excited to see them in the flesh!!
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