Day One: London

What a whirlwind of a day! It started yesterday, technically, with a flight from St. Louis that went well and checked off “flown in an airplane” from many student’s bucket lists (and some I-wish-I-didn’t-have-to lists!). As we landed, we spotted a rainbow across the sky. We made it onto the flight to Toronto in perfect time, only to be delayed by some rain inside a compartment they had to investigate. All good, we departed and arrived in London at 9:00a, just 30 minutes later than planned.

We made quick work of customs, but not as quick work of Mrs. Carver having to retrieve her bag that got forgot in the hussle of things. None of the kids forgot a bag and all checked bags made it back to us. Whew. Great job kids. We met our Tour Director, Alenka, and took the bus into London.

The bus was hot. The walking was FAST and long. But everyone was a trooper. There were some very tired points. But despite a few rough patches, we saw Green Park, a glimpse of Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Picadilly Circus area and Covent Garden. Our adventurous students explored a bit on their own in large student groups or with chaperones. Some visited much-awaited hobby stores, souvenir shops, met a family member who happened to be in the city at the same time, ate European chicken nuggets, saw a street of bookstores, chilled at St. James, and then everyone conked out for a nap on the bus.

We are settled in our chic hotel, winding down after some Tesco runs and with a plan for Windsor and a bus tour tomorrow. We shared the bus air conditioning situation with EF and they are working on it for tomorrow. We look forward to another adventure-filled but slightly slower day tomorrow taking in the sights.