A very London week

Leading into the July 4th holiday, when America celebrates its independence from the country that I now live in, I decided to have a couple truly London experiences.

The first was running home from work. One of the first things I noticed when I moved here was that Londoners are WAY more active and athletic than I would have ever imagined. Part of this is that probably 30% of the population either runs or bikes to and from work. You'll see people everywhere with backpacks full of suits and dresses running towards the outer edges of the city during rush hour. I always thought that was so cool and on Wednesday I became part of the crowd (with Ric's mom as a great running partner and motivator). We made our way from Shoreditch High Street, through Clerkenwell, over to Regent's Park, up to Swiss Cottage via St. John's Wood and into Hampstead. It was a great way to see the city, get a lay of the land, and it didn't actually take that much longer than normal (a little over an hour total). The almost 7 miles weren't even that bad, since most of it was flat and there was a ton to look at. The part through Regent's Park was especially gorgeous and the weather was perfect. Can't wait to try it again, but think it will be harder without a running buddy. Anyone want to join me?

The second very London experience was attending a cocktail party at No. 11 Downing Street. This is the home of the Chancellor, Alastair Darling, and directly next door to No. 10 where Gordon Brown lives. It was pretty cool going behind the gates, through security and then being on the street that the Prime Minister calls home. I missed seeing Gordon, but I did hear that he was visible from the balcony... he was sitting in the garden next door meeting with some advisor or another. And the door to No 10 was open when I walked by, so I got to peek in... Felt like I was part of Love Actually and Hugh Grant would be coming through the door any moment!

Happy 4th of July... Have a hot dog, deviled egg, and Budweiser for me!