Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?

I've been to London to visit the Queen!

[Hey there! Wrote this on Friday, just now getting it to you. We actually just got back home in Switzerland. Expect photos soon.]

We now find ourselves in London, after somehow passing by train from Paris under the English Channel. We did not arrive in a position to enjoy this city, as the toilet on the train was out of order and the first one we came across in the station was too. We finally got to one that was functional but we needed these things called pence, of which we had none. Thankfully the Patron Saint of Bladder Control came through for us. When travelling, always keep up a good rapport with her.

The next episode was getting to the hotel. Actually, getting there by Metro and walking with a map in hand worked out fine, but seeing our room made us wonder if it had been worth the effort. (Mom's comment: "This is not the Embassy Suites!") The Hotel Dacia Luxembourg in Paris was small, but this is the Hotel Dacia Crap-embourg. I don't know what to comment on first: the smaller-than-twin-sized beds with the acupuncture mattress springs or the postage stamp bathroom where you get the impression that the same man who designed the pocket knife architected this shower/toilet/sink combo. Mom commented, "You could stand in the bedroom and use the toilet if you were a man." Another interesting feature of the room is the massive railroad running beneath our window. We've found the trains to be quite regular. That is, my sleep was interrupted fairly often by their rumblings and we also mark their passing by the vibrating of certain light fixtures in our room.

London is, however, slowly redeeming itself. Our first day ended up turning out pretty well. We enjoyed a tasty meal in China Town and were impressed by the British Museum. The Metro system seems to be running well and has zipped us safely and speedily about the city. Even our hotel has its redeeming qualities--free breakfast and a coffee machine that actually puts out some great drinks. And we can confirm this city's reputaton for great fish and chips. We enjoyed some today at a traditional pub called Bag O' Nails.

The highlight of the last 48 hours, however, was definitely going to Buckingham Palace. It was expensive to get in, but did not disappoint. A few years ago they decided to open the State Rooms to the public for a few weeks each year to make more money, so we were privileged to see where the Queen does her entertaining. Apparently 8,000 people attend each of her 4 summer garden parties! Not only was the palace beautiful, the audio quide was interesting and informative. You just walk through the rooms with a head set on that tells you what you're looking at and where to go next. It was a great experience. I'm plotting what I can do to get myself invited to one of those garden parties...