221b Baker Street

So I've been in London for several days now, and we are steadily checking things off our list of things that we must see. Alexandra and I decided that Monday would be Sherlock day! The first thing we did was head off to 221b Baker Street itself. There is a museum and a gift shop there. For the museum, they've taken a flat and have transformed it into the actual flat that Sherlock and Watson stayed in. There is Sherlock's room, Watson's room, the study, Mrs. Hudson's room, and a room containing wax figures of different characters.  I really enjoyed it! The flat had a lot of details that only people who have read the book would pick up on. For example, a book about bee keeping in Sherlock's room! They also took portions of some of the stories and had them written in journal form in Watson's room.

Bee keeping!

Watson's journal!

Sherlock's violin

creepy Moriarty wax figure

After we left the Sherlock Holmes museum, we trekked over to 187 North Gower Street, the other 221b. This is where the filmed the BBC Sherlock! Honestly, there isn't much there except an empty flat and Speedy's cafe (which was unfortunately closed!) But it was definitely worth the visit!

us FREAKING out :)

the other 221b

Oh, and this doesn't have anything to do with Sherlock, but WE FOUND A TARDIS!

TARDIS!

Diamond Jubilee

So on Thursday I graduated from high school! Summer has officially started (even though I've been done with classes for 2 weeks). On Friday I flew to London with Alexandra and her family, and we are here for the next 18 days! Yesterday was kind of rough because of the jet lag, but we were able to walk around Hampstead Heath a little, the area where we are staying.

Pond in Hampstead Heath!

So this whole weekend Britain is celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, meaning she has been on the throne for 60 years. Today a thousand boats sailed down the Thames, and there was a huge fancy ship that carried the Queen and some other members of the Royal family. We, along with 1.2 million other people, traveled down to Central London to watch the boats and attempt to get a glimpse of the Queen. It was absolutely chaotic! People were maxed out in British gear, and Union Jacks and pictures of the Queen were hanging from every possible surface. They were handing out free cardboard periscopes outside the tube station. I questioned how well they would work, but they were actually really fantastic! By the time the boats started to come down the Thames, the bank was so crowded that I couldn't actually see the river. At least with the periscope I could see a white speck that I took to be the Queen and three other specks that turned out to be the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, and Prince Harry.

Yes, we have matching t-shirts. Yes, we're cool.

Some people went all out!

Let's just climb up on top of a building to watch the boats.

On another note, IT'S FREEZING HERE! It was about 100 degrees when we left Houston, and today it was rainy, windy, and never climbed above the mid-50's. It's June. I don't think it got that cold in Houston this past winter. We've been borrowing all of Alexandra's aunt's jackets and scarves. I guess I better get used to this...

Summer???

Well, that's about it. Tomorrow is Sherlock day, and we head over to Baker Street!!!