While is may not have a sexy name, this double-decker bus turned vegan restaurant tucked off Dray’s Walk is a real gem. I have walked by it dozens of times, even looking at the menu on occasion, but never actually climbed the narrow steps to try it out. This was clearly a mistake, so I have discovered it not a moment too soon!

Although the promised rain did not arrive today, I awoke (late and sore) to a dreary, gray, cold day. The perfect kind of day to hole up in a café ...

Having gotten my homework for Thursday done last night, I headed to the Museum of London after class. The contrast of newer modern buildings with some significant remnants of the original London Wall reminds one of the many evolutions this city has seen – an appropriate precursor to the special exhibit on the Great Fire, which I had come to see. I have never been much good at history and remembering dates, but given the repetition of some of this information since arriving here, the Museum’s handy chronological historical display just may have solidified the order and timeframe of key dates in the city’s past. I picked up a guide to London Architecture in the gift shop to further augment my knowledge by matching the various architectural styles with the historical time periods.

After a quick bite to eat at the flat and a chat with a neighbor (who is heading to Denver in the New Year!), I ran back out again in pursuit of half-price tickets to the theatre at Leicester Square...

When I told people I was heading to London for a semester, the response was invariably enthusiastic, except for one dour soul who must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. “Oh, the weather there is awful!” this acquaintance said during a brief exchange on the bus towards Pearl Street. I probably had a momentary deer-in-the-headlights look on my face, before I could respond. The truth of the matter is that the weather has been fantastic. Yes, I am talking about autumn in England...

Today was our last trip-sponsored day trip to Stonehenge and Bath. Our tour guide, as usual, thoroughly educated us on all the various theories and facts about the mystery that is Stonehenge – fascinating stuff. Without this background info, it would account to not much more than looking at a bunch of old rocks...

One of our classes ended mid-semester and so the final exam was Friday, 26 October. Promptly after finishing the exam, I grabbed my pre-packed bag and headed directly to the airport for a flight to Dublin. I’m quite sure my usual post-exam activities have often included some form of cleaning. Clearly, I have turned over some kind of new leaf since being here…

Thanks to the John-Miller-extended-network, I had several places to stay and was informed that while I was flying to Dublin, emails were being exchanged in regards to my weekend schedule . Oh the hospitality of the Irish!

After seeing Ira off to the airport, I was back on the tube and alone again. But it was too nice of an autumn day to be sullen for too long. I headed up Brick Lane in the direction of the Columbia Road flower market with the goal of replenishing the flat’s supply. Now here’s the thing about being so far from north; there is an upside to the short winter days...

Visiting Paris during the last few days leading up to the final World Cup rugby game, in which England was playing having just beaten France in the semi-finals, and during a metro strike is not the best timing, but it's the only timing we had to work with, so c'est la vie! Here's a quick summary and some pics...