London Calling

There are few things better than a non-stop direct flight especially when traveling overseas. So even though we were sitting in cramped economy seats for 7 hours the red-eye flight from Chicago to London seemed to go pretty quickly. And when we arrived we were blessed with something that just doesn't happen in England...good weather. And not just one day but all three days in London were beautiful and sunny. Amazing. Even though we were very tired from not sleeping much on the flight we tried to stay up and active to get on London time. So we walked around the Palace, Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye (a huge Ferris wheel) and along the Thames enjoying all the street performers and people watching. We then enjoyed a nice dinner (Sara had salmon while I enjoyed the traditional fish n' chips) and a pint of ale in a quintessential London pub, complete with cracked walls and ceiling and very little seating. It was perfect.

When we walked around London (and Paris and Switzerland for that matter) we liked to play the "Tourist or Native" game where just by looking at what the person is wearing we try and figure out where they're from. Americans are easy to spot (including me with my white sneakers). Sara found it amazing how many women wear high heels, especially on the cobblestone walkways and streets. High heels were also on display late one night when we shared a subway car with what appeared to be four prostitutes - we weren't sure but you know what they say, if it dresses like a duck and quacks like a duck it's probably a prostitute.

On Sunday the 22nd, my birthday, we started the day with a fantastic hearty traditional English breakfast - grilled tomato, beans, bangers (sausage), eggs, toast, and coffee. We then headed over to Hyde Park near the Palace and ran right into a massive crowd. We had no idea what was going on and Sara's first thought was, "Are William and Kate returning from their honeymoon?" It turns out it was just the changing of the guard...we had no idea it was such a spectacle. After a nice picnic in the park we made our way to a Tube station (the nickname for London's subway system) and headed to Tottenham, a northern borough of London, for my birthday present - attending an English Premiere League (EPL) Football match! Tottennham vs. Birmingham. The tickets were very difficult to get, but thanks to our friend Francis, and his friend Ogango in London, we scored amazing seats - 3rd row right behind one of the goals! These are season ticket holder seats (we were given credit card-like passes) which allowed us to get into a private pub near the stadium before the match. The door man asked for ID but he didn't care about our age, he was just asking to see our season ticket passes. 

Here are some important things to know about attending an EPL match:

1. The stadium does not serve any food or drinks. And nobody leaves their seats until halftime.
2. The stadium does not play music or manufacture any noise. The only noise is fan created and organized.
3. There is only a small "away" section in the stadium...if you're sitting anywhere else you need to root for the home team. 
4. Not all the cheers have anything to do with the game. Some of the cheering is for other hated teams in the league losing in their game (when the other game scores are shown on the scoreboard). There was one bloke who even brought his old-timey transistor radio with him to listen to the other matches (I think we have a picture of it).
5. Know your team songs and chants:

•  "When the Spurs Go Marching in" (you start the song very slowly and then speed up as you go)
• "Come on you Spurs" (to the tune of Goonies' "Heeeey yoouuu guuuuuyssss")
• "We are Tottenham"
• And another song that ends with something about a Camel's behind.
• You can listen to these Tottenham songs (and others) here.

Tottenham pulled out a 2-1 win with a very late goal (the game ended pretty much right after the goal). Due to this loss (and how other matches ended) Birmingham got "relegated" which means they finished in the bottom three of the league standings and are no longer in the EPL. You could tell the Birmingham fans and players were crushed. The Tottenham fans then thanked and applauded the Birmingham fans and I think even sang one of their team's songs to show their respect. Kind of amazing since most of the game we were worried a fight would breakout near the visitor seats (and riot police surrounded the area). 

We had so much fun at the match. What a great experience. You could feel the fan intensity. I don't believe there is anything like it in American sports.

We finished up my awesome birthday by walking around the London and Tower Bridges and then ate at a spot that allowed for a great view of the Tower Bridge. Just a great day

On Monday we checked out of our hotel, hopped on the Chunnel, and headed to our next destination...Paris!

Here are just a few of the many pictures Sara and I took in London (I'll be uploading more of mine on my Flickr account soon)...