Today was our first day in London. Valerie found us a nice business hotel (Club Quarters) in the City of London next to St. Paul’s Cathedral. We arrived at the hotel in the afternoon, at which point Valerie promptly fell asleep. Kim (my dad’s cousin) and family invited us out to an old British pub called The Mayflower in Rotherhithe next to the River Thames. It has been almost six years since I’ve last seen Kim, Jane, Meri, and Kier, so it was quite nice to see them again. Kim provided some interesting historical commentary about the pub and developments along the Thames. Jane and Meri helped us plan tomorrow’s events.

For those traveling to London, definitely pick us an Oyster card (available for purchase in the arrival area at Heathrow) for use on the Underground and coaches. Thanks to Jeff for the tip.