This was the official first week of term break so everyone was ready to relax and enjoy some time off of reading and writing.

On Monday I went to Greenwich with a few friends. Yes, this is the Greenwich of Greenwich Mean Time--a place where the Prime Meridian divides the western and eastern hemispheres.
It was kind of funny...the 24-hour analog clock displayed in Greenwich Park, which is SUPPOSED to be 'official', had not been adjusted for Daylight Savings Time yet. So it was an hour off! I don't have a picture of this, but my friend does, so I'll have her email it to me and I'll add it later.

Greenwich as a town is pretty cute--it is only a 20 minute Tube ride from London but it seems a lot further away because it's so different from London. The town is mostly known for its maritime history: tourists can climb aboard a couple old boats and visit the National Maritime Museum and old Royal Navy College.

We didn't do any of that, though. Our goal was to take a relaxing stroll along the Thames and through Greenwich Park.

Beautiful blossoming tree in Greenwich Park

From atop a hill in the park.
In the background is an area east of London called the Docklands.
It's mainly a financial and business center.
You can see there are some skyscrapers... as we passed through on our
way to Greenwich, it kind of felt like I was back in the US.

You can just make out the writing in the brick indicating
East and West Longitude.

Straddling the hemispheres!

It feels so....strange and...perplexing.

Walking through the park.

A shot of Greenwich

We found a MEXICAN restaurant! I have been craving Mexican food for months!
So has Stephanie, another American.
Our Latvian and Korean friends did not understand our utter joy.

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On Tuesday we went to a beautiful park north of London called Hampstead Heath. It is also just a short Tube ride from the city center. Most of the park is not a well-groomed--it's meant to be kind of 'wild' and over-grown with woods and ponds. There are lots of paths, dirt and paved, but they are not well marked, so it could be quite easy to get lost. It helps to explore with a group, as we did, so everyone can help navigate through the wooded areas.

Here's a short video of Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath. The view from this hill looks south to the center of London.


Some parts of the park are maintained quite well--themed gardens and even an enclosure with deer, alpacas, and various fowl. I only have a couple of pictures of these areas of Hampstead Heath: