Day #101 - London, England (Cambridge University)

World Cup soccer - pub in Cambridge

Punting on the River Cam

St. John's College

King's College

One of the many colleges that make up Cambridge

Wednesday, June 23rd


Thanks all for the inspirational comments. It's taking me a little bit to get back adjusted to being on my own after coming off the great trip in Peru. The other thing, I think the weather conditions in London have a major effect on my allergies. I normally get some allergy stuff going in the springtime - not a big deal. I live with it. Over here, it's like I'm dusting a room all the time. I'm continually sneezing. Not sick - just something in the air. I even notice other people sneezing all the time as well. Along with this, I feel like I'm paralyzingly tired all the time. Bottom line - I just need to suck it up for the team. There could be worse things in this world.


Today was a really good day. I had to move hotels again this morning. Not by my choice, but the hotel I was in - all booked. (I typically only book 2 days in a hotel at a time and will re-up if I like the place). Wimbledon has really increased the number of tourist to the city. I'm now staying at this place on the very east of the city. Not great - that's for sure. I'm thinking this is the area of town where you shouldn't go. I'm good - precautions are in place - I won't be staying here long.

Why am I staying in London so long? There's really 3 reasons: ONE - I need to stay in the UK for a certain number of days to stay within my Schengen requirements. TWO - when I learned that I had stayed in 48 different locations in 97 days - that's too much change. Continually switching locations adds to additional stress. I can still go different places - but maybe do more day trips. THREE - London has alot of things to do. My eurail pass does not work in the UK; therefore, it's better for me to day trip from London. The cost is actually better versus buying individual rail tickets.

Midday on Wednesday, I took a train north to Cambridge. (anywhere between a 45 minute to a 1-1/2 hr train ride pending the type of train) Cambridge is home to Cambridge University - the other very prestigious college in the UK.

Cambridge is very similar to Oxford in that it has 31 different colleges that make up the university. Cambridge is not as old as Oxford - dating back as far as 1284 (Peterhouse College) right up to 1974 (Robinson College). The town and university were very impressive. I particularly enjoyed the area around King's College, Trinity College, and St. John's College. These areas are just south of the River Cam. A popular activity on the river is punting. This is the equivalent of taking gondolas on the river - just with wooden boats and wooden oars. Very similar to Oxford - just with the fancy title.

I don't know anyone that has attended either of these universities. So, I have nothing more than my days spent to see differences. For my money; however, it's Oxford hands down over Cambridge. Why - I'm old school. Oxford has a certain mystique, a certain tradional feel about it. Cambridge is trendier, it's more hip. I think alot of people may enjoy Cambridge more. The first sentence of the Cambridge map says it perfectly -- "Cambridge is a wonderfully vibrant city that blends history with contemporary culture" I don't like the blend - I like the tradition. I just googled 'differences between Oxford and Cambridge". I think I may have nailed it after 1 day at each university. Very interesting when you really get into the details. Any way you look at it, both are exceptional universities.

About 3pm, I found my way into a local sports pub in Cambridge. England was playing Slovenia and the US was playing Algieria in the World Cup. The atmosphere was electric. I always wanted to watch a World Cup game in Europe. If you think soccer is boring, come over here to watch it. People hang on every single play, every pass, every kick. It was like watching a Stanley Cup hockey playoff game -- you could feel the tension in the air.

England ended up winning 1-0. The US game was not on; however, they were providing updates. The US was still tied at 0-0 with just minutes to go. If things ended up this way, both England and Slovenia would move forward and the US would go home. Just at the conclusion of England's game - they came over with the announcement that the US had scored. The whole crowd was going nuts with the victory and then started to boo at the US result. I just felt a strong feeling of national pride. Both England and the US will be moving forward to Round #2 - great stuff.

I took the train back into London. I then transferred to my 'hotel' for the night and called it a day.

Day #100 - London, England

Tuesday, June 22nd
Today was more less a rest day for me. I spent some of the day walking around the area by my hotel. I think I could live in a big city. You really have everything you need in just a couple blocks.

I spent the rest of the day planning some strategy for the week ahead. By the time I had completed, it was already late afternoon. It was a little late to go much of anywhere significant.

I'm feeling lazy. I sleep all the time, I haven't exercised in a week -- I'm currently a waste of space. I need to make something of my life starting tomorrow.

Day #99 - London, England (Winbledon)

Djokovic victorious on Centre Court

Venus Williams victorious on Court #1

Overlooking Court #1 from my First Row seat

Wimbledon - Centre Court

The Train exit at Wimbledon

Monday, June 21st

This morning I decided to change hotels and move into the city of London. My place I've been staying at is not much more than a closet and it was about time to move on. Although very inexpensive, it was questionable in many other areas. Since it's so small, my head was about 6 inches from the door when laying down. This morning 2 different chambermaids keyed in. Not a big deal - they knock - I ask them to come back later - they come in anyway. I don't care - eventually I've just started not saying anything because they come in anyway. Then, this other guy throws open the door. It was like Kramer's entrance on Seinfeld. I must have been sleeping because I didn't hear keys. This scared the living daylights out of me. The door slammed open. I must have jumped about 2 feet horizontally from the bed. I don't know who it was - but they left.

I'm now staying near Earl's Court - walkable to many of the tour sites in London (Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, etc). It's perfect, you get off the train and walk about 50 yards. Plus, I'm still only paying about $80. London can definitely be cost effective if you find the right spots.

My first order of business today was getting my Russian Visa worked out. Russia is easily the most difficult country for me to gain access on the entire trip. The Visa process is involved and time consuming. You can only apply for a Visa within 90 days of your departure; therefore, I couldn't do it before leaving the US. I don't have the luxury of easy resources like in the states. I found a place in London (through internet search) that would assist people like me. I went there early afternoon. I found out it's possible for them to handle everything for me (including the sponsorship letters, etc). Only problem - it's going to take 14 days with my passport. I have copies, but I don't want to be without it travelling from country to country. I worked out the schedule to bring them my passport on July 19th and they will send in while I'm travelling in Scotland for 2 weeks. That's a huge relief. I was worried this was not going to happen.

It was about 2pm. What should I do now? Go to Wimbledon - that's the easy answer.

Wimbledon - the All England Tennis Club - the home of the 3rd tennis major of the year - the home of the most prestigious event in tennis (my opinion). Wimbledon is to tennis as The Masters is to golf.

I didn't have tickets and was skeptical how I would get in. I knew that today was the very first day of Wimbledon; therfore, the matches were all first round and shouldn't be quite the price as quarterfinal matches in Paris. I took 'the Tube' to the Wimbledon exit (District Green Line). When I got off the train, the sidewalk was grass and chalked, just like at Wimbledon - that was pretty cool. I followed the people for about 3/4-mile to the grounds. I found out right away that the only chance to get tickets is to stand in the Queue line. This gives you access to Grounds Tickets and then you can possibly buy resale tickets for the main courts once inside.

I had my backpack with me so this worked out just fine. I had a book while my backpack acted as a pillow. We had to wait about 2-1/2 hours. It was well done however. They had given you a queue card so you could go to the bathroom, get a drink, etc. People came around and gave out free drinks while in line. They also had piped in wimbledon updates from the loud speakers. Finally, we got to the gate just after 5pm. I paid 14 pounds for Grounds Access (about $20). That's a great deal.

The place was amazing. Much more refined and elegant than Roland Garros. Mint julip is to the Kentucky Derby as "x" is to Wimbledon? Answer - champagne and strawberries. There were huge booths for champagne and strawberries. Matter of fact, there were food booths with just about anything. I took the first hour or so and walked the grounds. There are 17 courts at Wimbledon. Centre Court, Court #1, and Court #2 are the stadium-type courts, while the other 14 have minimal seating. With a ground ticket, you can view any of the 14 outside courts. There were 64 matches being played today. Men's players included: Federer (#1), Djokovic (#3), Roddick (#5). Women's players included: Venus Williams (#2), Jankovic (#4), Schiavone (#5).

Federer had completed his match while I was in the Queue. He lost the first 2 sets and then came back to win the next 3. He even had a tie-breaker in set #4. I don't think I'm such a good luck charm for Roger Federer. If he would have gotten upset in the first round at Wimbledon, that would have been the most surprising thing out of tennis forever. Federer has one 6 of the last 7 Wimbledon Championships. He's going for a record 7th men's Wimbledon Championship this year.

The grounds were really impressive and I enjoyed spending time here, but, I wanted Centre Court at Wimbledon. I found out that they have a resale booth. You stand in line and then have access to tickets for 5 pounds. The line wasn't even that long. Within 10 minutes, I had a ticket to Centre Court. I made my way there. My ticket was for the second row from the court, just inside the baseline. This ticket may go for $1,000 come Championship Sunday - wow! I couldn't believe it. I was sitting second row at Wimbledon. The resale booth is a great idea. Whenver someone leaves for the day, they chart their ticket location, and offer this to others currently in the grounds. I had just entered the stadium as the Men's #3 seed - Novak Djokovic started his match. He was playing this guy - Ollivier Rochus. Never heard of him. He was this short little guy. He could barely see over the net. Djokovic was this tall, lanky, powerful player. This would be a laugher - wouldn't it??

I watched the first set of this match. Rochus won the first set. Unbelievable. Djokovic kept making too many mistakes. I figured this would take a while - Venus Williams was starting to play on Court #1 - let's see if I can get a 5 pound ticket to watch her play. Again, I strolled up to the resale window, bought a ticket for Court #1 and went into the stadium. This time, my ticket was in the First Row. I was on the stadium floor. I couldn't beleive it. There's Venus Williams - about 15 yards away. She is destroying her opponent. Venus serves as fast as most men. She's hitting the gun near 120mph. For reference, the little guy currently playing Djokovic, he musters it up around 103mph. Djokovic can get up to the upper 120's. Venus's match takes only an hour - she straight-sets her opponent without barely breaking a sweat. She is also a 5-time winner at Wimbledon.

I left the stadium and went to get something to eat. It's now a little after 9pm. The match with Djokovic and the little guy has gone 3 sets so far. The little guy is up 2 sets to 1. This is too good. I grabbed a little pizza and a soda and went back into Centre Court and my second row seat. When I got into the stadium this time, the lights were just coming on and the stadium roof was closing. Awesome. Under the lights at Wimbledon on Centre Court. The fans were really getting into it. A few glasses of champagne and a couple frosty beverages later, people were feeling it. I thought tennis people were supposed to be refined. The crowd was doing 'The Wave'. People were going crazy. I had heard this about the US Open Tennis, but never Wimbledon.

The playes were in on a break. No way this little guy could beat the #3 seeded Djokovic - could he? This baby was going 5 sets - there was just no other way around it. The players came back onto the court and it was Go Time. People were cheering uncontrollably for the little guy. He could barely muster the ball across the net - but he was still winning. It was clear to me (even being a complete tennis novice), that Djokovic needed to stop making mistakes. I learned after the match that Djokovic had 48 unforced errors to the little guy's 20. I just wanted to yell out: "Dude, stop going for the big shot, you don't need to hit lines or drop fancy volleys to beat this guy, keep it conservative and you'll win this thing". I think Djokovic must have been given the same advice by his coaches. He stopped making so many mistakes. Even though the little guy had alot of heart, he just couldn't hang with the more powerful Djokovic. The match did go 5 sets, with Djokovic winning the last set 6-2.

It was an awesome night. The match ended after 11pm. I believe this was the very final match of the night. I took some last photos and then walked the 3/4 mile back to 'The Tube'. A 15 minute train ride to Earl's Court - a 5 minute walk to my hotel - I called it a night. Great day!

Day #98 - London, England (Oxford University)

Oxford Streets

Looking Through Christ Church

Gondola Rides on nearby stream

Tom Tower

Radcliffe Camera

Sunday, June 20th

Today I took the train from West Drayton out to Oxford - the home of Oxford University, one of the most prestigious colleges in the world.

Something about me you may not know is that I have a great interest in colleges and really enjoy touring them whenever I get a chance. I have a list of the Top 20 universities in the US along with all the colleges in the Big 6 Conferences (Big 12, Big 10, Pac 10, ACC, Big East, Sec). This lists includes 88 total schools. I've been to 58 of these to date - I hope to visit the rest at some point. Each one has something unique. I remember calling my sister while viewing Touchdown Jesus at the University of Notre Dame or the time I talked with my mom for an hour while walking around Harvard.

My interest in colleges stems somewhat from my time spent as a career specialist/supervisor while attending the University of Missouri. During the 4 years I spent at the center, I was able to help different students with career decisions - one of which was exploring postgraduate education. I figure that my path may lead me somewhere in this area in the future. I figured I'd be prepared by doing some recon on the national universities.

Oxford University - spectacular. First of all, it's not a campus at all. I asked the lady when I got off the train if she could direct me to the university. Her response: "Young lad, Oxford was here long before the idea of campuses came about. Oxford is made up of 39 different buildings/campuses scattered all around town" My response: "Wow - thanks my lady. Cheers!"

Oxford first emerged as a formal center of learning around 1167. All of the 39 current colleges were founded before the 16th century. The town is incredible. It's easily walkable and very, very unique. I walked over to the area called Christ Church. Founded in 1529, Christ Church is home to about 550 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Tom Tower is a huge tower that serves as one of the entrances into Christ Church and a gateway to the Great Quadrangle. It houses Tom, a seven ton bell. Every night at five-past nine, Tom tolls 101 times. The origianl 101 students of the college had to be within the walls by the last toll.

I then walked over to another site called the Radcliffe Camera. This is a huge dome building that was originally home to the main research library on the campus. It's now a seating area for the present-day central library - which sits nearby.

I then walked along the open field that surrounds Christ Church. You come to this area with a meandering stream. People are taking gondola rides like you were in Venice. Eventually this leads to the river, where many students row during the semesters.

The place is awesome. The whole town feels comfortable. A note to my little nieces and nephews - research the words "Rhodes Scholar". This is the world's oldest and most prestigious international graduate scholarship. People such as Bill Clinton have accepted this scholarship. If you're into sports, you may have heard of the name - Myron Rolle, from Florida State University. He was a starting cornerback on the football team and also has aspirations to be a neuro-surgeon after professional football. He chose to delay his NFL career by attending Oxford last year.

The US sponsors 32 Rhodes Scholars each year - why shouldn't this be you. I'm just putting a bug in your ear. This is something I had never really heard about - but I don't think it would hurt if added on a resume.

I spent about 4 hours in Oxford today. It's over an hour train ride west of London - but worth it for me. Old, historic = prestigious.

Day #97 - London, England

River Thames - at sunset

Kensington Gardens / Hyde Park

Westminster Abbey

London Eye

Big Ben

Saturday, June 19th

London is great city. I spent several more hours today walking around some of the places I'd yet to see. It's massive, expansive. You could walk forever in London. It's a clean city, dignified. The subway system (The Tube) is easy to get around. I find it convenient to stop into the many food cafes for a water or sandwich. I feel the streets are safe. It's a comfortable place to get around.

I found myself walking around Kinsington Gardens leading into Hyde Park. It's amazing the open areas people have to enjoy. This would be an outstanding place to run, as many people proved while I made my way through the park.

I kept going and found myself in Parliament Square. Just like you would imagine. There's Big Ben on one side. Westminster Abbey lines one of the sides of the square. I guess I didn't really know what Westmister Abbey was. It is an English Gothic cathedral. It has been the site of almost every British coronation since 1066. All the remaining buildings are those of Parliament. Very impressive site.

One thing of interest, the inner square was filled with tents housing protestors to the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. There were signs everywhere. I was surprised to see this here in Parliament Square. Although I never experienced the Vietnam years, referencing movies and prints, this display seemed similar to those on the Mall in DC during the height of the Vietnam War.

I continued on to the River Thames. The sun was beginning to set and I got some awesome pictures. On the other side of the river was the London Eye. It's a big carnival wheel that overlooks the banks of the Thames. Many people were gathered in this area taking photos, etc.

I don't really have anything dramatic to report today. It was just a relaxing day. Alot of walking and just taking it in.

Day #96 - London, England

Friday, June 18th

Today was a rest day for me - on the touring front. I needed to get my finances in order, along with getting some upcoming trips/plans confirmed and booked.

I'm about 1/3 of the way into my journey, so I thought I would give a state of the union address. Just a quick outline to see where I am current-date.

Days on Trip ---- 97

Continents ------- 4
(North America, South America, Europe, Asia)

Countries --- ---- 12
(Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Monaco, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Switzerland, Italy, United States, Peru, Canada)

Nights stayed in each country
(France=19, Ireland=18, Spain=14, USA=14, Peru=10, UK=6, Switzerland=5, Turkey=5, Portugal=4, Italy=1, Canada=1)

Number of Different Places Stayed ----- 41 different cities, 48 total locations (some cities stayed in different hotels)
1) France (Paris=7, Annecy=3, Nice=3, Caen=2, LaRochelle=1, Bordeaux=1, Lourdes=1, Biarritz=1)
2) Ireland (Dublin=8, Galway=3, Cork=2, Killarney=2, Limerick=1, Castlebar=1, Ballycroy=1)
3) Spain (Madrid=4, Barcelona=4, San Sebastian=1, Salamanca=1, Leon=1, Santiago de Compostela=1, Seville=1, Granada=1
4) USA (Bloomsdale=8, St. Louis=3, Raleigh=3)
5) Peru (Cusco=5, Machu Picchu=2, Yucay=1, Lima=1, Camping-Uramba=1)
6) UK (London=4, Belfast=2)
7) Switzerland (Interlaken=3, Geneva=2)
8) Turkey (Istanbul=5)
9) Portugal (Lisbon=2, Faro=1, Porto=1)
10) Italy (Torino=1)
11) Canada (Toronto=1)

** I've been to alot more cities - these are just the places I stayed overnight.

Average Pictures Taken Per Day --- 37 (I have about 3,500 posted on my website, I didn't post all of them). I should have between 10,000-15,000 pictures by end of trip.

Average Cost of Hotel Per Day ---- $62.00

Average Daily Expenses (including hotel) ---- Too much right now. If anybody wants this number at the end of the trip, I'll give it to you. I'm just not comfortable posting this for the world to see at the present moment.


I basically spend money in 1 of 3 ways: credit card, ATM card, USBank direct pay. My USBank has been refined now to basically paying my health insurance only. Therefore, I keep spreadsheets of my ATM and credit card statements -- this tells me what I've spent year to date. I do this mostly to make sure everything seems right. My card has been used in so many locations -- it's bound to have identity theft at some point. I'm just trying to keep on top of the game.


Sorry for the detour today. I just needed to get my arms around things - I feel better for it.


Here's to the US beating Algieria in their last World Cup game --I can't even describe how passionate the Brits are for soccer. I watched both the US and England games while working on Friday. I'll be in a bar for next week's games - no question.

Day #95 - London, England

Hyde Park

Queen Victoria Memorial

Buckingham Palace

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

Thursday, June 17th

I slept in this morning after my late arrival into Heathrow last night. I'm staying in a hotel out by the airport in an area called West Drayton. I found out that the train station was 1/2 mile from my hotel. I walked over around lunchtime and took the train into Paddington Station.

One of my favorite things to do on the trip is to head into a major city, without any maps, and just figure it out. That's what I intended to do today. (Full disclosure, I do know some things about London simply from reading books, looking at maps in the past, etc). It was a perfect weather day, low 80's, sunshine.

I got off the train in Paddington Station. I walked a couple blocks and saw signs to Hyde Park. I knew Hyde Park was in the western part of the city. I kept the sun to my back and headed east. I walked the length of Hyde Park on my way into the inner city. Great place. The equivalent of Central Park in New York City. People were out everywhere - getting some sun, feeding the birds, running, bikeriding, and just eating/strolling around. There was an awesome lake where people gathered.

After leaving the park, I saw signs leading me to Buckingham Palace. Very interesting. A huge palace enclosed by the elaborate fencing. The Queen Victoria Memorial out front. Leading from the other side of the Memorial, The Mall stretched out further into the city. The Mall is a long stretch of road with flags lining each side. It leads to the National Gallery.

I continued into the city. I headed to the River Thames which meanders through the city. Once on the waterfront, I continued east. Tons of runners were passing by. It was late afternoon and many were probably just finishing work. I next past the London Bridge. Then, up ahead, I could see the Tower Bridge outside the Tower of London - the historic royal palace.

The Tower of London is an impressive site. I hope to go tour this facility later in the week. I read some of the bulletin boards out front. I guess it was protected by a moat and some lions. My knowledge is limited, I'll get more info later.

By this time, I had walked most of the city and it was after 7pm. I didn't plan to walk all the way pack to Paddington, so I found the subway system and took the train. I got back to West Drayton and called it an early night.

A good initial day in London. Introduced myself to the city. Much more to come.