Arrival in London

We are now at the end of our first, and longest day, in London.  Many of us pushed through the jet lag and enjoyed this first day.

After leaving Toronto, Canada we had a fairly smooth flight to London Heathrow.  Upon arrival we passed immigration, reclaimed our bags and had our first group meeting.   Students were given time to exchange money, use ATMs and get coffee.  Students were then given their London TravelCards, London Passes, and their Emergency contact cards.  Now it was time to make our way into London and put our TravelCards to use!

In about an hour we were at Safestay to drop our bags and head out to explore and get lunch.  Everyone was impressed with the cool vibe of Safestay and the students already connected to wifi before the code was even passed out.

We made our way to St. Paul's Cathedral area for lunch.  Along the way some students found great "ugly Christmas sweaters" and put their pounds to use.  

Our familiarization walking tour lead us past many iconic London sites and the groups excitement at seeing firsthand so many landmarks was palpable.   Around 4 pm we caught the tube back to Safestay to settle into our rooms, freshen up, and get in a quick nap.

This evening we heading back to Soho for dinner at Bistro 1. Students loved the atmosphere and the extensive menu helped satisfy a wide variety of palates.  We walked this evening from Piccadilly Circus to Covent Garden.  The students are so excited to be here and cannot wait to explore London in more depth this week.  The mood is still of Christmas and it is CHRISTMAS not generic "Holiday" in London.

Around 10:30 pm we made our way back to Safestay and had our group meeting about tomorrows events.  It is safe to say that people have headed to bed for a much needed rest.