"We're sing-- er, biking in the rain..."

UPDATE! On 6/30, we were able to add pictures to this post!

Buona Sera Restaurant, with the booths on top of one another (table bottom left, table bottom right, and then table upper middle -- we sat in one like the upper middle, climbed the steps you see in the middle bottom of the picture)

Waitress cleaning an upper table -- I doubt she needs to do much exercise after her shift with all the stairs, climbing, etc.! Talk about killing two birds w/ one stone!

Buckingham Palace!

A bit soggy...

Michael and his bike! Meredith and her bike!

So, needless to say, we got caught in the rain today! However, if I'm going to get caught in the rain, I definitely want it to be while on a bike, in London, dodging Ferraris, Audis, and Masseratis. Yep.

Have (not free, grumble, mutter) internet access for the first time in a Starbucks so here's an update!

After pancakes at My Old Dutch (last blog post), we walked all around Chelsea, rested, and then had dinner at Pizza Express. Not sure how 'Express' an experience it was seeing as we stayed for about two hours eating an antipasto, lots of pizza, gelato, and a bottle of wine. It had a really great outdoor space with lots of seating, so there was a nice buzz about it with lots of people around enjoying the ambiance, as well. Went for a walk afterwards down the street to Henry J. Beam's bar where there was lots of American music playing and 25% off bottles of Rose. Our kind of place! More bubbly and some head bobbing to MC Hammer and Michael Jackson tunes was pretty cool -- walk aterwards down the street, then back to the Oakley.















Yesterday, Monday 6/27, was a great day! We got an early start with breakfast @ the B&B (sausage, bacon/ham, tomatoes, beans, toast, eggs, and tea) then headed to meet our River Thames bike tour.

Met near an underground station with our tour leader Jaime, got our bikes, then headed to the river! Had a WONDERFUL ride despite the very hot weather (hot for amateurs, still the same/maybe cooler than the U.S. southern weather we're used to). Got some really great pictures, and found ourselves dodging cars in traffic, wheeling around other, more experienced London bikers, and seeing some very cool sights!

Lunch break in the middle was at a local pub (fish and chips for Michael, goat cheese salad for Meredith, beer and wine respectively -- yum!!) then we resumed cycling. Continued on the other side of the river, then ended with a boat ride (bikes in tow) back to the starting point.

Headed back to the hotel for a much-needed nap, woke for dinner, changed, and headed to find a restaurant. Right down the street in Chelsea, on King's Road, we found Bonasera, a little Italian restaurant. What made it especially cool was that there were 5 booths on each side of the middle aisle; then, to maximize space, they put booths on top of the other booths, like bunk booths with little steps up for the waitress to bring things. It was cool!! We had a fried cheese appetizer, broccoli soup, veal, four-cheese and spinach ravioli, then pannacotta and puffed pastries for dessert. Are we the fattest people you know? Yes, yes we are. :)

Woke up this a.m. and headed off to our second bike tour through the Royal Parks. Had Max as a guide, and he was awesome! Went all around the palaces and such, heard some great stories and interesting history, then got caught in the rain. It was no problem, though, we just pulled out the poncho and the rain jacket and kept on peddlin'!

Grabbed some Starbucks and internet (now) and probably back to the hotel soon to rest. Tonight, hopefully some great eats somewhere (duh!), and tomorrow museums and such, perhaps a bus tour, and the Jack the Ripper experience in the evening. :) What can we say, we like to eat a lot and a morbid tour sounded cool. C'mon. :)

Until we find internet again...