London

This is my first blog ever -- I'm sorry if it is boring!
( I am also sorry for typing mistakes; the French keyboard is completely different)

London was a blur of two and a half days. We landed around 11 a.m.- 18 hours after we left Cincinnati. That afternoon, we visited Euromonitor, a marketing research firm. Following the visit, we asked at the hotel for an "authentic british restaurant." The place they sent us to was anything but. It was a combination of Applebees and the Hard Rock Cafe. I didn't do much else that night except sleep soundly.The next morning started with tea and coffee at Marketform - a syndicate of Lloyd's. Following the presentation,we visited the Lloyd's floor. I was  amazed how the activity of Wall Street was matched in the insurance industry at Lloyd's. After this visit, we went to Unilever where we had lunch, listend to a presentation by CEO Paul Polman, and took a tour of the building. Paul offered some great insights and advice about corporate responsibility to the environment and society. The building was very interesting architecturally and very distinct. We had the opportunity to go to the roof where we saw a beautiful view of the city - better even than fro, the Eye of London.

When we were done for the day, I went walking with a couple friends before grabbing dinner. We saw the outside of Big Ben/ House of Parliment and Westminster Abbey then walked across the Thames River where we could see London all lit up after dark. We eventually wandered into a cozy pub to enjoy the traditional fish and chips. Yesterday was a free day. We started the day visiting the Tower of London. The landmark is home to so many historical events; I was in awe of how many familiar stories and figures are present in the Tower's history. We spent hours there and still didn't see everything. I am facinated by many parts of England's history and it was incredible to see where the pivital events actually took place. After we walked through St. James Park and past Buckingham Palace, we went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. Again, the volu,e of history housed there was overwhel,ing. The choir's ,usic and style echoed the sound of centuries prior; it almost took you through time. These buildings aren't simply old; they are astounding and affect you in ways that are very difficult to describe.

We traveled all day today from London to Paris to Nantes, where I am now with my host family. There is a small language barrier, but everyone is extremely kind (and they cook well too!). I am looking forward to spending two weeks here and experiencing the french culture so closely.

Au revior!