June 22--Bye bye, Galway... Hello, London

So I know that this blog is entitled "Adventures in Ireland" and the URL contains "Nicole in Galway," but please postpone all false advertising lawsuits because I'm in London now! I left Galway around noon after saying goodbye to our wonderful host parents. Reflecting back on the experience and hearing from people who stayed in the student housing, I've realized how invaluable the homestay experience was. It gave me a chance to experience Galway from an insider's point of view and made it easier to branch out from the "American mob." So I'm very grateful for the McCallihans for opening their home to us and making us feel so welcome. It was definitely sad to get on the bus and leave town; it kind of reminded me of the first semester of college. I haven't turned Irish overnight, but I definitely felt at home in Galway.
Anyway, I took a bus from Galway to the Shannon Airport, where I hopped on a plane to London. We were delayed a bit because of heavy thunderstorms in the London area--ironic, since the entire trip out of Ireland was sunny and beautiful. But sure enough, we eventually took off. I had a row to myself, so I snagged the window seat. Flying over Ireland is really beautiful; I missed most of it when I came over almost six weeks ago because of cloud cover and being asleep. But flying over it this time, it really is seven shades of green. I waved goodbye when we left the coastline behind, but a few short minutes later, I was saying hello to what I think was probably Wales. Either way, hello UK! Irish countryside and English countryside looks very similar, but the real excitement came when we started getting into London. I picked out the London Eye, Parliament, Big Ben, and a couple other sites as we flew over the city center. I managed to get off the plane, collect my baggage, and navigate through Heathrow without too much incident. I was happy to find a cab though--my baggage has gotten a lot heavier than when I left. My suitcase came out to about 22kg and got a nice red HEAVY tag on it--I'm glad they don't weigh people; I might begin to regret all those donuts. It was about an hour cab ride from Heathrow to my hotel, and I got a great cab driver who pointed out sites of interest as we drove. An interesting difference between Ireland and England--the English really seem to love Oliver Cromwell. I must have passed at least five hotels/restaurants with Cromwell somewhere in the name. Whereas in Ireland, Cromwell is almost seen as Ireland's Hitler. In fact, when peace talks regarding Northern Ireland were being held in London, Irish representatives refused to meet with the English because the room had a portrait of Oliver Cromwell on the wall. History is alive, people.
I ended up getting to my hotel pretty late, so I didn't do much exploring beyond finding food at a cafe near my hotel. The real UK adventure begins tomorrow, when my dear mother gets in. I hope they're ready for us.