Thames River Festival and Wendover

Yesterday I went to the Thames River festival. Lauren and I got some sweet henna tattoos on our wrists and we walked around down by the river all day. Went to the Southwark Bridge (pronounced completely differently than its spelled) for dinner which was called "a feast on the bridge." TONS of different types of foods and I of course picked falafel. yummyy. We got to toast to the River Thames with the entire bridge that was eating dinner. 

We then got to watch a beautiful sunset along the water. It was incredible. As we were walking to the nearest tube stop across the bridge, there was a set up for a movie going on. The movie was about being "green" and was actually powered by people riding bicycles. It was pretty neat. The UK is so much more aware of being green than the US is. Rush-hour traffic doesn't exist, everyone takes public transportation. Every festival I've been to has had some "green" aspect to it. Recycling is also widespread. The US has got to catch on sooner or later...let's hope sooner. Especially after reading "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" for class -- we need that Green Revolution in America.

Today we headed to Wendover, which is in England's greenbelt just s 45 minute train ride out of London. Mr and Mrs. Petersen, Bucknell Alumni, had invited our group over for a American style picnic. Their home was incredible!! The lived on multiple acres, and owned probably 7 or 8 horses. We were able to run around, play touch football, eat hamburgers and chicken, pet and feed the horses from the apple tree they had in their yard, and play badminton. It was such an awesome day and we were SO lucky with the weather. It was beautiful and sunny, who knew England did that?!

It's pretty amazing that a place like this exists less than an hour away from the hustling-bustling city of London. When we left Wendover, a bit sad to be leaving, we headed back to the Thames festival for dinner at Pizza Express and FIREWORKS. Probably the best fireworks show I've ever seen. We stood on the Millennium pedestrian Bridge (also known as the wobbly bridge due to its first few weeks of use), and watched the firework show right over the Thames.

Ooooh! Ahhh!