I didn't end up leaving the apartment today until 11:00.  I passed the morning chatting with Crystal.  Nick was planning on meeting a high school friend at Baker Street just after lunch, and he invited us all to explore London with the two of them.  On our way, we stopped at Westminster Cathedral where a huge summer fair was being presented.  We browsed the booths and watched some flamenco dancers and Scottish bagpipers.  It was a fun way to start the day.

After that, we took the tube to Baker Street.  I'm already getting the hang of the subways, which really surprises me (I'm terrible when it comes to directions!).  At the Baker Street stop, the entire tube area was decorated with silhouettes of Sherlock Holmes.   It was an exciting area to visit!  ("Elementary, my dear Watson!")   The four of us wandered through Regents Park (which was very brown; apparently, London is going through an awful drought), passed the Royal Academy of Music and Madame Toussad's, and finally met up with Nick's friend.  As a group, we decided to visit Portabello Road Market.

Portabello Road is very busy and very exciting, but I was feeling a bit queasy and Crystal's feet were hurting.  After passing through the antiques section and completely losing sight of Nick and his friend, the rest of us decided to head back home.  As soon as we reached the apartment, I flopped onto my bed in one exhausted heap and slept for almost three straight hours.  I don't feel too guilty, because the nap was so refreshing!  I really needed it.

Crystal and I made dinner together (leftovers are great!) and watched "Edward Scissorhands" in the kitchen as we ate.   What a completely bizarre show!  After that, our group decided to visit "The Piano Bar."  Crystal's friend recommended it; he said it had dueling pianos and a great atmosphere.  We were sorely disappointed when we arrived, though; the place was tiny and expensive and had only one piano which played along with a recorded drumbeat-and-guitar track.  Too bad!  After that, we took the tube to the area where Crystal stayed last time she visited England, and she showed us her favorite pub.  There, everyone but me shared a bottle of wine.   
By about 11:00, I was ready to hit the sack.  While everyone else headed to an Irish bar/club, I found my way back to the apartment.

All in all, today has been pretty relaxing.  My body definitely needed the rest!  Tomorrow, I plan to attend an LDS Young Single Adult ward here in London.

P.S.  I ordered a Flake McFlurry at McDonald’s (yes—I splurged!) on my way home from pubbing.  It was delicious!  I have no idea what “flake” ice-cream is, but they sell it all over London, and it’s filled with crunchy, chocolate-y goodness.   They have completely different brands of candy over here in England, so when the man at the counter listed the various flavors, I told him to just hand me over the best one. Delicious!  (I just googled “flake ice-cream” and found this:  “A 99 Flake ice cream is a standard ice cream cornet, usually made with soft ice cream, into which a Flake bar is inserted. They are traditionally sold by ice cream vans and parlours and are a typical holiday memory for most British people.”  So there you go!)