Since Leandra’s arrival was delayed I had the afternoon in London by myself.
By chance I was in town the same day as Trump, and protests were planned for several spots around London. Given the news coverage of the Trump balloon I decided to start at Westminster garden to see if it was still in the air. Arriving a little after noon I found quite a few people with signs milling about, several debates going on, and news cameras along the eastern boundary of the park, but not the balloon. And then I noticed some orange on the stage…
I believe this was a smaller version of the balloon, but just as amazing as the original!
After this success I walked along the Thames to Trafalgar square, where I stumbled across the end of a protest march.
Next up was a visit to Hampstead, a neighborhood I’d never explored. From the Tube I walked up the hill to the Pagoda garden. The warmth and lack of rain lead to a less showy display than normal for July, but still rather nice.
Walking up hill in the warm sunshine made me thirsty so I stopped for a lemonade and a gelato in Hampstead before making my way back to the hotel for a well-earned nap. Afterwards I watched the end of the epic Wimbledon semifinal between Anderson and Isner while waiting to finally meet up with Leandra.