London Day 4

Going off of Sara's post, Charlie Foreman was great. He was very interesting to listen to and had a lot to offer about the logistics, planning, and aftermath of the 2012 games. Professor Ryan talked about how he uses London as his example of what to do after the Olympics and the group got a very good understanding of why after speaking with Charlie. Following the end of the games, London used the village where the athletes stayed for civilian housing. Not only that, but the Government paid some of the money, providing an opportunity for the locals that they would not usually receive, which has bettered the economy. 

Another example of what London has done so well after the games is the building of the new West Ham stadium, which is taking the place of the Olympic Stadium. West Ham and Tottenham were the two teams bidding for the new stadium, but West Ham was awarded the rights. Foreman did not talk about this too much, but it reflected how well London has handled its economy following the games, using them as a springboard for change and innovation throughout the city. 

After our time with Charlie, we went to Borough Market for lunch, which was regarded as one of the coolest experiences we had as a group in London. It was really interesting to see how the locals interacted and the atmosphere and food were great. It was essentially a farmer's market. They had everything from sandwiches, cheese, bread, olive oil, fruit, to dessert. Wegmans should seriously consider buying some food from there (just kidding, but not really). After lunch, we walked along the Thames River down to the London Eye. It was beautiful outside so we took a leisurely stroll, capturing photos of the scenery as well as watching some street performers. We decided the line was too long to go on the London Eye so we walked to see Big Ben. After taking photos by Big Ben, some of which will probably be someone's profile picture on Facebook or at the very least a worthy Instagram post, we went back to the hotel for some downtime before dinner. Overall, it was a great day between Charlie, the sightseeing, and the weather.