Everyone Is So Well Dressed Here!

We have a full day of sightseeing under our belts, and it feels great, except for my tired feet/legs. We started with a free breakfast in the hotel, do to our unmet expectations concern our room (we had a queen and cot instead of two twins). Following some nice eggs and toast we hit the Tube for Westminster Abbey. It was unbelievable. I felt like I was a monk or a character from Angles and Demons. It was so historical, beautiful, and monumental. There are countless kings and queens buried there not to mention the poets and literary figures. The architecture is very Gothic and it feels like you have stepped back in time to the days of Henry the whatever or William the Conqueror. We did the free audio tour which was narrated by Jeremy Irons, it was fantastic. Following our jaunt there we hopped over to Big Ben and the House of Parliament, and even passed through security to observe a debate in the House of Commons. Democracy for over 700 years, thats impressive!! We then walked up Whitehall passed the Horse Cavalry dudes and had some sandwiches (picnic-ed) in Trafalgar Square under the auspices of Lord Nelson. We then went into the National Gallery and eyed some famous canvasses painted by everyone from da Vinci to Cezanne, it was quite overwhelming but we zipped past some highlights before moving on. We took the tube up to Covent Gardens, because I thought that was near Saint Paul's Cathedral, but it was just Saint Paul's Chapel (a slight navigation error). So we enjoyed a cold Kronnenberg pint and a pistachio macaroon before getting back on the tube towards The Tower of London. Turns out we missed the last Beefeaters tour (fuck!) so we are headed back there on Sunday. We then ventured onto the Bus and went over to look at the Globe Theatre (missed the last tour there, fuck again!). So, for plan C we sat on the Thames and enjoyed an ice cream (popsicle for me) and then took a quick gander in the Tate Modern; now we can check that off the list. We plan to go back to the Globe for a tour on Sunday though. We then took the tube back, and are resting a bit now before dinner at an ethnic restaurant- I am kind of pubbed out, although, John is now addicted to Stronbow (thanks to me!). Well that's all for now, we are headed to Oxford and Blenheim Palace tomorrow by bus for the day!

Pubs and Funny Sounding English

Here in London with JJL. We are doing well, albeit a bit jet lagged. About to hit the hay for a fresh start tomorrow. Already ate a pubs for lunch and dinner, it seems that's all there is around our hotel, that and designer stores. We are definitely venturing farther out for ethnic cuisine tomorrow. My stomach is not built for this cuisine. Nevertheless, the sites are amazing. We took a double decker bus tour with a wonderfully witty guide who introduced us and all the other tourists on the English bus to the major locales of London Town. We plan to see Tower of London. Westminster Abbey and other nearby sites tomorrow, and contingent rain plans include British Museum/Vic and Albert Museum and Tate Modern. Hope everyone is doing well, will post a more detailed account tomorrow!

Off to Europe

Greetings faithful readers...not sure if there is anyone left...but for those of you who do care about WBL's whereabouts, I am composing this blog post to inform the audience that my brother and I are embarking on a european journey. In a few short hours we will be crossing the "pond" as they say and landing in London. We plan to spend four nights in London. After that we have no reservations, merely I suggested mental itinerary which we have composed. Our final stop, with reservations waiting for us is Budapest. Stops include but will not be limited to Brussels, Bruges, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Prague. I hope to post a few snippets including words and maybe a few images from our route. Please check back periodically for updates. If you know anyone or have a recommendations of places we should check out in these areas, don't hesitate to write a comment.
Fondly,
Blaine

The Doctor-Patient Relationship

DOCTOR AND PATIENT
How Connected Are You to Your Doctor?
By PAULINE W. CHEN, M.D.
Published: March 26, 2009
Patients with the strongest relationships to specific primary care physicians are more likely to receive recommended tests and preventive care, a new study found.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/26chen.html

Electronic Medical Records

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/business/26health.html

Pardon Me

Lazy Sunday

After a day of gut-wrenching basketball, and a fruitless coffee pot carafe odyssey I have holed my self up in the cozy confines of 811 for a nice little Sunday. I woke up to find myself devoid of any coffee brewing mechanism, but as soon as the caffeine free sad haze cleared from my cortex, the wheels began to turn in old Duder's head.
I quickly mixed up some banana bread and set it in the oven to bake and brewed a pot of Mate. I nearly forgot about the delicious stimulant I had received upon my cousin's return from Argentina. It's strong odor and efficient stimulatory properties rapidly transported me back to walking through the colorful calles of BA and through the tombs of Recoleta, and the travel bug flared up in my system.
That brought me to take a gander at the various travel blogs linked to the NY Times website. Oh how I yearn for my next global journey, and luckily it's in the not too distant future....to Europe with John in late June. We are researching our Eurrail pass and plan to start in London before tackling a few of the cultural meccas of the mainland- Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, and Budapest. It should be great, we have no firm reservations save for our initial plans in London, and a return flight some three weeks later.
Well, then I think I am going to spend a few more minutes reading the blogs and looking at travel photo essays before I swoop over to take the banana bread out of the oven and pour myself another cup of mate. I think by that time my pulse should be sufficiently elevated to enjoy day 3 of march madness! Yeah, I am winning my bracket...it's great!