You Sound Like You're From London!!

I’m back from my trip to London. I had a great time over there, but it’s good to be back in my own bed. This was my first trip to England’s capitol and I can see why so many people love it over there.

To me, if you’re American, it kind of has the feeling of “Europe for Beginners.” Aside from the lack of a language barrier, it has many aspects that reminded me of NYC. Great night life, cool little shops all over the place, and an incredible public transportation system. Actually, the Underground is definitely better than the NYC subway. The lines are easier to understand, the “Osyter Card” (equivalent to the Metrocard) is very convenient to use, and I didn’t see one rat on the tracks while I was there the whole week...haha!! Don’t get me wrong, I love NYC. It’s my favorite city in the world, and it’s the one I compare all others too. I’m just saying that London does the subway a little bit better.

I did the tourist thing one day, and I tried to hit up as many of the sites as I could. Buckingham Palace, The London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Parliament, The National Gallery Museum, etc. I saw it all on my five hour walk around London. My legs were devastated afterward, but it was worth it. Another cool thing about the city is that many of the museums are free! That was a pleasant surprise considering the $300 I exchanged at the airport worked out to be around 8 pounds (slight exaggeration, but you get the idea...you gotta love the strength of the dollar).

While I was in London I had the opportunity to meet up with some photographer friends of mine, Jonathan Anderson and Edwin Low, who are based out of London. They have worked with a ton of top athletes all over the world and have some amazing books out (check out “Athlete Warrior” if you get a chance). They gave me a tour of their studio and we discussed working together on something in the near future.

They also took me to this private club they belong to called “The Royal Automobile Club.” It’s the kind of place that I will never have enough money to become a member myself, so I soaked in the experience while I had the chance. Probably the highlight of the club is the pool. It has the feel of an ancient Roman bath with mosaic tile columns and intricate ceiling work. I got to do a few laps in the pool and I spent some time in the Russian Bath, which was a great way to relax after having walked the city the previous day.

I also have to mention the soccer game that my college roommate Brad (he’s studying at London Business School right now) and I went to early in the week. It was England vs. Belarus at Wembley Stadium for World Cup Qualification. For those who don’t know, Wembley Stadium is one of the great arenas in the world, and to be able to see the English National Team play was something I will never forget (Side Note: I am and will always be a diehard fan of the Italian Team, but this was still a cool experience...FORZA AZZURRI!).

Believe it or not, I did go to the competitions too while I was in London. I kept a daily blog of some highlights for Inside Gymnastics. If you want to see what I thought of the meets go to www.insidegymnastics.com. I also put up some pics of London on my facebook page.

I also wanted to send my condolences to the family of Yuri Ryazanov and to the Russian Gymnastics Federation. Yuri was killed earlier today in a tragic car accident. He had just won the All-Around bronze medal at World Championships over the weekend. The gymnastics community has lost a great athlete and champion.