Sightseeing

On Friday, the crew woke up at around 8, and met our parents at the racecourse around 9 for a day of sightseeing in London. Since we had spent all but one day in Henley, it seemed best to take a break from rowing and watching races. Many of the parents in attendance had already been to London, and they were helpful in guiding us toward the correct mediums of transportation. Once we got to London an hour and a half later, we were instructed by the parents to meet in a designated location in a couple of hours. We split up into smaller groups and explored the city a little. We were able to see Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and other significant looking buildings. We were also able to find lunch in the city. One of the groups had a particularly bad lunch, but we charged on and met by the boating docks along the Thames where we bought tickets for a boat tour that took us to the Tower of London.

Along the way, the crew was able to see the Globe Theater, the London Bridge (which was unimpressive), the Tower Bridge (which we thought was the London Bridge), and other interesting buildings along the river. We were then dropped off at the Tower of London. Once a place of royalty, medieval fighting, and executions, the Tower of London was an interesting place to walk around with the team. Unfortunately, time crept up on us, and we had to return back to the Underground (aka London's Metro) so we could find our way back to Henley. The crew spent the rest of the evening back at the Manor scavenging for dinner and preparing for Saturday.

On Saturday, the crew had its first day of sleeping in. We slept in until 9am! After a day away from rowing, the crew returned to the racecourse for a day of watching races. For lunch, we attending a party that Gonzaga Alumnus Brian Flattery hosted at his house for the Fourth of July. We were able to reunite with other Gonzaga Alumni in attendance, and other American rowers at Henley. The highlight of the party was throwing tea bags into the Thames and listening to a Churchill impersonator recite the Declaration of Independence.

The crew then headed over to the Steward's Enclosure and other spots along the racecourse to enjoy the scene and watch some good racing. Today was semifinals, so a few of the races were especially close as finals implications were on the line. Brunswick School, who beat us on Thursday actually advanced to the semifinals but lost. It is good to know that it took an excellent team to knock us out of Henley, but we are understandably disappointed that we were so close to advancing far into the Henley Royal Regatta.

For dinner, the crew ate with the parents at a local restaurant and celebrated Independence Day. Tomorrow, we expect some good races on finals day at the Henley Royal Regatta.