How is it that countries other than Canada manage to provide world-class museums with no admission fees? Last year in Washington we did the Smithsonian museums for nothing; today in London we toured the Natural History Museum and the British Museum for no charge. Canada could take lessons from these places.

Here's another lesson: do NOT try to cover both of those museums in one day. Especially when the subway line running to your hotel is broken. And you have scary sized blisters between your toes (yes, BETWEEN my toes…seriously, how does that happen?)

We did get to see some cool stuff, though. The Natural History Museum had entire galleries devoted to mammals (including a life sized model of a blue whale), dinosaurs (including a life sized animatronic T Rex), volcanoes and earthquakes. At the British Museum we restricted ourselves to the ancient Egypt exhibit, but that still took an hour, and we just sort of skimmed through it. And it was all free. Imagine.

The best part of the day is yet to come: we're meeting up with a college friend of mine that I haven't seen in 15 years (Kim, I know you're reading this…see you at 6!) I'm crazy excited about getting to catch up with her.

Tomorrow it's back to Heathrow (ugh) and on to Munich, where we join our bus tour. Adventure awaits…