Christmas in London!

I flew to London on December 22nd to spend Christmas with the Reid family.  It felt good to be in an English-speaking country for Christmas.   I was able to see some friends as well as enjoy some Chili's, Starbuck's, etc.  England is such a great country.  The day after Christmas, on my way to a soccer match, I was able to meet so many great people.  I met two Chelsea fans on the underground who helped guide me to Tottenham and we talked for 30 minutes about soccer.  Then, I talked to a guy who worked in the Underground who reminded me of Bob Marley and helped me to find the right train.  Finally, I met a father with his two sons who were headed to the game as Tottenham fans.  He helped me out and invited me to follow them on to the right bus, where to get off, and how to find the ticket office at the stadium.  So, I picked up my ticket easily, bought a scarf, and found my great seat on the 8th row of the home side.  Of course, I immediately took out my camera and started taking photos as you will see below.  The guy behind me starting asking questions about my camera as he was so enthralled with it.  

One thing I have heard about English football matches is that people will not talk to you.  But, I was able to have some small talk with the guys on my left and the guy behind me who I exchanged jokes with during the match.  

The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day in the United Kingdom.  This is also the day when every soccer team plays.  I went to a London derby match between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham Football Club (both from London = Derby).  This was my third English Premiership match in my life but might have been the worst one as it was a 0-0 tie.  But, I did get to see American soccer star Clint Dempsey (#23 in red & black) play well.  Enjoy the pictures.

This is room I slept in while the family was in the States.  It was the only one available but the bunk bed was quite comfy.