To actually get to downtown London, I had to take several above-ground and underground trains or “Tubes.” I was staying in Walton-on-the-Thames, a small suburb just outside of London that has the characteristic narrow, twisting roads and cookie cutter brick houses. After navigating the labyrinth of palely lit tunnels, I emerged into broad daylight in the midst of inner city London. Surprisingly, the city was boiling, unusual on all accounts for English weather. The first (and most cultured) tourist trap I visited was the world-renowned British Museum. I have already discoursed on the wonders in this building, including the famed Elgin Marbles, ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian art, the Rosetta Stone, and Hoa Hakananai'a. For me, the most exciting artwork was the serious Ancient Roman busts that tickled my fancy like nothing else. The museum was as hot as blacktop in central Georgia, and that did somewhat detract from the museum experience---no matter, the entrance was free. The small streets in front of the Ionic-columned museum were quaint and English, despite the big city feel.

British Museum

       After hopping onto the Tube again (and witnessing many lovely musicians plucking away on their instruments), I found myself blinking dazedly in front of the iconic Buckingham Palace. Of course, the emotionless guards were marching about as if they owned the place, but their bearskin hats were pretty amazing. The day I was here, Kate Middleton was just about to have her first baby. To my right, there was a whole media city filled with white tents, camera crews, and sketchy vans. It was like I was at the Quidditch World Cup. On a more morbid note, I almost died trying to get the picture below this text. There was a street lined with patriotic red and blue British flags all the way down, and I was determined to get the best angle possible (i.e. in the middle of the road). Thank-goodness my peripheral vision kicked in because I managed to scuttle to the edge of the road before the onslaught of cars rushed forward.

"I almost died" photograph

       Because I think anything related to our natural environment is appealing, I decided to discuss the fascinating topic of plate tectonics and how it differs from continental drift (another landmass theory). Both attempt to explain how our landmasses are situated the way they are today and why. They also are enmeshed with the lithosphere, the region of the Earth that contains the crust and the solid upper mantle. To start, the landmasses of our Earth were all bunched together in a supercontinent, Pangaea, millions of years ago. However, how have Africa and South America separated as well as Alaska and Russia? Simply feed your eyes and brain by reading the rest of this article.

Cáceres, Spain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A1ceres,_Spain