Feathered frenzy. Now in Glog form.

Pigeons waiting for someone to feed them in Russell Square.

Londoners may not feel the same, but feeding the birds remains a popular tourist activity at the city's parks. Mary Poppins did sing about it, after all. This poster should introduce you to the basics of a lovely afternoon of bird feeding in the Royal Parks.

References

Birds in the Royal Parks. (n.d.). The Royal Parks. Retrieved August 1, 2011, from http://www.royalparks.org.uk/docs/RPbirdsinfoWEB.PDF

Cinemato [Recorded by J. Lozano]. (2006). Retrieved August 3, 2011, from http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=19556

Feed the birds (tuppence a bag) [Recorded by J. Andrews]. (2006). On Mary Poppins: original soundtrack [MP3].
Hurry music [Recorded by R. Frohlich]. (2007). On Silent movie - Sam Fox. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=31297

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. (2011, June 6). Problems with pigeons. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Retrieved August 01, 2011, from http://www.richmond.gov.uk/problems_with_pigeons

Spanish [Recorded by R. Frohlich]. (2007). On Silent movie - Sam Fox. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=31315

My lesson in kite flying

Ryan was absolutely great when I told him that I wanted to do this study abroad program in London for three weeks. He didn't blink when I told him the cost of the program and airfare. Or when I told him I wanted to put the two classes toward a second master's degree.

My kite.

And then he saw that I needed to purchase a kite for a class outing at Primrose Hill, the site of the famous kite flying scene in Mary Poppins. Ever since, he has told anyone that has asked about our trip that I was going to London to be taught how to fly a kite.

So I am happy to report to Ryan that I believe I passed kite flying on Wednesday. My kite caught a breeze on the first attempt and it stayed up for a good 10 minutes. I even managed to take a couple of good photos at the same time. It was a lot of fun to take part in, even if we were viewed as crazy Americans (especially after the group sing-a-long of "Let's Go Fly a Kite!").

Besides serving as an ideal spot for kite flying, Primrose Hill offers a beautiful view of the London skyline and a perfect spot for lunch after spending the morning in nearby Regent's Park with its beautiful gardens. And now I'm blogging about the experience, so Ryan can see exactly what else I'm learning (which today, incidentally, was how to use the foilage setting on my camera).