WELCOME - 

this little exposée illustrates my first experiences in London after leaving beautiful Swabia and was written with encouragement of and for the people I left behind. 

It dates back to the time when I still saw and explored London with the eyes of an excited tourist. 

Work 

has slowly but securely replaced tourism 

(which does not mean that I am not venturing out anymore whenever I get a chance)

but I still hope you enjoy reading it, 

and more important:

 It inspires you to come and visit London one day 

- it is endless to explore and there is a lot to see, with the excited eyes of a tourist!

A fake Queen-Double for the practice of the Big Day

Living in London, obviating royalty is not always straightforward. 

Especially, if complete roads one usually takes to get from A to B are blocked unexpectedly. 

In order to coincide with fine weather 

- which can be nontrivial in the UK - 

the annual Queen´s Birthday Parade is held around two months after her actual birthday in April. 

This year, it will be held on Saturday, 14th of June, 

but the practice of the actual parade is exerted with equal pageantry and precision 

already one week before. 

Together with my visiting siblings I became witness of this spectacle without previous anticipation:

A lot of horses, Trooping the Colours, all Commonwealth countries represented by their flags, many spectators and the area around the Cavalry, Buckingham Palace and St. James' and Green Park being completely devoted to this event -

all had to be concerted for the appearance of Her Royal Highness: 

 

Final instructions between Guards and policemen, 

endless parades ...

and some adjustment and fiddling

of the famous bearskin
and uniforms

... all, to finally please: 

a Queen-double  - 

as Her Royal Majesty was obviously the only one on this day, 

who did not have to practise!

I do not always know why, 

but nonetheless: 

Being back in London 

I realized, 

the bird´s eye view on this massive city 

is still my favourite. 

Climbing the shard, 

by night 

and 

riding  the London Eye 

 by day and night 

is a good approximation for now - 

until I will finally learn to fly: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VQ_3sBZEm0

Training-Time Reloaded

Trying to train for my return to London just in time for the marathon, 

as well as supporting the Brain Research Trust this year again

http://www.justgiving.com/SarahWiethoff

finding my way through snow-immersed Maryland ...   

... is not always 

... straightforward. 

Nonetheless ...

 I am trying 

to keep the running

up

and I am enjoying weekend trips to discover New York, 

Princeton and the close by Washington, D.C..

Please keep me running: 

http://www.justgiving.com/SarahWiethoff

Bethesda-Skies

Analysing basepairs during the days 

and contemplating Bethesda´s skies from my apartment 

high up during the nights, 

slowly things fall into place and I have time to reconcile

with the last three turbulent weeks:

http://moritzsarahasia.wordpress.com/