Last weekend Mark and I found ourselves in London, England. We were there to teach four classes at the Lee Valley White Water Centre, but had gone a day early to explore the busy city.

We began the day by taking a water taxi to The Tower of London. After that we visited Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Mark chats with a Beefeater at The Tower of London.

A Royal Guard outside the Crown Jewels.

A rather famous raven protects the Tower of London.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

The Houses of Parliament.

We spent the rest of the day exploring London by foot. We had lots of fun playing in the shopping district of Covent Garden, trying food and beverages at pubs and generally being tourists.

Mark checks out a traditional phone booth. Many of these no longer have phones in them.

Gin tasting at The City of London Distillery.

An evening view of St. Paul’s Cathedral from across the Millennium Bridge.

After a full day of exploring we met up with Mattias and Yolanda, our fantastic hosts for the weekend. It was wonderful to spend time with them and their 21 month old son.

The following day we made our way to The Lee Valley White Water Centre, which was built for the Olympics. It was a fantastic venue and a real treat to watch kayakers and rafts make their way through the two slalom courses.

Learning a Balance Brace.

Mark explains the importance of a good set-up position.

The Butterfly Roll.

The Shotgun Roll.

The Storm Roll.

A busy day on the Olympic course.

A kayaker enjoys the day.

Special thanks to Mattias Altin for organizing the weekend.

Photos by Helen, Mark and Mattias Altin.