November 3 (Departure date)

The English flag, a.k.a. the Union Jack, combines the
 national flags of England, Ireland, and Scotland.

         Hello readers! (7) Welcome back to Sophia and Emily’s blog on England, a country full of rich culture! Today is November 3, 2017. My friend Emily and I, just arrived in France to go to England after a nine hour flight from Houston, Texas. As we flew to Calais, France to cross the Channel Tunnel to go to England, (we couldn’t wait to cross the tunnel), we flew over the Atlantic, and the many vibrant cities in Spain and Portugal. (1)      

Political map of England.

         The Channel Tunnel was built in May 6, 1994, and is used for both freight and passenger traffic. (5) The construction of this site was so important because it significantly improved the mobility of people between France and England. (5)

         We crossed the tunnel and drove to London, the capital of England and the world's leading financial center for international business and commerce. It is a world city and is one of the command centers for the global economy (12)     

However, before I tell you about our trip, I wish to provide some background information. As the climate of England is very chilly and rainy, (4) we made sure to pack some raincoats, long pants, jackets, and long sleeves (4). Since we are Houstonians, we weren't ready for what seemed like the arctic temperature of England! Before our trip even began, our flight was delayed for four hours due to heavy rain in England. (4)

         During our long flight, Emily came up with the idea to educate ourselves on the cultural taboos of England to make sure that we didn't offend anyone. Some taboos that we found were that negotiating for a price, talking about age or salaries, and cutting people in lines (3) were frowned upon. Since we were tired, we ended our day with some American fast food at the airport, and hopped on a taxi to get to our hotel.