Royal Exchange & Bank of England

Yesterday after class, Eugene and I ate at a small cafe near the South Kensington tube stop. Then, we went to the old banking district, pre-Canary Wharf. After some searching, we found the State Street offices in the Royal Exchange so that I would know where to go for my interview. The central area of this building is a large open area lined with high-end jewelers i.e. Cartier, Tiffany's, Bvlgari, Omega, etc. and the center is full of tables around a large circular bar. It is a very "posh" area, and everyone's in their suits appearing to discuss important business matters (or at least we decided it was more fun to make this assumption).

After the Royal Exchange, we took the audio tour at the Bank of England. Much of the bank was preserved in historic condition, although it has been expanded upon and rebuilt multiple times in the past. The most interesting or notable piece of history that I learned at the Bank, is that George Washington held money there that he paid taxes on, thus funding his direct opponent during wartime. An order that he wrote to have dividends released for his wife is on display, among other important figures' letters to the Bank. It was really neat to be in the old banking district because all of the buildings are at least a few hundred years old. I say "at least" because some were rebuilt in their original form and locations after fires.

Afterward, we walked to the Royal Bank of Scotland where Eugene will be working. It will be nice to know someone nearby.