Is it really my last day??

This morning began VERY early for me. I forgot to lower the shade before climbing into bed last night, and woke promptly at FIVE this morning to a beautiful sunrise.

It was absolutely gorgeous, and at least now I can say I have seen the sun rise in England. After snapping a few photos, I lowered the shades and hopped back in bed for a few more hours of sleep.

Once I finally got out of the bed and showered, I talked with Milly while eating cereal. It’s funny how much this place still feels like home. A bit later, we were all up and ready to head to the town center. There I shopped with Megan and Harriet, who were very helpful in assisting my every need! I bought two pairs of tights and two blazers from the super-cheap Primark. Finally – some clothes! An hour or so later, we met back up with Debbie and Milly and drove to the suspension bridge for a little walk.

Designed in the nineteenth century by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the bridge is very high and makes for a great scene with Bristol in the background.

The bridge spans 600 feet over a large gorge including an estuary; the estuary is very tidal and was at low tide during our walk and these pictures.

my family from behind. left to right: Megan, Debbie, Harriet, Milly!

Next we went back home for a great lunch and a game of Scrabble. Although we were all far from professionals, I think we did quite well in almost using up every letter with real words! Yay for me and the Dooley girls! Unfortunately though, I had to leave soon after our game was over. Although my visit with them was very short, I am so glad to have been able to see them. The girls have grown SO much, and they are all adorable. Plus, I got some great ideas for my new apartment! :)

Megan, Harriet, Martha, me and Milly!

Martha, Harriet, Debbie, Milly, me!

The bus ride from Bristol to London took a little over two hours; at Victoria station, I hopped on a thirty-minute train to Gatwick. Now I am safe and relaxed in a hotel that is linked to the airport. I believe I have packed for the last time and will be ready to fly out early, early in the morning.

I cannot believe that six weeks can pass by so quickly. This trip has definitely been the trip of a lifetime. I have learned a lot about traveling, other cultures, and myself. I have spent time with Italians, an Argentinian, a Brazilian, Australians, and a Frenchman, plus day-to-day interactions with others randomly. Marco and Thibaut, my Italian and French friends, respectively, helped me get a better perspective on differences between our countries, little things that may not seem like much.  I do not have words to express how great this experience has been. And I will not lie: I could stay here much longer. Deep down inside I am a true traveler; I will not tire of traveling anytime in the foreseeable future. Especially when I realize how short my vacations will be over the next years! :)

Thank you to everyone who I have met along the way. I enjoyed every minute of spending time with each of you! I am excited to be moving to DC, and even more excited about the thought of showing my new city to visitors!

I'm at home! but in Bristol...

After packing and storing my luggage, I was able to catch mass at Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales (ref: Wikipedia). The church was beautiful and quite unique, which is really something considering the number of churches I have toured over the last weeks. As you can see below, the baldacchino (which is the free standing arch above/behind the altar) is very striking, especially in front of the dark walls and ceilings, which almost give the church a gothic-like feel. Above the baldacchino, the mosaic on the far wall immediately calls attention to one entering the church.

I tried to capture the third eye-catching detail, but I'm afraid I am lacking in the photography area. The large crucifix, portraying Jesus in front of a striking red background, dominates the whole of the Cathedral. It is beautiful.

This was my first English mass to attend in quite some time, and it felt great. Besides talking with and seeing my friends and family during this trip, I think hearing the mass in English was the only thing that I have missed from America thus far. And, look, I can find that in England! Now all I have to do is get my friends, family, and job over here, and I'll be set!

the front of the Westminster Cathedral.

Careful not to waste precious time in the city, I did not linger long after mass, but quickly hopped a bus to Waterstone's bookstore near Piccadilly. I have already finished the two books I bought in Paris. With the help of a saleslady, I found three books that caught my attention. (I could not turn down the 3 for 2 deal; I am obsessed with books, I know.) I bought One Day by British author David Nicholls, Life of Pi by Yann Martel and The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. I am ready for Tuesday's ten hour flight!

With three new books in hand, I picked up my bag and headed for the coach station. While my ticket read the bus was to leave at 15:00, the bus was lined up and ready to leave at 14:30 - glad I got there early. The bus ride was not bad at all (probably because of my books!). I arrived in Bristol, and memories came flooding back. I only lived in this city for about a month four years ago, and my memory is generally pretty terrible. Still, I remember the bus station near the hospital: we were once late for the bus and got lost, so we hailed a cab and the cabbie drove us around the block to the station. I passed a restaurant and remembered having mussels and a beer sampler there, for lunch, I think, with Paul and Greg and Kate. I got a bit lost and wandered thru areas I had no recollection of. Did my group not thoroughly explore the city, have things changed, or have I simply forgotten? I have changed and grown up so much since then - four years is quite a long time at nineteen.

around the harbor.

I rang the Dooleys, found them to be home, and jumped in a cab. Yay! The girls have each grown SO much, Debbie and Joe look the same, and the house is beautiful. They have done quite a bit of remodeling and redecorating in the last few years, and now I love the house even more. I have decided to take some pictures tomorrow, in order to remember exactly how I want my future apartment to look. We all shared a fantastic Sunday dinner - steak, chips (fries), salad, tomatoes, bread - yum. The girls and I compared music for awhile, then sat down for a nice movie night. And, although I was only here for about four weeks, this place still feels like home. I am getting so sad just thinking about leaving them tomorrow; I feel as if I will be homesick for them once I return to Mississippi.

Tomorrow Harriet, Megan and I are going to go into town, possibly for some shopping. I believe Martha has some revisions to do on her work; she has the remainder of her finals next week. After that I will head back to London and prepare for my journey home. 

Friends and family, start preparing yourself now: you will act as my distraction from thinking of Europe 24/7 once I arrive back home! :)

Do May showers still bring flowers?

This morning I allowed myself to sleep late, and it was perfect timing as the weather was dreary all day. It was a typical British day: cold with rain (sometimes that thin mist in which umbrellas cannot help) and wind. The only odd thing is that it is the end of May! Where is summer? I am dreading feeling the wet Mississippi heat in three days... After finally leaving the hotel, I went to a "laundrette", not a laundry-mat, for some clothes washing. I was very careful not to bring anything of value and watch my bag as closely as possible - I believe my camera was stolen in Florence while I was washing clothes - and it seems that everything made it back to the hotel with me.

With the weather so nasty, I just wanted to find a nice warm pub and have a meal that would warm me up, and, goodness, did I find one! Somewhere between Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden, I found (with the help of Rick Steves' London) a perfect spot. Cozy in a back corner, I order the steak and mushroom pie and a half pint of ale. Look how much food I accidentally ordered!

Regardless of the amount, this meal was delicious. It is hard to see in this picture, but the juicy part of the plate is a sort of puff pastry stuffed with steak, mushrooms and ale - just like a personal pot pie. One of the best parts is that the pie holds heat very well: while it took me a long time to eat this plate (NO I didn't eat it all!), the steak and pie was hot the entire time. Between it and the ale, I was completely warm and ready to venture back outside.

Tomorrow I am going to visit my family in Bristol. [Not sure if I have explained or not, but I studied in Bristol during the summer of 2006. I was hosted by a family with four girls: Martha, Megan, Harriet, and Milly. If my memory is correct, their ages then ranged from eleven to four, so that would be fifteen to eight now.] I want to bring the bring the girls something special, so after lunch today I went in search for one of the best candy shops in London. At Mrs. Kibble's Olde Sweet Shoppe I bought a variety of candies for them to share. Hopefully, they will enjoy them as a treat.

With that objective taken care of, I decided to check out Covent Garden Market. While still a market like those I visited yesterday, Covent Garden Market differed in many aspects. It reminded me a bit of the Galleria in Milan with its high glass ceilings. The market had a number of halls in which permanent stores are situated, and further back into the complex, a daily market sets up for temporary vendors. Parts of the week offer different wares: Saturdays are for arts and crafts. My favorite part, though, was the entertainment. Street performers were set up at the end of some of the halls and around the entrances. I listened to a guitarist play and sing Bob Dylan, a man balance a ladder on his head while dancing, and a comic show. Who knew all of London's performers reside in Covent Garden?

main entrance.

down one of the halls.

Once I had my fill of performers and crafts, I traveled to Bond Street to try shopping one more time while in Europe. There I walked up and down Oxford Street, which felt like the Times Square of New York without the flashing lights and converging streets. People were everywhere! Unfortunately, I was still too cheap to buy a thing. Well, I guess unfortunately for my wardrobe, but fortunately for my back account. Hah. Nonetheless, I trudged up and down the street, visiting shops like Mango and Zara, of course, but also Primark and Selfridges. The clothes are adorable but I am still not convinced - especially with the pound to dollar conversion. Oh, well. At least I know what is fashionable once I get back home to the dollar.

Though it doesn't sound like I accomplished much today, I was exhausted. I came back to a restaurant near the hotel and had a quick bite to eat. I've just finished packing for my trip tomorrow. I cannot believe I only have three days left!!!! The past forty-five days have gone by way too quickly. While I am excited to see my family and friends, I cannot honestly say that I am ready to come home. But I am getting ahead of myself. Bristol and the Dooleys, here I come!

London Markets Aplenty

Mom flew over the Atlantic today, and I have already had a day that she would have enjoyed. I will avoid repeating myself over and over by saying now that I wish she could have been here and experienced the day with me. She would have loved every encounter made from the moment her taxi pulled away this morning until I got back to the hotel late tonight. It is too bad that she left so soon.

After seeing Mom off to the airport this morning, I went in search for interesting markets, and I found two! First I jumped off of the Tube at London Bridge for the Borough Market. Divided by type of product, this market has a plethora of items to sell - from fresh cut flowers to apple cider, from authentic baklava to British cheese, from fresh mussels and fish to organic granola - most of which were fresh and all sorts of meals.

entrance to the market - fresh flowers.

fruit and vegetable stand.

huge sauté pans filled with different curries.

the closest one contains mussels and other seafood.

My lunch consisted of a half pint of cider and a fresh loaf of multigrain bread; I munched amid the stalls people watching and reading. It was glorious. After enjoying the sites, smells, and tastes (some give samples) of this wonderful market, I made the trek up to the Camden Lock. Here I found the supposed fourth highest tourist attraction in the city. While I'm not too sure how this statistic was conjured, I can see why many are interested. Also, my guide book said the area was becoming "too punk" for some of its readers... The area definitely increased in punk-ness within the few hours I was there, i.e. the number of people with piercings, tattoos, and unnaturally colored hair in unnatural configurations increased (maybe) exponentially. Nonetheless, this was another great spot!

railway bridge.

the lock and dam.

this is one of the MANY alleyways that comprise the market (hard to see)

This market also had many meal-food vendors, but the best part to me was the number of vintage-y shops. The vendors in this area sell dresses, t-shirts, shoes, purses, arts and crafts, handmade jewelry, etc. - similar to what you would find at one of our Mississippi street fairs. I definitely lost track of time while in this area, and seemed to walk in circles for a while. There is so many stalls, each vendor has tons of stuff, and many vendors have the exact same inventory. I know for a fact that I did not see every stall, so I am sure that I missed lots and lots of the wares. Either way, I had a great time and found some unique items.

I left Camden in time to jump the Tube to Westminster for the 5:00 evensong service. Unlike the other day at St. Paul's Cathedral, this service was much more intimate, and I understood the tradition and readings. The Anglican church is very similar to Catholicism, but very different at the same time. The Westminster Abbey is closed to site-seers at this time, so I was lucky to see the interior of this church by attending this service. It was beautiful - the church and the choir - and definitely allowed me a chance to calm down after all of the running around amid throngs of people today.

Since seeing Macbeth and Avenue Q earlier this week, I have been in the theater mood. I decided to continue this by checking out Billy Elliot. I realized that it was quite ironic for us to see Avenue Q, which is set in New York, here in London, and to counteract this, I found it proper to see Billy Elliot, which takes place in County Durham, UK. I showed up at the box office literally ten minutes before showtime and got a ticket! Sure it wasn't a great seat (second row), but I was so close to the stage that I could feel the acting. The twelve year old main character was brilliant. His (and the complete casts') singing and dancing were inspiring. And, yes, some tears rolled down my cheeks. Just a great show!

I am not sure what tomorrow holds; now that I am alone again there is no telling how many miles I will walk!

Mom's last day.

Today, we tried to pack in as much as possible. First stop, Buckingham Palace. We arrived in time to get a great spot on the Victoria Memorial.

Victoria Memorial up close.

From here, we watched the new guards march in from down the Mall, while the tired guards prepared to leave.

the new guards processing in.

Buckingham Palace.

After spending the dreary morning outside watching this old tradition, we headed to a nearby pub for a classic British lunch. I had a steak and ale pie with mashed potatoes and carrots; Mom had chicken wrapped in bacon with a creamy delicious white sauce and cauliflower. And of course, we both had a half-pint of ale. This warmed us up quite well.

Feeling revitalized, we toured the National Gallery and saw work by Jan van Eyck, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Monet, Seurat and Van Gogh. We took a guided tour that was very informative. While she only focused on four pieces, it was great to learn about the art work from an art historian/teacher's point of view. While obviously not nearly as large as the Louvre, this is another museum where one could spend hours. Plus, it was nice to stay warm inside.

By the time we left the National Gallery, the sun had peeked around the clouds! We spent the rest of the afternoon walking up and down Regent Street between Piccadilly and Oxford Circuses, stopping now and then for a snack, such as soft serve ice cream. :)

We arrived back at the hotel earlier than normal to get Mom packed and try to figure out my next few days. While I don't have a plan yet for tomorrow or Saturday, I am heading to Bristol on Sunday to visit my host family from summer 2006. I am very excited to see my girls! Any ideas for the next couple of days in London?

"What is done, is done."

Mom and I attended Shakespeare's Globe for a matinee showing of Macbeth. Redesigned and built in the nineties, the new Globe was built as Shakespeare wanted it: an open air, round building with good acoustics.

the exterior of the Globe.

No microphones or audio system was used; instruments such as a flute and bagpipes played music and sound effects. A large group of "groundlings" stood at the base of the stage to watch the performance, and others, such as Mom and me, watched from benches on balconies surrounding the stage.

inside the Globe.

Typically, the area surrounding the stage is open for standing room; however, for the Macbeth production, the director decided to engage the audience a bit more. A black canvas was spread from the stage out with slits cut in for people's heads. In this way, the people standing in the crowd were a bit like the heads floating around hell in Dante's Divine Comedy. Throughout the play, a few of the  characters would pop out of the canvas to speak their lines, etc.

For us higher class people on the balcony, the "groundlings" were quite entertaining before the show, including this man shown below, who took a few minutes trying to work out how to fit his book and head in the same hole.

Although very bloody, the cast brought Shakespeare's work to life. It was very believable and compared well to what we think modern entertainment should be - granted without the special effects and elaborate stage changes. There were many, many differences between this show and the one we saw last night, but we enjoyed both very much.

Three hours after the show began, we stretched our stiff legs by walking to St. Paul's for the choral evensong. The beautiful choir enchanted us by singing hymns and psalms, while we viewed the interior of the church for free. Sorry I didn't get any photos; I didn't want to be disrespectful of the service. It is a beautiful church with huge mosaic ceilings and stained glass behind the altar.

front of St. Paul's Cathedral - fourth largest church in Europe.

From the evensong devotion, we headed for our afternoon tea and coffee - this is becoming a habit - and later headed toward Harrod's, London's huge department store. We browsed for awhile, but must be too tight on our money, as nothing caught our eyes. From there, we took the Tube to Piccadilly Circus and walked up Regent Street to Oxford Circus. This is also a major shopping district, but the shops were closed. We began wandering through east of Regent Street into Soho. Here we found many small streets lined with pubs and restaurants. The patrons, ranging from ages 20 to 65, gathered around the doors of the bars with beers in hand. I am sure most of the Londoners are happy to finally be outside now that the temperatures have been in the fifties and sixties.

We stopped at a Rick Steve's recommended restaurant that served French cuisine. The restaurant was on a tiny side street...

see the people outside of the pubs?

I had a small plate consisting of a poached egg, Italian ham, and avocado on toasted sourdough bread, while Mom had pasta stuffed with goat cheese, dressed with olive oil and asparagus and green peas. For desert we split an orange and almond cake with a delicious cream. Yum. (You know I had to take a photo of it.)

Tomorrow is Mom's last day! She is flying back home on Friday, so we are going to make the most of it! We hope to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, tour the National Gallery, and visit Westminster Abby. It will be a busy day!

oh, English Accents.

Today turned out to be much better than yesterday. Whew. And I bet that is most likely because Mom and I slept to our hearts' content this morning. We got up in time for lunch and then rode a boat cruise down the Thames. It was beautiful weather for cruising, and our tour guide was very entertaining - can't beat that.

view of Tower from the river.

We cruised to the Tower of London, site of many tortures and executions. Let's just say that viewing the outside was enough for us.

closer view of the Tower.

On our way to the next stop, the Tate Modern, we crossed Tower Bridge and found a great view of St. Paul's cathedral.

St. Paul's from a walking bridge.

But something else notable got caught in front of my lens.

How funny. Throughout today and yesterday I have noticed many men with their shirts off - it was unusually hot yesterday - but this is a little much.

On to Tate Modern. The museum/gallery holds works of international modern and contemporary art from 1900, including post-war work by Claude Monet, a few pieces by Pablo Picasso, and a room devoted to Andy Warhol. All of this was interesting, but I am hoping to see some impressionist work before leaving London.

Tower Bridge.

After walking around the Tate, we went in search of a spot to have afternoon tea! We have to act at least a little British while being here. On our way back across the Tower Bridge, we got tickled thinking about the shirtless man from earlier- not uncommon for the two of us. Here is a pic to demonstrate.

we laugh.

We finally had tea and scones (basically biscuits) with clotted cream (butter) and jam. It was a nice refresher for the middle of the afternoon.


From there we went to Leicester Square to check out the cheap tickets booth for available shows. We lucked out and got tickets to see Avenue Q. Next, we decided to rest in Leicester park for a bit. And I got shat on. By a pigeon. Hahahahah. It only got me on my pants leg, thank goodness. And thus began more laughing.

Once recovered from this little episode, we noticed a big group standing around the northern part of the square. A movie called 4.3.2.1. had its world premier tonight on the square. I got a small (and crooked) shot of the red carpet.

After pizza and beer, we headed to Avenue Q. Funny to watch a show about New York in London, but that's okay. It was still a very funny show. The characters are muppets controlled by actors. It may seem silly, but the little people's personalities developed quite well. We laughed very hard. Maybe not as hard as earlier on the Tower Bridge, though.

Now, back at the hotel, we are finishing the plans for our day tomorrow. We are going to see Macbeth at Shakespeare's Globe Theater, St. Paul's Cathedral up close and possibly another museum.

France wanted to keep me…

This morning seemed to begin well enough. Mom and I woke up early, packed and grabbed a snack on the way to the train station. And that is when the trouble began. I noticed the other day that Mom’s Eurostar ticket looked different from what I printed out, but I thought nothing of it. Turns out, that my transaction did not go through – I didn’t have a ticket or reservation.  Instead of paying $62 months ago, I paid €180 today. Ouch. I had to pay to get to London; there went that money.

Immediately following that credit card swipe, we went through border patrol. Once again, thinking nothing of it, Mom and I fill in the forms and hand them over along with our passports to the officer. He began questioning us, completely routine. Then he asked why we were staying different lengths of time.

Why was I traveling longer? I have been traveling for a bit, and she is joining me for part of it. Where had I been? Italy, Spain, France. Where was I going? London. How long are you staying in London? Six nights. But you leave in eight? I’m going to Bristol for a night. Why Bristol? I studied there a few years ago. What’s your flight number? I don’t know. It’s from Gatwick to Atlanta on June 1 in the morning. What airline? Delta. Let me see your ticket. I dig through my stuff thinking how terrible this is. I can’t find it.

What a terrible experience. He sternly told me that he would let me through, but I should always have a copy of my ticket or expect to be turned away. Ugh. Thanks, God, for helping me on to the train.

Since this morning, I have scratched the face of my watch, tripped about ten times, paid way too much money for a ticket that should have been paid for, and dealt with a mean British guy. Maybe I should have stayed in Paris.

BUT after all of that, our day turned out pretty well. As soon as we arrived into London, we took the Underground to our hotel, unpacked, and headed for a pub. With tummies full of good food and hearty ale, we boarded a double decker bus for a city tour. We were able to see most of the highlights while sitting and resting.

the Thames with London Eye and County Hall on right.

Big Ben and Parliament.

St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Paternoster Column.

Tower Bridge.

Wellington Arch

men preparing for England’s football match against Mexico tonight.

by the way, I’m having trouble concentrating on writing, because I am watching the match right now!!! 

City Hall and London skyline.

ship in a glass bottle in front of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

fountain at Trafalgar Square.

We made a full revolution on the Highlights circuit, and reluctantly climbed out of our seats to join real people walking the streets. For some reason, we are both quite tired, and thus decided to continue being lazy tourists – we rode the London Eye.

As the highest observational wheel in the world, the London Eye was built to celebrate the millennium and sit on the Thames for two years. Ten years later, it is still going strong. A full revolution in the Eye takes thirty minutes, and the best view is from the top at 443 feet. Today was a perfect day for viewing as the sky in the pictures show.

view north of Hungerford Foot bridge.

west across the river.

southwest – view of Big Ben and one of the compartments

me and mom!

County Hall.

Big Ben and Parliament.

Today was quite warm, probably high seventies, but tomorrow is forecasted to be much cooler. We could feel the cold wind blowing in tonight. In addition to the much anticipated football game, excitement continues in London tomorrow. The Queen will travel from Buckingham Palace to Parliament tomorrow as the new Houses convene.

We haven’t quite planned our day tomorrow, but the list of activities keeps growing! Tomorrow will surely be better than the first half of today!