Another London Day

My mom sent me an email today with a link to a blog that a professor who goes on London study abroad each year writes. He takes the UVU Theater group to London, Paris, and Scotland. Reading someone else's experiences there made me miss London extra double time today. Exactly two years ago I was spending my last week there, and I can't believe that the little heartache I get thinking about it has lasted this long. The quote at the top of his blog is by Henry James (whom I adore!) and says:

"It is difficult to speak adequately, or justly, of London. It is not a pleasant place; it is not agreeable, or easy, or exempt from reproach. It is only magnificent."

And that is really the only word for it: magnificent. It's dirty, smelly, crowded, obnoxious, chaotic, and a little depressing in some places. It makes you feel like the smallest, most insignificant person in the world most of the time. But there are these other exceptional and rare moments. Like sitting in the park when it's very early, the sun just about to come up, the air is cold and everything is uncharacteristically quiet. And you feel like it's all there just for you. The entire city and everything it has to offer is laid out just because you're there. And that's what makes London so magnificent. It works its way into your heart, and once you really experience it, you know you will never, ever be the same.

"I was waiting for a cross-town train in the London Underground"

I realized yesterday as Erin and I were out to lunch at Subway that I haven't written anything about London yet. Which is strange, because it's all I talk about in normal conversation. The reason Subway reminded me of London is because my dear friends Jillian, Rachel, and Jessica and I would always go get cookies and Diet Coke at the Subway by our flat. There was pebble ice there. You know, the kind that you can chew without it hurting your teeth? The most amazing gift from heaven that we've ever been given? Yeah, that's the stuff. Just look at how happy we are...


One of my favorite things about London is the underground. By far the smartest, funnest way to get around. Probably just for a bunch of silly American girls without real responsibility, but still. The other great part about riding the London Underground is the voice of the lady that makes the announcements. Our personal favorite (in a charming, calm British accent) "This is a Piccadilly line service to.....Cockfosters". If the train was about to crash and take us all to a fiery grave, but that lady's voice was still talking, I would be perfectly delighted.

This is Jessica and me in South Kensington tube station after a very exciting night at Jam At the Adelaide. Note the wind from the train just leaving. And note our apparent delight about it.

We took a lot of weekend trips as a group and individually with groups if we wanted to. One trip as a group was to Salisbury and Stonehenge. Salisbury Cathedral is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.



















It's just as beautiful inside. And this darling little man is the volunteer tour guide. The sweatshirt I'm wearing says, "Love Pink" which apparently gets people's attention over on that side of the world. Because this man freaked out about it. He loved it. Which is why we took the picture. Maybe later I'll write about other reactions to this sweatshirt. It's a great conversation starter.
Downtown Salisbury is full of adorable little shops and cafes, and it has this little old lady, which is enough reason to fly across the ocean and go visit this place.
If that picture doesn't make you want to cry then you're crazy. An old woman feeding swans? It never gets better....except for maybe this picture in Bath, England.
All credit for this amazing picture must go straight to Rachel. Because she took it. And I borrowed it from her Facebook page. Thanks Rache, baby! And don't overlook the fact that the squirrel is actually sitting on his knee. This kind of animal-human interaction only happens in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, etc.

Another weekend trip we took was to Munich, Germany, but this one was just me and my lovely ladies! We decided we wanted to go on a moderately educational holiday and see the first concentration camp.

Here's me and Rache outside on a very rainy day.

This is Neuschwansteinn castle. It's a fairy tale castle. Seriously, look. It's floating in the mountains.
Jessica and I also took our own little adventure. Here we are on our bike ride that ended up being more than we bargained for....
We even went to where the Olympics were held there and signed the top of the Olympic Tower.

But there is nothing like being back home in London, my favorite place in the entire world. And there is way more fun to be had in downtown London than any other trip we could have taken on the weekend!

Might I suggest....Brick Lane. Adorable vintage. Incredible brownies. It was pouring rain on this day we decided to venture out there, and that brownie, which is huge and only costs 32 pence, solved all our problems in the world.
We also loved going to the Globe Theater. It's still like the old school one. Like you have to pay more to sit in the actual seats. Otherwise you stand the whole time in the "yard". The best part about it is that the actors really react to the audience. It's so much fun. And there's still no ceiling, so when it rains you get rained on. Whoo hoo! Rachel and I are having a sit at intermission. That lemonade, by the way, is the most delightful thing that I have ever partaken of.
And of course we went to Buckingham Palace to the changing of the guard. We went about three hours early so that we could be right by the gate, and waited in the freezing cold rain that whole time. Totally worth it.















We even got to go back to the beginning of time. Seriously. This is where all time zones in the entire world are measured from, The Royal Observatory.

The Prime Meridian line splits the Eastern and Western hemispheres, so I'm half and half.
And of course, here's a picture of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

That part of London along the Thames River at night is the most incredible and beautiful scenery I have probably ever seen. There is nothing like taking a walk across Westminster Bridge when all the lights are up and the London Eye looks amazing.














Thinking about London still makes my heart skip a beat. There is no other place like it. If you go there, I swear it will change your life. So you should probably go. Because that's a pretty big deal. And I can't wait to go back.