A Not So Foggy Day

Why is that every day I travel to London, I have Michael Buble singing in my head? On the train, I find myself humming "A Foggy Day (In London Town)" as we zip along the tracks. Saturday was no exception...minus one little detail... usually, it really is foggy or rainy.

Miracle of miracles! It was bright and sunny!

Jamie and I set off to our first site of the day: The Imperial War Museum. Although it was, of course, very moving, thought-provoking, and humbling, it was also incredible. By far one of the best museums I've been in. They had two rooms that made the World Wars more of a reality. They truly gave me an even deeper appreciation for the amazing men and women who gave their lives and dedication to the USA. One of the rooms was a walk-through depiction of what it was like to be in the trenches. The other was a simulation of what it was like to be in a bomb raid shelter. Both were quite moving experiences.

One of the exhibitions actually contained a chunk of the Berlin Wall.

Our second site of the day was the Monument, which was created to remember the London fire of 1666.

There is still so much of London to see! Today was such a gorgeous day to take in the sites. To top it off, it was beautifully sunny. A great day to mark the one month anniversary of being a temporary British resident. :)

"But the age of miracles, hadn't passed. For suddenly I saw you there. And through foggy London town the sun was shinning everywhere."

~Michael Buble: "Foggy Day (In London Town)

The Beach in... January?

A Day at Brighton Beach

This last weekend, I traveled with Jamie to Brighton! It is a beach town located along the English Channel. It was a great day for the trip. The temp was about 40 degrees and cloudy. A great January day for walking along the shiny stoned beach.

This is St. Andrews church. It is the oldest building in Brighton (over 900 years old!) Below is a picture of one of the inside church walls. The architecture and design inside was very delicate and extravagant.

Below: Having a ball at Brighton Beach!

Below is the Brighton Pier. The neat thing about Brighton is that it is like a British Coney Island. Parts of Brighton (such as the streets and the downtown) are incredibly steep, hilly and the buildings are tight together...reminds me of San Francisco... Then other parts are truly British. Later, I'll show you some pics that have a distinct Indian feel. The beach? Truly Coney Island! The Pier has a large arcade and at the tip there is a small amusement park, where I rode a MECHANICAL BULL!!!!!! AAAAaaaa!!!! So much fun!!

Aha! Here is what I was telling you about. That distinct Indian feel, thanks to the Royal Pavilion!

Brighton was by far my favorite town so far, besides London. It was a perfect place to spend a Saturday! :) Miss you all and hope you are enjoying the moment!

My New Residence!

I've Moved!

This last Friday I moved from the B&B to an annex! I am living with a wonderful, sweet family now. My place is quaint and lovely. The family I am living with are incredibly kind and sweet. I love it here! I took some pics to show you.

Here is my front door. You can see me taking pictures in the reflection... hahaha Oh well. I have my own gated entryway. On my sidewalk, attached to my house, I have a room with a washer, dryer, frig, and freezer.

Walking in my door, this is the first room in my house. It's my foyer and my kitchenette. :D My place is small, but it's a lot of room for me!

The other side of my foyer/kitchenette... Now, let's zoom into my favorite part of the house! The windowsill!

Why is this my favorite part? There are three reasons.

1. From the window, there is a lovely view of the backyard and the pond.

2. My host family left me these beautiful tulips as a welcome. (By the way, it was nearly 50 degrees today! There are buds on the trees already...)

3. Those little squares of paper? The ones that say XO? My loving family in Minnesota wrote me little notes and stuck them in my luggage. I folded them and decorated my windowsill. Isn't my family amazing? I love them. :D

I have my own bathroom.

Walking through the open door in the picture (that's my foyer/kitchenette) I come to my bedroom/living room/office! :D I have my own couch (hiding behind my laptop. I have a deck, a built in closet, and tv. It's perfect for me! I feel so blessed to have been offered this place and to feel so welcomed by my host family.

Another Day in London Town

This Saturday, Jamie and I were going to walk through the National Gallery then go to the Lion King musical. Change of plans, we were unable to go to the Lion King (but we will hopefully be going later on). Instead, our day went something like this....

We did go to the National Gallery. It was incredible! I was able to see some gorgeous pieces by Di Vinci, Rembrandt, and (my all-time favorite) Monet!

Since we couldn't go to the Lion King, guess where we went after lunch?

TOWER BRIDGE!!!!!

We are below the bridge in the above picture. Take another look at the picture and you'll see something incredible: the bridge is being lifted! Tower Bridge is actually a lift bridge. The road lifts up when a boat needs to pass underneath.

We took a tour of the inside. This is a view outside of one of the windows on the way up, up, up the stairs.

Afterwards, we filled up on Italian chocolate at Cafe' Neros. Delicious....

It was a lovely, rainy day in London. (And I didn't get lost this time!!!) :D

London at a Glance

On my second trip to London, I was able to see a lot of sites. Because it was a Sunday, and because I was, for the majority of the day...um..er..ah...lost, I didn't go inside any of these amazing buildings. However, now that I officially know where they are, I will be traveling back to tour inside instead of tour (AKA: wander in search of a site that is actually on the opposite side of town... darn, poor directional skills...) outside. Here are some pics during the wander!

Ok, so there is actually a pretty neat story behind the above and below picture. Jamie and I were walking, lost, and came across these gorgeous arches that were tucked below this old looking building. Curious, we went through these arches and it opened up to this! It was similar to an old town square, surrounded by buildings. We could hear cheerful music and laughter coming from in between those two little, white buildings. As we got closer, we could see people ice skating. We never would have run across this London gem had we not been lost.

Here is where I'm headed this Saturday! The ever-fabulous Lion King musical! :D

Beautiful Covent Garden!

This sign was in Covent Garden and it reminded me of my brother, for obvious reasons. :) Love you, Ben! :D

This is Victoria Station. I take a train from my quaint town up to Victoria Station in London. It only takes me about 30 minutes.

A pretty gated park not far from Buckingham Palace.

Below are pictures from Buckingham Palace! We weren't able to walk through, as it is only open to the public during the summer.

This random British man decided to join in on the tourist fun. haha

Harrod's at night!

This trip was fun of adventure and beautiful sites along the way. Hopefully next time I won't be quite as lost... :) Either way, there will be great pictures. :D

Miss you all!

London Time!

Today was my first trip to London!  As every day here, it was a day of "firsts."  I took my first train, first subway in the underground, and my first double-decker bus!  I have been so blessed to see so much!  If the weather holds out tomorrow, I'll be heading back to London to see more.  

I took a train from my town into London's Victoria Station.  From there, I met up with Paula (my GST supervisor), Jamie (a student teacher from WA), and two other student teachers from good 'ol Minnesota!  We then took a subway and popped up right along the Thames River and Big Ben!  

Above: The River Thames and a great view of the London river edge!

Walking past Big Ben, we took a nice walk in the centre.  I saw the changing of the guard, Westminister Abbey, St. James Park, the famous black taxi's, and so much more!

Above: Jamie and I

Above: This is where the changing of the guards takes place

Above: This sign was in St. James Park

Above: Ever-so-happy in the top of a double-decker bus!!

Taking a bus away from the elegant London centre, we went to a bit..more eccentric part of town known as Camden.  It was extremely busy and like nothing I've seen before.  The best I can explain it is a permanent flea market.  There were little hole-in-the-wall shops, ethnic foods, and plenty of music.  It will be a lot of fun when it warms up outside!  :) 

Above: Camden Marketplace!

Today was so fun!  I'm exhausted, but feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to tour London.  I can't wait to go back tomorrow!