Hi everyone,
Yes, I realize it's been a while, but I finally have something exciting to tell you about! My mom, sister, brother, sister's boyfriend, and brother's girlfriend came to visit us from June 6 - 16. First we hung out in England for a while, then we brought them back to Germany with us to show them around our territory.
On June 6, Jesse and I met the group at the airport in London, and we all slowly made our way to the vacation apartment we had booked. It took a lot longer than we had anticipated, so after settling in, we only had time to get some fish and chips and hop over to see St. Paul's Cathedral as the sun was setting.
On the second day we really jumped into sightseeing, starting by checking out the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. It turns out they were practicing for the Queen's birthday celebration that day, so we got to see a ceremony that was a little different than usual. We then walked through St. James's Park up to Trafalger Square and split off to find some food. Jesse, Mom, and I ate our McDonalds (I know, but it was cheap) on the steps of the National Gallery. We then met up again and walked down to see the House of Parliament and Big Ben, as well as the London Eye.
Later that night, Jesse and I went to the Phoenix Theater to see Once, a musical we had been dying to see, since it featured music from one of our favorite groups, the Swell Season, and was based on a movie with the same title, which we also adore. The set was beautiful, the show was sweet and funny, and the actors were amazing.
We spent most of day three at the Tower of London walking around and checking out the exhibits (including the crown jewels!). We saw a perrier demonstration, took a tour with a Yeoman named George, who told really entertaining stories about the history. We saw Tower Bridge and a Roman wall near the Tower. Then, on the way back to the apartment, we noticed that King's Cross Station wasn't that far out of our way, so we decided to visit Platform 9 3/4.
The next day we separated into two groups. Mom, Sara, and Chris took a day trip to Cardiff to see the Dr. Who Experience, and Jesse, Steve, Ally, and I stayed in London and went to the Great Fire Monument and Shakespeare's Globe. We were there during a rehearsal for a new play about the Trojan War, and it was amazing to experience some bits of theater while looking down from the stands. Later that day, we also stopped by Abbey Road Studios and walked across that famous street.
On our final full day in London, Mom, Sara, and Chris stayed in London, while Jesse, Steve, Ally, and I took a bus tour to Bath and Stonehenge. This was my favorite part of the trip, and I think it was Jesse's favorite, too. Bath was beautiful, and I wish I could have explored the city more. We did get to see the Roman Baths and taste the mineral water though. Before getting back on the bus, we grabbed a quick Cornish pasty, and it was absolutely amazing.
Before going to Stonehenge, we stopped in a little village called Lacock, where we were able to see some old houses and an abbey where they filmed a few of the scenes from Harry Potter. We weren't able to go inside though, unfortunately.
It is always breathtaking to actually experience structures you have seen in pictures your whole life. I think a part of me thinks these buildings and sights are not actually real, that they only exist in photos and movies. Standing among the stones was absolutely unforgettable.
The next morning we caught the train to the airport and headed off to Germany... and that is where the second half of this post will begin!
Stay tuned.
- Amy
