I haven't been so exhausted all trip, but this weekend has also been one of the best since I have left home.
Friday night I went out with some of the ladies from Chepstow for curry and drinks. It was such a blast to just enjoy each others company and have nice conversation about upcoming weddings and travel & everything in between. Everyone had a good laugh as they tried to teach me how to speak like a real Stokie. I had special chicken tikka masala which was super yummy (probably my favorite thing I have had to eat here).
After dinner we had a few drinks at a bar a block or two down the road. I feel so lucky to have these ladies around...they are laid back, fun and super welcoming to me. They are goofy and remind me of my girlfriends at home, who I miss soo much. They have taught me a lot at Chepstow (as Alison noted, what a boot and bonnet is) and I am very grateful to them for their time and kindness. It will be weird leaving them in two weeks (and we will all miss Alison in the meantime!). Hopefully my future co-workers back home will be as awesome.
Friday night I went out with some of the ladies from Chepstow for curry and drinks. It was such a blast to just enjoy each others company and have nice conversation about upcoming weddings and travel & everything in between. Everyone had a good laugh as they tried to teach me how to speak like a real Stokie. I had special chicken tikka masala which was super yummy (probably my favorite thing I have had to eat here).
After dinner we had a few drinks at a bar a block or two down the road. I feel so lucky to have these ladies around...they are laid back, fun and super welcoming to me. They are goofy and remind me of my girlfriends at home, who I miss soo much. They have taught me a lot at Chepstow (as Alison noted, what a boot and bonnet is) and I am very grateful to them for their time and kindness. It will be weird leaving them in two weeks (and we will all miss Alison in the meantime!). Hopefully my future co-workers back home will be as awesome.
After just a few hours of sleep on Friday night I got up bright and early to catch the train to London. I was kind of regretting my decision as I sat on the rain half asleep, but knew it would be worth it. I had everything mapped out that I wanted to see, and I stuck to the plan and saw all that I wanted to, at least almost!
I started off with about a 5 mile walk to get to the Tower of London, which has served as both a palace for royal residency and a prison in its history. The walk was long but nice, as most of it was along the Thames River and the sun was out. I had planned on going in the tower, but the line was super long and I knew I had a lot to see in the next 10 hours.
I started off with about a 5 mile walk to get to the Tower of London, which has served as both a palace for royal residency and a prison in its history. The walk was long but nice, as most of it was along the Thames River and the sun was out. I had planned on going in the tower, but the line was super long and I knew I had a lot to see in the next 10 hours.
I walked across the iconic Tower Bridge and then continued walking down the opposite side of the Thames, called the Queen's Walk. From there I saw Hay's Galleria and a lot of other shopping areas. I also saw the HMS Belfast, which was originally part of the British navy's blockade against Germany in WWII. The ship also saw wartime in Korean War and now holds a wartime museum.
I kept walking down the Queen's Walk and found the Southwark Cathedral and the Borough Market. I really liked the market even though there was so much going on and it was kind of overwhelming. I wasn't really hungry but thought I should try something, so I got a frankfurter from the German Deli. It was disappointing at best, but at least I tried. My disappointment continued at the Clink Prison Museum, which I expected to be the actual prison. It was more of a tourist trap, just giving a lot of information about the prison's history. It was interesting and all, but not what I thought. I did get a kick out of a sign that talked about how the prison was used for profit...which it acted like was absurd and a thing of the past. Not quite....
I continued walking and passed Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the London Bridge, and lots of street performance. This weekend was the kick-off of "The Festival of Love" at Southbank Centre. I checkout of the events going on, but decided against going to a talk when I could be out seeing more things. I loved the idea of the festival though, as it was meant to celebrate the way that love can positively change the world.
Next up was the London Eye! This is where things started to get really crowded, which was a bit frustrating to someone who doesn't really like crowds. Part of the problem was that everyone was stopping to attempt pictures while hundred of other people were. I wonder why it is that we are so obsessed with taking pictures, rather than just experiencing what is going on? I did it as well, but I couldn't believe the traffic that it caused! I knew London would be busy, but up to this point it had been pretty pleasant and not too crowded.
The view of the House of Parliament from the London Eye was great but I had to cross the Westminister Bridge to get a better view. This also put me in a perfect position to check out Westminister Abbey, a famous Biritsh church. Again, I din't actually go in, but did get to go into St. Margaret's Church, which is right next door and is known as "the Church of the House of Commons".
The next big thing on my list was Buckingham Palace. I passed the Insitution of Mechicanical Engineers on the way (Ryan!) and strolled through St. James Park. While I was in the park it started to downpour. People huddled in bathrooms and under trees to stay away from the rain, but I didn't really see the point since I was already wet from the light rain earlier. I headed onto the palace and it cleared up as I arrived. I liked watched the guards but I honestly thought the palace would be more grandiose from the outside than it was.
I was starting to get hungry and anxious to find Chipotle that I had located on my map. I have been craving Chipotle (and mexican food in general) since arriving, but London is the only place that has Chipotle (there are 5 of them!). On my way I saw the horse guards and blocked off roadway, which people were starting to gather around. I stopped to figure out was going on and ended up waiting about 45 minutes for the Pride Parade! I was super excited, as I had no idea that the event was going on that day. The parade was HUGE and super fun despite the rain. I took a ton of pictures and had a lot of laughs before I ended up leaving because I was too hungry to stick around for the whole parade.
The parade made it even more crowded than the area by the House of Parlament had been. It also made it impossible for me to cross the street and heads toward Chipotle. I finally figured out that I could cross through the underground stations, although I had already walked about a mile out of my way. Chipotle was heaven. It was about double the price of a burrito at home, but I absolutely didn't care. Given how hungry I was, it was probably the best burrito bowl I've ever had. I want more.
At this point, I was pretty worn out. My legs were tiring but I had a few hours before I needed to be at the train station. I walked past the station and headed up towards Camedon, where they have a really awesome market. I stopped for a coffee and some chocolate, trying to push through and stay engerized and happy despite how tired I was.
I almost sat down at a bar to watch the Brazil and Chile, but decided I would fall asleep if I had a beer (and was stuffed from the Chipotle) so I went back to the station and caught the 7 o'clock train. I survived and made it back home by about 9. As I said, I have never been so tired, but am so glad that I decided to go. It was a blast and even the pain I am experiencing today was well worth it!
I had planned to go on a long bike ride today, but don't think that will be happening. Time to relax before I have a super early morning tomorrow with the Rough Sleepers team.
I know this is a super long entry, but I almost must say Happy Birthday to my lovely mother! Without her support, I wouldn't be here, or be doing any of the things that make me feel so alive. Thanks, Mom, for always supporting me and for teaching me how to be a compassionate and determined woman. I wish that I could be with you today, and I miss you like crazy. I hope you have an awesome day, there isn't anyone who deserves it more. Can't wait to celebrate when I am home in two weeks
I had planned to go on a long bike ride today, but don't think that will be happening. Time to relax before I have a super early morning tomorrow with the Rough Sleepers team.
I know this is a super long entry, but I almost must say Happy Birthday to my lovely mother! Without her support, I wouldn't be here, or be doing any of the things that make me feel so alive. Thanks, Mom, for always supporting me and for teaching me how to be a compassionate and determined woman. I wish that I could be with you today, and I miss you like crazy. I hope you have an awesome day, there isn't anyone who deserves it more. Can't wait to celebrate when I am home in two weeks