"Es-cap-e!"

"Funny, it's spelled just like the word escape." Escape. That's exactly what I did this weekend. I escaped to London. And I made a big mistake. Huge. I fell in love, with London. Five minutes after walking out of Kings Cross Station, I was already enchanted. I adore the city. I'm a total city girl and I was enthralled. My dad's friend, Ed, met me at the train station and we took a taxi to meet up with his wife Christina where she works at the US Embassy. We arrived just in time for the 9/11 Memorial Service in the park. They had lots of music and different people speaking and it was very enjoyable. Plus, it gave me a chance to just stand in the park and take everything in.

Their flat is tiny but beautifully decorated and so homey. I was very comfortable and happy to be there. Their shower has an on/off button, sort of like my car, and it swivels so you can choose the temperature but they just keep it set at the perfect temperature so you just push the button and hop in. It's brilliant! I forgot to take a picture so I'll send you one later. We went out for fish and chips and while walking, I found at least two cooking schools that I would love to attend! Who wants to fund that endeavor? Any takers?

On Saturday, Ed took me on the Big Bus Tour around the London area. I really appreciated it and it was nice to see everything all at once so that when I go back later I know where I want to spend more of my time.


Our tour guide was pretty entertaining but a little bizarre. The weather was fantastic! I think I've been really lucky with the weather here. Everyone talks about how it rains all the time but I've hardly seen any rain at all. I guess that's how people are about Seattle too though and we all know the truth about Seattle. It's beautiful and green and hardly ever rains except to replenish the greenness.

I have about eight pictures of Big Ben but I thought I'd spare you having to scroll through all of them. They'll show up in the facebook album.

Okay, well, actually here's another one but I had to throw this one in there because this view, the London bridge with Big Ben in the background, is in Hook when Tink is flying with Peter all knocked out and wrapped in a blanket and they fly over that kissing couple and dump pixie dust on them. Just thought I'd put that out there for ya. Figured you'd enjoy it as much as I did.

Westminster Abbey. I'm definitely going to have to go back to this one. There are quite a few places in London that you can visit for free but the ones you have to pay for seem so expensive! Everything in London is expensive (actually, in this entire country), except, however, the mobile phone that Ed insisted I purchase this weekend. It cost just under 7 pounds and then since it's pay-as-you-go I put 20 pounds worth of minutes on it. So, now I have a phone! It just sits in my back pocket and does nothing but that's okay. I have it if I need it.

These little signs on the road with arrows painted next to them saved my life! I love them!! I hardly even have to think about which way to look, I just have to read.

"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag." I know that in some places in London it isn't actually legal to feed the pigeons but I'm guessing it is here because this lady was definitely having a good time feeding them. She must have dumped three bags of bread crumbs out for them. I thought it was cute. I can't imagine caring enough about pigeons to bring them bags of bread crumbs. Maybe someday. They're just not so cute as our little birds at home.

After riding around on the bus for a couple of hours, we went back to the flat for lunch. Later I went back out on my own. I walked through Green Park to Buckingham Palace then around Hyde Park where I hopped back on the tour bus. I saw a many more beautiful buildings that I don't know the names of then hopped back off again and walked through Kensington Gardens. I had to go find Peter Pan. I heard on the bus that when Mr. Barry donated this statue, he had it delivered in the middle of the night so that when school children walked by the next day they would think it had appeared by magic. I like that. A lot.

Did you know that all of the swans in England belong to Her Majesty, the Queen? Probably you did. In fact I think I've even heard that before but I still thought it was sort of funny. Is it all right if all of the bald eagles in the world belong to me?

Ed took me to church with him on Sunday and afterwards we sat at Starbucks and read the newspaper for a couple of hours. I had a caramel macchiato, of course, and this fantastic piece of shortbread that had a layer of caramel and a layer of dark chocolate on top of it. Oh. My. Goodness. It's a good thing we don't have those at our Starbucks stores. It was divine.

I had a marvelous time in London and was not at all excited to come back to Spalding. Ed and Christina offered me a key to the flat and said that I can come back whenever I like. I'm not going to wait too long before going back.

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Hope your weekend was as good as mine!

Cheers!

Steph