Perfect Day
Amy, Andi, and I got up early and took the train to the city, stopping first at Green Park, one of my favorite spots. Green Park earned this distinction two years ago during my first trip, and it never disappoints. While other green spaces in London are just as lovely (and if you don't know, I have a thing about green spaces in big cities), I guess I adore Green Park so much because it was the first one I saw.
From there we strolled by Buckingham Palace and through St. James Park, both of which are just beside Green Park. We kept going and got to Big Ben just as it was striking noon :-) And while we were waiting for Ian to arrive at the Westminster Underground stop, we stopped at a "pancake" stand (really crepes) to enjoy a treat after much debate O:-)
When Ian arrived moments later we headed across the bridge to book a flight on the London Eye, since the day was sunny and gorgeous. The bad thing about crossing this particular bridge is that EVERYONE stops along the way to take photos, stand without a purpose, or just generally annoy people who are actually trying to pass. But on this particular trip across Westminster Bridge, I actually saw people I knew from back home! During my first year of work at the university here, a group of 20-somethings in the same division used to hang out every once in a while. The unofficial ring-leader of the group was a guy who worked in the study abroad office and was originally from Nottingham. He moved back to England this past summer, and a couple of the guys we both know were also traveling to London over New Years to see him. We had tried to connect *before* the trip to schedule a time to get together but it never happened. So there on the Westminster Bridge I became one of those people who just stops traffic to take a photo.
Much later, after navigating around others on the bridge, we managed to book a flight on the London Eye for 4pm...well, the guys did that while Amy and I purchased a bag of Jelly Bellys that we carefully and thoughtfully put together. The one labeled Root Beer was *so* the Dr. Pepper flavor. And speaking of food, we had a great lunch at Nando's, and my chicken couscous salad was excellent.
By the time lunch was over it was time to queue for the London Eye -- my second time on another of my favorite sights in the city. It takes about 30 minutes to complete 1 revolution and you get to see an incredible amount because you can see 360 degrees from varying heights. Although I haven't been on a flight during day time yet, I'm not sure if the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben can be beat when it's dark.
Photo from Amy
After the flight it was time for Ian to head home and for us to head back to Croydon for dinner and ONE TREE HILL NIGHT with Caz and Kev. Ever since Kev told me over Thanksgiving that he'd just started watching the show (a Monday night staple at my house), I knew we'd have to watch a little when I came to visit. It was the perfect way to end the day! Caz reminded me so much of my dad because every time something intriguing/crazy/dramatic happens (which is every scene), Caz would predict with perfect accuracy what would happen next. Although we can't finish up season one together, we're going to have chats about the series as they progress...WOOHOO! Teenage angst & woe at its finest! And with that, the perfect day came to a close. All good things...
♥
Amy, Andi, and I got up early and took the train to the city, stopping first at Green Park, one of my favorite spots. Green Park earned this distinction two years ago during my first trip, and it never disappoints. While other green spaces in London are just as lovely (and if you don't know, I have a thing about green spaces in big cities), I guess I adore Green Park so much because it was the first one I saw.
From there we strolled by Buckingham Palace and through St. James Park, both of which are just beside Green Park. We kept going and got to Big Ben just as it was striking noon :-) And while we were waiting for Ian to arrive at the Westminster Underground stop, we stopped at a "pancake" stand (really crepes) to enjoy a treat after much debate O:-)
When Ian arrived moments later we headed across the bridge to book a flight on the London Eye, since the day was sunny and gorgeous. The bad thing about crossing this particular bridge is that EVERYONE stops along the way to take photos, stand without a purpose, or just generally annoy people who are actually trying to pass. But on this particular trip across Westminster Bridge, I actually saw people I knew from back home! During my first year of work at the university here, a group of 20-somethings in the same division used to hang out every once in a while. The unofficial ring-leader of the group was a guy who worked in the study abroad office and was originally from Nottingham. He moved back to England this past summer, and a couple of the guys we both know were also traveling to London over New Years to see him. We had tried to connect *before* the trip to schedule a time to get together but it never happened. So there on the Westminster Bridge I became one of those people who just stops traffic to take a photo.
Much later, after navigating around others on the bridge, we managed to book a flight on the London Eye for 4pm...well, the guys did that while Amy and I purchased a bag of Jelly Bellys that we carefully and thoughtfully put together. The one labeled Root Beer was *so* the Dr. Pepper flavor. And speaking of food, we had a great lunch at Nando's, and my chicken couscous salad was excellent.
By the time lunch was over it was time to queue for the London Eye -- my second time on another of my favorite sights in the city. It takes about 30 minutes to complete 1 revolution and you get to see an incredible amount because you can see 360 degrees from varying heights. Although I haven't been on a flight during day time yet, I'm not sure if the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben can be beat when it's dark.
Photo from AmyAfter the flight it was time for Ian to head home and for us to head back to Croydon for dinner and ONE TREE HILL NIGHT with Caz and Kev. Ever since Kev told me over Thanksgiving that he'd just started watching the show (a Monday night staple at my house), I knew we'd have to watch a little when I came to visit. It was the perfect way to end the day! Caz reminded me so much of my dad because every time something intriguing/crazy/dramatic happens (which is every scene), Caz would predict with perfect accuracy what would happen next. Although we can't finish up season one together, we're going to have chats about the series as they progress...WOOHOO! Teenage angst & woe at its finest! And with that, the perfect day came to a close. All good things...
♥
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