London Bridge is Falling Down: London and England - Tues. April 28- Sat. May 2, 2009

So I am not sure if it is laziness (probable), but it seems harder and harder to keep up on my blog lately. But, Dad, I promise I will try to keep up because someday I will like to look back on my semester abroad and read my thoughts.

My roommate Ali and I ventured to the wonderful city of London during our Queen's Day break (yes, one of our many long breaks). We were fortunate enough to get tickets on the Eurostar Chunnel to and from London. Thank God because I am trying to fly as little as possible. It's not because I am scared or anything, it is just such a hassle to fly!

So we got to London's St. Pancraas station late on Tuesday night. Ali has a family friend that just recently married and settled down up in Edmonton Green just north of the city. We were able to stay with them for three nights and it was amazing! A real bed and showering without wearing flip-flops…what more could a girl ask for!

We started our first day in London with one of those magnificent bus tours that all the old Americans go on. We figured that there was so much that we wanted to see in London and so little time, that the best way we could spend our time was on a guided tour. We met our tour guide, Margot, and the lovely old hillbilly couple at the bus station and boarded the bus for our amazing day.

We drove all over London in our coach and got a pretty good taste of the city. Here are some of the highlights: Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing St, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, The Calvary Guard Museum where we saw the changing of the Calvary Guard, drove down the Mall to Buckingham Palace, ate lunch in Covent Garden, toured St. Paul's Cathedral and the crypts, visited the Tower of London, went on a Thames boat cruise, and a trip around the London Eye. I told you we pretty much saw everything!

One of my favorite parts of the tour was the changing of the Calvary Guard. Up until May, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace only takes place every other day and our tour was on an off day, so that is why we saw the changing of the Calvary Guard instead. It was still very cool though! All of the guards are on black horses and they change guard at their posts. Then there is a guard on a white horse that rides down to Buckingham Palace with a trumpet. If the Queen is in London, he rides back to the Calvary and plays a song…very intriguing.

My absolute favorite part of our tour was visiting the Tower of London. When we got off the coach, our guide Margot walked us around the greens and gave us a little history. Then we had free time to roam around. Ali and I went into one of the towers and saw the crown jewels and then visited the Henry VIII exhibition in the White Tour. Then, we had a private tour with one of the Tower's beefeaters (the tower guards). He walked us around the outside of the Tower and told us all about the history of England…so cool.

After our fun-filled tour of London, the next day was a tour of the English countryside. First stop was Windsor Castle where I saw Queen Mary's Doll House, toured the State Apartments, and peeked in St. George's Chapel. Then I saw the Changing of the Guard (2nd of 3 times haha) and toured around the quaint town of Windsor.

The second stop was Stonehenge. Cross that off my Bucket List! It started to rain like typical UK weather, but I didn't mind because rocks are rocks in the rain or shine! Stonehenge is really cool actually, and much bigger than I expected.

Our third and last stop on the tour was Bath, England. We went to the old Roman Baths and explored the ancient ruins and went inside the famous Bath Abbey. All in all, another great tour, but I was ready to do some exploring on my own.

The next few days I explored the city of London and hit all the sites that I hadn't before. Ali and I split up for the day because we had totally different things that we wanted to see (don't worry Mom; I am a big girl). I started my morning off being a classy lady and having tea and a scone with collated cream (so good) at the Kensington Palace Orangery. It was a beautiful, sunny day and perfect to sit outside and enjoy some tea. Then, I spent most of my morning exploring the Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. I love Hyde Park! I think I spent around 5 hours just wandering, sitting, and relaxing. I am sure it helped that it was an absolutely fabulous day, but the park was so charming too. I went and saw the Serpentine Lake, Princess Diana's Memorial Fountain, and the Peter Pan statue.

Next, I was on a quest for an antique so I headed to Notting Hill to hit up Portabello Road. I loved the brightly painted houses and the local market. And to top it all off--- I found the Traveler's Book Shop from Notting Hill! I was successful in my shopping so I headed to the Victoria and Albert Museum to soak in some culture and then stopped in at Harrods to grovel. Harrods is the most amazing department store I have ever been in! They sell everything (expensive) and the food court alone is mindboggling.

For my final morning in London town, I headed to St. James and Green Park to wander and catch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. This was my 3rd Changing of the Guard in 3 days, but I felt I couldn't come to London without seeing it happen at Buckingham Palace. It just wouldn't be right!Then I took the Tube (mind the gap) back to St. Pancraas Station and headed back to Maastricht. I haven't decided what I am doing next weekend, but Nick arrives in a little over a week so I am getting excited!

Love you all and tot ziens!

Betsy