Getting Lost in London

 We started out today rushing off to the British Library.  We may have gotten slightly lost on our way but we were a huge group so we worked together to find the right way while looking like total tourists.  I want to know how often Londoners see a single file line of 13 people weaving through the train station going under the ropes and trying wrong doors.  Pretty much we had to put on a show for them after they have let us see so much amazing things.  I just hope they laughed.  The British Library was so cool once we got there!  It had Shakespeare writings, Jane Austen writings and her writing desk,  Handel's original Messiah, Beethoven and Mozart originals, Beatles originals on the backs of cards and directions, some of the original bibles and other books, a tortoise shaped manuscript, and the Magna Carta.  Those were only a few things.  It was just so amazing to see the things that they did to preserve writings and the artwork they did on them.  I thought it was so cool to see the handwriting and crossing outs.  These people were great people but they were just like you and me.  After the library we headed for Trafalgar square.

 We found this amazing hotel on our way looking for the tube.

Lauren, Casmin, Kristen and me out adventuring looking for the tube to meet everyone at Trafalgar Square and hopefully grab lunch.

 So the Underground is really cool and I love that you can take it anywhere.  If you can't take the underground you can take a bus.  I don't know what happened to the side of it that it is all scratched.  It is kinda dodgy to think about it but I haven't had any problems on the tube.

 I am just trying to figure out where we are wanting to go.  You have to know where you are going to get on and off or you may just end up somewhere crazy!  We almost did it once, but today was not a good day for that.

 I am sitting on the tube minding my own business when these wonderful gentleman board the tube and sit next to me.  Yes they are super stylish and reading Star magazine.  It was hard not to laugh at them talking and reading that.  So I just smiled for a picture with them instead.  They will never know how they entertained us on the tube.

 We found lovely sandwiches to eat on our way and walked by many a beautiful building like this church to get to our destination.  I got a bacon and cheese sandwich but really it was just thick ham I feel like.

 These telephone booths in a row are just very London I couldn't resist a picture.

 The National Gallery.  It is very big and beautiful.

 A giant ship in a giant bottle.  Definitely something I have never seen before!  Only in Trafalgar Square...

 Big Ben

 One of many fake statues you can find hanging around the streets of London.  He was cutting off people's heads when they tried to get a picture next to him so I decided to keep my distance.  I am still using my head.

 This guy in the window was fake but moved! It was so cute!

 Just another cute little bakery that I would love to go in.  You can only eat so much so not every cute bakery is an option.

 Casmin cannot wait for the National Portrait Gallery!

 First thing we saw was the Princes!  This was before I found out that you can't take pictures inside but I feel like I got a good picture for just walking in and taking it.  A great souvenir for our experience there.  It was probably one of the best looking portraits anyways.  A lot of them were kinda creepy and weird, maybe only cuz it reminded us of haunted houses and such.

 Casmin and I on our way up to the portraits we were supposed to look at.  Since we are not historians we had a whole different outlook on the paintings that we actually quite enjoyed.  We loved looking at the paintings and noticing the detail but also some of the styles that are still around or not.  Like how men used to wear tights and a long tunic shirt.  Hello girls can we say mini dress and leggings?  Girl's today are wearing the same style as Dukes and Earls of old England!  Oh and some of the men had great shoes that I wouldn't mind owning.  We also noticed the floating head syndrome of taught but high collars that made the head look distant from the body.  There was also a lack of eyelashes in old times.  It is interesting that no artist thought to put eyelashes on anyone! Not even one! 

 When we walked out of the gallery we decided it was time to explore our surroundings.  So we stumbled upon Chinatown!  But most importantly we found shopping!  I learned that even though we have some of the same stores they do not sale all the same styles.  Definitely a different look here.

 We had to end shopping to get to the Globe Theater to see All's Well That Ends Well.  We couldn't take a tube all the way there because we had to take the Millennium Bridge across the Thames.  Way more scenic anyways.

 The Globe Theater

 The Stage

 Casmin presenting the seating

 Just waiting in the cold for the play to start...

 Still waiting...

My play buddies on either side of me!  We had to cuddle for warmth but the play was good!  A lot better than when I read it.  I really liked it though...reading it i did not agree that all is well that ends well but they made the play end happily so I was happy.  We rushed home after because of the coldness.  Its funny going on the tube at night because you see people wearing so many different types of things for what they are out doing.  Like the people going toplays and those going clubbing.  I just think it is fun to see what people wear when they get on the tube and make up stories about them.  I know I should read on the tube or something but I like to make my own stories better.

Road to Harry Potter

 After class today Tiffany took us on the Harry Potter tour!!  The first stop was platform 9 3/4.  It was under construction so we had to deal with the fake one they put up right next to it.  but still I was there!

 The real Platform 9 3/4 being under construction, but still way cool!  I got in trouble for taking this picture because the flash might blind the train drivers but I still got the picture!

 Okay so Casmin got on the tube only to discover that they are not always hot and stuffy but when someone leaves a window open they are maybe a little more airy than one may like.

 On our way around we could not just pass up taking pictures imitating statues!! 

 So we were loving this building and its surrounding statues, then I looked up and saw my name on it in gold!  I fell in love!  I have money, china, and buildings with my name on them all!  It's the best!

 I thought this was so cute!  Who in America goes to the Hatters?  I think there were two girls at the royal wedding that could have done without their hatters.  Actually they should fire theirs because their hatters had to be trying to make them look ridiculous.  If you don't know who I am talking about you have to watch the royal wedding and you will know the two.  They look like Cinderella's step sisters.

 Here were are at Diagon Alley!!  So cute!!  It is a bunch of stores that I hear calling my name!!

 Now who wouldn't love to go eat at a little place like this one!?  I wanted to.

 This is the cutest/smallest little food place I have ever seen!  It cannot be for real but it says it is an Italian restaurant.

 Well I bet you are wondering what this building is and why Casmin and I are looking so creepy.  Or you are a huge Harry Potter buff an dalready know that this is indeed the Leaky Cauldron.  The wind just wanted to make sure my hair would look super creepy and weird for this picture.

 This symbol is on the sides of the planters! It's just so cute, like everything has such detail and is thought through.  It blows my mind.

 Oh you know after walking and searching London for the Harry Potter sights we needed a little rest in a beautiful are. 

 Why can't our lamp posts look like this? 

 This clock was on our way just wandering around looking for our Harry Potter sites.  I like it!

Honestly I just love seeing the different stores and buildings when walking around.  They are so cute and welcoming.

The Day I Almost Didn't Wake Up

Well I know I haven't been sleeping well.  I stay up late and wake up super hyper in the morning but get tired in the middle of the day when I am out and about.  I know it is Jet Lag.  A horrible horrible thing.  I must say I didn't know it would lead to such an extreme moment in my Sunday.  I was awakened by my roommate, Kristen yelling/moaning at Casmin and I that it is 12:47 and we need to hurry and get up.  She said we had 5 minutes to get ready and the other 5 was for running to the church building.  We were specifically told not to be late to church because it is just not done here.  So I pulled my dress over my head and stepped out of my PJ bottoms and threw my hair in a messy bun on my way out the door.  The joy was wearing ballet flats after having a huge blister on my heel from the day before.  Let's just say my left foot was half hanging out of it's shoe.  So us three girls are literally running to church all disheveled.  Let's just say we got some great looks from people on the street watching us run by.  We made it though!!  We found a nice seat and they were only on the opening announcements.  I must say I loved the ward!  it was fast Sunday so people bore testimonies of course.  But the commitment and spirituality was so incredible.  The bishop had to tell people to stop coming up at the end because we were already over, but there was never a break.  

After we met with the stake president for Sunday School.  He was in his thirties and one of the most spiritual people I have ever met.  I cannot even describe the feeling he brought.  In Relief Society we talked about Personal Revelation and so many of the women shared so many amazing stories on how they receive revelation.  I realized how I do and even received some of my own on where I should live in the fall.  I guess it took that time of learning and self reflection.  

We had a fireside Sunday night and got our new ward assignments and I will be attending the London North Ward, which I guess is a poorer ward than I was at this Sunday.  So I am excited to see what it is like and serve with the people and get to know them.  I will be taking the tube and attending that ward with Carli, Amy, Katie, Ashlee, Lauren, and Rodger and Claudia.  So it will be fun!

A Walk Down Portabello Road

As you might have guessed I never did make it back to sleep after the fire alarm. I got up and made breakfast then tried to sleep for awhile. Let's just say when my alarm went off I was more than ready for my roommates to get up. I told them they must wake up because we had a great day planned: Portabello Road! What a better way to start a Saturday than to walk to and down Portabello Road!! As we walked there we had to walk though Hyde Park, which is pretty much a fairytale land. I have never seen a more amazing park. It has a carousel, adventure land, lake, monuments, the Peter Pan statue and a lot of fun people!



I decided that today was a great day to break in my new sunglasses. The sun quite agreed with me since it was sunny all day long! What better way to spend a sunny day than out with your friends at the park and the street market.








This is exactly the kind of place that I would like to walk to in the morning to have my breakfast. I mean it is just so cute, you know the food has to be delicious.




I saw this car and fell in love! Whoever owns this car has to be one of the coolest people ever! How many people do you know have a PINK car!! Like super cute! This is so my next car!


 

 On the way to Portabello there were so many cute apartment buildings and places. Like I think I would love to live in a flat like this one. It has a red door! All the doors were a different color! How fun is that!

Once I got to Portabello Road I could not believe how much shopping there was!! and such cute things too!!

  George Orwell's House is right here on Portabello Road amongst the stores. History and shopping!


 

Okay so I thought the other flat was my favorite but this cute little purple one out does the other. I just can't believe how cute these little places are. I mean imagine what your life would be like living there!




Okay so this Scottish guy was proudly represnting his countrymen by wearing a kilt. He didn't know we all took pictures with him but we just had to. I mean it is not every day you see a man in a skirt.




I love the color of these buildings and how they are just lined up like a rainbow. Who knew that Portabello Road would have so much to take in besides the shopping.




I thought this cute little store was very cute and just fun.

I bought a cute wallet in one of the stores but decided that there was so much cute stuff I needed to think some things through first. We had a great time though looking at what all the stores had. There were lots of antiques and things, especially tea sets.

 

Casmin and I decided to join the British for afternoon tea.







So as we were walking down the road I cannot explain my excitment when I saw a store window filled with antique Singer sewing machines and realized the whole store was filled with shelves and shelves of them! I just had to go in! One day I need to own one of these cute machines.




Sewing machines these days are just not like what they used to be. I mean I have never seen gold detailing on any sewing machine in JoAnn's.




Or cute flower details. I mean it is lucky if your machine has any decorating, although I do love the easiness and simplicity of our automatic machines.


 

Portabello Road had a few street performers who were actually quite good. We enjoyed listening to them. This guy was by far my favorite. He sang a song about a first date and it was so cute an dhappy. He even whistled in the song. I mean just looking at him makes you happy! Later I got a delicious ham and cheese sandwich for lunch but I definitely need to go back for a crepe and nutella and a Belgium waffle with chocolate and whip cream. Mmmm!




So I have never seen such a cute Salvation Army. It is so adorable and quaint!After Portabello Road we decided it was time to head back to our lovely little flat. Why walk all the way back though when you can enjoy London's beautiful public transportation so we decided a bus was our best bet. Standing in front of the bus stop I was so excited to see the bus finally coming until it pulled up really close and was inches away from hitting Casmin. The mirror was literally an inch above her head. We quickly boarded and went straight to the second floor. We had to; it was a double decker! You never could guess what happened next...we got lost. There is no better way to explore London than just take the bus and see where you end up.



I mainly took this picture for you dad! I just thought it was a cute little Dentist sign coming off the side of an old building. I was suprised to see there were dentists here because you would not always think so by looking at people's teeth. I mean no offense but they could really use some dental health, well I guess more orthodontic help. I guess they just like clothes more which is kind of understandable.


 

We decided a picture in the telephone booth was a necessity before our adventure to our flat.

The best part of getting lost this time was that we found a new mall. We decided that you really should have a dog to walk while in London because London is so beautiful in the spring you should be able to stroll the streets with your dog and even go to the very popular Hyde Park. What better way to end the day than by going to The Little Angel's Theatre and seeing The Tempest with puppets! It was so cute! At the beginning a seagull landed on Casmin's head. That had to be one of my favorite parts! I am not going to lie I did have a hard time staying awake, but you really can't blame me since I had been awake since 4am. After the play I made another great discovery in the 24 hour store. I love that store because everything else closes like before 8pm, no joke. But I found Trancetto there! Let's just say that I was very happy and will probably be getting a box a week.