Paddling my kayak alone, day three

Sunday mornings in London always start slower for me. Usually, I stay out late on Saturday evenings, photographing the beautiful London night. I like to sleep in on Sunday mornings, paying homage to the Grosvenor House bed monster.

Once I got up and around, I decided to head to the Sunday morning art market that runs along Bayswater Street. Not much had changed from the February market, except the artist I was looking for wasn’t there! I was so disappointed. From there, I decided to soak up the beautiful London weather in Hyde Park. It was seriously a beautiful day – the whole weekend was beautiful. I bought an ice cream cone from a vendor, and I sat for hours, legs stretched out, watching the families and children enjoy the beautiful day. It was so relaxing. I just wanted to stay out there forever.

From Hyde Park, I caught a bus and headed to Westminster Cathedral – there is a difference. It’s beautiful, too, but not quite as stately or ostentatious as Westminster Abby. It was nearing time for vespers though, so the bells were ringing. From there, I walked back towards Victoria Station and headed off in the direction of Buckingham Palaca, hoping to jog my memory from my layover in London. I found the Royal Mews, but nothing else looked familiar. After visiting Buckingham Palace, I walked along the mall through St. James Park, which is quite a bit larger than I thought. It’s an interesting walk along the path though – many beautiful buildings.

As I made my way to Westminster, with hopes of watching the sunset over the Thames, I encountered a writer who stopped me to talk about how I had the most positive energy surrounding me. We chatted for awhile – photographer to writer, and I continued on my way. I bought postcards from a vendor, found a bench in front of County Hall, and spent another hour, soaking up the beauty of everything. From there, I decided to head down to the Tower of London, another beautiful place to sit and enjoy. I love the Tower Bridge, and on late Sunday afternoon, it seems like you have the place to yourself. Lovely.

As the night started to cool down, I hopped on a bus to St. Paul’s. It was completely deserted. Rarely will you ever be able to stand in front of this beautiful structure and feel as if you are the only person in the whole world experiencing its beauty. I made it Trafalgar Square (again) as the sky was beginning to turn purple, and I watched twilight overcome Big Ben in the distance. Beautiful, beautiful moment.

It was time to look for dinner by then, so I hopped on a bus until I found Chinatown. I proceeded to follow my nose from place to place until I had my fill of Asian street foods. I must have walked miles that day, but never even felt them pass. I decided to call it an “early” night, stopping off at a grocery for my last bit of chocolate before retiring to the hotel around 10:00.

London is such a beautiful city, because the old favourites are always standing strong, tried and true, but there are always new neighborhoods to explore. This time it was Chinatown. Last time it was Seven Dials. One day I’ll make it to all the places in London – or perhaps I won’t. That way, I’ll always have a reason to return. I did a lot of thinking on this trip and I made a lot of decisions about my personal life.

There’s no better place for contemplation than a park in London when it’s 70 degrees and sunny.

Oh, beautiful world.

Paddling my kayak alone, London Day 2

Saturday morning, I woke up feeling well rested and ready to take on another day in London. First order of business: a memory card! I decided to head to Piccadilly Circus, because I figured I would be able to find something there since the tourists are out in droves. I found an independently owned photo shop, and I chatted it up with the owner. He knew my camera and told me a lot of things about it – then he showed me what he had in the way of memory cards. 40 pounds later, I had a 2 gig memory card. OUCH. I have learned to never make that mistake again.

However, he was a kind soul, and I felt better patronizing a local business. He even took a couple of pictures of me with my camera to show some different features and lighting.

My second stop was, of course, Leicester Square, for Saturday evening theater tickets. Again, I got hosed, lol. They advertised the tickets as being discounted, but the price I paid was higher than the face value. GRRRRR. I ended up with tickets to Sister Act, which was schedule to open a week later at the Palladium theater – another massive theater by London standards. I did get a good seat though – row L, front and center.

My third stop was Waterstones books, on a mission for the lovely Julie. Her daughter, Ava, loves the Ladybug books, and apparently they are really expensive in the US. They are 2-3 pounds in the UK, so Julie sent me a laundry list of the books she wanted for Ava. Two stores later, I had collected all of them. I decided to wander down Oxford Street to get back to my hotel, and there was a festival going on for the release of Night at the Museum. It was crazy! There was a parade and vendors and TONS of people. It was fun to see how caught up it everyone got, though it made navigating the streets a little difficult.

From there, I dropped off the books at the hotel and decided to head to Kensington Palace and Gardens. I had walked through this area on my first trip to London and embracing my inner nostalgia, I decided to head back. It was a beautiful day in London, and I wanted to be outside, soaking it all up! The gardens were BEAUTIFUL, and I loved photographing the beautiful flowers. There were also a few sweet old couples muttering sweet nothings to each other, so I just sat and watched. What a beautiful moment to share. You just wonder what their stories are and how they ended up there, too. At least, I do. ;-) I did spend quite a bit of time trying to stay far, far away from the bees though. They were out in numbers! I guess they enjoy beautiful weather, too.

I headed back to the hotel to rest my feet and get ready for the show. I always have a hard time remembering that London has a 7:30 curtain time for most shows. I headed down Regent Street to find an Italian restaurant that was written up in my guidebook, but I couldn’t find the side street for the life of me. I decided to see what was around the Palladium, and guess what I found? Wait for it… Bella Italia, again. I realized that I was probably bordering on the absurd visiting the same restaurant again, but they had outdoor seating and I knew the food was good. So, away I went. I did decide to order something different this time – I ordered their pizza, and it was excellent! Light and tasty, just like Italy! After dinner, I had a bit of time to kill, so I headed to the Apple store to check my email for free and ponder the beautiful iMac.

Sister Act was absolutely nothing like the movie with none of the same music – that was disappointing. BUT, as a standalone show, it was AWESOME. The cast was PHENOMENAL. The woman who played Delores, played by Patina Miller, had a set of pipes. She was SO talented. She is going to go FAR, trust me. It was a really fun show with beautiful sets and costumes, though it was inappropriate in the way that only British musicals can be inappropriate. It worked though – the show was excellent. I don’t know if it will make it to Broadway or not, but the London theatre scene LOVED it. They were on their feet before curtain calls even started. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a show that was as well received as Sister Act. The notable exception being Guys and Dolls, but the critics HATED that. It may not have any humdingers, but it’s still an entertaining show, once.

After the musical, I boarded a bus for Westminster Abby for my evening photo rounds. Unfortunately, I seemed to get off at the wrong stop, so I had quite a trek. Luckily, I know my way around fairly well, and I managed to get over there. I spent awhile taking pictures of Big Ben, wandering on both sides of Westminster Bridge. A guy and I made eyes at each other, but I started to get uncomfortable, so I headed off. He was probably a nice enough lad, but I was just dubious. I’m so not that girl. I don’t do well with it, at all.

I hopped on a bus shortly after midnight to head back to the hotel, knowing that the fountains at Trafalgar Square usually turn off at midnight. I stopped again at the Tesco Station and bought chocolate to enjoy back in my room. When I arrived at the hotel, there was clearly a big event going on – men in tuxes and women in the most gorgeous evening gowns I’ve ever seen. I pondered going to sit in the hotel bar and people watching, but I decided I really didn’t have the appropriate attire, so I retired for the night. Another beautiful day in London… and beautiful men before bed to boot! ;-)

Friday in London -- paddling my kayak alone...

Friday in London always starts the same for me. Heathrow Express to Paddington, black cab to Grosvenor House, and off to the West End for theater tickets and to email my mom from the visitor's center. I had planned to see what was available at the TKTS booth and play it by ear. When I arrived, there wasn’t much of a line, but there wasn’t much of a selection either. I headed across the street to another ticket outlet and picked up tickets for Wicked. I had hoped to see Dirty Dancing or Jersey Boys, but the seats weren’t too great, so I chose Wicked. Haven’t seen it in London, so it seemed like a good choice.

From Leicester Square, I decided to take a walk down memory lane and head to Kensington. On my first overnight trip to London, I stayed in a little hotel off Kensington High Street, and I wanted to go back and make sure everything is the same. There’s also some fun shopping off the High Street, including Laura Ashley. Everything is still the same – and The Muffin Man is still there! I was thrilled! The Boots (think CVS or Walgreens) over there is really nice, too. They even carry YSL cosmetics. Unfortunately, they didn’t have their prices listed, so I couldn’t compare costs. I wandered along Kensington High Street, pondered purchases at Laura Ashley (if I had only remembered that there’s a VAT refund!!), found a TJ Maxx (in London? Really?!), and eventually hopped on a bus headed towards Harrod’s for lunch. Believe it or not, Harrod’s has food stalls that are reasonably priced and tasty! I also wandered through the beautiful children’s department and lamented the fact that Kimberly is having a boy. They had the sweetest little girl clothes! It’s so fun to just wander around in there – I’ve been multiple times, and I always get lost, and I’m confident I haven’t seen a FRACTION of the whole place.

I headed back to the hotel to get ready for the show, with the idea that I might just grab a pre-theater snack, and do a meal after the show. However, my stomach was disagreeing with that idea from the get go. The Apollo Theater isn’t as close to the West End as the other theaters, so I didn’t know of anything near the theater. As I started to wander, a branch of my little Italian restaurant found on my last trip caught my eye. Bella Italia it would be.

I decided to start with an appetizer of the Garlic Grossini, which was basically breadsticks served in olive oil and sprinkled with garlic. They were fairly tasty, but I know they have to be terrible for me. It did help to curb my appetite a little though. I ordered my standard – the linguine rustica. It was very fresh, warm, and the flavours were WONDERFUL. This is the best pasta dish – rich with flavor. One thing I love about the Bella Italia restaurants is how cosy they are. You just get a warm feeling from the moment you walk in the door. I spent the meal reading a newspaper and enjoying the company of myself. The waitress was incredibly kind.

Wicked. Oh Wicked, what can I say? I love you so much, but you just don’t seem to work with British accents. The staging was beautiful, the music is incredible, but the cast with British accents just doesn’t work. That being said, my discounted ticket was center stage, row T, and I had an excellent view of everything. The Apollo Theater is HUGE by London standards, so you’ll want the best seats you can afford. They had a water globe for sale that I haven’t seen anywhere else, and I seriously considered buying it to commemorate my trip. I decided it might be a hassle with TSA though.

After the show, I figured I’d walk from Victoria to Trafalgar Square to Westminster on a photo walk. Switched on the camera to photograph the Billy Elliott Theater and it started flashing at me: “NO CF card”. I FORGOT MY MEMORY CARD.

I wanted to cry. And kick myself. And I knew exactly where it was. Back home in my card reader.

First item on Saturday’s agenda: buy memory card.

I headed back to Grosvenor House by bus, stopping at the gas station for a PowerAde and a chocolate bar. Oh how I love European chocolate.

Luckily, my comfortable bed and beautifully appointed room soothed my feelings about forgetting the memory card. Grosvenor House is seriously the happiest place on Earth, though I am disappointed they got rid of the free computer in the lobby. You can now use the business center upstairs -- at a price.

"No minute gone ever comes back again. Take heed and see ye nothing do in vain." -- clever saying on a clock tower off Marlborough Street (shown above).

Paddling my kayak alone, London 2009

This was my second trip to London this year, and I ended up paddling my kayak alone, as Mary Beth had plans to visit a spa for the bank holiday weekend, and no one else wanted to come with me. I had originally planned a trip to Copenhagen, but when AA offered their DEQM promotion again, I changed my ticket and headed to London town.

I ran by DFW early Thursday morning to check about an upgrade. No dice. I headed back to the airport around 4:00 that afternoon and asked about standing by for the 7:15pm flight. No standbys on international flights. (It's worth asking, right?) So, I headed to Reata for dinner, bought a day pass for the Admirals Club, and settled in for a couple hours of reading and email checking in the lounge.

Head down to the gate around 8:00pm. See my name on the upgrade list. Go ask agent if it's my name. She confirms it is and says they really need my seat. Asks me how I'd like to pay. I offer up the least expensive option -- denied. My ticket is booked into a different class. I offer up cold, hard cash. Denied. It's $5600. I mention the six magic words. She smiles, hands me my new boarding pass, and I'm on my way. No cash left my pocket. Incredible. Absolutely incredible.


We boarded around 8:30, and I settled into my biz seat, visions of being able to rest peacefully and waking up refreshed dancing in my head. I've said it once, I'll say it again. American Airlines' business class far eclipses the business class I experienced on United in February. The menu is better (though on this trip I only managed to barely stay away and enjoy my ice cream sundae), the IFE is exceptional, and the service is stellar. I cannot say enough good things about AA business class. The lie flat seats are comfortable, the blankets are soft on the skin, and the new amenity kits are GREAT! This girl has been converted to an AA flyer for life. They definitely have the superior product and service when it comes to AA vs. United.

As I said, I managed to stay away just long enough to enjoy an ice cream sundae before falling asleep. I can promise you we weren't even two hours in flight by the time I nodded off.

I woke up just in time for breakfast and I enjoyed my fresh fruit and yogurt before filling out my arrivals forms. We landed at Heathrow around lunchtime, which is a bit later than I like to start my day, but the sun was shining and within minutes I had boarded the Heathrow Express to Paddington.

Final Destination: Grosvenor House -- my favourite hotel in the world.

Chelsea Flower Show -- London

Closing weekend of the Chelsea Flower show will occur while I am in London. I will have to attend.

London 2009 -- Day Three

Sunday started late with breakfast at Prêt a Manger. I had hoped to visit an outdoor art market that I had read about, so we headed down Bayswater Road along Hyde Park until we found the artists peddling their wares. Having seen a small handful of street artists in Florence, I was unprepared for the number of artists that we were out in full force on that beautiful Sunday morning. There were photographers, painters, watercolorists, clockmakers, and every sort of artist in between stretching from Hyde Park to Kensington Gardens. I loved walking along seeing their pieces, longing to take the largest and most beautiful home with me, but knowing how impractical it was. Given that I had difficulty finding an ATM, I didn’t bring anything home with me. :-\ Sad.

From there, we headed up to Oxford Street for some window shopping which morphed into Tottenham Court road (another HP reference for some of you!) before heading to the National Portrait Gallery to meet Todd. We didn’t end up finding him, so we ventured into the museum on our own. It’s one of the free gems in London, though on that Sunday afternoon, someone was a little overzealous with the heater. It was quite uncomfortable. We did manage to visit a few old friends in the museum though.

After the museum, Mary Beth and I headed to the Texas Embassy just off Trafalgar Square for chips and salsa before she had to head back to Leeds. The Texas Embassy, though not the best Tex-Mex food, holds a special place in my heart when I get homesick while abroad. It’s a big restaurant with all sorts of Texas memorabilia scattered throughout. A little piece of Texas in London. A little bit of trivia for you – the Texas Embassy restaurant actually exists in the same place that the Texas Embassy actually existed when Texas was its own entity. Previous occupants of the building also included White Star Shipping Line, infamous for the ill-fated Titanic.

Mary Beth headed to the train station around 4, leaving me to wait for Todd to determine how to spend our last night in London. We headed out in search of a pub and ended up at Ye Grapes in Mayfair where we watched soccer and had a few drinks. From there, I convinced Todd that we had to go visit the sites at night, as he hadn’t truly experienced the beauty of Big Ben yet. We tried to take the Underground, but the lines we needed were shut down, so we hopped in a cab.

We ended up having a late dinner at Locale, an Italian restaurant in Westminster, not far from where we had lunch on Friday. I ordered the basil pizza, and it was very much like the pizzas I had ordered in Italy. Thin crust, light cheese, light toppings, very flavorful. I really enjoyed it. Todd also seemed to really enjoy his pasta, as there was none left by the end of the meal. (Lots of Italian food this weekend, I know.)

We grabbed the subway up to Tower Hill, so I could photograph Tower Bridge at night. It was a little eerie to wander around the Tower of London at night, but the bridge was absolutely beautiful. I really enjoyed seeing it all lit up in the evening. We stayed up there for awhile, but decided to head back to Grosvenor House before the Underground stopped running.

Overall, it was a very laid back trip without too much excitement. The highlights for me were definitely seeing The Sound of Music, the long leisurely dinner with two good friends, and photographing London at night. London is such a beautiful city, I’m not sure I’ll ever get tired of it.

More pictures can be found on my photoblog, or I can send you the whole collection on Kodak. :)

Happy Heart Day -- London 2009 -- Day Two

Saturday morning, Todd and I once again set out for brekkie. Since we planned on visiting St. Paul’s that morning, we headed over there and found a small café serving breakfast, Café Rouge. We both ordered the traditional English breakfast, and although my eggs were a little runny, everything was good, especially their fresh orange juice. Service was a little spotty, but it was in the European tradition of letting you truly enjoy your table and your meal without being, as opposed to the hurry up and leave technique often practiced by American establishments. I can definitely say I prefer the former. At any rate, we finished up our breakfast and headed to St. Paul’s for some sightseeing. I love St. Paul’s, but it is darn near impossible to get a good picture of that structure! Like Notre Dame, it’s just too big for a good picture.

After St. Paul’s, we headed to King’s Cross to find Platform 9 and ¾s. If you aren’t a Harry Potter reader, you won’t understand. The whole experience was pretty underwhelming, but it was a fun photo op. It was funny, because as we were wandering around looking for it, Todd and I both stated that if we didn’t find it, there was no way we were going to ask where it was. Todd happened to see a flash, and thus we stumbled upon Platform 9 and ¾s…

From there, we headed to Leicester Square so Todd could get tickets for a West End performance. He ended up getting decently priced tickets to see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, so he would be entertained while Mary Beth and I saw The Sound of Music. He wanted to go check into his hotel afterward, and I needed to meet Mary Beth, so we headed back to Grosvenor House.

Mary Beth arrived shortly after 3, and we headed to Prêt a Manger near the Marble Arch tube station for a light lunch. I had fresh fruit and orange juice, and she had a salad. We managed to secure a table upstairs, and we spent time just visiting and catching up. It was absolutely wonderful. We finally headed back to the hotel for more visiting and to get ready for that evening’s events.

Todd was supposed to stay at the Hilton Park Lane, but they were completely booked, so they walked him to the Hilton Green Park a few blocks away. It wasn’t nearly as grand, but it did the job for one night. The staff was very pleasant when we popped over to pick him up on our way to the West End.

We walked from the Hilton Green Park to Piccadilly Circus and ended up having wine and appetizers in the bar of Tiger Tiger. It was the only place we could get into, and we watched a bit of a soccer game while visiting. Eventually, we all scampered off to our respective theaters with the promise to meet up afterwards for a proper dinner.

The Sound of Music was at the Palladium Theater off Oxford Street which is actually quite a large venue, especially for London. We had right orchestra seats that were pretty good. I was really disappointed though – the will call line was RIDICULOUS and they started the show with a will call line about a block long. We missed the opening number. However, other than that, the show was absolutely flawless. It was spectacular. The cast was extremely talented and spot on, the staging was beautiful, and the music was just as beautiful as the original. Captain Von Trapp was a little smarmy, and Mary Beth and I privately shared a good laugh when he thrust his daughter in front of him when asking Rolf not to shoot, but otherwise, it was an absolutely flawless production. I’m so glad we chose to see that before it closed the following weekend.

We met up with Todd after the show, each comparing notes on the show we had just seen and started looking for a restaurant. We found an Italian place, Bella Italia, near Leicester Square, and they seated us at a warm table in the back room of the restaurant. For the next two hours, we dined on fantastic Italian food (I had the linguine rustica – so tasty!), sipped wine, split dessert, and had great conversations. It was one of the most wonderful nights of my entire life, and I wish I could hold on to it forever, especially when I am lonely. Cliché and corny, I know, but it was such a beautiful night.

Together, we walked back to Todd’s hotel, getting a little turned around along the way. We laughed at the silly girls without their coats, the differences between American and European fashion, and those who were already so very drunk early in the night. It was quite cold out, but I never even noticed. It was truly the most perfect Valentine’s Day date I could have ever imagined.

London 2009 -- Day One

I know, I know. I’m really behind in updated the travel blog, since returning from London. I promise, it’s been non-stop since I returned, and it seems like so long ago. It was such an amazing trip though, I can’t even tell you!

I left Wednesday night for an overnight in Chicago, and while the weather looked fine here, it was apparently bad in Chicago. I managed to get standby on an earlier flight, which resulted in me getting to ORD around the same time I would have on the original flight. The original flight didn’t get in until after 11:00 that night. However, I was stuck WAY in the back of the plane, perhaps further back than I’ve sat in YEARS, and it convinced me that I needed to see about an upgrade for the IAD-LHR leg. By 11:00, I was settling into my hotel room after my 2.25 mile run in the fitness center.

While at the airport, I asked about the possibility of an upgrade to business for the Washington-London leg of my flight. The gate agent was able to take care of it for me, so I didn’t have to worry about getting there extra early on Thursday. He was so friendly and helpful – United needs more CSRs like him.

I spent my night in Chicago at the Springhill Suites, and it was perfectly adequate. They had a free shuttle to/from the airport with the nicest shuttle driver! He was so entertaining. My room was fairly large with a separate sitting area. The bathroom was TINY, but what can you expect? The workout room had two treadmills and a couple of weight machines. They had a business center with free internet which was nice, since I don’t like to take my laptop on international trips unless I have to. The staff at this hotel was wonderful though – I cannot say enough good things about them.

Thursday morning, I went for another run in the hotel fitness center and had breakfast at the hotel. It was standard continental fare, but it was good all the same. I had a muffin and orange juice before heading upstairs to shower and get ready for the long day that laid before me.

My flight from Chicago to Washington-Dulles left at 1:10pm, and I was seated in the first row of economy plus. I had more than enough leg room and the seat was fairly comfortable, as far as airline seats go. There was a nice blanket and the standard airline pillow, though I didn’t need either one of them. We were on a 777 that would obviously go on to an international destination later that night. Very comfortable plane. We ended up getting stuck in a holding pattern because of the winds in DC, and it was a fairly turbulent ride, but we touched down only a little bit later than we should have. Good enough.

I had enough time to grab Subway for dinner before boarding the plane to London. I am not crazy about Washington-Dulles as an airport. They still have smoking rooms, so the whole airport has that musty, smoky smell. There also aren’t many dining options in the terminal that I was departing from, so Subway was the best I could do. Seating is very limited around gates, so it can be a bit chaotic. I gladly boarded the plane as soon as they opened up business class and accepted a glass of champagne.

I will say that United’s “old” business product does not even begin to compare with American’s business product. Doesn’t even come close. The menu was extremely limited, the amenity kit was lacking, the seat comfort was terrible (I spent the whole night with the metal lumbar support digging into my back), the blanket and pillow were the same offered in Economy Plus, and the flight attendants attitudes were TERRIBLE. It was not a pleasant experience, and not worth the money, miles, or any combination of the two. Economy Plus would be just as good, if not better. Unlike when I flew American, I was not able to sleep much of the way. They also had very limited entertainment options, especially compared with American’s video on demand service, which was quite extensive and allowed you to watch whatever you chose. United only offered the same couple movies on replay – there was no starting it when you felt inclined. Overall, I was very, very disappointed in United’s business class product.

We ended up in yet another holding pattern outside of London but ended up landing relatively on-time. I cleared customs with only a few questions as to what I was doing in London, and I immediately headed to terminal 4 to meet Todd’s flight.

They were delayed by about an hour, so by the time he got his bags and cleared customs, it was probably after 8:00. I grabbed him and we headed to the Heathrow Express – the best way to get into London, in my opinion. It’s so easy. Buy a ticket, get on the train, and within 20 minutes, you are in the heart of London.

Todd and I each changed $20 at Paddington Station, and I ran outside to grab us a cab to the hotel. We stayed at Marriott’s Grosvenor House again – my favorite hotel in London. They offered us a better room, but it was a smoking room, so I politely declined and we decided to wait until a non-smoking room was available. We checked our luggage and headed out to explore the city.

We ended up walking through Chelsea and Kensingon, originally headed to the Muffin Man, but getting a little turned around along the way. We grabbed some Starbucks to clear our heads and hopped on a double decker bus to Victoria where we wandered around for awhile, and then we headed out towards Westminster on foot. London is such a wonderful walkable city. It’s marked so well, you can get anywhere if you follow the signs.

We spent some time around Westminster Cathedral, Parliament, and Big Ben before deciding that lunch was imperative. We asked a street vendor, and he pointed us down a street behind the Marriott County Hall that had an Italian place, a few fast food places, and Yo Sushi! My friends, the Norvilles, had recommended Yo Sushi on my last visit, and since Todd really seemed to want sushi, I decided to oblige. I had a few of their chicken dishes, and they were decent. They have the sushi rotating around the restaurant, and you pick things off a conveyor belt. They total it up based on the color and number of containers you consume. It’s really a very interesting concept.

After lunch, we decided to head back to the hotel and see if they had a room prepared for us yet. We were both exhausted and in need of a nap. Luckily, a room on the second floor was ready, and after checking our email and letting everyone at home know we were safe, we succumbed to the bed monster and took a much needed nap.

I had tickets to see Avenue Q at 5:30, so I got up around 4 and started getting ready. Todd tried to figure out how to text internationally, so he could meet up with his friends that evening. I really enjoyed Avenue Q, though I definitely recommend seeing it in New York (or anywhere in the US for that matter). They changed a bit of the script to make it relevant in London which I can appreciate. After the show, I walked down to Trafalgar Square for a bit a poetic moment.

When I was in London in December 2004, I had hazy memories of turning a corner and coming upon these beautifully lit fountains. I had made it my mission to find them again, and there they were in Trafalgar Square, just as beautiful as I remembered. I headed back to the hotel to make sure Todd found his friends and to change into my comfortable clothes. From there, I headed back to Westminster to photograph my favorite monuments at night. It was absolutely beautiful. Magical, even.

I headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep, though Todd got home around 1:30, waking me to tell me all about his evening. Definitely a good interruption. We planned to sleep until we got up and around on Saturday morning.

The Grosvenor House bed monster wins again.

Get into theater!

I stumbled upon an AMAZING website today. From January 1 – February 13, the UK offers something called “Get Into London Theatre”. During this time, they offer 15, 25, and 35 gpb tickets to shows in the West End. The tickets go on sale in December, but they continue selling until sold out. I checked this out to see what was available for the Friday I’m in London, and they had tickets to hits like Billy Elliott, Wicked, etc. I was hoping they would have tickets for Jersey Boys, but they only have those available until Thursday… Anyway, here’s the website:

http://www.getintolondontheatre.co.uk/

It’s AMAZING!

The hills are alive!

Mary Beth and I have planned our Valentine’s Day (celebration!) evening in Londres.

We will be going to dinner (not sure where yet), seeing The Sound of Music (thanks Mom!), and going out for drinks afterward. A very subdued affair. Should be fun. :-D The Sound of Music is closing the following week, so we were lucky to be able to get tickets. Very exciting.

Now, I must figure out what I am going to do before Mary Beth gets there. (As if it’s hard to find things to do in London.)

Le Londres -- planning!

Now that I’ve gotten back and settled in, it’s time to start focusing on the upcoming London trip! As it stands right now, I will be putting in an appearance at the one and only Grosvenor House, my favourite hotel in London. Mary Beth won’t actually be arriving until Saturday, so I will have all day Friday to be left to my own devices. I will probably see a show Friday night, but I’m having difficulty picking! The Sound of Music and Dirty Dancing are at the top of my list… though it has been awhile since my last Wicked fix, so I could always see Wicked again. I’ve never seen it in London. ;-) (But is 10 times excessive? Is it?) The Sound of Music is closing the following week, so I may end up choosing that. We’ll see. I need to decide quickly though, as tickets for West End shows seem a bit harder to come by. Oh, I love theater!

One thing I definitely want to do is photograph the Tower Bridge at night, and hopefully get some dusk pictures of the Parliament/Big Ben/Tower Bridge areas. I am debating whether or not to take my tripod with me. I guess it will depend on how much I pack. ;-) There was no way I could take it to NYC and not check luggage. I really don’t like to check luggage on international trips, so we’ll just have to see how the packing goes.

I’m also hoping to visit the British Museum and the Sunday morning outdoor art fair.

I love planning trips. :-D

Nothing much to do at work today… yet. So here I sit, planning trips, looking up theater tickets, and debating which show to see.

Life is good, isn’t it?