May 31, 2010

Today involved a visit to the grand Blenheim Palace. I got to have a guided tour of the state rooms and saw the rose gardens, arboretum, and Cascade Pumphouse. It was such a beautiful day and a beautiful place to visit. The interior of the house didn't allow for pictures, so I had to make some space for the memories to be stored in my head. One interesting fact about the palace is that it is still inhabited. The people live in a separate area from the area open for tours but they hang a flag to inform visitors when they have left the residence. Then you are able to see and tour the other areas of the house. After touring the house, I entered the gardens and saw the rose gardens and had a nice walk around the grounds. I got to see the Arboretum, the Cascade Pumphouse, the Boat House and ended back at the Orangery for lunch. I had the most delicious chocolate muffin and a ham and dijon mustard sandwich. After touring the palace, we rode the bus to Oxford. In Oxford we did some shopping and sightseeing. I got some really good chocolate treats from Thornton's and a cute alarm clock in red with the London flag.

May 30, 2011

Today we started early and took the train to the great Burghley House. We caught a bus from the train station and rode for the first time on the wrong side of the rode. Crazy! When we arrived at the house, we arrived with the rain "spitting" on us as the locals like to say. We entered the house and was able to have a tour guide that was very informative but still entertaining. He told many interesting facts and I learned a lot. The design of the house was all centered on the main courtyard and revolved around it. The rooms wrapped around the courtyard and a grand gallery or hallway allowed you to access the different bedrooms. There was also a secret passageway next to the grand gallery for the servants to have access to the bedrooms. They would place secret openings along tapestries or create walls along moldings in the wall. How cool was that! After the tour, we went to the Orangery and I had a yummy scone and a slice of lemon cake. It was delicious! While our stomach's were full we took a walk to the gardens while the rain stopped for a short time. It was a great time to get some beautiful pictures of the flowers and house. After the gardens, we drove to Stamford and enjoyed ourselves. We were soaked but kept going. We found some really great shops with really cute clothes. I got some really cute jewelry at one shop right before we had to leave to catch the bus. I found a rose ring and a watch. I can know what time it is! Hurray! Which reminds me as I glance down at it right at this moment that it is late and I need sleep for another busy day tomorrow. Looking forward to another great day in London.

May 29, 2011

Today was our first Sunday in London. I got to go to church at the local LDS building and had Stake Conference with them. It was a fun experience and got to sit next to an adorable little boy named Luigi. After attending church we came back to the flat and enjoyed some tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. It warmed our bellies and prepared us for a nap that I was in desperate need of. After a long three hour nap we had a quick snack and were out to the streets of London again. We walked to a park called Hyde Park which was a beautiful escape from the busy city life of London. We took a few moments to sketch at the Albert Monument and enjoyed the sites on the way home. Today I also gave out directions to a lost traveler! It felt great to know something, and not to be the one that was lost. Another highlight of my day was going to the ATM and drawing out some pounds. I can now say that I have touched a 20 pound and a 10 pound bill. I am such a tourist!!! Looking forward to our trip to Burley House tomorrow. More great photo's on there way!

May 28, 2010

Today was all about walking. We walked and walked and in case you were wondering we walked some more. My feet are happy to be sitting and resting. We went to some great museums in London. First, we visited the V& A, which is the Victoria and Albert Museum. The exterior of the building itself was amazing to look at but holds even greater pieces of treasures inside. Every floor we went on had great pieces of art, furniture, and period clothing. After the V& A we had a quick lunch break and took another long journey to the Tate Modern Museum. Along the way we explored the streets and saw famous London sites. Including: The original London Bridge and the well known London Bridge. After the site seeing, we made it to Tate Modern. This museum held mostly paintings, photography, and sculpture. I also bought my first souvenir here, just for your information! After the group sight seeing, I was able to have the fabulous opportunity to see a play at the Globe Theatre. I saw All's Well That Ends Well, it was lovely!!! The actors were splendid and it was so entertaining. We got cheap tickets for the standing area for only 5 pounds. It was a killer of a deal but also was a little painful to stand for two hours and 40 minutes after all the walking. But it was completely worth the pain and a memory of a lifetime. What a great third day in the great city of London!

May 27, 2010

The second day of my grand journey began with a good amount of sleep and a head of hair that had been washed. What a great feeling! Today involved visiting Hampton Court, and a quick morning tour of parts of downtown London. Including Covent Garden Square, the iconic London telephone booths, a ride on the Train, and finding my way along the underground.

May 26, 2010

First day of my grand adventure to Europe! What a day it has been! Saw a few key London sites: including Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. Moved into our flats and settled in. Need to catch up on few zzzzz's that were robbed from me during the longest flight of my life from Chicago to London airport. Enjoy the few pictures and look forward to more to come!