LONDRES!

I was thrilled to finally get the chance to visit my family in England. The last time I had seen most of them had been at least three years ago. My aunt and I had been in considerably good touch since I had expressed to her at the beginning of my study abroad that I would be interested in visiting London after my program. With her help I was able to work out all of the details with flights. She was truly a superstar. I arrived in England Tuesday and was picked up by Aunt Paula in the late hours of the night. I felt right at home as soon as I settled into bed that night. We woke up early the next morning and enjoyed a big bowl of fresh fruit and honey and headed over so I could say hello to Nan and Grandad. It was wonderful to see them as it had been so long! We chatted for a bit and then Paula and I headed to London for the afternoon. I had shown interest in getting tickets to see Wicked while in England and my aunt didn’t hesitate to get them (I was absolutely spoiled rotten on this trip -a wonderfully successful ploy to have me visiting again shortly). Right before the show we walked over to Buck House. The Queen was in residence because of the British flag raised high. All of London is anticipating the wedding within the next few weeks because of all the souvenirs designed with the faces of William and Katherine on them – it was actually a bit amusing: there were flags, mugs, bags, shirts all imprinted with their faces. I wasn’t sure what to expect of the show – many of my friends said it was their favorite but because I was older now, I thought it might be a little different. I have never really been a play-finatic. Well, it turns out the show almost had me in tears at the end. The story line was so interesting and it was fun knowing the songs beforehand and watching them play into the plot. Unfortunately my aunt wasn’t as moved but my over-enjoyment made up for it. We walked to a close by pub for my first British fishnchips in a long time. It never disappoints really. Our way back we stopped by my cousin Angela’s house to say hello. I have always loved seeing Angela because she is always happy and talking about new things going on. We started looking at Olympic tickets together for next summer. Her son, Reece, is Chloe’s age but we have stayed in decent contact thanks to the networking of Facebook. I brought my things over to Nan and Grandad’s to stay there for the rest of my visit.

Thursday Paula, Reece and I went into London for a London Walk that took us around different places by the Monument. Carly was able to meet up with us which was amazing to see her. There were tons of places and buildings we all learned interesting and random things about. But the main facts were: almost everything burnt down in 1666 because of the London fire and was rebuilt by a man named Christopher Wrenn. We learned that on this one building the builders sculpted two rats eating a piece of cheese because they were the culprits of their missing lunches. On the top of St. Lawrence’s cathedral, the wind dial is shaped like a grill so that you would remember he was grilled to death. We walked through the Royal Exchange and saw the modern buildings of London in the financial sector of the city. After the tour ended, we walked over to St. Paul’s cathedral and over the millennium bridge to walk along the embankment towards the London eye. Luckily for me, we got tickets to go on the London eye which was so much more memorable the second time around. It even came with a “4D experience” (there’s 3D glasses as well as wind, rain, bubbles and all of the above). By that time we were already getting quite tired but we trekked onward to see Big Ben, the Parliament houses and Westminister Abbey. We spent some time walking through some of the courtyard and gardens by Westminister Abbey which was beautiful and almost like a safehaven from the rest of busy London – you almost couldn’t hear a thing while inside them. You wouldn’t be able to guess where you were if it weren’t for the British accents of Big Ben hovering above you. We quickly hopped onto the subway to get to Tower Hill (London Bridge and Tower of London). We were famished and exhausted at this point thanks to my amazing aunt and cousin who made wonderful tour guides. We sat down at St. Katherine’s Docks for a delicious Italian meal which was comparable to what I ate when I was there only a few days prior. I said a sad goodbye to Carly as it would be the last time I saw her abroad and would be seeing her back in Provo.
Friday was definitely more low-key and my aunt took me around to help me find a pair of original and authentic pair of British Hunter Wellys. At the second store we went to, I found a wonderful pair of purple Barbour which were even more authentic and British than Hunters which have become too “American” nowadays. Aunt Paula nicknamed them the “grape-crushers” because of the deep color which was very fitting. We met Nan and Grandad at a pub located along Leeds River with picturesque scenery of the type of landscape in England. Lucky for me, we had beautiful, warm weather the entire time I was there. Aunt Paula and I went on a nice long walk by her house that went through the woods, around a lake and along Leeds River. There was nothing more peaceful and relaxing. The area was untouched and completely nature – there was even a pasture with wild horses which is something you could hardly encounter back in the States. I soaked up every minute as my aunt and I chatted about various things ranging from my social life to my plans to work abroad eventually (hopefully in London). Later that night, I got to see Lynn and my cousins Becky and Charlotte. I hadn’t seen them all in a long while and only stayed connected through various status updates on Facebook. It was through Facebook that I saw Lynn’s experience with a fish pedicure – something I had never heard of. So that’s what our plan was – to get fish pedicures and go out for my favorite… Indian. The fish pedicure was nothing I expected. I had a decent forewarning because Lynn refused to do it again. Anyway, you essentially stick your feet in this tub of warm water filled with these little fish that literally nibble at your feet for 20 minutes (or however long you pay for). At first, I was shrieking because it was such a bizarre feeling! But once I closed my eyes it felt like bubbles. As soon as I let myself think back to the fish eating at my feet, it would just make me laugh. If you got your mind off of it, it actually felt really nice. And in the end, your feet were so much softer. Quite the experience. And of course Indian was delicious as always.

Saturday I ate delicious fishnchips once again with Nan and Grandad. Later on, my cousin Becky and her boyfriend Kieran came and picked me up from Nan and Grandad’s in the afternoon to take me to a mall called Lakeside. We were there for several hours and she was incredibly patient with me showing me around all the European stores. I definitely tired us all out. In the evening, Aunt Paula and I drove up to Harlow to see Limitless which surprised both of us with the original plot.

Sunday was my last full day with everyone. Grandad, Nan and I spent the morning sitting in the sun for a bit before we headed to Toby’s Carvery for their usual early dinner. I really enjoyed being around them and spending quality time. My favorite though was when I started asking them about how they had first met and their dating life before they had gotten married. It really made me happy to hear their stories of when they were my age. Their eyes would light up as they went back and forth sharing the details as they gradually remembered bits and pieces. Apparently my granddad had to do quite a bit of work to get my nan’s attention – which still goes on today. He would truly do anything for her, to make her happy and to keep her content. He treats all the ladies in the family like royalty. What we did to deserve such a privilege I do not know but definitely made him the amazing grandfather I know him to be. They saw my interest in their past lives and drove me around Chingford to show me where their old houses used to be, where the dance was where they first met and where Nan used to walk Paula until she was about three. It was a fabulous afternoon spent with my grandparents where I was able to get to know better who they used to be. When we got back to the house, we set up camp in their yard with chairs, a table, umbrella and wind barrier and all sat out soaking up the sun and gradually dozed off for about an hour. As we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, Nan brought out a box collected full of photos my dad had sent her of Chloe and I while we were little as well as pictures of my dad when he was tiny and things like his report cards (quote from his French teacher: “The subject is beyond him.”) The day couldn’t have gotten better. Paula came over later on as well as Angela and Reece and everyone. We all chatted for a while and said our sad goodbyes. I was so sad to leave because it had gone by so fast. I really felt at home with all of my relatives. They know me so well even though I hadn’t seen them in ages. It amazed me of the family connection that is so strong.

My sweet Grandad woke up in the early morning hours (4am) to take me to the airport this morning. I was so appreciative. My grandparents went out of their way countless times to make my visit as comfortable as possible. I felt like royalty. I miss them already!