Merely Mortal: Magnolias, Cemeteries, and Sunshine

Wednesday, April 6th:
We went to the Saatchi Gallery for art...and I really liked this art collectors quirky style. Oil floors to miniature skeletons flying on bugs to bright and colorful paintings. It was unique. Plus...the gallery was small...which was nice. And our prof let us have some time outside because it was GORGEOUS!! We went sunbathing. :) Probably the warmest day I've had in London...70's!!

After class Kristin and I ate as Wagamama...a popular Oriental food place. It was really good! I got some sort of sesame chicken with sweet pea shoots, shredded carrots and rice. Sounds kind of weird...but all together it was delicious. The sweet pea shoots added just the right amount of green. :)

Thursday, April 7th:

After class I decided to to an assignment before Mandy got here

Assignment 6: The Villages of London - Hampstead Village

Right when I got off the tube, I explored some of the little shopping streets nearby before following the directions. Found a cute little second hand bookstore and a ice cream place across from it...where I had to get some sherbet of course. :)

Then I walked down church row, London's finest Georgian street, and admired the Georgian house architecture before going into the graveyard of the church. I love old cemeteries and this one was particularly beautiful because all of the trees were in full bloom. Unlike our cemeteries back home where there are few trees and mainly an expanse of green...this one was overgrown with plants! It was lovely...very shaded from the sun and heat, and the petals from the blossoming magnolia trees were scattered on the gravestones. It was beautiful! Death...and also new life! I wandered around taking pictures. I did see some famous names, but since this was so long ago...I unfortunately don't remember whose names they were.

Exiting, I went up Holly Walk, turned down Mount Vernon (pausing to take pictures of the old house on the corner that was owned by Robert Louis Stevenson...and also of the street sign because I live close to a town called Mount Vernon in Iowa) and up Hampstead Grove.

It was very hot that day and the sun was beating down...so I would have loved to stop at the Holly Bush pub on Holly mount...but I don't really like going to pubs when I'm by myself. :)

Next I went up to Fenton House...built in the 17th Century. I didn't want to pay to enter the house, but I paid the 2 pounds to see the walled gardens. Lot of cut shrubs and a private vegetable and flower garden in the back...it was a nice stroll. I sat for awhile in the shade on a bench. :)

After I left I walked down Admirals walk to see the outside of the Admiral's House ("built for an admiral, but no admiral actually ever lived there"). The architectural was very naval and sea oriented....white, and ship-like.

I then meandered back to High Street. Got a little lost getting there...but that's okay because I got to see a lot of the side streets and residential areas. The buildings and feel of the place was very much like a town back home...it did indeed feel very far from Central London. Plus, it was just a gorgeous day and many people were out on their steps eating icecream and playing. I observed many youth and young families in this area...but also more older people than we see in Central London. People weren't dressed in the most fashionable clothes...it was more casual and relaxed. A place to raise families. I loved it!

When I finally got to High Street, I stopped at the Olde Sweet Shoppe and got some maple nut fudge and a mint chocolate bar to take to the park with me. :)

But before I entered the Hampstead Heath park, I found a fruit tent and bought a little box of strawberries. :) I really liked this park...it felt more natural than man-made...more like our national parks back home. There were many walking, horse, and bike trails through this natural splendor of trees, grassy green hills, and lakes. Some were even dipping into the bathing ponds because it was so warm out. Many families were out having picnics and lovers out for a stroll. sigh...lovely.

I wound through the tree-lined trails in search of Parliament Hill. I even saw a red-head boy (who looked a lot like a young Ronald Weasley) trying to walk a tightrope tight between two trees. lol!

Quite a hike to the top of Parliament Hill...but the view over London from the top was stellar! Skyscrapers and sun. :)

That night my friend from Spain arrived and I went to meet her at Victoria Coach station.

I freaked out for awhile though because I realized that when I told her to take a bus from the airport to Victoria station...I hadn't specified which station...and there are like...four Victoria stations: train, underground, and multiple coach stations and stops. So when she wasn't arriving at the coach station at the time I expected....I got very nervous. She could be anywhere waiting for me...and it was all my fault!

I hurried from one station to another looking for her. Didn't have her phone number and even though I had given her mine, I had no idea if it would work when she tried to call me because I hadn't given her the area code thing. AHH!! I felt like Kelsey when she lost me in the Louvre...Mandy was my responsibility.

But on my way back and forth to the coach station I got a relieving call from her telling me where she was...good thing too, because she was somewhere I wouldn't have guessed. lol. She was fine, of course...hadn't experienced any of the panic I went through. lol! I was a chatterbox after that scare.

We went back to Vandon House, ran into Mat and found out some very exciting news. A couple of our good friends were getting engaged that weekend and not many people knew it was going to happen yet!! We were so excited to know about it ahead of time!! Mandy especially. :)

We then went grocery shopping and I took Mandy over to Westminster to see the Abbey, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, and the London Eye lit up at night. :) It was gorgeous and the weather was splendid....no coat, yay!!!

Friday, April 8th:

After a big frustration earlier in the week on my part...trying to plan travel to these filming locations...Mandy happily told me that she had figured out how to get to the one I most wanted to go to. So we quickly booked a train to go on Sunday...even though we originally had wanted to go on Friday.

Instead we had a busy day of sightseeing around London...I showed her all just about everything! Our feet were so sore at the end of the day! But it was sunny and nice...in fact...the weather was GORGEOUS this entire weekend! Best "lasting" weather I've had the yet here. :)

Buckingham Palace (the changing of the guard happened to be going on at the time...but we skipped that and instead saw the horse guards going down the street...which is just as cool if not better. :)...)
Through St. James' Park. "Would you girls like a daisy?"...like girl reminded us of the girls in The Holiday gave us daisies. :) So cute. Second time a child has given me a flower in this Park!
Mandy fed the squirrels peanuts. lol!
Horse Guards arch and holding
On to Trafalgar Square...taking pictures with the Lions (challenge climbing up there!...and the bronze was too hot to sit on...so I didn't climb the lion. haha!) and the Olympic clock (with the different times of each side...good job London. lol)
Showed Mandy a little bit of the National Gallery...Leonardo's cartoon
Over the Embankment Bridge and passed the London eye and carnival area with street performers
Mandy's hilarious encounter with Donald Duck. HAHA! He (she) had just taken the costume head off and Mandy spoke to her in her Donal Duck voice...but the lady just looked at Mandy like she was crazy! We cracked up
Walk over the bridge by Big Ben and Parliament....bagpipes playing on the bridge. "This is Parliament!! You can't come in here!!" haha...oh my father.
Delightful fish and chips at the Laughing Halibut. I even witnessed the giant barrel of cut up potatoes they rolled in to make the chips!
On to walk around Portobello Road and market...bought a cute green shirt and belt
Iced coffee from Starbucks to wake us up....St. Paul's, Millenium Bridge, sunflower exhibition at Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe, Sir Francis Drake's Boat, Borough Market was closed...
Ended the day by walking around the Tower of London and Tower bridge at sunset.