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FRIDAY
I arrived at the airport just in time to meet Christina already out of the gates! Her flight was early and T5 got her through customs and such in a giffy! (though i heard it took it a while to get there! the first month it was open i heard it was a nightmare!) I would have been there in plenty of time had everything been a normal flight day. 8:45am landing - she would have been out of customs and baggage claims around 9:45am at the earliest! well i was there at 9:15am. Christina had come out at 9:05am. oops. Next time ill get there earlier so we can both enjoy the excitement and big hugs when you walk thru the baggage claim exit and into the arms of the waiting crowds.
Well, OK .. so CHRISTINA IS IN LONDON! WOHOOOO.
We hop on the Tube and head to her hotel the Novotel Tower Bridge - which i HIGHLY recommend - drop the bags and hit a pub for a Full English Breakfast. A full English breakfast with scrambled eggs, sausage, black pudding (or mushrooms), bacon, baked beans, hash browns, and half a tomato. Though we both chose the mushroom instead of the blood pudding. (eww).
After a quick check into the room we walk over to TOWER OF LONDON where we gooed over the royal crown jewels; the many crowns, the scepters, orbs, swords, rings, spurs, robes dishware and other extremely shiny items connected with the coronation ceremonies and other state functions. All of course displayed in magnificent cases stored in a mega vault. (No photos are allowed here, but alas online you can see lots of photos anyways.. here's on NOT taken by me...
Below are some choice photos of our Tower of London 3 hour tour. (YES...we got the guided tour headset - very educational!)
(see anne's creepy shadow!)
The Henry VIII's Dressed to Kill exhibit was FANTASTIC - again no photos were allowed here, however lets just say that a select few of his body armour's were male suggestive - i'll guess these were early forms of the jock strap.
After a quick shower and change we met Lee after work for a few drinks and dinner. First to the NatWest Tower to have a drink at the bar Rhodes24, then to another bar (no idea the name or where it was!) then off to Dim T an Asian fusion restaurant for dinner with a view of the Thames, and Tower Bridge. The food was fantastic - the service awful. I wouldn't even say mediocre, just awful. Dinner took 3 hours - good thing the company was fantastic!
SATURDAY
We wanted to get up and have a full day of touring before meeting Lee's family for dinner in Wimbledon village and friends out in Clapham, so we got up ready to go and double decker tour bus it for the day. Turns out to be the the coldest day of the year so far! We were frozen! We made it one stop when we decided to take the tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theater - another London item i HIGHLY recommend! Christina really wanted to take this tour since 15 years ago when she was here last - it want built! Yes, that's right, it's a replica. But they hold plays here as well - which Lee and I will plan to see one next season (as they shut next week until April...but for the first time this year will be showing plays over Christmas-so this might be an idea).
We spent the rest of the cold afternoon riding on the bus listening to the history from the bus guide - bur more from Lee! The bus tour is a great way to see lots of sections of London (even though they drive by quickly things you might want to look at longer) but at any point you can get off the bus and get on at the same or other spots.
After a quick nap shower and change we were on the Tube headed to Wimbledon to have drinks/dinner with The Garratty's in Wimbledon Village. After a good fish n chips in the Dog and Fox we headed off to the Goat in Clapham to meet Lee's crowd. THANKS FOR COMING OUT GUYS! - big thanks for Kelly and Jeff for coming so far!!
SUNDAY
We slept in. Big time. We needed it. Today was a day of shopping and less tourism. We did end up on Oxford Street - my least favorite shopping area due to the crowds, but Christina was able to score two shirts at the Camdon Town markets and a killer jacket before we had to head to the airport to check her in.
The trip was short but sweet. Next time i'll take Christina outside of London City to see some of the wonders of Greater London.
LOVE YOU SIS!
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