Back to reality....and work to save more money for my next bigtrip....ugh!!!!

Where to go next year is the question.  I was dead set on Greece before this vaca, but now I'm not so sure.  Viking does a river cruise from Amsterdam (my home someday!) to either Basil or Budapest that others on the Viking said was their favorite so far....and our chef on the boat was from Greece so I talked to him about different options for Greece.  He was so nice, the next day he gave me a print out of some websites that he personally knows the tour guides, he even called them for us.  Viking is top notch all the way!

Yesterday I had a busy day by myself.  I took the tube to Harrods.

Oh my gosh, it's overwhelming.  I know I've used that descriptive word quite often during this blog, but it's totally true.  Harrods is bigger than Macy's in NYC!  OK, so the layout is stupid and confusing, even for me who has a good sense of direction.  Some things that I didn't know about Harrods is that they also have food....a meat department as well as a grocery department.  You can buy some apples for 10.20 pounds per pound (that sounded funny didn't it?).  Yeah right!!  I didn't go over to the meat department, I just saw it and quickly clicked this photo.

They have a Christmas FLOOR.  I overheard someone say that it's there all year long.  I found a black Christmas tree for my daughter in law.  Only 89 pounds, not that much different than Pier 1, and it's smaller.  

Then I took a walk to where my favorite niece used to live.  I wanted to see the footsteps she took everyday and where she lived.  I even thought I was hallucinating and saw her...

Hyde Park and Prince Albert Theater.  What a beautiful place to live Elizabeth!!!!  I'm envious that you had that opportunity!!  I'm looking for a job abroad if anyone is hiring, they would, however, need to pay me enough not only to work, but also enough to live with enough $$ leftover to bring my family over to visit.  That may prove to be challenging.  ugh!!

So, the Book of Mormon.  I'd give it a strong C.  It was kind of funny but not roll on the floor funny.  The setting of the play didn't really make sense for Mormon's and could've been different and then it would've been even more funny.  For those of you who haven't seen it but want to, I won't do a spoiler alert.  Mormon's definitely have different beliefs, and are tied to more rules.  They have a lot, in my opinion stupid, rules that Catholics have.  Glad we're all different though, it keeps life interesting, and gives us something else to contemplate.

Today we're on our way home.  I didn't get to do a lot of the things I wanted to do, but they were all day trips....maybe next time.

For those of you who forgot that we were 6, 7, 8, an 9 hours ahead, depending on what country I was in, and depending on what state you are in.  Thank you for texting in MY middle of the night. That's OK, I totally understood that it's hard to think about it's night for me when it's day for you.  

We're leaving in 30 minutes for Heathrow to Chicago, then on to Phoenix.  We arrive in Phoenix at 7:04  pm (Phoenix time).  I'll let y'all know when I arrive.

It's been fun, and a whirlwind, but I wouldn't have it any other way!  The wifi has been challenging, and it's not been fun blogging from my phone....but I'm glad I did!

Everything was fun, profound, intersting, and exciting all on the same trip, I'm so glad I came!!

See you later.....Over and out!

XOXO Mom/Cyn

To be or not to be: that is the question. (Hamlet)

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? (Romeo and Juliete)

Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once. (Julius Caesar)

A man can die but once. (Henry IV, part 2)

How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!

I am the one who loved not wisely but too well. (Othello)

To thine own self be true. (Hamlet)

Guess where we went yesterday???  YES, a tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theater.  

The reflection in the glass is of the apartment/office building in the background.

(this was just a cool piece of art that was in the theater)

(A Midsummer Night's Dream)

This was in the gift shop but I thought it was fitting for Cam, Elizabeth, and Ava. I guess strong, independent, mothers produce strong, independent daughters!

It was profound to see where Shakespeare performed.  The thatched roof, open air theater is small, standing only on the floor (600 people, yeah right?!) and wooden seating around the upper two floors of the theater.  

It was illegal for women to act during the Elizabethan period.  They used prepubescent boys for the women parts because their voices hadn't changed yet. 

Then we went to the 

Tate Modern museum.  It was one of MY favorite museums in London, although we're not going to be able to make it to the Eltham Palace, which is a home from the Art Deco period, that one may have been a close first or second.   Sorry you can't see the "Tate" sign, you'll just have to take my word for it.

Here were some of my favorites....

of course there were many more. 

Oh, I almost forgot.  The first place we ventured to was the Beatles Store.  I'm not a big fan, but David and Andy were, so I feel like I at least know a lot about them

Ever since we were planning this trip (May 2014), I had been looking at the different plays, musicals, entrtainment, etc.  One play/musical that I really wanted to see was "Beautiful, The Carole King Musical".  It was indeed as beautiful as I thought it would be.  My ONLY complaint was for people in the audience to STOP SINGING!!!  We paid money to hear the actors perform, NOT YOU!!  I knew her life story before I went...it's amazing how many songs she composed (her husband was the lyricist) before she actually started singing them herself.  "Tapestry" was her best-selling album in which she sang her own songs.  One thing I didn't know....she sang at Carnegie Hall.  That was my dream when I was younger in all of those years of voice lessons.  

Every place we've been (Paris and London) there are rentable bicycles.  Phoenix has them too, as do other big cities.  A fellow FB friend posts photos of her on them wherever she goes. 

Remember, earlier I told you that everyone goes out for dinner??  Well, the pubs and thousands of tiny restaurants are packed every night.  Here must be a manly pub for the men to gather after work.  I think it's kind of contradictory that it's the floweriest buidling on the block!

 I watch the news every morning, and everyday they speak of the American economy.  They watch us closely.   Today they were talking about how American's are buying less gasoline and how that affects jobs all over the world.           In London the World Rugby tournament is going on.             According to the BBC, the UK is on the highest terror threat level, "severe", since 9/11 which is in response to conflicts in Iraq and Syria.  There are five levels of threats, and "severe" is second from the top.  The highest threat (because it's the easiest) is to those traveling abroad.  No one is really talking about it, and so far we haven't heard anything from the airport.  

As I mentioned before, London is a city underground.  It has the most sophistacted "tube" system.  Kuddos to them because it's very easy to get around, change routes, and maneuver underground.  Often crowded with people, it still moves quite quikly.  Hustle and bustle of the people in London!!

Tonight we're seeing the Book of Mormon.  Should be funny I'm guessing.

Finally, a word of advice for today--

If you're coming to London, you only need to bring a few things; black clothing, "flats", a scarf or two, and RED lipstick!

Love you bunches, oodles, and gobs

Mom/Cyn

Just an ordinary day with the Queen.

It did rain all day, but hey, I was in London, and I had an umbrella and a raincoat....should've had more weather appropriate shoes though.  Oh well, of course I had others to change into.

Buckingham Palace was really beautiful, and it was was kind of surreal standing in the same spot of some memorable happenings that I had seen on television, the most recent was, of course, the kiss of William and Kate after their wedding.  Yep, I saw that balcony with my own eyes from both outside and went into the room that the balcony was in.  On the tour, it focused more on the Queen and Kings from years past, the artwork and statues and their origination, the crystal chandaliers, the Queen's wardrobe, and how an event is planned.  We couldn't take pictures, but we did have a sweet treat in the cafe afterwards.  I had my first scone and clotted cream in London at Buckinham Palace (it was dry and heavy, and not very good, and it had raisins that I had to pick out!)

Later that night we took a double decker bus tour and I saw this in a window, I'm not sure what the place was, but I'm assuming it had something to do with printing.

The Thompson competed with the Heidelberg...for Lipincot Printing, the Heidelberg won. If you want to know something about the Thompson, just ask Josh, he probably knows.

Among all of the historical architecture, some dating back to the Midevil time, sits some more contemporary buildings

With the same panoramic backdrop. 

Our dinner cruise was absolutely perfect!  I texted back and forth with Lizzy so I got to share a little bit of it as it was happening with her.  That was cool, and warmed my heart even further.  By the time the 2 hour cruise started (glad it didn't turn out like Gilligan's cruise!) it had stopped raining.  

The boat had floor to ceiling windows wich afforded us with the most panoramic views, and of course we got the best front corner window ($$$$) table.

We were greeted with a bottle of champagne, white linen, and our own personal waitstaff.  The music was live jazz and was equally as good as the view and service.  

When I grow up I want to sing on a river boat dinner cruise on the Thames.  I could totally rock it!

Today is a glorious day, the sun is waving at us and playing hide-n-seek with the clouds, still a bit chilly (actually it's cold!), so I think I'll go to Harrods (or a Dollar General!) and find some gloves.

Have a wonderful day, be kind and nice to one another and remember to smile at someone you encounter.  Most of our parents paid a lot of money for our smiles so we might as well show them off!

Love you, 

Mom/Cyn

Why did the chicken cross the road??

...because he farted on the other side!  ha ha ha ha!!!  Out of the mouth of about 2nd grade babes...we were in the Tower of London and there were a few elemetary school groups on field trips.  One of the tour guides dressed in midevil attire had them sit in a semicircle and called a few students up to the front to sit on an official looking bench.  To break the ice he asked if anyone knew a good joke.  Of course everyone raised their hand.  The first kid who was called up front shyly looked at the group and admittedly said, "I don't know one."  He was dismissed back to the semicircle and another student was summond.

SHE was so excited to tell her joke that she just blurted it out and coudn't hold off for the guide to direct her.  EVERYONE in the room roared.  Of course the teacher looked mortified and I'm sure the girl got a stern talking to when she got back to school on proper etiquitte.

One word of advice.  If you purchase a new camera before you go on vacation learn to use the damn thing BEFORE you go!!!!

Today I walked almost 20,000 steps....not kidding!!!

OK, so Craig walked almost the same amount.  Here is our dilemma.  Before he got his fitbit, at home he wore a pedometer on his waistband like I do, we tested it to make sure it worked before we went walking.  A few steps around the house.  It worked so we ventured out on our walk.  I walked the same distance together, almost 6000 steps for me, and he walked about half of that, which makes sense since his stride is much longer than mine.  Well, here using his wrist fitbit he "walks" almost the same amount as I do.  I say his isn't true because he dramatically talks with his hands A LOT.  Surely that has to account for some of his steps.  Has anyone ever don't research on wrist movement on the wrist Fitbit?

The food I was looking most to having when I got to London was REAL scones and clotted cream.  Well, I have yet to have one believe it or not.  Everyone serves croissants.

In Paris everyone smokes, in Lonon, almost everyone smokes.  There aren't really sidewalk cafes and there is construction EVERYWHERE.  The streets are very narrow like Paris, and most everyone walks or uses public transit like Paris.  I've heard that London has the largest underground "tube" (subway) system in the world.  Once again, it's pretty clean like Paris.  There are just as many cafes, restaruants, and pubs as Paris, which is A LOT.  Everyone eats out.  Everyone wants to be outside their apartment because they're so small.  After work you meet friends or family in a restaurant and may take in a show or a walk in one of the many squares or parks.  Those are my visual differences between the two.  The FEELING of London is a lot like New York City.  Hustle and bustle and scurring around and everyone is in a hurry.  

Yesterday was another great day.  Firstly (they say that word quite often, it drives me crazy when they don't say secondly! Uh-oh, the grammar police just came out...I'll have to tuck her back in. We toured the Tower of London which dates back to midevil times where people got tourtured in the stretching machines and other different torturing devices and contraptions.  We saw where men were inprisioned and had made carvings on the walls in the stone.  All the while, the King was in his cozy bedroom or one of his many other rooms.

We went on a boat on the Thames to the Royal Observitory and checked off one of Craigs bucket list items....to stand on the prime meridian.  YEA!!!!

Then we went through the observitory and I learned how the early explores learned how to tell time going north and south...the east and west was by the sun of course.  We saw how they figured out, with telescopes and stars, how to navigate the seas.  The first clocks were pendulum, but they didn't work on boats very well beacause they weren't level all of the time.  SO, they had to make new clocks with a different timing mechinism to work on the sea.  BOY oh BOY were there smart people back then too.  Sometimes I think they were smarter than now, because they had to start with nothing....not even a concept.  Now, how did someone figure out that there were constillations that never changed??  How did someone figure out that you could navigate by them?  Now someone had to build something that you could see them more precisely....wow!!

The boat tour on the Thames was really cool.

Looking at things from another side gave us a different perspecitive, and at night on the EYE it gave us even a different perspective.  Our tour guide, a 17 year old boy was terrific and very funny!!!  Big Ben is named after Sir Benjamin Hall but actually his first name was Richard but they couln't call the bell tower Big Richard (Dick).....get it?? ha ha ha ha!!  Actually that was just a funny he made.  I looked it up and the bell tower was indeed named after Sir Benjamin Hall. 

The London Eye was so cool, but the 30 minutes went by very quickly. We had our own private car.

 I would definitely recommend it.  We had a private pod with our own tour guide (and a bottle of champagne and chocolates).  I'd highly recommend you do it that way, otherwise you're on your own figuring out what buildings are and you don't get the history and personal perspecive.  

Today, we're doing a tour of Buckingham Palace and a dinner cruise. This afternoon is still unplanned.  Maybe Harrods, the Beatle museum, Shakespeare theater....um I just don't know.  

Best get ready for the Palace tour now......until tomorrow I bid you farewell and will repeat the beginning joke.  Why did a chicken cross the road......becasue he farted on the otherside!!  ha ha ha!!!

Love you all,

Mom/Cyn

Paris to London

I saw the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Parliment, all in the same day.  Boy what a busy day.  

Of course, in true Cyn form, we hit the ground with cheetah feet.  We walked 11,000 steps around the city center of London to get our feel and see some of the surrounding sites.  

the first red telephone booth I saw.  They're slowly doing away with the iconic structures.

The London Eye...we're doing that tonight with a tour guide.  

Big Ben

I'll get a better photograph tomorrow on our tour, but these are the doors in which Prince William and Kate Middleton graced themselves in front of a million people to become husband and wife.  Westminster Abbey.

After a leisurly dinner of ceasar salad and pappardelle pasta with bison meat (I picked around it) we decided to do one more thing before retiring back to our hotel in Trafalgar Square, and that was to see the sites at night on a double decker bus, but we only had 11 minutes to make it to the station....we could do it, just follow me and walk with a purpose. 

the Tower Bridge.

I'm asking you to still keep forgiving me, I STILL have to use my phone to blog.  Even though the wifi is better, it's still not strong enough and keeps kicking me off, so to blog it takes a long time and I'm not going to proofread.  Hopefully you'll get the idea of what I'm talking about without thinking about bad typing and typos.

Love you all so much and I wish each and every one of you could be here with me!!!!!

Mom/Cyn