Momma and Poppa Hoppa in London

‘Ello there, bedrin! Sorry I ‘aven’t been posting at all this past week. I’ve been cotching ‘round  Lundontown wif me mum and dad. This is the first I’ve been able to jook some time on my jays to post anything new. But this post was worth the wait – quite a nang post this is, you'll see I'm not skint for words!

(Ok, enough Brit slang. But it’s hard to snap out of it, now that I’m used to it!)  Overall, it was an incredible week: delicious dinners in Notting Hill garnished with glasses of Prosecco, fabulous shopping trips to Knightsbridge, and incredible sightseeing trips to places both on and off the map.  And the best part was that I got to spend it with my parents – no, seriously! I was so grateful that both my mom and dad made the ‘hop’ across the pond, and I was very glad that they were able to actually experience some of what I’ve only been able to describe to them so far through blogposts and facebook pictures. It was such a luxurious trip (which I never would have been able to manage on my own) and a wonderful break before the term starts.

Here is a brief itinerary of the week:

Mom landed in Heathrow, London on Friday afternoon (23 September). She and I spent some quality time together that night, just the two of us, before dad arrived the following morning. Mom got her second wind after a short nap in the hotel. Feeling a little adventurous, we headed into the Holburn area of London to try and find an authentic Italian place called ‘L’OSteria 57’ which I’d read about in one of my guidebooks. It was a bit further than we thought, but we finally found it. Mom and I caught up on our gossip and recent events over a few glasses of wine, then walked back through the city to our hotel. ‘Twas our first ‘taste’ of London.

Saturday morning dad arrived. Poor dad, the eight hour jetlag (coming from Los Angeles) was really rough on him! Dad opted to nap (good life choice) while mom and I explored. We walked through the length of Hyde Park, and saw Diana’s memorial fountain, Prince Albert’s memorial statue, and Royal Albert Hall. We took a tour of Kensington Palace and the Royal Gardens on the other side of the park.
The Kensington exhibit was set up in a very cute way – the ‘enchanted’ palace is designed as a quest to find the seven princesses which once lived in the palace. (Victoria, Mary, Margaret, Anne, Caroline, Charlotte, and Diana). Mom and I exited victorious. (Or should I say, Victoria-ous?)


Hyde Park



Kensington Palace

Sunday was a major sightseeing day. We got a tour of the Tower of London from a beefeater! We saw the spot where Anne Boleyn and other famous martyrs were executed. Next, we saw the Crown Jewels (very sparkly), and the former dungeons in the White Tower. We walked across Tower Bridge, and then took a tube to St Paul’s Catherdral. The day ended with a brief run through Harrod’s (didn’t find anything in my price range, but the collections were incredible!) and another fabulous authentic Italian dinner at Zafferano’s.

Tower Hill

Monday we witnessed the changing of the guard in front of Buckingham, and took a tour of the palace afterwards. Now, I’ve seen a lifetime’s worth of castles and palaces since I’ve been here, but that one was by far the best. In the ballroom, Kate Middleton’s wedding dress was set on display against a backdrop of footage from the royal wedding. Her dress was even more beautiful in person – the lace work was so intricate. TV couldn’t show such detail, so it was breathtaking to see it close up.  

Tuesday was another major sightseeing day. First up - Westminster Abbey. Westminster was my favorite stop of the whole trip. Admittedly, it was a little creepy. I mean, it is just a bunch of old dead dudes chillin in their coffins. But the grandeur of the abbey is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The fan-vaulted ceiling in Henry VII’s Lady Chapel literally made my jaw drop. Next, we toured parliament. What a majestic building! Our tour guide provided a great brief on British politics which really helped mom and dad get up to speed. (I've already had a tutorial in British politics). To end the day, mom and I rode the London Eye. The tickets were expensive, but the ride (and the photo ops at the top of the wheel) completely justified it. The 360 view of the city was just amazing!

Inside Westminster Abbey

A view of the Thames from the top of the London Eye Ferris Wheel

Wednesday we slowed things down a bit. We started out with a bit of people watching in Covent Garden, walked to Leicester square, and ended up in Picadilly circus. We tried to get tickets for a play, but decided against it (better to save the quid for future shopping trips.)

Thursday, I finally got to take mom and dad around Oxford. We took a train from London, Paddington and were there in under an hour. I showed them High Street, Blackwell’s (my favorite little bookshop), the Sheldonian and the Bod, the Radcliffe camera, and St Mary’s. We stopped for a brief respite at the Turf Tavern (former favorite haunt of Bill Clinton during his Rhodes Scholar days. Supposedly, it’s the pub where he ‘didn’t inhale.’) We were able to see my college grounds, and watch people punt on the Cherwell river near Magdalen college. (See my previous post for punting explanation). Mom and I snuck in a little gown shopping at a vintage boutique (in preparation for the many Oxford balls to take place this term), before we went back toward my flat on St Aldate’s. I took mom and dad to ‘The Head of the River’ pub, which sits right on the Thames/Isis. After some fish and chips (and several pints of ale) we were all pretty pleased with how the day went.  

Feeling very well acquainted with the city after a week’s stay, we decided to do something a little less touristy on Friday. We took a cab to the stables in Camden market. It’s a lot like Philadelphia’s South Street or DC’s Eastern Market, but to the tenth exponent. It’s absolutely huge – and very eccentric. We saw blokes walkin by with green spiked hair, chicks in fishnet stockings, and a few other things which don’t need repeating here. We ended the night in the Borough, which is a fresh produce market near London Bridge. After sampling the oysters at Wright Brothers (slimey, yet satisfying) we crossed the street to have dinner at Black and Blue. (I couldn’t resist dining in a restaurant which bore Oxford’s colors!) Our search for a cab back to the hotel took us across the Thames one final time.
I didn’t think it was possible for London to look any more beautiful, but the city is even prettier at night. While the three of us were crossing the bridge, we discussed our favorite moments of the trip. We all agreed that the week had flown by. Then it all sort of hit us at the same time – we realized that this was the last time that we would all be together until Christmas. Before the violins could begin to play (and before mom reached for the box of tissues) dad had a brilliant idea to lighten the moment. We each took out a single pence, made a wish, and threw our coins into the river. Quite a memorable moment indeed.

A final view of Tower Bridge at night

I’ll let you know if my wish comes true, but I kinda think it already has. J