Travel Day

We woke up at 6:30 am on Thursday. We packed our things and left the hotel at 7:30. We walked about 15 minutes (with our luggage) to the tube stop and got off at the London Bridge stop, which had a train that would take us to the airport. Here is a fun little visual for you....Kevin and I both had 2 bags, weaving in and out of all the people commuting into the city for work, and not quite knowing where to go or what to do. Let me just say it was a slightly stressful experience for me.

We got to the train station around 8:10 and just missed the 8:19 train to Gattwick. There was another train leaving at 8:30, but the platform number was not posted until 2 minutes before the train left, and of course the platform was on the opposite side of the station; hence, we missed that train as well. Our flight left at 11:10 and the next train did not arrive until 9:06. We finally got on the train and rode for another 30 mionutes until we finally made it to the airport. We got to the check-in desk and they made sure to tell us that we were the last people on the flight to chck-in. They also told us that our seats would not be together, which then made this a repeat of our trip to London. We boarded the flight and tried to switch seats with people around us, an no one was willing to move. I was very aggrivated because the reason I was still on this flight - to Florida, NOT Colorado - was so that Kevin and I could fly back together. It was a 9 hour flight and we were separated by about 35 rows and a wall. Needless, to say it was not the most pleasant trip, but we made it back safe. Total travel time: 14 hours!

I am still stuck in Florida until Monday, and I cannot wait to come home. I have been gone for 2.5 weeks now and I am ready to see my parents, my cat, and get back to work! So there you have it...a summary of my trip to Vancouver, Orlando and London. I will not post as often while I am home, but we are going to Sydney, Australia on October 18, so stay tuned for information from that trip. Thanks to everyone who has visited the blog. It is fun for me to do, and even more fun to know that people are actually looking at what I have posted. Hope all is well with everyone!

London Day 3

Woke up on Wednesday around 11am and took our time getting started. We ended up leaving the hotel around 1pm and went to lunch at the same place we ate lunch on Tuesday. It was Thai food and it was incredible! We ordered Thai Curry and Chicken Pad Thai, and I am pretty sure it was the best Thai food Kevin or I had ever had. We just happened to stumble across the resturaunt the day before, and it was a great find.

After lunch, we got back on the tube and went up to Camden. This is an area north of London with a lot of shopping and unique styles. Fashion is huge in London, and Camden has alot of "fashionable" items, that are very different than in the states. For instance, there were very bright colored tights, and strange shoes, and tu-tu's. The fashion is similar to what you may find in a Hot Topic store. It was cool to see, none-the-less.

After Camden, we went to Abby Road. I always thought Abby Road would be a huge tourist attraction, but I was wrong. First of all, it was not listed in the travel book I had - not even the street, or where to find it. So I looked up Abby Road Studios online and got a brief idea of where to find it, but it was still difficult to find which tube stop to get off at. We finally figured it out - at the end of the trip of course - and walked about 2 blocks from the St. John's Wood tube stop. Fortunately, when we exited the Underground, there was a sign with some directions, and it was pretty easy to find. There were a few tourists around, but not nearly as many as I would think. We tried to take some pictures, but they did not come out too well. I have some to show you, but just a forwarning that they do not really capture the true experience.

I think this picture is pretty self explainitory.

Here is a copy of the Beatles Album Cover....

....And here is me! This is the best picture we got. It was very difficult to capture the moment with all the traffic, but you definitely get the point.

Here is a view of the road without any people or cars. It is not nearly as cool without the old white slugbug!

Here is a close up of me, with the famous crosswalk in the background.

After Abbey Road, we went over to West London and met up with one of Kevin's friends, Susanna. Kevin met Susanna when Caitlin was studying abroad in London. Susanna is from Washington, D.C. but is now living and working in London. She has dual citizenship and seems to really enjoy living and working in such a wonderful place. We went to a pub and had some munchies, and then Kevin and I went back to Picadilly Circus for one last drink before we left.

It was another great day and although I am sad to leave, I am excited to come home!

London Day 2

This morning we slept in again. We ended up leaving the hotel around 1pm and went to get lunch. We ate some incredible Thai food for lunch and then went to the London Bridge. We walked along the Thames and went for a ride on the London Eye. After our ride, we went to see the House of Parliament and Big Ben. We also saw Westminster Abby. We didn't go inside any of these monuments, but it was still great to see them from outside. We wandered again for a while and again ended up in a pub. The pubs here are so wonderful! Going to a pub is a great way to wind down after a long and busy day of sight seeing. We wandered back to the hotel around 9:oopm and I called my mom. This is when I recieved the news about my grandmother. Obviously, not the news I wanted to hear, but I am glad I heard about it now, instead of when I got back home. Another great day, and I am looking forward to tomorrow!

Mandatory self-portrait in front of the London Bridge

Self-portrait on the London Eye with Big Ben in the background

On the London Eye - Houses of Parliament in the background

Big Ben

Westminster Abby

London Day 1

On Monday morning we woke up and had to pack our things to move to our next hotel. The hotel we were staying at in the city was much too expensive to stay there for 5 nights, so we switched hotels to somewhere that was not directly in the middle of London. We got to the new hotel around 1pm, dropped our bags off, and then went wandering in the city. First we went to Picadilly Circus. This area is similar to Times Square in New York. We ate lunch there and then wandered to Trafalger Square. We went to the National Gallery and then wandered some more. We wandered over to Buckingham Palace and got to see the gaurds. Then we walked around and ended up at Harrods. Harrods is like Macey's on steroids! You can find anything and everything you could ever want or need all in one shopping area that expands over a large city block! It was extremely overwhelming. We ended up in a pub to get off our feet for a while, and then went back to the hotel around 11:00. We did a lot of walking, which was very tiring, but it was a great way to see the city.

A must needed photo of the phone booth.

Overlooking Trafalger Square from the National Gallery

Buckingham Palace

I've always wanted to be goofy with these gaurds.This was definately one of the highlights of the day!

Stratford-Upon-Avon

On Sunday morning we got on a train and went up to Stratford-Upon-Avon to see some family of mine. We left the hotel around 9:30 to catch th 10.17 train at Marylebone. Come to find out, once we arrived at Marylebone train station, they didn't have a train at that time on Sunday. We were redirected to Paddington Station and got a train there.

Here we are in Paddington Station.

We were on the train for about 2 hours and arrived in Stratford around 1:30pm. My cousin Vivien and her mom Hazel picked us up from the train station. We went to pick up Vivien's son, Alex at work and then went to Downtown Stratford-Upon-Avon. Stratford is the birthplace of William Shakespeare and also the place in which he is burried. We went to see Shakespeare's grave and then we went to have lunch at a pub called the Mucky Duck. This was the first pub we went to so it was very enjoyable (although I was slightly disappointed when we did not get any bee's thrown at us ;0). ). After lunch, we walked around some more and went to the house that Shakespeare was born in. It was beautiful!

Shakespeare's Grave

In the front of the house the Shakespeare was born in.

Standing on the Avon river. It looked like a scene out of a book or movie. So picturesque!

Anne Hathaway's Cottage - she was married to Shakespeare.

And here is a picture of the family - Hazel, Vivien, Alex, Nicholas, and me.

We went to the train station at 8:45pm and got back to London around 11pm. It was a fantastic day and I am so greatful to have been able to spend some time with my family.

Here is a little side note: I am writting this blog on Tuesday evening even though it occured on Sunday. I found out this evening that my English grandmother (living in the states) passed away on Monday, September 22, 2008 - the day after I visited her side of the family in Stratford. She had been very sick with Alzheimer's disease for the last few years. Even though we all knew it was coming, it is still very hard to deal with her death. One of the things that is the most difficult for me is that she always wanted to take me to England, and I finally get the chance, and she passes while I am still here. It seems very ironic and surreal, but I am greatful to have been able to spend time with her family, remembering her in a positive way. I am glad that I did not see her in such poor conditions and I am so happy I am now able to remember her so fondly. I will definately make this last day here count - in her memory!

In Loving Memory of Cindy Clark: 1921-2008

Work Day

We woke up on Saturday morning around 6am ready to go. We went down to the lobby for breakfast and went back to the room for about an hour to shower, pack, and get ready to go to the ship. We got to the ship around 10am and started working. We worked for a whole 2 hours...this is the biggest ship in the fleet....and then we went for a tour. We were on the Independence of the Seas and it was like a moving city on the water. It was unreal! We had lunch on the ship and then went to the train station around 1:30pm. It took about an hour and a half to get to Waterloo Station, and then we transfered to an underground train and went to the hotel.

Tired on the train

At Waterloo with all the luggage. This train station was gigantic! I felt like I was in Harry Potter - Platform 9 and 3/4 please!

Once we found our hotel and checked in, we went out into London. We went to a food festival on the Thames river. There were street performers, beer, food, beer, and fun to be had. We got a glimpse of the London Eye and Big Ben, but then we pooped out. We got dinner and I ended up falling asleep around 8pm. Our afternoon out on the town was a great teaser for what was yet to come.

Arriving to London

So sorry about not posting! We are now in our 3rd hotel since arriving to London and the internet situation has been a bit crazy. Even though we have been here for 5 days, I am going to post on a day to day basis. I think it will be easier for you and for me. So here we go....our arrival.

We arrived at 6am on Friday morning. We had an 8 hour overnight flight from Orlando and got here early in the morning. During the flight, Kevin and I were separated and were unable to sit together. I was fortunate enough to sit in a bulk head seat so I had a lot of extra space which made the flight much more enjoyable. I slept for half of the flight which ended up being a blessing since we got here so early and had to function for the day. Once we arrived, we had to go through customs and immigration, which took us over an hour. We got our luggage and got directly onto a train the took us to Southampton. The train ride took about 2 hours and when we finally arrived at the hotel around 11am they thankfully had a room available for us. We went straight up to the room and took about a 4 hour nap.

After our nap we took a walk to the supermarket to buy plug adapters. Kevin has some adapters, but they were left in Florida. We had a wonderful gourmet meal at McDonalds and went back to the room. We watched some TV and I fell asleep around 11pm. I am thankful that I did not have much trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. The jetlag did not seem to bother me, and I took 2 sleep aids just in case (JIC).

Not many pictures from our arrival but here are a few.

"Mind the Gap" and let me tell you, there are some large "GAPS!

Just an airport sign. Notice the sign for the "Lifts" aka Eleveators! I love this lingo.

Epcot

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! We arrived in Florida on Sunday evening and not much happened the first 2 days, so I didn't want to bore you with uneventful posts. I do have a great post from yesterday that I want to share with you now.

Yesterday Nicole and I went to Disney. We decided to go to Epcot because they have the World Showcase that features 9 different countries, and we have both done/are doing some traveling, so we thought it would be most appropriate.

We left the house around 9am (I was up at 6 - too excited to sleep) and drove for a little over an hour to get to Epcot. We purchased our tickets, which were certainly not cheap - but well worth it, and entered the park. The first ride we went on was Spaceship Earth. This is the 13 minute ride inside the Epcot dome. This is one of the only things I remembered about Epcot from visiting when I was a kid, and the ride yesterday brought back some great memories. After that ride we went to the 2 new "thrill rides". The first ride simulated a trip to space. The machine was like a space ship and we defied gravity. It was very cool, but I did feel slightly nauseous and dizzy when we got off. The next ride was Test Track. This ride simulated the tests that cars go through before being mass produced and released for purchase. This ride was also very cool....you do a few tests indoors and then eventually end up outside going upwards of 60mph.

The nicest thing about our day, especially with these 2 rides, was that the lines were not very long. The longest wait we saw was about 60 minutes, but we got a FastPass for that ride and only waited about 20. The longest we actually waited for any ride was about 25 minutes. It was a great day to go to Disney and the temperature was prett nice too. It was not extremely hot(very humid, but not too hot) and we had some cloud coverage. It was a perfect day.

After some rides we went to the Character Spot. This is an indoor area where you can find Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Chip and Dale all day long. It is a new concept and I think it is brilliant. We waited in line for about 30 minutes and we got to take pictures with all of the characters. There is also a new idea that the have in all the parks called Photo Pass. This is a card that you give to the Disney photographers and they scan the number and then post the pictures online. It was a free service and you can view the pictures online and then copy them to your computer for FREE. Who gets anything free at Disney!?! Speaking of free...we also got FREE Mickey ears after we saw all the characters. Apparantly we just happeneed to be at the right place at the righ time. Here are pictures of our FREE ears and the characters we saw at the character spot. You can also look at other picutures on the website. http://www.disneyphotopass.com/

Log in with my email - jessiepc3@gmail.com and the password is jessiepc.

Here are our Free "Year of One Million Dreams" Mickey ears.

After the character spot we went to the World Showcase and saw more characters, but I will let you look at those pictures online (Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Princess Jasmine and the Genie, Snow White and Dopey, Mushu and Mulan, and Donald Duck).

We went on a couple more rides and ended up pooping out around 7:30pm. We had an amazing day and I am so glad we were able to go. It made this trip to Florida very much worthwhile for me.

Sorry this post is so long. I just got so excited to share all about this special day. Here are a couple more picutes before I end.

So now you know about my wonderful trip to Epcot. We are going to the beach tomorrow morning and then we leave for London tomorrow around 5pm. Hope all is well.

Last Day in Vancouver

We woke up today around 9 and went downstairs for breakfast. We went to the ship around 11 again and finished before noon. Went back to Robson Street for lunch - Thai food today, and then came back to the hotel for a nap. Not much happening today, but I thought I would still keep you posted. No pictures either. We leave tomorrow morning to go to Orlando. We will be in the Orlando area until Thursday and then we are off to London. I will keep you all posted.

Biking in Stanley Park

This picture is a little late, but I still thought I would add it.

Today we went to the ship around 11am and did our work. We had lunch on the ship and finished around 2pm. During lunch we sat with an incredible couple who were from Houston. They talked to us about Hurrican Ike and explained that the reason they moved to Texas was because they were living in New Orleans during Katrina. They had some interesting stories to share and it was great to sit and talk with them. We went back to the hotel after lunch to change and get ready for our bike ride. We went to Stanley Park and rented two bikes. The park is over 1,000 acres and we rode for about 7 miles on our bikes around the seawall. The seawall expands all the way around the perimeter of the park. It was a beautiful ride. We saw beaches, forests, and lots of ocean. Along the way, we stopped to pick some wild blackberries. They were delicious! The ride took about 1.5 hours and then we walked over to Robson Street again for dinner. We ate and headed back to the hotel. Again we had a great day. The bike ride was a fantastic way to see the city. Here are some pictures.

Jessie on the bike

Kevin on the bike

Us in front of the Lions Gate Bridge (Far top of pic on the right)

Me in front of the bridge

Balanced rocks in front of the Vancouver skyline

The berries we picked

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Today we went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The bridge is suspended 230ft above the Capilano River and stretches for 450ft. It is located between two forests randomly placed in Vancouver. I am learning that Vancouver has a lot of random forests. We spent about 2 hours at the bridge (walking around and climbing in the treetop adventure), and then we went to get lunch on Robson Street. We ate a Sushi Tsunami - yes, I actually ate sushi. They had a really cool buffet, in which they placed the food on boats and you could just pick what you wanted. It was a neat idea and atmosphere. After lunch we went to Gastown and walked around there and shopped for an hour or so. I started to poop out so we went back to the hotel to relax for the rest of the evening. It was another great day and I look forward to what tomorrow brings. I think we may rent bikes and ride around Stanley park, but we will see. Here are some pictures from the day (I thought I would enlarge the pictures a little).

The official sign

A totem pole

The Bridge

A beautiful little pond in the forest

Climbing in the treetops

The Bridge again