Walkin' the Walk

Today we headed out to lovely Regent's Park to have a look around and take some pictures of flowers for today's photo assignment. The park had plenty of flowers to choose from so all 18 of us ran around for a while snapping photos of everything in sight.

This rose is totally name after me. Don't I look lovely in my oh-so-flattering poncho?

I wanted to get an action shot of some pigeons flying so I kept chasing flocks of them around to get them to all fly away at once. Well, little did I know that there was a crazy English bird lady who feeds them and treats them like pets. She gave me a good talking to for chasing the birds. I think more than a couple of my classmates got pictures of me chasing birds like a two year old but I got a great shot! So there!


As you can tell from the poncho photo we got rained on today. It wasn't so bad. Just quick little showers that moved through really quickly.


Next, we moved on to Primrose Hill to have a picnic lunch and fly some kites a la Mary Poppins. The view from the top of the hill was nice. We could see St. Paul's dome, the London Eye, and the Gherkin building all rising high above the rest of the skyline. Kite flying turned out to be really fun. I had a baby kite -- only about 4 inches across -- but it flew like a charm. Here's a picture of Lil having a go. Well done, Miss!


Next, we stopped off at Abbey Road in front of Abbey Road Studios and had some fun reenacting the famous Beatles cover. Here are my flatmates and I -- we are definitely the new fab four.


I spent the entire afternoon working on my Podcast and hiding from the rain. Make sure to give it a listen. Then tonight we went to see a theater production of Billy Elliot. Another busy day.

Time for bed. Visiting Hampton Court tomorrow!

Come for the stones, Stay for the scones!

Can't get enough of that 39 P!

Well, last night we capped off Nate's birthday celebration with surprise cupcakes (yum, Patisserie Valerie!) and fun was had by all. The singing was covered on the bus earlier that day.


Today we visited the Stonehenge and the quaint, historic town of Salisbury. Lil lost her glasses but maybe she needs to loosen up a little bit anyway.

On the bus ride out we got to see the beautiful rolling hills of the English countryside. I have loved English films and novels since I was a child and it was wonderful to see the countryside firsthand. Poppies grow easily in this climate and spring forth from disturbed soil especially after agricultural fields are plowed. The wildflowers here are absolutely beautiful. In the distance we could see the ancestral estates of the Earl of Pembroke. These estates have been held by the same family line continually since the 1100's. Back in the US we are astounded if a building is more than 100 years old.

Stonehenge is surrounded by sheep-filled pastures and undulating hills. We strolled around the ancient monument and snapped some great photos. Here are my flatmates and me.



After our tour of the site Michele, Nate and I decided to grab a snack at the Stonehenge Cafe. After perusing our options, which included Stonehenge rockcakes, we decided on a cheddar scone, shortbread, and a chocolate chip cookie to share. All three of us are baked good junkies and have sampled most, if not close to all, London has to offer. Well believe it or not the Stonehenge Cafe has the best baked goods around!

We also had an interesting exchange with the counter girl about a condiment called "brown sauce". Apparently, it must be consumed along with some kind of mysterious food product called a "bacon sandwich." The girl declined to answer any further questions and so this foreign delicacy will remain forever shrouded in mystery. Actually, Hugh (our knowledgeable tour guide) cleared it up about 10 minutes later. Thanks Hugh! It was our last day with him unfortunately. Who will eloquently answer all of our stupid questions about British culture now that he's gone?

Next it was off to Salisbury to visit Salisbury Cathedral and have a look around the quaint little town. The Cathedral began construction in 1197 and is absolutely beautiful. It also houses the finest example of only four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta penned in 1215. I am overwhelmed by the expanse of history here in the UK. Luckily, we were allowed to take pictures inside.


Another great day. Next up, the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square!