England/France Trip: Part 1

There was several things I had to do in order to get ready for our European adventure. I was happy we weren't leaving until Sunday, which gave me just enough time to mark everything off the to-do list. Of course, there was the seemingly endless packing. It is such a silly complaint when getting to go on a big trip, but there are few things I hate more than packing (except maybe unpacking).

But I also took time to stop by my hairdresser for a much needed trim and highlight. I'm finally blonde again (instead of dirty blonde), and I just love it. And as I been planning FOR MONTHS, I donned my UK themed jam-berry nails for the first leg of the trip!

The day of the trip we dropped Linkey off at the kennel, who wasn't concerned, he loves that place! We had a quick flight to Charlotte before boarding our 8 hour flight to Heathrow. The flight was fairly smooth (thank goodness), since Adam has a horrendous fear of flying.

Our hotel was right outside the Earl's Court Metro station in the Kensington area. Outside our hotel was plenty of activity and restaurants. I had to laugh as our hotel was on Cromwell Street, and as a true crime addict, I know that is the road of the awful home of Fred & Rosemary West.

Of course, we got to the hotel too early to check in, so we changed clothes and cleaned up in the lobby bathroom.  Then, we decided to go ahead and hit the town.

My first overseas trip was to London when I was 17, and I remember the first thing we did was head down to Westminster/Parliament to see Big Ben. And I remember how overwhelmed I felt seeing something I'd seen on TV a million times. And I wanted this to be Adam's first experience as well.

It was just as stunning as I remembered it 13 years ago. 

When I asked Adam if there was anything he particularly wanted to do in England, he reported wanting to see the MI6 building, frequently featured in Bond films. So we took a stroll south on the Thames, down to Voxhaul bridge, to pose outside of the MI6 building. Adam loved it, I just loved walking and taking in the London atmosphere.

Next up, Trafalgar square. What a beautiful area of London. With the huge statues and the people picnicking around the area, it is just a lovely place to spend a little time.

On our trip to Amsterdam four years ago, one of the first things we did was take a cruise on the canals. Adam suggested we do the same for the Thames River (as it was "our thing"). So we took an afternoon tea cruise. The treats (especially the scones) were wonderful. 

We really did enjoy taking in the main sights of London from the water. Our captain was knowledgeable, and he told us many fun tales that I hadn't already heard about the history of England. And so much was learned about the importance of the river.

One of the best aspects of the cruise came just after the cruise. When our boat had docked, the captain told us to stick around, as the Tower Bridge would soon be raised to allow a ship to pass through. It sounds silly, but it was kind of a magic moment to watch. 

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