Until this past week, I can't say I understood jet lag. Now, I get it. On Sunday night, Beau and I returned from a trip to the UK and Ireland, a dream advenutre across the pond to explore two distinctly different yet beautiful places in this big wonderful world. We were just six hours ahead over there, but I had no clue just how much that would mess up my internal clock for the majority of this week. I woke up at 4 am most mornings this week, wide awake, then started to crash around 4 pm every day, retiring to bed with Tylenol PM at the same time as the kids (or before thanks to Beau covering bedtime a couple times this week). I also acquired a nasty head cold, likely on one of the three flights we had coming home from Ireland, and am finally feeling back to myself, just in time for the weekend. I made it through a busy week back to work and am nearing the finish line of another semester with nothing but summer on the horizon. But more on that soon...
Beau qualified for his second All-American sales trip through his company this past year, and we were thrilled when London was announced as the destination. Neither one of us had been "across the pond" before, and London looked like a perfect place to start. And then we got brave and over one of our Thursday date nights last fall, started throwing around the idea of extending our trip by a few days and adding a big bucket list destination on our itinerary. Soon enough, we were packing our Sperry salt-waters and wool sweaters, ready for the trip of lifetime.
Memories from Day 1 and 2 of our European Holiday...
|| We had an overnight flight from O'Hare to Heathrow, my first overnight flight ever. We were on a big plane, Beau and I had the back row to ourselves, and we were spoiled with the in-flight entertainment screens which made flying a treat. I watched The Greatest Showman again and enjoyed not one, but two meals during our seven hour flight. We took off at 5, landed at midnight (our time), but it was 6 am London time. We officially missed an entire night's sleep!
|| We were greeted with English tea service upon arrival at the fancy Grosvenor's House Hotel on Park Lane. We could tell pretty quickly that we weren't in Kansas anymore! There was a Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferarri, and Lamborghini dealer within a block of our hotel, and a few parked in the private lot outside our entrance.
|| Soon, Phillipa, our first British encounter, a woman I quickly claimed as my British Grandma, gave a group of us a walking tour of the area around out hotel. We learned so much, like that fact that our hotel was indeed located in one of the highest end areas of London, across the street from the large Hyde Park. Phillipa said that if we were playing a game of Monopoly, these blocks would definitely be our "blue spaces." :) Right away, I noticed the signature red buses and old time black cabbie cars everywhere, and I felt as if I had stepped in time to another world.
|| We also learned that we were visiting during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. This meant that lots of important people would be in London this week, some of whom were staying at our hotel, and that the city streets would be busy and a bit "active". We later learned this meant more police in the city than ever before, as well as an increased media and protest presence. I waited to tell Mom about this until we returned! We were also around the corner from the U.S. Embassy, a park dedicated to American heroes like FDR who were strong allies with Britain and their beloved Winston Churchill, and also the most haunted house in London, a house that is located on one prime piece of real estate, but hasn't been inhabited for years because of the stories that have been told from it!
|| We ended our tour at Shepherd's Square and the King's Arms, our first of many richly oaked pubs during our holiday. We powered through our sleep deprivation with fish and chips, meat pies, and Peronis, and soon headed back to our hotel to get ready for the first welcome dinner celebration.
|| I was dead tired, but hardly slept a wink our first night there. I laid down at 10, which was really 4:00 pm back home, and I was suddenly wide awake. Tylenol PM became my friend real fast for the next few nights of adjustment!
|| Saturday morning started with sunshine and a lot of happy Brits telling us it hadn't been this nice since last fall. We took advantage of the day ahead and conquered "the tube", London's large
and extensive underground system.
|| We spent the morning in Notting Hill and it was the perfect way to start our London adventure! I loved everything about this quaint, eclectic, and colorful neighborhood. The flowers were blooming everywhere, the grass was green, and the brightly painted apartment buildings rivaled the blooms. We made our way to the famous Portobello Road and wandered the bustling outdoor market. We sipped ginger lime fizzy pops, shopped for souvenirs for the kids, and I fell in love with stores like Cath Kidston and Stumper and Fielding. I bought a messenger bag and a few scarves from a young handsome lad who looked like he belonged in Mumford and Sons. And he handed me my bag, tipped his hat, called me love, and I nearly died right there. Beau and I tried on hats together in an outdoor booth, and felt a little like we were on film for an episode of the Bachelor. We bought them, of course. :)
|| After marketing, we met some of our Farm Bureau crew at The Churchill Arms, one of the prettiest and most unique eateries of our time in London. It was a beautiful afternoon, the lukewarm beer was starting to grow on us, and we just started to practice our best British accents. Life was good!
|| Beau and I spent the rest of the day on our own. We walked through the beautiful Kensington Gardens, then toured the inside of the palace, admiring the architecture, the smug portraits of the old royal kings, and the beautiful dresses of the lovely Princess Di. We tried to catch a glimpse of William and Kate in their backyard and I almost bought a teacup from the royal wedding collection honoring Prince Harry and his soon to be royal wife. Then we took the tube back to our hotel, sat on the streetside patio and sipped mint juleps and mojitos, and went to get ready for a night out in search of the best Indian food in the city.
|| We had one of the best nights of our trip, venturing to the bustling Carnaby neighborhood, a narrow alleyway transformed into a lively area filled with pubs, unique shops, and live music venues. We later learned that Carnaby is an iconic street known for its musical heritage, well loved by the Rolling Stones and a hub for youth culture and cutting edge fashion and food. The energy of this neighborhood was infectious. We waited an hour for a table at the highly recommended Dishoom, and enjoyed one of the best meals of our life, feasting on the lamb chops, pomegranate salad, and the signature black daal. Our favorite thing to do at new restaurants is tell the waiter/waitress to bring us whatever they recommend. Our eager waiter did not disappoint.
And I got my first full night's sleep in 48 hours. Sunday, I was ready for a day of exploring all the sights!
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