Hi, everyone!
It's been an absolute WHIRLWIND since we got here. Every day is a new adventure, and it's been totally wild.
At one point in Edinburgh, I went out to buy a wall adapter, and suddenly, I look up, and BAM.
Edinburgh a castle is right in front of me. Legitimately one of the most surreal experiences of my life (sine, you know... We don't have castles in the States. I'm not even sure Hearst Castle counts).
I ran around Greyfrair's cemetery twice. Surprisingly, I felt it most active whilst alone in the middle of the day than I felt it during the City of the Dead Double Dead tour (which included a trip in to the underground of the city--that tour alone will probably get its own post one of these days. If you're ever in Edinburgh, CHECK OUT THAT TOUR; total steal at £13... £11 if you still have your college ID three years after graduating...).
I've made a remarkable amount of "friends", which includes two fantastic girls from Cheltenham that I met whilst in a teeny tiny, standing-room-only section of a train from Bristol to London. In fact, most of the folks we've met on this trip have been more than polite and friendly, but they've been BEYOND helpful, especially people heading to the Tube--so so many of them have offered to help, if not just straight up grabbed bags and helped Mum get around.
Speaking of the Tube...
I dig it, man, seriously. I've still not quite gotten the hang of it well enough to be confident in traveling without asking for assistance, but I'm sure I'll have it in the next day or so. It's rad. I love it. And it's so fast! I'm constantly surprised how quickly we're getting around when using it.
A quick run down of the awesome things we've seen:
Edinburgh Castle, including the Scottish Crown Jewels
Greyfrair's Kirkyard (reportedly the most haunted cemetery in the country, and certainly one of the oldest at nearly 500 years old)
The National Scottish Museum
Millennium Park
THE ALL BLACKS WINNING A RUGBY MATCH, LIVE, IN CARDIFF (😍)
Tower of London, which includes the British Crown Jewels and the "Bloody Tower" where the "Little Princes" (Richard III's nephews that he "reportedly" had killed, but could possibly be cleared of, but the process will probably never happen, but that's a whole other story) not only were held captive, but were likely murdered AND rediscovered centuries later
Saw the outside of Shakespeare's Globe (and cried)
A small portion of the Victoria & Albert Museum
Drove by Parliament (and Big Ben! 😄), the Albert Monument, Hyde Park, Harrod's, St. Mary's, Piccadilly Circus...
Took some pictures at Trafalgar Square.
Jeez. And it's only Sunday!
The goal for tomorrow is the Globe tour & exhibition, the Old Operating Theatre, The Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey.
Oh. You know. Of course.
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AS HAMLET (I don't care how poor the overall reviews have been, I'm so fucking excited, and I have been for over a year).
I'm also on a mission and a half to find an inexpensive manicurist to take off the shoddy fuckin' acryllic job I got in OC, because these things are peeling up, and they've turned BROWN. ICK.
But that'll likely have to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday. I dunno. We have so much planned.
Oh. If you're still with me this far (and bless you if you are), in a rally weird way, the highlight so far for me may be the most intensely random reunion in the world.
10 years ago, I played rugby. As we all know, the Rugby World Cup is one of the major reasons we're here, along with thousands of others. So, in Starbucks just outside the Tower of London, there's a lady standing there, letting my mum known they've called her drink order. I stare and stare and state and ask the woman her name.
Turns out it's exactly who I think it is: Leslie, one of my old rugby coaches. Literally have not seen the woman in 10 years, and we run in to each other at a chain coffee joint in LONDON.
Why?
Because Rugby 😊
There was screaming and hugging and it rocked.
This trip rocks. And we still have so much left to live 😃
Catch you all soon, and, as ever, you can check out Insta (@kc_mariepandell) for some photographic evidence of my adventures with ShakesBear (who has also met some amazing people, and taken plenty of pictures with them).
All my love from across the pond,
KC
PS: Totally missing my Pops, pups, and kitty.
PPS: It's taking everything in my power to not hug every single dog I see.
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