Finally I'm Back!!! Spread the word...

WOW! Let me just start off first by saying England is one of the most Beautiful countries I've ever seen. Flying into London looked like a patchwork quilt pattern...it was breathtaking!

But...

It is SO good to be home. It's funny how you start off a trip and can't WAIT to get out of town...break free from your mundane life. Then you go on your trip and when it is finally time to come home...it's like you can't wait to get back to the mundane-ness of if all!

I absolutely missed and went through a lot of blog withdrawal! I have a TON of blog "letters" to write to all sorts of people I saw during my travels but internet doesn't come FREE there in London and only at McDonalds in Manchester...it was insane!!! They wanted me to pay 15 pounds which is equal to roughly $30 for 24 hours of internet service...and since I don't pay even that for a month of service at home I decided to hold all blog entries until I came back! So sorry but I needed those extra pounds to eat actual food...no pun intended!

So here is a brief summary of my London Vac-ay--There is hundreds more pics but I chose only those to tell the short story! :)


Well this is my Mom and I waiting to get on the flight to London...at that airport I saw my first blog letter I'm going to write...to the woman with the REAL witch nose...it was crazy! I decided not to take a pic of it because I thought it might be rude...but I have to write the letter!


This is MountainSport Man and I at the Marble Arch...to be honest...I forgot this even existed until we went there and my cousin was like...'hey do you want me to take a pic of you guys in front of it?' I'm like...'uh sure...'--Don't worry through all the tours I finally figured out the historical importance of it!


If any of you have read historical romance novels...this park is mentioned quite a bit! I spent some time day dreaming while waiting for our Hop on-Hop off tour bus at this park...

I was THE thing for my coming out that season...All the dashing young rogue's wanted me...I had fair skin...no freckles because i never saw the sun...and I had money, lots of it, or my dad did. I dreamed I had many men escorting me through Hyde Park...and kissing me in secret coves or in their rich carriages...or we would simply have witty banter while we took a ride on our thorough bred horses...

Then my husband would slap my butt and tell me to hurry or we were going to miss the Tour Bus...

Here's the group of us...minus the one taking the pic (Marlene) who went to England together!


Here's our tour guide for the Hop-on Hop-off Tour...even he sounded charming with that British accent...gotta give it to them, it is a great accent!

MSM and I on the bus tour...it was spritzing or "raining" as they call it in London. It felt like a spritz and it was annoying...so I had my hoody on most of this day!

We hopped of the bus tour and took pics at "Big BEN"... why is that clock famous again? Other than Back to the Future?

These people I guess live across the street from Big Ben and Westminster Abbey protesting the war...I couldn't believe they let them do that...actually live right there on the street...they were silent though, and very respectful protester's when they came out of their tent!
Had to take a pic of the Police woman there. All of their uniforms are kinda silly...sorry it had to be said..

This picture of this statue...which will remain unnamed because I didn't take note of which one it was...will be a representative of ALL the statue's I saw in London, because they have lots...lots and lots and lots...all over.

Trafalgar square.
Entrance of Westminster Abbey...I didn't take the tour inside because...i didn't care to and it cost money...what about a visitor center people? Can't we tell the history of the Abbey for free? I decided I would Google it and be good with what it told me! I walked around it and felt awe inspired from that. It is beautiful...so much detail in the architecture!

MSM and I waiting for my Mom and cousin to get out of the tour at Westminster Abbey...

We finally ditched them after an 1 and 1/2 wait and went on the boat tour down the River Thames...it almost put me to sleep because it was rocking back and forth ever so slightly...so didn't make me sick, just sleepy...oh and the sun came out for a bit!

Here is under the London Bridge, because honestly the bridge isn't all that and not even the ORIGINAL...the original one is in the United States!

This is the famous Tower Bridge...and it was awesome...the clouds came back again...they never can quite make up their minds... rain, don't rain, drizzle, don't drizzle...

I had to take a pic of this because it is a REAL pirate ship...real...

MSM and I at the Tower of London...this had to be my favorite part of the WHOLE trip...I was so intrigued with the structure and the castle. There is so much history in this one area and I soaked it all up...LOVED IT...

It was a castle and then a prison or ALSO a prison...they renamed this gate Traitor's Gate when it became the prison for traitor's and people waiting to get their heads cut off!

I looked around me while we were waiting for our YEOMAN WARDEN to take us on a tour of the Tower of London when I realized MSM was no where to be found. Not unsual since he wanders all the time...but I looked around to see if I could spot him when all of a sudden I hear a "psst"...I look over and see his face through this little hole in this midget size tower...it was funny...

Here was our tour guide...a yeoman warden...did you know there has been a yeomen warden's at the Tower of London for over 900 years...as part of their jobs now they are tour guides...and hilarious ones at that...but they also LIVE their at the Castle and still guard it along with the Crown Jewels! Crazy right?

Did any of you EVER remember the series "FEAR" on MTV? Well they live it everyday because they live their...creepy...yet cool all wrapped up in one.
This is the inner Castle part of the Tower of London...can't right now remember what or who it holds...because I am still having extreme jet lag...but I love the old look...seriously love it!

The Palace state rooms at Buckingham Palace was open...so we paid and went inside.

Before we went inside we wanted to see and tease the Changing of the Guards. But guess what? They only do it every other day and on the opposite side of where we were...so DUMB...so I didn't get to tease anybody...but I stared at this Man above...standing right in front of him for a VERY long time...and I saw him look sideways...twitch his thumb...and look sideways again...I am going to report him, if only I knew his name...hmmmmm

This is the gates to the square at Buckingham Palace...on the Green Park side. Green Park is GORGEOUS BTW...I just liked the gate...so we took a picture!

We got through the state rooms and I'll just tell you, once you seen one of them, you've seen them all...it all starts to look like spray on gold and they just change colors for each state room. Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room...blah, blah, blah...waist of good money if you ask me!

The history is rich and that part I liked...I also liked the Ball Room area...very rich. The statue's were also incredible along with some of the older paintings! I just was expecting something more...if you know what I mean...probably would feel the same way if I went to the White House!

Here's the back of the Palace...it's big...but I did find out that the Queen does not like living their...she prefers Windsor Castle...wouldn't it be nice to have a choice?

This is MSM and I waiting to listen about my ancestors at the Museum of Science Of Industry in Manchester England and where I'll end my picture tour for today!

London was great...you could still tell the difference between those who had money and those who didn't...people still put a lot of importance behind MONEY...the way they dressed and decorated. There was a lot of individuality though...which I expected and loved...and the people of London are nice and eager to helped lost souls. There did seem to be an abundance of Muslims living there and I found myself wanting to wrap my head in the beautiful silk these ladies wore...and they were gorgeous...

I am, however, writing a blog letter to the men...they just don't seem to understand how lucky they are to have the women they do...these women were SOOOO beautiful and nice.

Anyhow...more to come...glad to be back. After our 7 hour and 18 minute flight home to the states, landing in JFK airport...we missed our connection because our plane didn't have a place to park and we had to get bussed to the gate area...then we had to re-go through security after we got through customs...then we get on the next flight to our home destination only to get stuck on the tarmack for 4 hours because JFK had a weather GROUND STOP!

But I'm home...that is all that matters...

Shelle

P.S. NO! I have not read Breaking Dawn yet so DON'T SPOIL it for me...and those that won my give away--your books are in the mail TOMORROW.

P.S.S NO! I have not seen the FINALE to SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE...so don't spoil it for me...and YEA I will have a few words to say about it when I find out who won!

P.S.S.S. Did I tell you I missed ya yet? Well I did...and I'm happy to be back :)