Nottingham

Wes and I started our day in the London borough called Notting Hill at the famous brightly painted Victorian houses on Lancaster Road. 

What a quaint place to live! I can’t imagine how they deal with the crowds! We then walked the sides streets to Portobello Road for the enormous street market. It sold everything from food, to tea sets, to purses, to souvenirs. It was fantastic for the food choices alone - Turkish, Iraqi, Italian. It made my mouth water!

It was a mix of old world and modern architecture, mirroring the variety of items for sale in the stalls. 

We left with a couple of souvenirs and Portuguese doughnuts because why not? 

We picked up the boys at the house and took the train to St. Pancras Station where I finally got to see the famous Christmas tree book nook. You can sit in a nook and listen to a book while you wait for a train. And lots of people were waiting for a train since the Eurostar was closed today due to flooding in the channel. Unbeknownst to us we took the last train to London last night. Thank goodness our trip wasn’t canceled. Otherwise, we would have missed game four in Nottingham. 

Evan has European game day culture down pat; wear your team’s gear, ride the train, and crack a cold one. 

While on the street grabbing dinner from a kiosk, Keagan got interviewed by a local television station. He predicted a Man U win, but was sadly proven wrong with a final score of 1-2. What a disappointment to see your team lose again!

The City Ground is a small stadium; Nottingham Forest is a small club. But the fans were the best we have encountered! So much spirit and enthusiasm. 

The boys got tickets in the Man United section and sat three rows behind the goal. They got to cheer for the Devils and yell all of the chants. What an experience for them! Wes and I sat in the home section where the local fans were electric with their own chants! 

We are headed back to London where we will wake up tomorrow and head for the airport. This trip has been fantastic! It will be difficult to top this trip next year. But Wes and I are going back to work on Tuesday to start saving for next December. 

Day 3 in London

My feet hurt. Keagan’s knees hurt. Evan’s toes hurt. Wes’s back hurts. It’s 1800 local time, and we have all taken to the bed. Despite the discomfort, it was a great day! 

We started our morning by watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham. Let’s just say none of us were impressed. The crowds were unreal and nobody was willing to be at the palace two hours before the ceremony to get a front row seat. Keagan said the RHS/CHS pep-rally last fall had a better band. Evan said the Vol Walk was better. Yikes!

We got our traditional meat pies with bangers for lunch. Mine was stuffed with Sunday roast and was good; the boys said it was mid. 

From here we met Wes’s friend Lee from Scotland Yard. He gave us a tour of the Palace of Westminster and the home of the Houses of Parliament. It was fantastic!

The building is massive and gorgeous on the outside, so I should have assumed the inside was just as ornate. I didn’t, so I was pleasantly surprised.

 

The chamber below Big Ben was more or less our starting point. We are lucky; the scaffolding was recently removed and he chimes again.

The entire building is seemingly self-sufficient with a chapel, post office, bar, and restaurants. Pictures weren’t allowed in all areas, so I’ll have to rely on a Google search to remember the stunning chamber of the House of Lords. 

Our capitol building looks just like this! I kid. We might not do architecture well but we are winning at pop culture. Priorities, people!

The portico overlooks the River Thames and the London Eye. It costs roughly $50 a person to ride that thirty minute Ferris wheel. I say no thanks.

From here we were granted permission to cross the security line and walk to #10 Downing Street. I’m pretty sure the Asians taking pics behind the security perimeter thought we were dignitaries. They may have even snapped our picture. Not kidding. 

We hopped across the street to The Abbey. If you call it Westminster, everyone will know you are American. 

The boys plopped down in chairs in front of the nativity and waved their white flags. Evan pretty much said he couldn’t move again without the promise of food. I pointed out a stand selling coffee and sandwiches, and he said that wouldn’t do. So we found a pub with a happy hour special and bought him a burger. 

Lords and ladies, people of special merit, can get married here, and while it is stunning, you can’t help but notice it is a graveyard for the important contributors to English society. I for one wouldn’t want to walk down the aisle knowing I’m walking over dead people. But I guess some people don’t see it that way.

Just when we thought we couldn’t take another step, we took the train to Regent Street in the West End to see the famous Christmas angels. This shopping area was bustling with holiday shoppers and tourists trying to get the perfect pic. 

Then we walked to SoHo for those burgers. I let Evan believe these rainbow colors were non-traditional Christmas lights; I’m pretty sure they represent something slightly different.

We took the train back home, and because it had been a full hour since we ate a full meal, Keagan requested we eat again. We stopped in the corner store and bought coconut doughnuts from the Lebanese shop owner. He smiles real big when we enter because he knows we won’t leave with just an item. We will leave with bags. 

Tomorrow should require less walking, so maybe we won’t have to be in bed at 1900. Or maybe we will. The Lebanese corner store owner will be awaiting our arrival either way. 

Day #4 Happy Thanksgiving

We started our day of thanks with a tram trip to the top of Rendezvous Peak, 10,450 feet above sea level, in the Tetons. 

At the top, we were greeted with heavy snowfall and strong winds, but what an experience!

After a Thanksgiving Lunch, we watched the Cowboys game - some traditions can’t be broken. 

At dusk, we hoped the quiet and peaceful day would lure the elk out so we could get a close up view, but we were only greeted by mule deer. 

What a blessing it is to be with family! Now we hunker down for the winter storm.