London Callin'

Safe Arrivals and Happy Days

Greetings from the land of the Union Jack! Our plane arrived safely, early actually, and we were in love with Virgin Airlines- there were numerous movies, food, and Indian people and very homely British patrons aboard. After a longer Tube ride than expected, we arrived at our hostel with no difficulty. The hostel we're staying in is right next to British Museum in a very cute area. The reception staff is quite friendly (and says, "Good morning love" :)) but we were disappointed by the lack of clean sheets on Liz's bed. Our two roommates were very cool and we enjoyed getting to chat with them. After a slight walk around when Grace got very cranky and wanted to sleep but Liz was very excited, back to the hostel it was for a night of difficult sleep (namely because Liz was stressed over dirty sheets).

Today has been glorious! We woke up to a rare sunny London day, much to our pleasant surprise. We took some nice warm showers and toweled off with our pajamas due to lack of towelage. We headed over to Tate Modern Art Museum, after a brisk walk along the River Thames. We booked it thru the minimalist exhibits but enjoyed the rest, especially the kids' games. Next was St. Paul's Cathedral, for a tour with a lil headset and a magnificent view from the top spire. The headsets were Elizabeth's idea, but Grace was most impressed. It was an incredible experience to be able to pray the Lord's Prayer with a diverse group and a priest from the national cathedral (and where Di got married!) The 500+ stairs to the top were quite steep, but well worth the climb for the non-faint of heart.

Borough's Market was the BEST. We wandered around, tasted many treats, and got some lunch, olives and desserts. We appreciated the generosity of the British vendors with their samples. A highlight was that while we were enjoying our delectable lunch, an elderly, intelligent and batty Scottish man talking to us for over half an hour, concluding with a signed print of his painting of soldiers "weeing" due to the cold on the battlefield. Memories...

We attempted to go to the Globe Theater for a tour of Shakespeare's theatrical home, but it was closed due to a show going on. Instead, we walked up to see the London Eye and enjoyed the street performers, and a playground along the way, but did not enjoy the headless Minnie Mouse man who made Liz jump and scream.

Back to the hostel it was for a nap for Liz and a run thru the business district for Grace-she needs to find a better route... Dinner was at a delightful Italian place with funky interior and live music by a guy who sounded like Jack Johnson. Some minimal stress insued over knowing whether or not to tip- still need to figure that one out...

Highlights and Lowlights

+Cherries from Burrough's Market

-Pesky and frightening pigeons

+Best mocha ever made with real melted chocolate

-Hoitsy toitsy Brit thinking we'll steal from his second-hand designer store

+St. Paul's Cathedral was exactly 365 ft high to the top of the dome-cute!

-Almost getting hit by double-decker buses and bikers multiple times

Grace's Goals (and a more detailed itinerary)

Before We Begin

This is Grace here! So I'm really not much of a blogger- as in, I've never done it before...but I'm very excited to start! So, looking into our trip, it's hard to believe that we actually leave in less than 72 hours (yes, the specific countdown is beginning). While it's still a bit stressful as we are in the throes of last-minute planning and packing, the excitement is overwhelming.

While Elizabeth is simply hoping that we come back from overseas in one piece, I have a few more goals, as well.

• To see the sights and learn the history
• To be immersed in the beautiful culture and language
• To take time to simply wander the streets, enjoy the food, and breathe in new air, hear the new smells
• To meet the local people and hear their stories (and, if we're going to be honest, as 18-year-olds, I think we'd be happy to meet some fun European boys as well!)

A More Detailed Itinerary

As Elizabeth said, I tend to be the more detail-oriented of the two of us (read: Obsessive Compulsive and sometimes more than slightly control freak-y). This said, finding a pace on the trip that fits both of our needs may be an interesting journey, but one that I am looking forward to embarking on with this dear friend! 

First off: London!

June 13-18 we will be in England. We plan to of course check out some of the major tourist attractions such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, etc. But I'm really looking forward to some more local-sounding activities such as an antique market, art museums, wandering the streets of Notting Hill. Since we will be there weeks before the Olympics, we are hoping to check out the stadium at some point, as well as taking a day trip to Stonehenge.

Next- Paris! 

If I am continuing my honesty, I'm probably most looking forward to visiting Paris. As a beginner French student, I fell in love with the language and the stories I heard from the place. I cannot wait to be immersed in such a unique and intense culture. We're taking the Chunnel and will be in Paris until June 22. During our time here, we're hoping to check out the Louvre, Sacre-Couer, Champs-Elysees, Jardin de Luxembourg, the catacombs, and other places and spaces. 

Then to Madrid it is!

Elizabeth and I are taking a night train from Paris to Spain. We're splurging for our two nights in Madrid and staying at a place that was named the "Trendiest Hotel in Madrid". During our time in this old city, we plan on seeing some of Picasso's great works, enjoying tapas, watching the flamenco, seeing the beautiful royal palace, and doing some antiquing at a flea market. 

Finally, time spent in Barcelona

Elizabeth's incredibly hospitable aunt is welcoming us into her home in Terrassa, a town in Barcelona. We're looking forward to spending time with them and taking their suggestions for how to best explore the city known for its beautiful architecture, culture and beaches. We're hoping to do some hiking with Lissa and her friends while we're there, maybe visit a beach, listen to some music, and just relax and enjoy. We'll even get to take part in the town festival due to great luck in dates coinciding! 

Then home again, home again...

I sit here now in my stuffy bedroom in our Lancaster apartment and am sure that I don't even know half of the adventures that we will get ourselves into. But that is what I look forward to the most! I am almost salivating by the possibilities that await us- the sights to see, the songs to hear, the people to meet, and the fun times to be had. 

Wish us luck as we attempt to stuff our clothes and the like into backpacks small enough to get away with as carry-ons! Let the European Extravaganza begin! 

Thanks for reading and for your thoughts and prayers!
xoxo,

Grace (and Liz)

The Beginning

Hello.
This is Elizabeth here and what you have is a blog about how Elizabeth and Grace went to Europe and had a very good time with limited complications. At least that is the hope. Right now we are in the complications part.

Some Basics:

• Grace and I are going to Europe just the two of us
• We will be leaving on Wednesday June 13th at the crack of dawn
• We will be flying into London
• From London we will continue to Paris, Madrid and Barcelona
• We will then return home Monday July 2nd all in one piece or two pieces, one Grace piece and one Elizabeth piece but put together all the same.

The previously mentioned complications is so far just planing which can be tricky and at which Grace excels and I do not. At the current time she is being very productive and figuring out maps and directions. Such as how to get from the airport to the hostel and from the hostel to all the wonderful places that without maps we would get lost trying to find ex. Eiffel Tower. Meanwhile I am doing this, which is slightly less helpful. No one yet knows this exists but I am hoping that once people do it can be a way for family and friends to keep track of us on our adventures. We will take turns posting whenever and wherever we acquire internet access. I am planning to upload our itinerary sometime within the next day or so. And also planning on telling people we have a blog.

~Elizabeth