Look Out London!!!

***World Cup Update:  I went to a pub and watched the first half of the USA vs. UK match.  It was GREAT when England scored!***

***Book Update:  I bought three books for less than £4.  I have been thinking about The Wind in the Willows.  I bought it.  I bought Cranford (I need to tell Lindsey).  I bought an Enid Blyton book.***

TODAY!  

Well, I got up 37 minutes later than my alarm told me too.  Good thing I am in charge.  When I finally crawled out of bed I quickly began to get ready, threw on some makeup, ate a pancake, checked the online map, and dashed out the door.  As I was walking to the bus stop I was asking God to let a bus get there quickly, I checked over my shoulder and there was my bus!  I dashed across the road and hopped on!!!  My very first adventure into London by myself had begun!  I got to the train station and waited for my train.  When it arrived I hopped on hoping I would not get sick.  The last time I rode into the city I felt terrible!!!  This time was a breeze.  It was fun watching everything go by.  I began to get closer to the city eco-friendly flats began to appear.  The fun thing is, since there are so many windows you can see how people furnish their apartments.  Some of them look at modern-esque(sp) like on the movies : )  Anyway, I got to Charing Cross and the familiarity began to set in!  I saw the pasty shop where I was introduced to my first pasty!  Next time I will hopefully get one : )  

I walked out of the station and began to see where we walked the last time I was there and the phone booth where I think Daddy made a call, etc.  Well, I bumped into Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, where I will be visiting next time :)  So, I started up a road that looked like the one I need on the map.  Oh, PS, I was trying to find Hillsong Church.  Well, road signs are funny in London.  They are on the sides of buildings.  So, I finally asked where I was and I was on Charing Cross Road.  NOT where I needed to be. So I cut over and eventually ended up at Picadilly Circus in front of the Ripley Believe It or Not museum.  I called Mary and then went into a little place to ask for directions.  The lady was so nice and printed me off directions.  I began to follow them until I had to take a slight detour.  This detour took me down a sketchy alley and I could totally imagine being kidnapped and no one would ever know.  Don't worry, Daddy.  It was short.  Anyone, I got out on the other end and it was a busy street = )  I asked a bus driver where the road was I needed (I hated sounding like a tourist).  So, I follow his directions and am standing on the corner by this theatre.  I begin wondering if it was Hillsong or if I could ask where it was.  I flip over my directions and it says "Dominion Theatre" so I look and there is the Hillsong sign underneath.....brilliant.  So, I go up, they take me inside saying it is a special day...I don't know why.  *Sidenote*  The whole time I was walking I knew I was late, 20 minutes late.  I LOVE the musical worship time of the service and was bummed that I was missing it.  I just told God, ok, You have it under control.  You're timing.  I get there and it was a special Sunday because Hillsong UNITED was doing the worship that day so the format was different.  No sermon!  I was soooo excited because I didn't miss it!  It was fantastic!!!  Afterwards this girl gave me some info, she was so nice!  I think I am going to go back!

I left the theatre....and headed back the direction I came.  Avoiding the sketchy alley, of course!  When I got back to Picadilly Circus I decided to walkup Regent Street to the Apple Store.  Well, a few other stores, mainly Anthropologie, got in my way and I didn't make it there.  Next time.  Maybe.  After Anthropologie I walked a bit more and then decided I needed to start heading back to the station to meet Auntie Michele, Jess, and Bex.  I waited at the bus stop until I realized the bus I needed did not stop there.  I walked to the next one.  It did :)

I got to Charing Cross and after waiting for 10 minutes or so I went into this little shop only to look up and three strange people are staring at me.....I only say strange because they are related to me : )

It was SOOOO great to see them!!!  We then walked to St. James park where we had a picnic, courtesy of my aunt and cousins : )  A squirrel visited and I seriously thought he was going to jump on one of us! We then walked around the park, visited Buckingham Palace since the Queen was in ; )  Bex can now remember visiting!  Then we headed out for Regent Street where we occupied a Starbucks for a good while!  It was so fun to chat and plan and chat some more!  Then we decided to head to Leicester Square and Covent Gardens!  Needless to say....after yesterday I know my way around quite a bit more than before!

After dinner in Covent Gardens we headed back to Charing Cross and went our separate ways!  When I got on the train two interesting fellows sat across the aisle from me.  One is an antique dealer who does not look like one.  He sells telescopes to the other fellow who is a French Chef but also collects different things.  They were a lot of fun to talk with!  The chef's name was John and he is from Eltham and his friend made the joke, he is, "Eltham John." lol.  Dave, the antique dealer, plays the harmonica very nicely!

When I got off at my stop and walked to the bus stop....who should be standing there but Tim and Jude! So, we rode back to the house together.  

All in all a FANTASTIC day and weekend!!!