The last few weeks here in London, Julie and Tina came to invade!! Julie came Monday night and it was too late to really do anything but we had dinner and called it a night. Tuesday I mostly showed Julie around Londontown by taking her to Trafalgar square, Big Ben, Hyde Park, Oxford St, and Leicester square to get gelato J Everything was close and busable so it was awesome. Julie climbed to the lions because I made her haha. After, we met up with her friend from home and her friend froms home friend who studies here in London. We ate at a place called Giraffe, similar to Not Your Average Joes because the food was crazy and so different. After food we walked the south bank to Shakespeare’s Globe and then caught the underground to get gelato. Wednesday we went to Saint Pauls and there was a Eucharist going on and we joined in. It was just like home but in a wicked famous church. The ceilings are filled with glitter and gold and are just gorgeous. After we climbed the bazillion stairs to get to the top of St. Pauls to look over London. The climb was worth it and I feel stronger and great, minus when my back hurts after haha but no worries. Then next stop was the Tower of London. We climbed the castle walls and looked around the place and then since the line wasn’t long for the crown jewls, we got to see them. We saw a few crowns and dinner plates and goblets that were pure gold, which is crazy and ridiculous. Tina came that night and we picked her up at the airport! It was late so all we could really do was grab some dinner and call it a day. Thursday, Tina, Julie and her friend Nicole, did the Bus Tour of London. Summer is coming so all the gardens are green are gorgeous. Hyde Park is filled with pretty flowers. After we went and rode the London Eye! The London eye is always fun because you get to see most of London and all the landmarks.
On Friday, Tina, Julie and I went to Scotland for the weekend. We had an early train ride on Friday morning and got to Scotland at lunch time. The hostel we stayed in, Edinburgh Backpackers, wasn’t bad at all and the beds were comfortable. We did a city sightseeing bus tour of Edinburgh and it was fun. We saw most of Edinburgh – the castle, parliament, the royal mile, Princes St., Palace of Holyroodhouse (Queens house but it was closed and we couldn’t go in), museums, and all touristy things to see. After the bus tour, we went to Edinburgh Castle and roamed around and looked at most of it. After, we roamed the park and found dinner. Saturday, we went on a highland tour that brought us to the Lochness. We were able to ride a boat on the loch (lake) and try to find Nessie (Lochness monster). We didn’t find Nessie, but maybe next time. The weather was crazy! It would rain, then be sunny, then sprinkle, then be cloudy haha. After the highland tour, we met up with our friend Lisa who is studying in Edinburgh. She took us on a pub crawl and we ended up going to four pubs that night. I liked it because we got to see different places to hang out and drink. The Irish were EVERYWHERE. The final rugby game was in Scotland and the pubs were jammed packed with crazy Irish men. All of us ended up talking to a bunch of random Irish people and hung out late. Sunday we relaxed, walked around Edinburgh and relaxed in the park. We ended the day with a train back to London. I love the highlands and if anyone goes to Scotland, I recommend the Haggis tour company.
The adventure for Monday was the London Zoo. The lay out for the zoo is crazy and too confusing. The animals were great and I loved it. There is a mini aquarium, monkeys, tigers, lions, giraffes, zebras, rain forrest animals, nocturnal animals, penguins, and many more. The sun was bright so we pretty much all burned. I am tanner than Tina right now, and that never happens. After the zoo, we grabbed some grub and hit up Chicago. I thought Chicago was amazing. The music, dancing, and acting was awesome.
Tuesday I took the day to rest because my back was dead. Tina and Julie met up with Julies friend and her friend and visited Buckingham Palace and Westminster. I met up with them at 5 to get tea and finger snacks and then we went to see Peter Pan! Peter Pan was done in a pavilion in Kensington Gardens. The way it was done was great. They would all fly and the screen above us projected different scenes so when they would fly to Neverland, the screen showed them flying through London. The scene would change for the pirate ship, the lost boys hide out, and the bed room. Amazinggg.
On Wednesday we didn’t know what to do because we did most of the touristy things and thought of climbing the tower bridge and walking across the two walk ways at the top. The exhibit was really neat because there were movies on who came up with the idea for the bridge, how the bridge was built, and we were able to see the engine room. After that we visited Kensington Palace in Kensington Gardens and saw where Princess Diana lived. We were only allow to see parts of the palace, but it was still neat. There was an exhibit that displayed many of Princess Diana’s dresses and they are all gorgeous. Another exhibit displayed debutant dresses and explained why they never lasted passed 1958. Turns out the swinging sixty’s would be too much for debutants and they wouldn’t survive the sixty’s with the way they were being taught to grow up. The apartments where the kings and queens used to live were neat and pretty much the same like all the other palaces I have been too. After the palace we hit up Harrods and I got a sticker book and J.K. Rowling book, but it was about to close so we couldn’t look around much longer.
Thursday morning we saw changing of the guard and it was awesome. The band played taps, star wars theme song, Indiana Jones, and another one which I couldn’t make out. Prince Charles left Buckingham Palace and I saw him and he waved to everyone! Julie left that evening and we all went to the airport 
Time to pack so second post and pictures later!
