Three weeks gone by, but here are a few more images and tales from the trip to London. London. A city that I feel immediately comfortable in, despite the cultural and language quirks that are present. After a year of learning German and subsequently forgetting English, I was shocked for the first few hours after landing and found myself, more than usual, lost for words. It was utterly confusing and very embarrassing to be unable to speak my mother tongue easily.
I spent a good deal of my time wandering and hopping on local buses without a plan in mind. Which works just fine in London. Regardless of which direction you head you are bound to bump into something historic, interesting, funny, big... Seeing as this was a trip on a budget it worked out fine to not plan on much. Actually, the only planning I did extended to finding delicious and reasonably priced places to eat which, I was surprised to discover, was not as difficult as I had previously thought. I previously mentioned the London Review Cake Shop which is a fantastic stop before/after hitting up the British Museum as it is just around the corner. And I found the FARM Collective Shop which hosted my gleeful reunion with Cheddar. FARM sources all food locally and it was simply delicious. If nothing else, I am now making it a point to eat very well while on vacation. My memories won't be happy ones if they are made on an empty or unhappy stomach.
London was fun, but the reason, or initiation for the trip to begin with was to visit Eve, a friend from high school. She lives just 40 minutes south of London in Guildford, Surrey, a town of green hills and the resting place of Lewis Carroll. Eve was working during the days so I took the opportunity to wander the town. Climbing the hill to the castle ruin I found this statue. The family home of Lewis Carroll neighbors the castle grounds though it was surrounded by trees and I was unable to see it.
There was something so amusing to me about the pink hair and the proper English garden in the country.
And seeing as I was visiting on Easter weekend it was only appropriate to have a very dramatic reenactment of the crucifixion. It lasted a good fifteen minutes and was very, um, passionate and disturbing. Not that a crucifixion should make one feel all warm and fuzzy but...
Happy train ride with my English author and Scottish water. 
3 comments:
Looks like fun!! I wish I traveled as often as you do!
It's taken me a year, but I am now starting to take advantage of where I am located. I am finding it's less about money or time and more about a mind set. I am determined to travel so I know I will make it happen.
Great! I would love to visit London, and practice a little bit my English lol. I understand wenn you say that it was confusing, i tried not to think in German and English at the same time because its exhausting.
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