Mind the Gap

"Mind the gap." A well known phrase to anyone who has spent any time around a London Underground Station. This phrase is in reference to the gap between the platform and the oncoming train. As I continue my adventure abroad it has been fun to begin to become familiar with streets, tube stations and local sayings; this large city which, just four days ago felt strange and unknown has begun to take on homey qualities.

Blogging, I admit, has been much more difficult than I anticipated. Between reading, touring, going to school, attending plays, squeezing in homework, eating some of the most delicious food(which does not exclude our daily homemade PB&J) and sleeping every now and again, updating the blog has taken the back burner. This fall in priority status is going to result posts abundant in pictures, in order to help me catch up. Enjoy!

We spent the day touring the city for HARRY POTTER sites! To say I was overjoyed would be an understatement. This is Diagon Alley and specifically the Leaky Cauldron.

Today was a bank holiday in London which left this shopping district a ghost town. We took advantage of the empty streets by taking a trillion pictures!

Off to Hogwarts!

Westminster Abbey

Queen Elizabeth's seal

We are Peanut Butter junkies.

Our giant kitchen

The night of our first play, The Tempest! It turned out to be such a great show!

Saturdays at Notting Hill, we kept our eyes open for Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, but no luck.

Chim Chiminey Chim Chim Cheroo
View from our skylight

THE ROYAL WEDDING
-Congratulations Will & Kate -

The royal wedding sent the entire country into holiday. There were people pitching their tents to secure a good spot to watch the royal procession hours before. Since we traveled all this way and we happened to be here for one of the biggest weddings in 30 years we decided to join in the festivities and camp out the night before. We all bundled up in what ever we brought with us so we could survive a cold and possibly rainy night at Buckingham Palace. For me, who seems to always be cold, this included 2 long sleeved shirts, 2 zip up hoodies, one pull over sweatshirt, a pea coat, leggings, jeans, sweats, two pairs of socks and a giant blanket compliments of my bed. We didn't get much sleep due to the excitement and the group of boys skipping down the street singing, "I'm Getting Married In The Morning," from My Fair Lady. The long sleepless night was well worth it though when we had a front row view of the Queen and Kate Middleton leave in glistening cars for Westminster Abbey and the wedding. Kate and Will, as well as the entire royal family came back to Buckingham Palace where the couple publicly displayed their first kiss as bride and groom. Our trampled flower bed served as the perfect view of this memorable occasion. We are still trying to catch up on our sleep but I don't think any of us would take that night back for anything. After all, you can sleep when you're dead!

Me and my many layers.

Kristen and I catching up on our royal reading, thank goodness my roommate Carli owns every magazine published on this newly wed couple.

When morning came we realized we still had a good 5 hours before we saw anyone at the palace. After not sleeping we snuck a few minutes in when we could. This sleep was constantly disrupted by the cheering crowd. Every street cleaner, garbage truck and catering car that drove by was greeted with a roaring applause. After waiting all night the crows needed something to cheer for. And yes... I am the one buried in the blanket with only brown legs.

The Royal Family arriving by carriage

Cheerio!