I haven't felt that sleep deprived since having a newborn baby, and even that did not compare to the sensation of utter mind warp. For a whole week my mind was in a gentle fog and my brain cells were working at about 15%. The boys did not do well with the time difference either. Their tight schedule of naps and sleep time were hit with a wrecking ball and my little baby turned into a grump monster that would wake up on the dot at 3 am screaming while my two year old would sporadically start his sleep with a nice cough and vomit on the floor. A mystery that we still haven't figured out.
On top of the sleep deprivation we all achieved the luxury of having terrible colds. Sore throats, runny noses, blocked sinuses... it was one wrecking ball after another when it came to physical comfort.
Those were the bad things....
Yet, on top of all of this we had an amazing time. My cousins took us out drinking at night, (the hangovers did not help the sleep deprivation, colds, and mental retardation) and during the day we pried ourselves off the sofa to go sight seeing.
The hubster is an expert tourist. He has had the luxury of growing up with a family that dragged him around the globe to see all sorts of different countries and do the tourist thing of joining tour guided groups. He wanted to see London. He had never been, and as much as I dislike large cities I couldn't throw a wrench in his hopes and dreams. Elliott, my cousin is an expert at traveling with out a car, and he had a doctors appointment in London at 4 pm. We all went on the train and landed in London an hour later. Our first stop was Wellington Square to meet up with a free tour. Gary was our tour guide. We walked through Hyde Park and learned about Queen Victoria and her many assassination attempts. We, walked past the walls of Buckingham Palace and learned of the many break ins and the people that had met the Queen Mother with out a welcome. We stood in front of Buckingham Palace and learned about the flag, and the gardens. We saw Prince Charles and Prince Harry's home just across the way and took photos of the guards with their bear fur helmets.
Hyde Park is very much like Central park of New York City, only there is not the constant sound of beeping and there are no homeless people. It was very much picturesque of the Renaissance days of luncheon in the park. I know that if I lived in London this would surely be a place I would frequent. Amazing how this beauty of a walk was located in the center of a city. It changed my opinion of London Instantly.
We ended up in front of the National Gallery, where we left the tour.... seeing as our time was running out. We dashed into the National Gallery for a quick look at some Rubens, Jan Van Eyck, and many other Baroque Artists mostly Flemish, since that was the area we were in. The interior was instantly soothing to me. The architecture was as beautiful as the paintings. The first thing you approach as you walk in is a stained glass dome, light pours in and marble stairs in case you. My only stipulation with the gallery was that to every room you went to there were very heavy doors that took a bit of strength to open. Not only was this irritating, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for those in a wheel chair, or the elderly, or parents with kids in strollers. What a pain.
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| The fountain outside of the National Gallery. Trafalgar Square. |
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| London Guard outside of Prince Charles house. |
Anyway, we grabbed some lunch and waited for my cousin as he went to his appointment. We took the bus back to Victoria Station and went home.
We went to my uncle's birthday party, which was lovely. He had booked many rooms for family to stay in and we had the privilege of having a room with an extra room and private bathroom. It was awesome. I spoke to many cousins I hadn't seen in ten years, and then we went out after the party to celebrate some more.
The following day we went to Beachy Head. A quiet drive through some picturesque country side. We passed the largest sheep dealer in the world. Who knew that sheep came in so many different shapes and sizes, AND did you know that sheep have tails? I didn't.
We finally arrived at the Dover Cliffs. One of my most favorite places in England so far. I had visited there when I was about sixteen or so. A depressed teenager I was... and walking towards the edge gave me an overwhelming feeling of life. I didn't want to lose it by standing too close. The wind is strong, and the view is empty of civilization. It can't really be described in words or pictures. There is no fence to hold back your cars, or your body's from plummeting off the edge if that's your goal of the day, and many people use this as a place to do exactly that. As we peaked over the edge we could see the remains of a car. The front axle with two wheels laid on the ground below.... a testament to how serious this place can be. Just the day before a couple had leaped to their end... how can such a marvelous place not change the minds of these poor souls?. Surely, the landscape alone would put a bit of life back in them. It exudes life, freedom, everything the spirit should be made of... and yet these fools are blind to it, and throw their bodies to the ground. Something I can't understand...
Overall, it was a great trip. I learned a great deal from the tour that my hubster forced us on... very grateful for it now. I loved seeing my family, and catching up with them.... as an adult with my family surrounding me.... ever so proud of my boys and hubster. I felt as though I had achieved a great deal since I was last there.
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