Twelve ~ Feb 27th (The End)

We got ready, packed our bags, checked out and had the hotel store our bags as we went out to Portobello Road.

Can you see those clouds? I told Chelsea at one point, those are going to bust open any moment. Which they did and Mimi had forgotten her umbrella. Mimi had been in search of a mini teacup the whole trip & found one right after it started to rain. It was a good way to end the trip. We then went back to the hotel got our bags and made 0ur way to the airport. We arrived in Las Vegas to rain, drove all night through the rain only for it to still be raining the next day. It only made me miss London all the more.

I have put off posting this because I just can't find the energy to write my goodbye. I just can't find the words to express my feelings about going and how much I missed it. I still miss it but the first couple weeks were rough but I am now ready to post my last post and look back with fondness instead of longingness. I wanted to thank those who read my blog or asked about my trip and shared my trip with me, I have loved talking about it. I especially want to thank Mimi & Chelsea for being perfect traveling companions and for making this trip as amazing as it was. Goodbye England, France & Scotland until we meet again, I will carry a piece of you in a little pocket of my heart.

Eleven ~ Feb 26th

We got back to London very late the night before or very early this morning (by this morning I mean Friday Feb 26th) and settled in our new hotel. We woke up to a rather warm morning, or just not very cold with the sun breaking through the clouds. Being from Arizona and finding very few occasions to wear coats we were very tired of ours. So before going out Chelsea and I stepped outside to test the weather. I decided it was warm enough to wear two sweaters and leave the coat behind. We headed off to our old hotel because Mimi had left her heavier coat in the closet. After picking up her coat we headed to McDonald's for some breakfast then to the tube and off to Abbey Road.

Once we got off the Tube the sun was shining more now but the wind had picked up and I was getting cold, thankfully we had Mimi's coat otherwise I would have died. After putting it on I was wondering how I looked, I don't like not knowing how I look in, it just feels weird to me. So I asked Mimi to take a picture of me so I could see, but her and Chelsea did their commentary bit. "Oh it looks great on you....it brings out your eyes....I love that on you." They would do this if I ever asked their opinion or expressed concern on my appearance. They never did take a picture, so I could see. They apparently thought I believed them, or thought that was sufficient.
I grew up listening to my parents radio stations that played golden oldies so the early Beatles music was always familiar to me, even if my parents aren't fans. But in high school I began to get more familiar as friends & a cousin put songs on mix tapes & Cd's. Not to mention how I love a good Beatles cover, I Am Sam soundtrack anyone? So although I am not a die hard Beatles fan their music has and does play a big part in my life.

Abbey Road is rather busy but the drivers are use to pedestrians and just stop to let you go. I actually followed Chelsea across the street but was not even thinking about how the pictures would look. But thankfully Chelsea has her wits about her and timed it better and kept her steps in time with me so we got some good looking photos.

I then went over to get pictures of Mimi & Chelsea, I love this one because Mimi looked back at me and had such a great smile on her face.

We then went to get a look at Abbey Road Studios.


After seeing what people had written on the wall I thought it would be great to write something for my nephew William who calls The Beatles song I Will, his special song. So I pulled out my pen and began to write. We had seen a camera guy & a reporter getting footage and interviewing, but after almost two weeks with Mimi and her camera I was good at just going about my business and pretending they weren't there.

But what is funny to me is earlier when Mimi was getting shots of the studio the guy was filming her and she had no clue. I kind of wish she had noticed her reaction would have been great. I got pictures so I could prove to her how close he really was.

After I was done writing I gave the pen to Mimi so she could write & she gave me her camera to get pictures.

After she got up I still had her camera around my neck and my camera in my hand when the TV reporter and camera man came up asking me about my thoughts on Abbey Road being sold. It was a Japanese station, I don't know which one or if it was ever used but a funny experience all the same. Even if I was uncomfortable, I just tried to pretend I was cool & new what I was talking about. I am sure I said um or ah a hundred times though.
Mimi was upset that she couldn't get a picture since I had both cameras. I have this vision of me being on the TV screen and seeing two hands reaching in and taking the camera off from around my neck. And me never missing a beat with my interview because I am a professional.


This shot makes me think of celebrities being stocked by the paparazzi, at least the expression on my face does, you know the face of being annoyed of getting caught on camera unexpected.
After doing a little shopping at the gift/coffee shop we headed to Leicester square to go see if we could catch a showing of Leap Year. I know, I know it didn't look that great and it was all me, I told the girls they could drop me off at the theater but I wanted to see it. When I saw the previews I did want to see it despite it looking cheesy. And mostly for two reasons it takes place in Ireland & second Matthew Goode is in it. It also didn't hurt that Amy Adams was in it, I love her. Right before I left I watched Chasing Liberty a movie I had never seen and feel in love with Matthew Goode. I had seen him in other stuff and thought he was cute but Chasing Liberty moved him up to boyfriend category. As soon as it was over I remembered Leap Year and wanted to go see it, sadly it was only playing in one theater in the valley with only early showtimes. So when I was in London and I saw Matthew's beautiful face on the side of double decker busses proclamining it was coming Feb 26th the Friday before we left I knew it was fate.

We found a theater where it was playing huzzah!!! I don't remember who suggest we get a picture of all three of us by taking a picture of the mirrors, but this is in fact the only picture with all three of us from our trip. Mimi & Chelsea like that I appear to be glowing, you will have to ask them why it is a funny story but to long to explain here.

The first 10 minuets or so of the movie were pretty painful but once she was in Ireland and Matthew was there, I enjoyed myself. Beautiful Ireland & beautiful Matthew with a beard!!
After the movie we headed over to Westminster Abbey to get a better look. By this time the wind was insane. Mimi explained that it was because the clouds and trapped the warm weather and now that the clouds wear all gone the heat was rising and pushing the cold air down. So although it was a beautiful sunny day, the wind was killer. Chelsea & I sat on this bench to try and hide from it while Mimi got some pictures.

Here you can see Westminster and London passing us by again.

It was a beautiful day but the wind soon drove us back to our hotel, where we were going to get ready for the Jack The Ripper that night. We decided that there was no way to get ready for how cold it was so we scrapped Jack and headed back to our hotel to start packing up.

Ten ~ Feb 25th

We headed off to the see Edinburgh Castle, unlike London & Paris there is no tube or metro so we were walking. While walking I asked Mimi to take this picture so I could show you our hotel. It is the building being partly covered by the pointy spires.

When I was in high school we watched a video about Ireland and in the video they talked about how when it is not raining hard there is just sort of a mist falling they don't call it raining, the call it a soft day. I stopped doing my hair for a couple reasons, first we thought the curling irons had broke but really they had just been turned to high to work in Europe. And Second because my hair curled all on its own, something that does not happen here in Arizona.

We got to the castle a few minuets before it opened and decided that the mist falling was not enough for an umbrella.

Chelsea & I waiting for the Castle to open.

I may be wrong but I think this part was a church at the Castle. It was hard to picture what the castle must have been like when it was in use. But it was beautiful & we had some of the men watching the crown jewels start teasing us pretending to call security because they did not like the way we were looking at the necklace. They also gave us some history of the jewels, Scotsmen are more friendly than Englishmen.


We then headed out to check out some of the shops we had passed the night before on Victoria Street.

One of the shops is called The Red Door, a cool shop that had a lot of local artist works. You can actually see the window display we saw on their blog here. (Debbie you need to see their blog) I had to look at everything in their shop.
Then we were off to find The Elephant Cafe where Jo went to write Harry Potter.

This is the view we saw as we ate our lunch, does the castle remind you of Hogwarts, Harry Potter fans? Also this place was playing good music as well all stuff I had on my ipod.

After lunch we headed over to the National Museum of Scotland which the nice men from the Castle informed us was free and warm. After walking all over town looking for the Elephant Cafe I was ready to rest my feet so after the first floor I sat and rested in the museum. We then decided to go to Jenners the department store right across the street from our hotel, it has been there since 1838. It is known as the Harrods of the North. We could see it had a cafe from our window so we decided to go there and hang out while we waited for our train. I am sad it was so cold and we were so tired there are other things I would have liked to do. Like walk through the park & cemetery but being cold & tired will move you in doors.
It was more of a tea room but I got a croissant to snack on while we sat and relaxed. I saw the old man just waiting to pounce as soon as we were settled and as soon as Chelsea was seated he began talking to her. I couldn't hear all the conversation but I know he discussed America, the President, past world wars & Scotland. He was a very sweet old man.

For my Twilight Friends:
I guess I am not that observant because I missed the double decker with the wolf pack on in London. We also saw a couple of Bella Italia's one in London & one in Scotland. See the little sign in the top right corner.



We also saw some books on display in Scotland.


The night before when we were walking around I guess Chelsea had seen a few people walking around dressed like vampires. And said something about seeing a lot of vampires. I think I was looking at the buildings so I asked "where is a vampire" then oh there he was walking right towards me. Yep he totally heard me. That is one thing I learned about myself on this trip, I am a lot louder person than I thought.
The next morning when we got to the castle I pointed to the Volvo and said to Mimi "isn't it sweet that Edward followed us to Scotland." He probably wanted to protect us from the other vampires we saw the night before.

Nine ~ Feb 24th

We left Paris that morning and took a train to London & headed over to Kings Cross Station for our train to Edinburgh Scotland. Where we found the Harry Potter Platform 9 3/4.

In Paris I bought some mini macaroons, then on the train they had these little mini cans, in case you couldn't guess I like mini things.

When we got to Scotland it was VERY cold but thankfully our hotel was just across the street on Princess street. Actually after we got off the train we found the exit to the street, it was a whole of stairs. We were looking at the stairs & Mimi was saying no way, when a girl with pink hair came up to us and said "ok here is the deal you need to take the lift up cross over the tracks take another lift down then there is a ramp." There were really just nice people everywhere we went.

See my princess bed.

We were so happy to be back in a nice hotel with our awesome view & heated towel rack. We rested for a bit, watched part of a Marilyn Monroe movie, Let's Make Love before going out.

We freshened up and were ready to hit the town. This is what we saw as we walked out of our hotel. The lights & the mist were just magical.

Notice the building that says The Scotsman,

I would like to take a moment to give a shout out to some of my favorite Scotsmen.






Chelsea kept trying to take pictures to twitter but said none of them showed how awesome it actually was. The below picture comes the closest to how crazy awesome Edinburgh was.

Here is a cool little alley way.One of the things on our list to do was eat at a pub, Mimi read about this one in Chelsea's book. It is called The Last Drop, it is suppose to be haunted because it is across from where the gallows use to be. The only thing it was haunted by was a cute waiter, good music, good food & a drink called Pooh Bear which Mimi adored (don't worry it was only steamed milk with honey & cinnamon, Imight be wrong about the cinnamon maybe it was nutmeg.

When going up the stairs Mimi said look Scottish chairs, so I ran and sat down in the Scottish chair so she could get a picture of me in it.

Chelsea told us to hurry because the lift was coming, all the lifts were small we could never fit all three of us with all three of our bags in one. Thankfully we didn't have any bags this trip up.

Do you see how pink my cheeks are, that is how cold it was outside.

When we got back to the room I closed the curtains to the window by my bed then went into the little nook it made and sat behind the curtain with my pillow looked out the window at the castle & wrote in my journal while listening to Travis.