Day 10

Today was very busy, but definitely a lot of fun! I saw the Queen this morning!
We got to the site of the parade about 9:30 this morning. Funny story – we actually left the flat at 8:30, but today was not a good day for the tube system apparently. The main problem is that most weekends there are several tube stops closed for repairs, so the route you normally would take to get somewhere isn’t always available at those times. We were on the tube headed for Buckingham Palace, and when we got to the stop before ours the train operator comes on the speaker and reminds everyone of the stops that are closed and mentions ours. We all looked at each other in confused alarm, and Lauren suddenly said, “we need to get off,” and jumped off the tube just as the doors were closing so Allie and I couldn’t make it.

The thing that makes this even funnier was that we mistakenly heard that our stop was closed, so Allie and I actually rode on to the correct stop. Of course we went back for Lauren, because our phones wouldn’t work down there and we didn’t want to lose her. When we got back, no Lauren. So, we went back yet again to the correct stop and decided to make our way to the street so we could call her. Of course the whole thing was hilarious until we realized that Lauren might be lost. When we called her we discovered that she was almost at the same place we were because she decided to walk the rest of the way. It all worked out in the end and we have a funny story to tell about our first accidental split up on the London tube. (That wouldn’t prove to be my last tube incident of the day, however).



Trouping of the Colour went well, all things considered. We actually got a spot right at the gate, but that meant being pushed up against the gate for the next hour and a half. There were a couple of Italian children next to Lauren who kept pushing her and reaching in front of her face to take pictures. People were frantically trying to get closer and closer. The phrase kept popping into my mind: You’d think the Queen of England was coming! Then I realized that was exactly what was happening. When we finally saw her, it was really worth the wait. She had a long procession in front and behind her carriage. It was very elaborate and very royal. Needless to say though - as soon as she was out of sight, we were out of there. If we hadn’t gotten out when we did, we probably would’ve been swallowed by the crowd – or those two Italian kids…they were mean.

After that, we headed down the road, did some shopping and then went to Hatton Garden for the jewelry festival that I had to go to for class. There were places to buy jewelry, make jewelry, learn about jewelry – you get the point. My favorite part though, was watching the craftsmen make the jewelry. I think this is what I will incorporate into my assignment to write about. It was fascinating to watch them meticulously shave and carve away at something until it looked like a beautiful piece of art for you to wear. The overall experience was really interesting, and I learned that this is a very popular place for people to purchase engagement and wedding rings because it’s only in town once and year.

Next, Lauren went to the library and Allie and I went over to Portobello Road once again to get a few more things. It was much more alive today.



Saturday is a big market day so there were a BUNCH of people in the street, and starving musicians playing things like accordions on the side of the road. Very cool. We met an old English guy at one of the shops that told us about his visit to America about 20 years ago. He kept reiterating how beautiful the West Texas/New Mexico/Arizona region is. He said, “You see it on TV and in movies, but when it’s right there in front of you it’s breath-taking.” His admiration of my country made me proud. Generally speaking, American tourists in England (or in any country) are just that – tourists. The locals aren’t necessarily always coming up to you telling you how amazing and wonderful America is – it’s usually the other way around. Hearing him talk about our country that way, made me realize that everyone in the world has somewhere they want to go, someplace they want to see – and all of those places are home to somebody else. In that sense, we are all lucky to live where we do, and be from the country we are from.

We headed back to the tube station so Allie could go back to Camden and I could meet Robin Dutt at the Victoria and Albert Museum to look at more jewelry. Two hours later, I was still at the tube station. The route I was going to take was of course, closed. So it was two hours of looking up this route and that route on the map, and then trying to find it on the tube map in the station. Then I had to look at this platform and that platform (while simultaneously trying to factor in stops that were closed), and basically ended up exactly where I started, nearly in tears. I’m not one to cry though – especially in public, so I went back to the flat (considering I had missed the 3:30 meet time anyway) and e-mailed Robin Dutt to tell him why I didn’t make it and that I would make up the missed trip on Monday. I have a feeling he’ll understand – hopefully :/

So, lessons learned today: Don’t stand at the gate in front of a large crowd of people when the Queen of England is coming – you might be risking death. And, if you have to travel across London on a weekend day, it’s best to use the bus or a taxi.

Oh – another awesome part of the day was earlier tonight when we went to a sports pub in Camden called The Blues to watch England play the United States for the World Cup.





This pub was definitely my favorite so far because it reminded me a lot of American sports bars. I think it might have even been American themed. They had burgers and french fries (and they actually called them french fries there; most everywhere in England refers to french fries as “chips”) not to mention margaritas. They special of the week was an Alabama Fizz…so there you go. We had a lot of fun watching the game, but actually left before it was over. We have to wake up EARLY tomorrow to go on a tour of the Cotswolds, and there were so many people in there by the time we left, we couldn’t even see the screen anymore. The game ended up being a tie – 1 to 1.

Until tomorrow! Here are videos from this morning including Queen Elizabeth!