Three Musketeers? Or Three Stooges? Either works really.....

Its been awhile since I had anything really "blog-worthy" to share, but the moment has finally arrived...Missy and Emily's weekend in the UK!  I awoke with nervous anticipation at 3:30 Friday morning and headed out (a bit groggy) to catch the 5am bus into LHR.  I later found out that due to landing restrictions prior to 6 am in London, I could have slept in an extra half hour, but no matter....I was going to greet my girls when they stepped thru the arrivals doors!  They finally appeared at 7, and after some shuffling of luggage and toothpaste, we heading into London to start our fun-filled day of touring.  First stop...Trafalgar Sqaure with its fountains and memorials, and some first glances of Big Ben.  ("Hey Missy...there's Big Ben", "Where?", "Right in front of you...the big clock" "Where?  OH!  You meant RIGHT in front of me"). 

As it was still quite early, and most things were yet to open for touring, we set about just taking in the sights such as the Houses of Parliment, the Thames, and the London Eye.  While not quite sunny yet, the temperature was pleasent, and a great relief from the 100+ on the East Coast.  We hit Westminster Abbey as soon as they opened, and wandered thru England's rich history and saw what's left of the great monarchs.  Although I think Missy and Emily are still not quite comfortable with the concept of burying your people in every nook and crany you can find (the floor, the wall, on-top of the other guy in the floor).  Still, as you walk by Kings and Queens, Poets, Authors, Scientists, you are soon in awe of the sheer volume of influence in one place.  Although we could have stayed for much longer, we wanted to hit the changing of the guard at Buckingham, so we trekked over, arriving (as instructed by the guide book) a good 15 mins before the ceremony.  Well....apparently everyone else read the same book, as the closest we could get to the gates was across the street.  We had a up front spot for the processional, however the actually ceremony was behind the hoardes of people, and all we caught was a glance of a large black fuzzy-Qtip hat on occasion.  Oh, well....the procession was still pretty cool.  [Note to self:  Next time grab a coffee, a paper, and settle in for some serious people watching at least an hour before it starts].

As the noon time hour approached, it was time for the first pint of the day, so we headed to the closest pub.  In the spirit of things, Missy and Emily dug into some Fish 'n Chips.  Emily was also introduced to her first English Cidar......a far cry from the Woodchuck of our college days!!!   Missy, while not partaking in the libations, did allow herself a small sip from each new flavor...she was not going to miss out on ALL the fun!!!

Unfortunitly, the food only went so far as to fuel our jet-lagged and sleep deprived heroines, so off to Harrod's we went to bask in the glory of riches far beyond our sensibilities, but still fun to look at!   And I have never seen a salesperson move so quick as when Emily and I were admiring a Dolce & Gabbana evening dress.....sorry my dear, no sale today!  After strolling through the clothes and shoe departments, and spending about an hour in the toy department, we headed to the 4th floor for our main goal of the visit:  Afternoon Tea!  Harrod's tea is an experience, and the selection of sandiches, scones, and sweets lived up to the hype, and we even braved a taste of the Rose-Petal Jelly...(and only a taste!).  After tea, all energy was gone, so we hopped the train to Reading, and enjoyed the rest of the evening in a state of non-coherence!

Saturday was a bit of a lazy day, as Missy & Emily stated that they just wanted to spend time with me, and could care less what we did!  So after a bit of a lie-in, we got out the door and headed into town for a bit of brunch, and then enjoyed the sunny and warm weather while wandering thru the Saturday markets in the town center.  A bit of shopping and ice cream, and I showed them the ruins of the Reading Abbey, the roses in the Forbury Gardens, and then we took a stroll along the Kennet canal.  After heading back to check-in with the kids, we dressed up a bit, and headed to Jamie Oliver's new resturant in Reading to see if there was good reason for the long queue's during the weekends!   The meal was excellent, dessert was divine, and the place recieved 6 thumbs up!  A perfect end to a wonderful day!

After much debate on how long we wanted to spend on the train, we headed into Winchester (no, not Winchester, VA) for the day to change Missy and Emily's idea of "old".   First stop was Wolvesly Castle, which served as a bishop's palace during the Anglo-Saxon period.  Only the ruins remain, so it takes a bit of imagination, but it is amazing to see the construction of the buildings during that period.  After spending time in the castle ruins, we headed to the Winchester cathedral, which has the longest nave in all of the England, and is the site of the final resting place of Jane Austin.  I have gotten "use" to the churches in England (still amazed by them, though), so it was really fun for me to see the expressions of awe on Missy and Emily's faces as the checked out the stone work, the ceilings, and the choir areas.   The cathedral contained some art (in the form of wall paintings and tile) from the 12th and 13th centuries, and the thought of that still existing is a bit mind-boggling at times.  Once again, it was time for lunch, so we found a pub that was ranked as one of "Britian's Best Pubs" by some travel organization.....well....definitly not going to be found on OUR list of best pubs.  So after an obligatory half pint, we set out again, this time stumbling on a much better choice hidden in a back alley.  The day had gone quicker then expected, so after we finished we took some time in the City Museum, looking at the relics from Roman and Saxon times, then we headed over to the Great Hall...the only remaining structure of the Winchester Castle, and home to what is believed to be King Arthur's Round Table.   The painted table top was hung high up on a wall....and who knows where myth meets history, but it was still pretty cool!

We headed back to Reading, and grabbed one last meal at my favorite seafood place in Reading.  It was such a great weekend with gals, and it was hard not to get a bit misty-eyed as I put them on the bus to LHR this morning.  Ah well....enough of that.....after all, we have our next year's adventure to start planning!!!!