Family Lovin' Part TWO

People.  Do I have a treat for you...another entry dedicated to Bobber family fun! Woo!

Last Saturday my father and youngest sister joined me for a whirlwind weekend in London.  I had SUCH an amazing time with them.  It would have been quite fun to have the entire family visit together, but in a slightly selfish way, it was spectacular to have *two* weekends of visitors.  When they arrived, I retrieved them at Waterloo station and headed back to Conway, my residence hall.  After grabbing breakfast on the South Bank, we crossed the Thames and explored Westminster.  I hoped to start with a tour of Parliament, but I had not pre-registered our tour, so there was not enough space.  Never fear, there are a couple more things to do here in London!  So we dashed to Trafalgar Square, where my dad and sis had way too much fun posing with the lions and fountains.

Posing with the lions, no shame!

Also no shame.

Afterwards, we checked out the Churchill War Rooms—how cool!  These barracks are where Churchill and his cabinet hid underground during the bomb raids on London in the 1940s.  I had no idea this museum even existed before coming to London, and it was certainly one of the coolest things I've done in the city.  I especially enjoyed learning about Churchill's political advances and defeats, given my time here in Parliament.  Once we exhausted the museum, we spent the rest of the day dodging in and out of coffee shops and ticket booths to avoid the snow and sleet.

I'm at a payphone.

Still no shame.

That night we had a fun dinner in Covent Garden and stopped by Ben’s Cookies (classsic) for dessert.  Honestly, I cannot get myself enough of those coconut cookies!  I exercised great constraint by waiting to enjoy them in the comfort of the Park Plaza Hotel.  After Bobber Family Takes London Part One, my mother was sure to book my father and sister a nicer hotel so they would not have to experience the lovable dump known as the Z Hotel.  Therefore, my dad and sis got to stay at a gorgeous hotel overlooking Westminster.  Our room was even big enough so that once we pushed the beds together, I could sleep between them that night!  We had such a fun sleepover, nomming on our cookies and falling asleep by 9. What a life.

I love this guy!

After our incredible sleep, we woke early to head to South Kensington for mass at Brompton Oratory.  Little did I know I accidentally brought them to the Pre-Vatican II 1962 mass.  It actually took us five minutes of the priest murmuring in Latin and facing the altar for us to realize that he wasn’t speaking English.  Ooops.  Either way, the mass itself was something to experience...it really made me appreciate the changes our church has undergone in order to make the mass more inviting and interactive. 

After that fiasco we went to the Tower of London, where the Crown Jewels are housed!  Unfortunately it was brutally cold...and that’s coming from a girl who has lived in this 30 degree, cloudy city for nearly three months now. We enjoyed running from tower to tower not only to be indoors but also to see the cool exhibits inside, such as old torture instruments or armour.  The Crown Jewels were absolutely the best though.  I oh so badly wanted to try on that crown!!

Outside the Tower of London, a historic castle on the north bank of the Thames.

Pound it.

Sunday continued to be a rush.  After stopping by a traditional British pub for lunch (had to expose the crew to Steak Pot Pie and Fish n Chips!), we ran off to a matinee showing of Jersey Boys at The Prince Edward Theatre.  I had never seen the musical before, so I was quite entertained! The actor who played Frankie Valli was the cutest, and we enjoyed recognizing some familiar songs.  We sang all the way home to my flat, where one of my roommate’s families was hosting a large dinner for my friends!  Twenty of us crowded around our flimsy kitchen table and gorged ourselves on ham, mash, salad, dessert and fine (read: Sainsbury’s) wine.  These two hours were some of my favorite during my family’s entire visit.  I loved introducing my father and sis to my makeshift family here in London:)

Prepping for Jersey Boys! Oh, what a night!

With two of my favorite people at flat dinner.

My families combine!

Monday was my last day with the two, but unfortunately I had class from 9-5.  (That “study” part of “study abroad” really gets to you sometimes) SO, the mad dash continued once I was released from class.  I rushed to Parliament to show my dad and sister a much expedited tour, but at least they did get to see debates in both the Commons and the Lords!  We grabbed dinner in SoHo and then treated ourselves to another night of fine entertainment: Les Miserables.  Yes, this is my second time seeing the opera in three weeks. No, I do not care.  I could probably see it every day for the rest of my life if the tickets were free!!  We had closer seats this time around, so I could really see the anguish in Jean Valjean’s face.  Let me tell you...it got to us.  At the end of the show, I was reaching for anything that resembled a tissue.   

Inside Parliamentary grounds.

Les Mis round 2!

We could NOT believe how good this show was.

Unfortunately the waterworks did not stop when I had to say goodbye to my family.  As we hugged goodbye in the hallways of Conway, I did not want to let go :( I was once again reminded that seeing family is the rudest tease about what I miss most from home: those I love.  I cannot believe how blessed I am to have all four members of my immediate family fly all the way across the Atlantic to see me.  Although I am sad that my time in London is running thin, I cannot wait to run straight into their arms again.  So thank you, this time to my dad and little sis, for giving me an incredible weekend.  I love you two so much.

Cheers,
C