Half the clothes and twice the cash

     Last week my parents were here.  It was really great to see and spend time with them and finally share my life here with someone from back home.  We did a lot of walking (far more than they anticipated) and I am happy to say that both they and I got to see a lot of great stuff.  After picking them up from the airport and having their first (very long) tube experience, we got them checked in, went to Pret for some sandwiches and wandered the city.  Their hotel was right by Green Park, which connects to Buckingham Palace, so we went there, then through St. James Park and saw the Horse Guard Quarters, Westminster Abbey, Parliament and Big Ben, and then walked into Trafalgar Square to find a pub.  This was at about, well, it was before dusk anyway.  So we go in and get drinks, sit down and a very nice, very drunk man starts talking to us, particularly to my mother about the US and shepherds pie, at one point we thought he was actually going to order her one.  That night we ate at Wagamama's and then went down the street to meet some of my friends at the Sports Cafe because Thursdays are £3 wing night (20 of them!).  They got to meet Liz, Paul, Chris and Ben before they knocked out for the evening.

     Next day after class they met me at Wood Green so I could show them around where I live, we never got to my campus but no biggy because I don't spend much time there anyway.  Mother packed me an entire suitcase full of goodies, homemade cookies, pretzels, wheat thins, See's chocolates, clothes, toiletries etc.  I hope she knows how much that meant to me because I still look at my shelves stocked with nonperishable food and get really excited!  They got to see my 5 star accommodations (which, amazingly enough, lost hot water for 2 days right when they left).  We attempted to find dad a scarf at the Wood Green mall before heading to the Tower of London.  We got there and realized we wouldn't have time to see it before it closed so instead we walked (and walked) to Cafe Pacifico (amazing mexican food in Covent Garden), ate our hearts out and met up with Andreas for some Ben's Cookies before we parted ways so that Andreas and I could go see Chromeo at KoKo.  Chromeo put on a phenomenal show.  Their sound is very electro/funk type music, they're two best friends who claim they are the only successful Jewish/Muslim duo in the music industry.  Afterwards Dave 1 and P-Thugg (the two guys in the band... obviously) were signing autographs and if the pictures would load you'd be able to see the picture Matt and I got with Dave 1.

     Saturday we actually met at the Tower of London and had a fabulous audio tour before seeing the crown jewels.  That was my 3rd trip to the tower and I still learned new things, I love it.  Another bit of walking and we were at St. Paul's Cathedral where we spent a bit of time looking around before heading over towards Harrods.  Before going in we sat down for afternoon tea (I'm definitely going to miss clotted cream, so delicious!) and scones.  We ate and set up a meeting point with Dad so that he could go off and be spared a tour of Harrods.  Mom and I wandered the chocolate (thank God we were full so we didn't buy any) got some sweets and then spent a lot of time in the shoe department.  Typical. :)  If I recall we weren't very hungry after the tea and scones so we headed to Oxford Circus, dropped my Dad off at Bonds, which is where Liz worked (I say worked because that was actually her last night) and Mom and I did a bit of shopping along Oxford Street.  After that we went and ate at Bonds with Dad and they left while I waited for Chris and Paul to come hang out.  After Liz got off work we left and stayed up all night watching youtube videos, wild Saturday night.  

     Woke up at 6 on Sunday to meet the parents for our big day of bus touring.  First stop was Windsor Castle, which is very beautiful.  The Queen was expected later in the day but she wasn't in her apartments while we were touring, we got to tour the state apartments and caught the end of the changing of the guards there.  Mom and Dad took a not so silly picture with the not so silly guards.  Next stop was Bath to visit the Roman Baths, I found them quite interesting but I wish that I hadn't stayed up so late because I retained next to nothing as far as learned information goes.  The Romans were phenomenal with the things that they did, especially considering the time period (and they were everywhere!).  Last stop was my personal favorite (and my Dad's, I think) Stonehenge.  Mom was decidedly less impressed.  I've wanted to go and see Stonehenge for a very long time so I'm really glad that I finally got to experience it and do so with my parents (Dad wanted to see them since he was a kid so that made it even better).  We met Chris for dinner for sushi attempt #1, closed, so we went to Bella Italia for what was definitely the best meal of the trip.  After eating The Godfather Parts I and II Chris and I sent my parents on their way and headed back to Wood Green.

     Our last full day was a bit of a lazy day, I finally met up with my parents around 2:30.  Mom and I set up a meeting point with Dad at Covent Garden and Mom and I went to the National Gallery to meet up with Paul.  We did a quick walk through and then headed to Covent Garden to attempt some more shopping and really just ended up in a coffee shop until it was dinner time.  Sushi attempt #2, sushi joint was open to reveal the ultimate 7/11 of sushi bars.  We ended up having Spaghetti House instead before parting from paul to see Jersey Boys.   Jersey Boys was an absolutely brilliant production, the Brits nailed the Jersey accent (as commented on by a woman from Jersey in the bathroom).  The guy who played Frankie Valli had a wonderful voice and definitely brought the Four Season to life.  I'm really glad that we ended up seeing that instead of Les Mis.

     Our last day we met at Oxford Circus, walked a bit and then checked them out.  I was a bit sad to see them go but I'm so happy that they got to come and see London.  Now I'm on my last week of classes and then finals/final papers are due the week after that.  I have so much reading and writing to do it's insane!!!  But it will be great when it's over because a few days after my deadline I'm off to Greece!!!