So she made it! Here is a camera-shy Jillian, turning away from a foto-happy Aaron wanting to document her arrival in Germanland.Some of you know that I love to surprise people - although admittedly these surprises most often include walking behind someone and 'kneeing' them in the back of their knee so they'fall' a bit.....
But the same day that Jillian got in, we had a Family Home Evening together. I suggested we look at photos from my London blog. I then said 'click on the Windows Explorer page that says 'Hotmail'. Maybe it was the fact that she had just travelled around the world, but she just kind of sat there and was under-enthused as she read a travel itinerary with her name on it. 'Are we going...to London? Are we really going?' ;) (This is the part where I start to think maybe I shouldn't 'tease' people and be as 'silly' as I am, because then people never know when I am serious or not.... :(
It took 'travel-weary' Jillian a few minutes, but she finally 'got it' - we were indeed going to London the next day! Poor Jill, all tired and more travelling, but she was a trooper!
We got to London and you can read Jill's blog about how much she loves the English accent (why do American women LOVE it so much?! I find it VERY unpatriotic if you ask me - downright Benedict Arnold! ;), etc.
We had to stop by St. Pancras Railway Station. It was just up the road from where I lived in London and they were always building/restoring it. It was VERY cool to go in and see what a good job they had done! So now, if you want to come to London from Paris, this is where you'd get off - I think....
I thought 'how cute and how appropriate to have this statue in a train station'....Jill added her two bits: 'it's 'creepy', they don't have any pupils in their eyes.'
As we shall see, 'creepy' is a word Jill uses often ;)
So it was interesting that as Jill and I spoke over the months, I began to call her 'princess' and tell her what a 'princess' she was. However, I found it EVEN MORE interesting to find out from her relatives how true that 'diagnosis' was! ;) Admittedly though, I am the one that is 'directing' the 'model' for this photo. This was after we went and saw 'Lord of the Rings: the Musical' (some of you might know how much I detest Gollum, but nevertheless, one must make royalty happy... ;)
The show was pretty good and here is 'Princess Jillian' prancing down the stairs...
'Isn't she lovely.....isn't she beautiful?!' That's the song that came to my mind when I looked at the photo. This is Jill on the London Temple grounds with the 'David O. McKay' oak tree in the background (supposedly he planted it - but you know...'Mormon Folklore'....).
We walked around London and Hyde Park and visited my old chapel. This is a painting by the baptismal font - I always thought it was interesting....
A big shout-out to Maria, Imma and Nathan who let us stay with them - MILLE GRAZIE!! This tree was just outside their place and had carpeted the whole area with these beautiful pink blossoms - truly a magical place.
So I had never seen an official 'Changing of the Guard' at Buckingham Palace, and seeing as how Jill wanted her 'relatives' to come out of the Palace and welcome her, we needed to go....
Here are the, I think, 'Welsh' guards with the mugly-ugly hats waiting to be replaced by their...
Malayasian counterparts?!! That was REALLY cool I thought; to be able to see Malayasian troops. It seemed though to be more of a 'battle of the bands'. The Malayasians would play a piece (the music made me think of Colombian brass bands) and then the Welsh/Brits would 'answer'. This went on for a while and then they 'switched' - I guess....I am still a bit confused on who stayed...because 'everyone' left the front area of Buckingham Palace....hmm.....SAVE THE QUEEN!
The crowds watching the 'fun'.....
'Awwww....'
So afterwards we went for a walk through St. James park and Jill seemed to love these tulips - and she loved this one even more because there was a ladybug inside.
So this is JILL'S St. James Park tulip....
Here we are in St. James Prk with Buckingham Palace in the background. Jill had been crying earlier because the Queen had not invited her in, but she got herself under control and was able to smile for the photo....what a trooper!
I think it's interesting...if your parents weren't into the Beatles or Elvis (like mine) you don't know who these people are, their songs, etc. But then there are people like Jill, who are big-time into the Beatles. Long story short: I got VERY excited to take Jill to Abbey Road. And yes, she did the 'walk' across the crosswalk and yes, happiness ensued!
Then I told her NOT to destroy private property with her graffiti, but she went on and did as she pleased - what a princess! (I will be 'injured' for that, because I might have encouraged her to write on the front wall of Abbey Road Studio. ;)
Hey Caitlin! This one is for you! Here is a statue of Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street Tube station.
If you can't tell what I am doing, I am 'yelling' at Sherlock for smoking and for encouraging others to do so!
BAD SHERLOCK! BAD!!
(What also comes to mind is when my Mom would say 'Good job, Sherlock!' dripping with sarcasm :)
So everytime we were on, near or said 'London Bridge' Jillian started to sing 'the song' as you can well imagine. ;)
We were very blessed with great, wonderful weather - it was supposed to be 'rainy' for a big part of our stay, but being as how 'the Princess' was my travel companion, all was CA-Sunshine....
So we said 'adieu', I mean...,'goodbye' to London and hopefully, Jill, you enjoyed the Fish & Chips with mushy peas!
