Saturday, May 14, 2011

London: Day One

I arrived at the airport this morning with my mom to catch my flight to London. Glenn, Granny, Bapa, and Catherine came to see me off as well! We sat down to have a drink to take the edge off (I hate flying!) and then said our farewells. I got pretty tearful walking away and was extremely nervous to be going alone. I walked up to the terminal only to receive a text from my dad, "You sure look pretty!" but I ignored it and ran to the bathroom. When I came out, there was my extremely overprotective father ready to hop on the flight to London with me. And so we went.
Once we arrived in Atlanta, we stopped into TGI Fridays to grab a bite to eat and I had my very first drink with my dad. Afterwards, we switched our seats to sit together on the plane and waited the couple of hours left before take off. The flight was not bad, just very long and rather uncomfortable. I slept some, finished the book I was reading "True Blue," and played games on my dad's iPad. We had 3 movies on the flight which was exciting, although I missed most of it. This was my dad's first international trip and he was loving the plane.
Upon arrival, we went through immigration, grabbed our bags, and met Libby inside of the "Meeting Point" in the airport! My dad went back to his hotel to have a rest and Libby and I were off! We took the train back to Victoria and a taxi back to her flat. She warned me that I would need a bit of sleep or I would seriously crash so we each took a shower and I took a nice little nap in my beautiful bed! When we woke up, we took a walk to pick up her car from the tube station and stopped in a lovely little bookstore on the way. On the outside of the shop, books were piled high, in no apparent order, and inside books lined every inch of wall and space, leaving only a small walking space for visitors. The man who worked inside of the bookstore was absolutely wonderful and he found me a nice edition of Wuthering Heights to add to my collection. Libby also found a book that she had been searching for and we were both very pleased. The man told us about the importance of giving to others and I was happy to have met him.
Next, we grabbed the car and Libby took me to a fabulous little French bistro called "The Brasserie" that was absolutely buzzing with people and excitement. We had a nice seat right next to the open window where we could watch the business of the street outside. Now, for my mom's favorite part: the food. Libby ordered eggs benedict and I ordered a cheese omelet and we each had the most delicious french fries as well. This was the absolute perfect first meal in London- so delicious! On the way home, we stopped by the school that she owns and I was absolutely thrilled by how fantastic it is. She had completely renovated an old church and turned a large hall into a large assortment of classrooms. There was a separate classroom for each specialty from math to movement and the hallways were lined with artwork and pictures. She had also added a stairwell and balcony to the building with a huge library at the top where the children can sit down to read. I am too excited for words to spend time in this wonderful school and to learn from Libby and the other teachers. This schools dedication to teaching children with special needs is absolutely admirable. I start on Monday and I am very ready to learn from them!
On the way home, I fell asleep in the car (jet lag is awful!) and so Libby and I came home and took another little nap. A day with multiple naps is a good day in my
book! We woke up and we were off to dinner with my dad at a nearby Italian restaurant called "Enoteca Turi" and the people inside were really marvelous. At first, I must admit the menu scared me because I could not see much that I would enjoy eating. I ended up ordering a spinach and ricotta gnudi which was actually quite delicious (Yes mom, really!). Libby ordered
artich oke ravioli and crispy duck salad and my dad had a steak. The food was exquisite and the atmosphere was really lovely. For dessert, we had crumbly almond cake with pistachio ice cream and whipped vanilla cream with sour cherries in syrup on top!
After dinner, dad walked Libby and I back to her flat and we said are farewells because his flight leaves in the morning for home. I absolutely despise goodbyes! After dad left, Libby found the original black and white movie version of Wuthering Heights and we put on PJs, got into bed, and watched it all! It was the perfect end to a perfect day. I am so excited to spend the month here with Libby and cannot wait for what tomorrow holds! Addio!


Dad and I in front of Enoteca Turi!











Libby and I in front of the Thames river!








Dad and I in front of the Putney Bridge!

1 comment:

  1. Best of luck to you Lexie on this big adventure in your life. Love the blog so we all can follow you through your journey-
    Have the best time and always be safe !

    Pam Stroud & Family

    ReplyDelete