LONDON BABY!!...And Paris

Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love the Broadway play Wicked.  Mild obsession, maybe.  When my friend from work starting dating a girl from London, I was very happy for him, but I didn't know just how happy I would become.  He also knew I loved Wicked.  I guess my self-painted canvas of wicked standing at my desk was a dead give away.  As soon as he told me his then fiancé played Glinda in London's version of  Wicked and that I should come visit and he'll get me good seats and a backstage tour, I was sold.  Done!  Enough said!  I love Glinda most of all!  The hunt began for friends who would want to join me.

My friend Mackenzie Woolsey was a given.  She loves Wicked as much as I do.  She would argue more, but I think the raw count of how many times we have each seen it speaks for itself, but then again, she does have bootleg copy of the original show that might make her more of a fan than me.  Verdict is still out.

I began to put my line in the water and put little teasers out while among friends that I was going to London.  I would see who would bite.  Also joining me on the trip was my sister Shantell, and my two friends Crystal Clark and Kira Wagner.

The day finally came that we were flying to LONDON BABY! 

Crystal, Kira, myself, and Mackenzie on the flight 

After an all nighter flight where few of us slept, we arrived.  We decided to brave it and take the underground everywhere we went, including to and from the airport.  

If you have ever been on an underground subway, you know it can get crowded loading and unloading.  Well, now add suitcases.  I am not proud of this next story, but it is too good not to share. We had arrived at our stop and started to unload.  Shantell, Mackenzie, and Crystal were the first to get off.  Then myself.  Then Kira...kind of.  I had unloaded and turned to make sure Kira was coming.  She was halfway through the door when it started to close on her.  I saw it happening, but didn't do anything.  I assumed it would be like an elevator.  As soon as it got resistance, it would pop back open.  Well I was wrong.  It all happened so fast.  I look back.  Kira has one arm and one leg outside of the subway, and the other arm and leg still in the subway.  The door was closing on her and she yelled in a panic, "Don't close!  Don't close!"  I stood there laughing at how entertaining this scene was and waited for the doors to pop back open.  They didn't.  Sheer panic was on Kira's face.  Before I could process it all and do anything, again it all happened so fast, a nice gentleman pried the doors open and basically saved Kira's life.  

I'm pretty sure every time the intercom came on with the recording to "Mind the Gap," which was about once every 2 minutes, Kira would have PTSD.  I spent the rest of my trip trying to make up to Kira for just laughing as she almost lost her life.

Well we made it to our flat safely 

and all limbs attached, and we were ready to explore. It was later in the afternoon, so we didn't have much time to go too far before our Jack the Ripper tour was gong to start, so we went to a nearby world market for some food.  

I got the Arepas and they were Delish!  First time trying them.  I love to try new foods when I travel.

We did the Jack the Ripper tour.  Not everyone wanted to but they knew how much I love my ghost-type tours, so they suffered through it with me.  It wasn't at all scary in my opinion but it was very educational and fascinating..and gory.  We saw real pictures of the victims.

The below picture is where one of the victims was killed and they said if you take a pic sometimes you can see the bloodstains or shadow of the girl.  We didn't see anything, thankfully.

The next morning we took the subway into town where our hop on hop off bus tour would begin.  We got all too familiar with the underground subway.  Crystal and Kira were great navigators on their phones.  Shantell was our "bloodhound," and Mackenzie and I, well, we just kinda followed. 

Shantell and I on the hop on hop off bus tour.  

It was beautiful and surreal to finally see all the sites.  We saw Parliament, Big Ben, and the London Eye.

After riding around on the hop on hop off bus tour for a bit, we decided to make our first stop to the Tower Bridge experience because it was included in our London Pass.  It was interesting and kind of had a haunted house vibe to it.  

We don't look at all like tourists, do we?

Next we went to the Tower of London, which is where King Henry VIII did a lot of his beheadings.  We walked around the grounds and even saw all the Crown Jewels.

We had to get a picture in front of the famous Tower Bridge

I believe this was the White Tower inside the walls of the Tower of London.

Next we went to Kensington Palace.  It was closed by the time we made it there but we did get to use their facilities in the gift shop and walk around the yard a little bit.  It is the residence of Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, according to Wikipedia.

That night we decided to ride the London Eye.  

Big Ben was beautiful at night time.  It was bigger than we imagined.

Inside one of the pods on the London Eye.

The next day we did St Paul's Cathedral.  You can climb a never-ending spiral staircase to one of the top towers and look out over the city.  It was beautiful!

In front of St Paul's Cathedral

We also went to Shakespeare's globe, which is what they believe is a re-creation of the theatre from Shakespeare's time, though no one knows for sure.

Next we went to Westminster Abbey, although we didn't check in advance to see if it was open on Mondays...it wasn't.  Beautiful from the outside though.  "Hands down best Abbey I've ever seen."

We walked around and made our way to China Town.

We also did the Thames River boat tour

The true Harry Potter fans recognized that the Millennium Bridge was in the Harry Potter movies, so we had to get a pic on it.  Just to clarify, I am apparently not a true Harry Potter fan, but I do enjoy the books so I was allowed in the picture. 

Buckingham Palace was next on the list.  We learned that the guards don't always wear red.  Apparently the queen had come out and waved earlier that day, but sadly we missed it. 

All I wanted on this trip was to either see the Queen or Adele...I didn't see either.  I know you can't tell in this picture, but I am doing a phantom chair and Crystal is sitting on my lap.  Feel the burn!

The next day we went to Windsor Castle.  This castle was so extravagant and large.  This is where the Queen chooses to live, and I can definitely see why.  We got a tour of the castle, but not the wings where she resides, of course.  

We even got to see the changing of the guards.

Windsor castle was a good hour and half underground/train ride.  We took a train ride from Windsor back to a station where we needed to change trains.  Kira and I were the last to get off, and since I made sure the rest of the trip not to make the same "bad friend" mistake I made the first day, I hung by her side when she thought she left her phone on the train.  The others continue on, not knowing she ran back, so I stayed with her.  We assumed we would just meet them at the platform.  We go to the platform, and can't find them.  We send them a text asking where they are, and one replies, "we are in the cab a couple people behind you."  Kira and I look at each other, "they think we're on the train with them.  They left us!"   We let them know we are still back at the train station and to wait at the next stop.  We will catch the next one.  

Our best attempt at scared "we got left at the train station" faces!

While we were waiting for the next train, I went into the the goodies shop.  I knew we only had a couple minutes, so when I heard the train whistle, I quickly bought my snack and went running out.  

Kira was standing right in front of me with her back to me, but for some reason I didn't see her.  I yell her name in a panic, thinking I had lost her.  I hadn't.  This experience obviously had us all on edge.

That evening we went to a square with some statues.  I can't remember the name of where we were.  All I knew was that I wanted to sit on one of the lion statues.  Not being the most flexible person, it was quite the sight to see.

"This won't be so bad."

"I just gotta get my leg up here.."

"Ok, I'm up...Kind of.."

"Just need to make it to my stomach so I can stand up.."

"This Lion's bum is more slippery than I thought.  Shantell will help me."

"I made it!"

"Now I'll help you up."  Unfortunately, I was not successful in helping Shantell up.

We love the TV show FRIENDS!  Ever since we booked the trip, the theme has been "LONDON BABY" because that's what Joey keeps saying to Chandler.  He also buys a hat of the British flag.  As soon as we saw the hat, we had to have it!

Now the moment I had been waiting over 6 months for.  Wicked!  We met up with my friend Nate for dinner.  He's the one that married Glinda.

We of course had to get a picture of he and I standing by her poster outside.

She did so amazing!!  So beautiful and talented!  What better way to top off my 10th time seeing the show than to have the long awaited back stage tour.  It was so great!  We got to see all the props, hold the little green baby (super heavy), and see all her dresses.  All I wanted out of the trip was to ride in the bubble.  I knew it wouldn't happen.  I never asked.  Another time maybe. 

Savannah Stevenson and I by all her dresses.

I even snapped a picture with Fiyero!

The next day was Warner Brother Studios where all the Harry Potter movies were filmed.  They have now turned it into a museum of sorts.  

This was the Great Hall.

Platform 9 3/4.  They wouldn't let this muggle through. 

I drank butter beer for the first time...not my favorite.

They had a lot of the creatures from the movie displayed.  Everything you can imagine from the movies was displayed.  It was amazing!

Diagon Alley

Hagrid's side car.  I was definitely too tall to sit in it, but I squoze in.  Got a good sized bruise on my thighs from scraping my leg trying to wiggle in and out.

The Hogwart's Express.  You may wonder why all the pictures are of just me and Kira.  Well, the others went through the place at a much faster pace.

The next morning was taking the Chunnel to Paris.  The Chunnel is a train that goes under the English Channel.  

First stop was the Louvre!

And the Mona Lisa!  Much smaller than I thought.

My favorite thing to see in Paris was the Eiffel Tower.  So tall and amazing!

Notre Dame at night was also magical.

But the Eiffel Tower at night took the cake!  No comparison!

At the top of every hour there was a light show and it would sparkle!  Loved it!

Day 2 in Paris consisted of going inside Notre Dame.  We didn't get to climb up the stairs to the the gargoyles because we didn't have time, so I googled the history and looked at pictures to get my feel.

We also went to the Catacombs.  Basically, in the 1700's the cemeteries were so overfilled that they build underground tunnels and just filled it with bones.  You just walk through miles of bone tunnels. Pretty cool.

We also did the hop on hop off bus tour in Paris so we could see everything we didn't have time to stop for.

The crepes and pastries were phenomenal!

Arc de Triomphe was also on the list.  It honors all the soldiers who fought and died in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

We were only able to spend 2 days in Paris before we took the Chunnel back to London for our last day.  I wanted to do Hampton Court palace so Kira and Crystal came with.  I have a small obsession with King Henry VIII and this was where he chose to live.

Sadly, the trips had to come to an end!  It was such an amazing time!  

London Happy List:

-While at the airport waiting to board our flight, Holly sat on the arm of a chair right as a man was backing up to sit in it.  Awkwardly yet quickly got out of the way and the man had no idea.

-"Those baseball players have nice Badumpydumps." -Crystal

-"Things shifted..." -Kira

-Shantell losing her passport before we even went through immigration

-"Don't close!  Don't close!" as the tube tour closes right on Kira's sternum

-Shantell saying to Kira, "how many doors have you been smashed into this trip?"

-Coming out of the London Bridge Experience when Shantell says, "I didn't learn a thing about ghosts."

-Crystal's athletic thighs

-Standing there waiting in silence for the London Eye when Crystal says, "you know what?  That's a good idea. I'm going to use my card."  No one had said anything to her.

-Crystal thought Shantell was having old person conversation, "What's this?   A Yipper?" (Zipper)

-Holly's one rule of travel...

-"So...Ho..." Crystal to Mackenzie

-Mackenzie always chasing the pigeons.  When she wasn't, they would dive bomb her.  Then she became the pigeon lady feeding them.

-How cute am I on a scale of 1-10? 155

-Walking down the never ending spiral staircase at St Paul's cathedral when Kira suddenly stopped in front of Holly causing Holly's double wide front load (aka carrying both hers and Kira's bag around her neck in the front) to bump into Kira's back projecting her momentum forward.  In fear for Kira's life, Holly grabs Kira's hood at the neck pulling her backward nearly choking her.  #forwardwiththelegsbackwardwiththehead 20 minute giggle fest ensues as we finally made it down the never ending spiral staircase #foggyglasses

-"The sisters Hall are trying to kill me" -Kira

-Kira has stockholm's syndrome

-"The first rule of fight club is there are no rules."  -Holly

-Mackenzie trying to give Holly a compliment, "I think you could pummel through walls if you had to."

-"I only poo in palaces now."  -Shantell

-"No pence, no poopy."  -Crystal

-"The question I ask myself everyday is Am I going to go missing?" -Crystal

-Kira and Holly getting left behind at the train station

-Surprise and Delight

-Mackenzie, Kira, and Shantell consistently getting patted down at Security.  Mackenzie's Yipper bra, Kira's smuggling gluten free food, and Shantell's mullet

-Holly looked at the map pointing the direction we were going, "If this is North, then we're going East."

-Crystal and Shantell getting stuck in the tube door.  Kira goes to save them and pry the door open and one foot fell down the gap...MIND THE GAP

-"Mar-Say Bo-Cu" Holly trying to speak French

- Always talking to strangers in the Subway and getting shushed

-Holly fell in love with the piano player and Kira went on a mini date in Paris with a guy in line with us

-Crystal's dad calling himself "dad the ripper."

-Kira always wearing 3 coats and still cold

-Mackenzie while annoyed with Shantell said, "I will strangle you in your sleep with my breasts!"

-Holly sucking on her sucker while talking to Crystal when she bent over and had to do a saliva slurp to save her clothes

-Shantell staring down all the gypsies at the Arc De Triomphe

-Shantell's nickname is bloodhound

-Holly's troll stroll