A Day Well Wasted!

Today was our final day in London. Instead of venturing into the city like we usually do, we chose to hang out in our area and take it easy. We slept in (does 7 a.m. count?), had tea, ate breakfast, watched some tv, checked out, then took a walk outside to see what trouble we could get into. During our outing we came across a movie theatre and decided that this would be the perfect way to fill up our day! And so....we saw it! THE HUNGER GAMES! I hadn't finished the book yet but it was the only movie we'd heard about and decided to take the plunge! You'll be happy to know that we enjoyed it (even me - despite the 2.5 hour length!) and I didn't fall asleep - not even for ONE SECOND! Phil says the storyline was good, but the execution could have been better. I'm just happy that Katniss SURVIVED!


We're back at the hotel now, having a tea before we head to the tube station. I think it will take us about an hour or so to get to Heathrow....but we have time to kill! Our flight doesn't leave until 10:30! My plan is to pick up my final chai latte from Starbucks and some REAL magazines before boarding :)

Ah - London you were FUN! I loved you before (as a single lady!) and I love you again (as a married one!). Perhaps we'll meet again when I'm a MAMA! BAHHHHHHH!

Inshallah.

Made Me HARRY POTTER Happy!

Yesterday afternoon we had the ABSOLUTE PLEASURE of spending time with the lovely Erin Spring! Erin took a train in from Cambridge (thank you, love!) and we headed into Covent Garden for lunch.


The visit was a short one, but we were still able to fit in a touristy trip to platform 9 and 3/4's! Here's Phil making his way to the Hogwarts Express! That train was a busy one we tell ya! You should have seen the line up of kids heading there too ;)


Thank you Erin for a WONDERFUL afternoon in London! The next visit will have to be a much longer one - with Dean included!

XOXO

Ye Olde English Club!

Yesterday morning we went to the South-West end of the city to see the Wimbledon museum and grounds. Phil had been looking forward to this tour all week long, but I didn't really know much about this whole "Wimbledon" thing and was asking Phil many questions about it on our Tube ride there...."What is it? Why would they play on grass? Won't the ball bounce funny on grass? How can it be outside? What if it rains? Do Venus and Serena play here? What about other famous tennis people?"......Needless to say, before we arrived to the venue I was well-prepped by Phil and starting to get excited too!

Phil and I at Centre Court. SO EXCITING!

Although the weather was cloudy, windy and FREEZING (which we can't really complain about because we've been so blessed with sunshine this trip!), the tour was GREAT and we enjoyed having the same tour guide that we had during the Olympics Walk - MARIA!

The tour took us through the different courts, including the Number One Court and the famous "Centre Court", as well as the court where the longest match ever was played - Number 18 Court. We also got to see (and sit at the very front of!) the interview room, where all players are REQUIRED to give an interview directly after each match. Believe it or not, they get BIG FINES if they decline an interview!

Rule #1 of the Tour: DO NOT STEP ON THE GRASS!!!!!

Throughout the tour, we were given some history about the venue and the game, lessons on how the grass is maintained (talk about some SERIOUS SCIENCE!), insight into the architectural designs, and some gossip about the surrounding flats and past players. The museum gave us more details about the game over time and we got to play some interactive games which made the experience SUPER FUN.

This year the Championships will be happening THREE WEEKS before the Olympics! We were let in on some of the preparation secrets and MAN - we would NOT want to be part of that crew! But, we DO want to be included in the fan frenzy that happens this summer! I am visor-ready and Phil has a nice new shirt to sport during the tournament!

HOORAY FOR WIMBLEDON! :)

Another SUPERB JOUR! :)

This morning started out with SUNSHINE (yay - much better than the snow/sleet forecast we had heard) and a trip to the oh-so-posh "Notting Hill" area. I know many of the areas here are upper scale, but my goodness, the houses in this district were particularly charming and the cars were FLASHY and CLASSY! I am not sure how many times I saw FOUR CIRCLES on the front of a vehicle.....


On our Notting Hill to-do list included a stroll through the Portobello Market. The market was quite lengthy for a Wednesday morning and there was much to look at and enjoy. There was this really cool store with vintage sewing machines ALL OVER THE PLACE and it was hard to redirect our attention on what the store was actually selling - CLOTHES! Haha. We saw many antique vendors, food stalls, and trendy souvenir shops too. OH - and the MOST FUN part of the market was using the public (and free!) "City Loo". It was a big black contraption in the middle of the sidewalk that opened like a spaceship. After each use, the spaceship would lock-up and perform a self-cleaning option in preparation for the next user. HILARIOUS. And fun.



The "SWEETEST" part of the journey - and most anticipated - was our stop at "The Hummingbird Bakery". I had read about this sweets boutique during the planning stage of our holiday and I knew we had to try one of their cupcakes if we happened upon one of their four locations. Well, TODAY WAS THE DAY - the one where we devoured red velvet cupcakes in the PRETTY & PINK cafe. SO GOOD. Adorbs decor and delicious treats. If only I could send some fresh cupcakes home to all of you.....


When we were all market-ed out, we embarked on our very first double-decker bus experience on our way to "White City" - the place of our 2 p.m. BBC Television Center Tour. These buses are pure genius - the perfect way to maximize space on the road and make traveling around a city somewhat likeable! We could see the backyards of many houses from the upper level of the bus, which made the neighbourhood even more wonderful than previously thought!


At BBC, we were given the grand tour of the facilities. We saw the world news room, the weather center, the media center, the retired sports studio, and a current studio used for live tapings of different shows. We got to sit where David Beckham has sat, stand where Jennifer Lopez has stood, and see the studio where will.i.am and company film the most recent season of "The Voice UK". Phil had a try at reporting at the end of the tour and had STELLAR reviews from the other members of our tour group, as well as our two guides. Perhaps a career in broadcasting awaits him!


Today was the perfect day. Just when we were walking up to our hotel tonight, it started to rain! Talk about IDEAL timing! The evening continued with a tea party, Italian food, and then some ridiculous viewing of British television shows. Haha.

Tomorrow we look forward to a tour of the Wimbledon museum in the morning and a visit with my darling Erin in the afternoon! We can't wait!

Other Comments about Yesterday:

1) I FINALLY met Emily's mama! And we purchased her very FIRST cup of ANYTHING at STARBUCKS! Yes - we were participants in her premiere Starbucks experience! YIPPEE!


2) We rode in an adorable "London" taxi cab for the first time!


3) We spotted the Kuwait Embassy! Right near Hyde Park - where many of our students have flats!

4) Harrod's is INSANE. WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE. Hence, not a place we ever want to return to.

5) At Harrod's, we were originally seated at a very posh tea room but embarrassingly got up and walked out after we saw the price list. HAHA. Besides, as previously mentioned, the scones at the "lower class" Tea Room were SOOOOOOO YUMMY!


6) Also at Harrod's (big store = many stories), I held hands with TWO of the most expensive teddy bears I've ever seen in person. Phil said "not a chance" to the 1600 pound each teddies!


7) We shopped. Emily and I got matching "peace" Pandora beads, to go along with our Beatles tour. As well, we indulged in a Links of London bracelet. (Links of London happens to be the official jeweler of the 2012 Olympics. Oh how I love anything that is deemed "OFFICIAL"!)


8) We became victims of the havoc on the Piccadilly Line - as delays led to serious invasions of personal space!

Daddy's Birthday in LONDON!

Dad has been with us the entire time, but yesterday - for his birthday - we planned something EXTRA special! Take a look at our U.K. celebration on April 3rd:

First stop - CUPCAKES in Covent Garden! YUM!

Next stop - the Beatles tour! Here we are outside of John Lennon's house! It actually belonged to Ringo, but he was kind enough to let John and his new love - Yoko - stay there!

Here we are at Abbey Road Studios! I imagine we could have worked our way inside if they had heard me sing......alas, we viewed the famous venue from afar :)

Leaving our mark at the Studios. And spreading our Leafs love around the globe!

The famous crossing! The place where Dad and I left a lasting impression on all other Abbey Road crossers :)

Last stop - tea and scones at Harrod's! We toughed out long lines and in-store craziness to get to the Tea Room, but it was WELL WORTH IT. Those scones were TO DIE FOR!

Oh - I didn't take a picture of it, but we stopped by the National Geographic Store to look at the Genographic Project Participation Kits. I know Dad thinks the idea is pretty COOL. And so.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!! You will be swabbing your cheek and learning about your ancestors in no time!!!

We love you!
XOXO

TOP MOMENTS from TODAY!

Today we did our own thing - no tours or organized ANYTHING! We just went wherever the sunshine took us! Here are some of the moments we LOVED:

Walking along the Thames and stopping at whatever catches our eye! This band had a sign that said "help us get to CANADA". Naturally, we had a listen and contributed to their travel fund. They even sang us a song about Ontario!!!

Queen graffiti. And then spotting the "graffiti removal" truck moments after.

Pictures with St. Paul's Cathedral. BEAUT-I-FUL!!!

Phillip being silly. Making jokes every second he can!

Old married couples. This couple was particularly sweet. We missed the "holding hands" shot by seconds, but trust us when we say they were the cutest. We want to be JUST LIKE THEM when we're that age!

Make that "London Bridge WAS falling down!" Phil's superhero strength prevented any potential fatalities!

Playing hopscotch en route to the Tower of London.

Double decker advertisements. This one was my favourite. Acceptance is KEY.

Trafalgar square - and the countdown to the Olympics!

Soaking up the sunshine in Hyde Park!

Flowers, flowers, and MORE FLOWERS! Making the city EVEN MORE pretty at every glance :)

How was your tea, MY DEAR?

Just like straddling the Prime Meridian, arts & crafts can allow you to be in TWO places at ONCE! Of all the things we did in London today, coming home and seeing THIS PICTURE is my absolute favourite part.

I love you two!
XOXO

APRIL FOOL'S DAY in PHOTO'S!!!

Yesterday was the PERFECT day to introduce Phillip to this BEAUTIFUL city! The weather was SUPERB - sunny, yet cool and FRESH! Here's a look at some of our DAY ONE adventures:

We started our day with a "Westminster and West End" walking tour. Our guide was named Andy and he made sure we were aware of two things: 1) Brits DO NOT like being told what to do and defy authority at every chance they can, and 2) Brits like to get drunk and disorderly. Don't worry - other aspects of culture, as well as history and politics were included in his two hour gig :)

Westminster Abbey! It's almost been ONE YEAR since the royal wedding and you can tell that the excitement still remains as people walk up to this famous landmark!

SPRING IS IN THE AIR! Our walk through St. James's Park was wonderful. Andy asked us to take some of the Canadian geese back home with us, but we had to inform him that our home is Kuwait and those lower-class birds would not be welcome there!

Our "Will & Kate" reenactment at Buckingham Palace! They wouldn't permit us on the balcony inside.

Our second tour of the day was with Maria - who toured us around West Ham for the Olympic experience! West Ham is definitely NOT the safest or most fashionable neighbourhood in London....in fact, we were happy to be surrounded by 30 other people (there's safety in numbers....right?). Anyways, on the walk to the Olympic Park you can stand in TWO PLACES at once at the Prime Meridian! SO COOL.

Da, Da, Da, DAAAAA!!!!! Here it is - the Olympic Park! In this picture you can see the Olympic stadium (where the opening and closing ceremonies and some track and field events will take place) as well as a twirly red thing called the "Orbit" (an observation tower for the games). While we were there, a test event was taking place and the stadium was blaring songs from Kelly Clarkson and Journey. AWESOME. It's too bad we couldn't join the fun INSIDE the stadium! The tour sure pumped us up for this summer! WE CANNOT WAIT FOR THE OLYMPICS!!!

In the evening, we went to the London Eye. On this observation wheel, you are put into a pod-like structure with about ten other people and are with them for around 20 or so minutes. Well, Phil made an OUT-LOUD remark near the start of our journey that left me embarrassed for the remainder of it....."NOT SO BIG NOW, ARE YOU BEN?!!!!!" OH PHILLIP ;)

Here's the Eye post-ride. At this time, the sun was starting to go down and the two of us were right tuckered from our big day out. Dinner at a DELICIOUS Thai restaurant followed our return home and bed came shortly after.

GOOD MORNING from LONDON!

As per usual Parkinson fashion, Phil and I were asleep before it got dark last night (7ish??). Some may see this as LAME, but we were happy to wake up early this morning to see this beautiful sunrise!!!!!

Today we are hoping to tour the West End and the Olympic area! YIPPEE!!!!