London Facebook Photo Album
I was thrilled from the moment I learned we would be arriving in the train station that contained Platform 9 and 3/4. I was even more excited when I was surrounded by English speakers and conversations I could understand. After buying a week Tube pass we were off to our hotel, not too far from the city's center. As we stepped out of the Underground Station - Aldgate East we realized we were staying (as Megan first called it and as it is now know to us) in "Little Middle East."
It isn't so bad though. We make sure to be in by night time every day and we are still having a blast. We hit all the major tourist sites: Big Ben, The Eye of London, Platform 9 3/4, The Globe.
Of course Shakespeare's Globe Theater has to be my most favorite part of the trip thus far. Megan and Hannah opted to go see Chicago at the Cambridge Theater for 45 pounds while Christina and I enjoyed standing in the pit of the classic Globe, just like thousands of people centuries ago did before us, for just five pounds to enjoy William Shakespeare's comedy "Much Ado About Nothing."
To our uneducated surprise, the first actor on the stage was Joseph Marcell. For those of you who are like me and do not know that name, that is the actor who plays Geoffrey the butler on Fresh Prince of Belair!
The play itself was phenomenal and hilarious. Each and everyone of the actors contributed to its greatness and it definitely held my attention throughout. In the small theater the actors could interact with you and since Christina and I were right on the stage, we could become engrossed into the experience entirely.
Afterwards we did everything we could to track down Joseph Marcell. About five people later we got him to come out and meet us. He signed our tickets and took a photo with us. He was incredibly nice and laid back. And as much as I wanted to, I DID NOT ask him to do the Carlton dance.
We went to Portobello Market (the famous one in Notting Hill) the day before we left. It was in Chelsea so of course I got photos by the Chelsea signs and stores. I kept stopping at jewelry stores to get something for my sister Ashley, but all I kept buying were things for myself. I felt a little bad until Megan reminded me that almost everything I bought in Paris was for other people.
At the market I got the most gorgeous set of big pearl/diamond earrings, a smaller similar set, a huge elephant necklace (don't judge me), a super cute blue and lace dress, a Chelsea scarf, three cute scarfs, a 3CD-75song Rock CD pack with Elvis, Fats Domino, BB King and more and a few other souvenirs for people. It was a productive and expensive day.
