Saturday, July 11, 2009

Day 9 & 10

I really hate that I did not journal yesterday, I apologize, I had a goal of journaling everyday, but yesterday was so tiring, I just didn't get on the net.

Yesterday was the first day of us officially as a class together. We met up for breakfast...a nice simple English breakfast. As per usual, I pigged out on the bacon (pun intended) and then we met up in our class room and learned more about each other and the class.

Then we set off on a tour of the Northampton University campus. I lagged behind horribly, I get so frustrated...I am just too fat and my legs are too short to be able to keep up with people walking at a normal pace. We learned where the IT area is, along with the library, laundry and convenience store.

Then we caught the bus to the center of Northampton. The professor gave us a quick tour of the mall, historic sites and the local museum. I have gotten along really well with L_ and J_ and the three of us headed off together to get lunch and to do some shopping.

We ate a street vendor, burgers and chips for me and then we walked through the local market. I decided I wanted to set off on my own pick up some things I needed, I really didn't want to be slowing anyone else down. I had a nice peaceful day of wandering around the town center. I managed to find a store that sold Radley bags and accessories which my friend C_ had some of their stuff and I vowed to pick some up. I got a change purse that was on sale. I also got some more postcards.

The whole class met up again at 4:30pm and most of us took the bus back to campus and then headed off to the Sunnyside pub to get dinner. Sadly, it was an hour wait to get dinner and I needed to meet up with C_ and B_ so I didn't eat dinner there.

C_ and B_ picked me up and they stopped so I could get some Chinese take-away for dinner. Very Good. It was an early night because the next day would be London!

Day 10

Got up early today so we could get a head start on London. We got on the train in Aylesbury and had about an hour trip to the Marylebone station to hop on the Tube to get off at the Oxford Circus Station. We arrived at Liberty at a quarter til 10am, yeah they didn't open until 10. So we walked down to Hamley's toy store...5 floors of toy madness. They had a little statue of Dobby from the Harry Potter stories out front, we had our picture taken together! I got a this stuffed animal for my niece there. Nothing form my nephew yet, I am not sure what he likes...mom, help?

Then we got to Liberty. This store is utterly gorgeous. The place was so swank C_ and I had a hard time finding the elevator because it was so fancy it fit into the architecture. B_ got you some handkerchiefs girlie. I also got some other gifts AND I fondled the yarn they had there, but I decided I wanted to save myself for I Knit.

We then trekked off to Harrod's, let me just say, if I knew David Tennant would be naked and dipped in chocolate somewhere in that store I still wouldn't ever set foot in that store again! It was a clusterf&*k of tourists from all over the world. I think the only true Brits in there were the store employees and C_! I did manage to get some gifties there for people and I bought myself some chocolate flavored tea.

C_ and I ended up eating lunch at a McDonald's which I had really wanted to avoid. But there was no where else near Harrods that was cheap. Oh well.

After Harrods we headed to Covent Garden and damn if there wasn't a Radley store...as painful as it was, I had to buy a matching wallet for my change purse...like duh. I love them.

By that point I was completely crippled up from two days of walking, a blister on the ball of my right foot and having nearly fallen when entering the Apple store earlier today. We got the Tube and train back out of London.

I must admit, I had way too much of crowds today and the bloom was off the rose of London for me. I have enjoyed being in "the country" so much with my friends. That is the real Britain. I am still looking forward to two more days in London, but it is just too full of people for me.

Tomorrow is a day of relaxation. I can't wait. We are going to a local farm for a brunch, coming back to the house for the rest of the day and then C_ and B_ will drop me off back at the school

DAILY DAVID

1 comment:

JAMayne said...

Re-read this sentence from your blog....."We ate a street vendor, burgers and chips for me and then we walked through the local market."

Was the street vendor yummy?? LOL j/k I know you just made a typo, but that really made me laugh. :-)