shop till you drop in london

mar and I packed up and headed for the bank and the money exchange before our train to Nantes Tuesday morningish. the currency place had no pounds left (of course) but we snagged a few Danish Krones (wacked out exchange rate with those for sure.) we went to one of Mary's favorite patisseries and she was so sweet and bought my croissant aux amande as a congrats for landing the internship for the summer (PS IM EMPLOYED!) we sat in the sunshine, which is a real treat in angers, and waited for the tram to take us to the station. we were 40 minutes early for the train, and they don't post the platform until about 10-15 minutes before the train is supposed to *leave* so that's always a fun time mad dashing to the platform your train stops in for a cough. hopped on the TER (no assigned seats, it's the bomb) and made our way to Nantes. we did a lot of waiting today, for the tram, the train, the bus shuttle to the airport, and then for our flight. nice to be waiting and not running with our hair on fire though without a doubt. waited quite a while outside while they prepped the plane and finally boarded.

we landed in London and I was like a little kid in a candy store when we got off the plane because all of the signs and advertisements were in English. it's the first country I've been in since the US that has the native language of English. we went to train station and holy hell the Brits run everywhere. this was weird for us because the french wouldn't run if their asses were on fire, it's just a completely different outlook. lots of hustle and bustle and it was kind of refreshing that people were on the move. we waited for our train to London bridge and a man had just missed his train and yelled BOLLOCKS!! mar and I about peed our pants because in true English fashion we heard a stereotypical word. we hopped on the train and made our way into the city, switched to the tube and got off at St. John's wood as mama Plo instructed us to do. when we arrived, she met us at the station. I saw her from across the street, arms in the air and we ran at each other and hugged for a good few minutes. I'm not sure if it was because I hadn't seen her in a while or a familiar face in a foreign place or both but I started crying a bit. We walked to their house, set back in the Mews as they are called. we were greeted by Mr. Plocica, who was also happy to see us. Mama Plo had prepared food for us, which was so kind and we were incredibly grateful because we hadn't eaten most of the day. She picked up white wine for us all to share because she said she'd seen us drinking it. So thoughtful! We sat around, ate, drank and caught up. it was so nice to chat with them, and it reminded me how pivotal and influential they both were as I was growing up.

For those of you who don't know the backstory, their daughter Caity and I met in sixth or seventh grade and became best friends right away. we played volleyball together for years and had countless sleepovers and shenanigans together. Caity is now a junior at Alabama, but Mr & Mrs Plo along with their junior in high school son Jack have been in London for almost four years now. It was just so nice of them to open their home to us for a few days.

Mama Plo was kind enough to be our tour guide amongst her busy schedule of meetings, appointments and organizing Jack's activities and sporting events. Wednesday morning Mary and I found our way to Buckingham Palace to see the change of the guards. when we were in the tube station, we wanted to double check we were heading the right direction. we asked a gentleman and he hopped on with us and showed us which stop to get off at. he was so nice and happy to help, which was refreshing. the sun came out and the men were marching in their red uniforms and it was just really cool. mama Plo met us there, and we walked to Churchill's war rooms, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and a few churches. if you've been to London you know the weather is crazier than the Midwest. it was sunny and then out of absolutely nowhere it would begin to pour and be crazy windy. we were laughing about the bipolar weather and a British police officer started talking to us about the weather and how silly it is, but that you don't come to London for the weather. ain't that the truth sir.

we walked quite a bit seeing various places, and then we ventured over to Oxford street to grab lunch and shop. Mama Plo treated us (SO NICE OF HER) to lunch at meat liquor. it was so delicious and she said they swear by it when they need their american food fix (burgers & wings.) after we fueled up we shopped for a while which was a blast because 1. I love to shop 2. London shopping is exceptional 3. I haven't done a lot of shopping so far (hold your gasps) in Europe and it was time. mama Plo left to bring Jack some wings for dinner and beat rush hour before her meeting. mar and I finished up shopping and took a double decker bus back to the house. so London, so neat. their public transportation ROCKS in the city and is pretty easy to navigate and sort out. we charged our phones (snapchat sucks the battery down real quickly) and ventured out to the warrington, Mama Plo's favorite pub. it was so cozy, like a gentlemens club/living room from the old days. we had a lovely chat & salad and capped off our night with a few beers.

Thursday morning Mary and I set out for the London eye. it was SO cool getting a view of the city that way - definitely worth it for all you travelers. we walked along the bank and saw some adorable little restaurants and even snagged a Starbucks because it was quite cold and very rainy. we made it to the borough market, easily the highlight of locations in my book. it had a ton of diverse food options, cheese stands l, Turkish delight (Mary's favorite) and exceptional people watching. Mary and I tried honey, and though I'm not a honey lover it was delicious. we were almost blown away getting there, but we saw the London tower which was a neat piece of history and then the London bridge. all three of our umbrellas blew inside out and I couldn't stop laughing at Mama Plo re-situating hers. we hopped on the tube and went back over to Oxford street, shopped a bit more, and found our way to the Ham Yard hotel, a really pretty hotel tucked back in the city. we had afternoon tea, complete with finger sandwiches, cakes, and Mama Plo's FAV - scones. it was so delightful, and I was feeling very British. we meandered in and out of shops after tea, and met Papa Plo at the Golden Hind in another side street of a beautiful area of the city. Mary and I shared fish a chips, a staple that we were both eager to try. totally delish.

Mama Plo walked us to the bus stop Friday morning, and I was really sad to say goodbye. it was so nice to have family around and stay in a home and with people near and dear to me. THANK YOU from the very bottom of my heart for spoiling us and being just amazing. my gratitude is endless, cheers to your big hearts and kind souls.

in total, we walked a little over 24 miles in the two days we were there. my boots are getting the job done but definitely not a heavenly cloud of comfort, so my feet are a lil sore. until next time London, eurojules will be back for you.

cheers, jkro