Monday

Today was our last day In London, but since we didn't actually stay in London... It was kind of rushed at the end to fit in what we wanted to do. Since we're leaving for Stratford tomorrow I think we all felt like we would still be here, and then we realized being in England didn't mean we would still be in London.

Exciting news time, I finally killed my memory card the other day, so I put the third one in! Sad news time- my adaptor/fuse box melted, so I'll have to go the rest of the trip borrowing someone's. A girl was borrowing my hair drye and I forgot to mention that it gets hot- then when she went to take it out of the wall, the prongs warped because the plastic around it melted. Oopies. One less thing to carry around in the (still unnamed) suitcase.

First we went to Stonehenge, which I know Doug really wanted me to like but it was so cold, and raining really hard, and I just wanted to be war and dry. We got an audio guide too, but It was too cold to hold it to my ear. I hear it snowed at home too, so it must have just been everywhere. Anyway,we mutinied against marc and just got back on the bus so we could leave after we took some pictures.

Next was Salisbury cathedral, which had the manga carta in it, which is kind of like the British version of the declaration of independance. We were supposed to go to some gardens and mansion next, but Marc called it off because it was so cold and wet, and he knew we were just not having it. Instead we went to Winchester chapel, where Jane Austen is buried. There's also a cute little town with a little shopping street. I didn't bring my purse, do I didn't have much,but I was able to get some fun jewelry for a few pounds, so that was a success.

When we came back Meghan and I wanted to go shopping,but our oyster cards didn't work anymore so we had to buy tickets for the tube, which was incredibly expensive (I suspect we did something wrong). We went to top shop, which is the awesome clothing store here, but I didn't find anything I liked because I have gotten so fat on this trip, and I hate dressing rooms. So instead we went and found a stupid touristy store so I could get some stickers and dumb presents. Maggie needs everything here, but I already get her her presents. If I could go back and do it over, Doug would just get things from Germany, Maggie from England, and my family from Italy. I didn't really see anything in France for anyone, except crepes for myself.

It was our last time on the tube, which was sad. England public transportation, while being a little harder to navigate, I thought, was the friendliest. It wasn't like France, where the doors would crush small children and take no prisoners, or Italy where everything was a little shady and no one was there to help. Here there are fun posters and video screens everywhere (look up mayor of London posters on google- its like their psa here, but they're kind of fun) and people at each terminal to make sure if you need help someone can assist you. I felt London, in general, was more concerned with making things convenient and easy. Not in a McDonald's, American way, more like a very hospitable mother kind of way. Like when I bring home rats over the summer, and she doesn't necessarily love them,but she will be polite and make sure their needs are met.

So that's London! Hopefully in Stratford there are still signs on the street that say "look left" to remind tourists not to step out in traffic, because I still haven't gotten the hang of which direction a car will come from here.

I think Stratford is going to fly by- I can't wait for the Shakespeare stuff,and then 3 days later I'll be on my way home!