london, again!

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we went back to london for a few days after our day in stockholm.

on friday, the boy ran to and from different meetings, and i stayed in the tiny basement studio we were renting to work (i’ve been working about quarter time remotely while we’ve been in europe, but i had a lot to catch up on by the end of the workweek).

that night, we met my lifelong friend amy and her husband rob for dinner, which was super wonderful. amy was tied at the hip with my sister saydi their entire childhood and adolescence, and they’ve remained the best of friends – so amy has always been truly like a sister to me as long as i can remember. she’s seen me through every stage of life, but since she and her husband and four girls live in england, she hadn’t yet met the boy! it was great fun to introduce both amy and rob to ian and to share a meal together. love these people so much!

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on saturday, the boy finally had an opportunity to see some of the city! he’d been there for quite a few days but inside office buildings or on the tube pretty much the whole time.

we decided to meet in front of buckingham palace after i did a bit more of solo exploring so that he could have a little lie in and finish up a few things. i decided to stop by harrod’s, which i just think is pretty neat. i particularly like the splendor of the food halls on the ground floor and it’s fun to peek at the glamour and opulence of the place.

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i loved deciding with the boy that we’d meet at 11am sharp in front of buckingham palace. i mean, that’s a pretty great meeting spot. IMG_4203IMG_4198
^^ he had run to be on time to meet me, hence the short sleeves! bless him. ^^
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^^ a stroll through st. james park was quite nice, even though it was cloudy and cold! ^^
i’ve never been in london in such the dead of winter, but it’s still as charming and lovely as ever!
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^^ doesn’t get much more classic london than this! ^^
we went to westminster abbey. i hadn’t been inside for years, and the boy was pretty excited about it. geez i had forgotten how amazing westminster abbey is! graves of/memorials for isaac newton and handel and shakespeare and c.s. lewis and so many kings and queens; incredibly gorgeous architecture and windows and decoration (i particularly love the red lamps in the quire); soooo many years of history (and, i mean, it’s pretty cool that we walked the very path of the royal wedding procession, i gotta say)! we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. we couldn’t take pictures inside but i lifted some from the internet because holy cow there’s some major beauty in there!
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{pictures from here and here}
we went to the tower of london next, explored there and then walked across tower bridge. i couldn’t stop saying how much i love that bridge – i’d say it even rivals the golden gate. 

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around nightfall, we hopped on a train to reading, one of the cities i lived and served in as a missionary. it was so so so so fun for me to show this place that has such a special spot in my heart to the boy. we talked down the high street where i spent innumerable hours and past my flat (the top floor of the cute little building below).
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then we had three very quick visits with three of my very most favourite families in the world, people i served and served with as a missionary, who are so very very dear to me. i loved introducing the beislys, ambroses and ruffels to my husband, and only wished we had more time to see so many more beloved friends in reading as well as my other areas of basingstoke and trowbridge. next time we are in england! :)



i’m writing this on the plane on the way home. what an amazing trip. i’m so so glad we were able to have this adventure together. i’m also very excited to get home to our cozy little house!

Comments

  1. Oh my goodness... I'm .homesick! Incredible pictures and such a fun place to share with your beloved! Great to see all those old friends too! Glorious!

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  2. Brill pix, especially the one of you & Ian in London - very British.:)

    I love the picture of you in Broad street, Reading.

    The food hall in Harrods is amazing, it would be so hard to choose just one of those puddings.:)

    It's a shame you didn't get to see the poppies at the tower, apparently they looked amazing.

    Looks like you just missed the snow here, as usual in the UK it's total chaos when it snows.:)



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