Return to London & Bath

Brian and I feel so lucky that so many of our friends and family have been able to come and visit, especially this Fall! We continued our string of visitors when my friend Cassandra came over. She flew into London where I joined her for a girl’s weekend. She and I are both fans of the Tudors TV series, so it was fun to go to the Tower of London with her where two of Henry VIII’s wives were beheaded. We also did some serious shopping, which worried Brian a bit, especially when we went to the famous Harrod’s. =)

Touring the Westminster and Parliament area

While in London, we did something I had never done before – went to watch the Gator game with the London Gator Club! We joined the club at this great sports bar in Piccadilly Circus to watch the Florida-Georgia Game (which we won in overtime!). It was so much fun to scream and shout for the Gators like when we are home in the States. Fellow Gators would also be extremely proud – we did “We Are The Boys” after the 3rd quarter per tradition. Instead of doing it in the Swamp though, we were doing it in a crowded London bar in front of Brits who probably thought we were crazy! =) Check out this video to see the bar’s atmosphere.

After London, Cassandra and I headed over to Bath, still one of my top destinations in all of Europe. On the way, we made a quick stop at my favorite palace, Hampton Court, because of its Henry VIII association. I really wanted Cassandra to see it, and I wanted to see the new wine fountain they had created for the courtyard to show what it would have looked like back in the 1500s. Unfortunately the fountain doesn’t flow wine anymore, but it was still fun to see. =) We also stopped by Stonehenge – it was closed by the time we got there, but luckily you can still get a pretty good view of it from the road.

Cassandra and I at Hampton Court Palace

Wine fountain at Hampton Court Palace

Stonehenge at Sunset

Bath was amazing as always. We of course did the Roman Baths, which after three visits, still amaze me. This was my first visit though where I actually tasted the “Spa Water.” You get it as part of your admission from the adjoining restaurant – it supposedly comes directly from the Spring and is full of vitamins and minerals. It was warm and not very tasty, but I am glad that I finally got up the courage to try it (thanks to Cassandra)! We also climbed to the top of Bath Abbey and visited the Bath Fashion Museum to see a collection of Princess Diana’s dresses as part of a special exhibition. And of course a trip to Bath wouldn’t be complete without visiting the modern Roman Baths, the Thermae Bath Spa, for a spa session through the pools and steam rooms.

On our way back to Bury, we made one more stop at Windsor Castle, the oldest inhabited castle in all of Europe. The Queen is here very often, although not on this particular occasion. We toured St. George’s Chapel where Henry VIII is buried, and where Prince William and his fiancée reportedly may get married (for those of you who didn’t see it, Prince William, second in line to the British throne, became engaged last week and is expected to be married in Spring or Summer 2011).

After a quick stop in Bury, we flew over to Prague for Cassandra’s second weekend in town. More on that trip tomorrow. =)