What a wonderful week! Left off the blog last week before our Christmas trip into London. We left first thing Friday morning on the train to Paddington Station. The day was bright, cold and windy. Our hotel room was ready so we dropped off the luggage and headed out to see what holiday cheer we could find.
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| Paddington bear at the station |
Our first stop was ‘Winter Wonderland’, a
huge Christmas fair in Hyde Park. My goodness it was so much bigger than I
expected it to be! There were holiday booths, carnival rides, carnival booths and
food venders everywhere. There were wonderful smells from all the confection
booths and people, crowds and crowds of people! All kinds of people, all shapes
and nationalities… Everyone was having a great time. We enjoyed the atmosphere,
munched on a warm pretzel and just wandered around. Oh to be young again…I had
no desire to ride any of those thrilling rides, no need to purchase things that
we would just have to find room in the suitcases for. We just enjoyed being
spectators!
As the sun started to sink in the sky, which
was quite early since we were just 3 days away from winter solstice we walked to Harrods to check it out for Christmas. Bill found
the right bus and we headed to Covent Garden. My goodness everyone had decided
to have a Christmas weekend in London!
It was dinner time and we were hungry so we
stopped into Porters a famous pie house there in the garden. Last time we tried
to eat there on a Friday night we could not get in because we had no reservations.
Luck was on our side and we got a table. Coincidentally it was right next to
the table where we sat on our last excursion there about 3 years ago on a trip
with Bill’s sister Margie and her husband Craig.
Loved the food, love the atmosphere. As we were finishing the meal we noticed a little note on the table announcing that the place is closing down in January! We asked the waitress and sure enough after 35 years of rich tradition they are shutting their doors. How lucky we were that we got to eat there one last time.
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| Porters |
The city was alive with glittering lights,
signs and sounds of the season. I am so glad that we decided to take a bus back
to South Kensington to the hotel so we could view it all from the top deck.
Saturday we got up and headed out early. We
stopped at a great little café near the tube stop there in South Kensington for
breakfast. The food was great! Lots of people were starting off their day the
same way. Busy little place.
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| Mmmmm |
We headed to the National Gallery, had lunch
in the Crypt across the street in the basement of Saint Martins-in-the-Fields Church. We had tickets then to go see “Cats” at the Palladium. The musical has
just returned to London after 12 years.
Loved it! We have neither one seen the
production before and we were just delighted. We sat down 6 rows from the front
far right. We felt like we were in the middle of the action! Merry Christmas to us!
With planes, trains and automobiles we made
it back to the Paddington. Not really but we did have to catch a couple of
busses and then take a cab. All fun, all through the middle of the sights and
sounds of the season! Home again by 10. Last trip to London till we come on
vacation sometime in the future! Memorize memories!
We attended our own Southmead Ward on Sunday.
Fran gave one of the Christmas talks! She did a fabulous job. I even got called
on to give an extemporaneous talk. I was thankful for the talk from the week
before because I had some thoughts already prepared. Mosiah 14: 4, Surely he has borne our griefs, and
carried our sorrows…5, But he was
wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed…
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas was sweet,
everyone is so happy this time of year. Hanna took a four day student trip to
Paris for Christmas so we got to give her a Holiday hug on Sunday.
Sunday evening we had a once in a life time
experience. This Christmas is the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Truce that happened spontaneously in ‘no man’s land’ between the English and
German front during the World War I. Our Bristol Stake sponsored and presented
a wonderful fireside in honor of the anniversary. The church sponsored a
documentary and the Poole Stake prepared performance ideas for the Stakes that
held commemorations firesides throughout England. Our Stake did an outstanding
job, a multimedia presentation in film, song, word and dramatic vignettes! What
a lovely way to begin Christmas week. I am so thankful that we were here to
witness the celebration.
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| Christmas Truce |
Monday we got up and spruced and shined up
the flat. At 1:00 pm our whole district came over for a Pizza, gift exchange,
watching ‘Muppets Christmas Carol’ P-day party! Love these young people! I feel
it a privilege to call them friends!
Tuesday morning we went to Wells Rd for District
meeting. The traffic was horrific! Everyone and their dog was out running last
minute Christmas errands. Whew!
Wednesday, Christmas Eve was baking day. I
baked my apple pie and some dinner rolls. I made a huge mess in the kitchen and
was tired when the day ended but proud of my handy work. We watched Toy Story 3
and Skyfall on TV for our ‘Eve’ celebration.
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| Beautiful Christmas Eve morning |
Merry Christmas morning Thursday! Kind of fun
to get there earlier than anyone back home. We had a few gifts to open, some to
each other and some from dear friends.
As is now our tradition (a tradition for only
2 years) we invited young single adults who come from far away and were not
going home for Christmas over for dinner. Alan from Mexico and Shera from Hong
Kong. It was a pleasant afternoon and actually enjoyable to drive them back and
forth because there is no traffic on Christmas day at all in Bristol!
The rest of the evening was spent talking on
SKYPE to all of our family! 6 video calls and one SKYPE phone call to Bill’s
mom. What a joy to see all the happy faces of the grand-kids and see what Santa
brought! Love the technological ability to do this!
Friday Boxing Day! It is a real holiday!
Another day home with family and friends and also a day for great bargains if
you want to fight the crowds. We did not, we stayed home out of the fray!
I am so grateful for this wonderful season. I
am glad for two Christmases’ in England! What wonderful memories and profound
experiences. I am forever thankful for this opportunity!
Everyone have a Happy and Prosperous New
Year. As my four year old granddaughter Lizzy said: “Merry Christmas and Happy
Halloween”….she knew it was happy something.
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