I love visiting Fortnum & Mason, and they do not disappoint during the holidays. The displays they have up are amazing. This spiral staircase was so lovely. The glowing blue lit Tudor style building in the background is actually Liberty, a department store(and a very cool one at that). Nice to see they also get dressed up for the festive season. This was taken on Regent Street. The decorations that were put up recently are huge and Narnia themed glowing banners with headshots from the upcoming film, and big snowflake like stars hanging like nets across the roadway.

 

There are tons more shop window decorations and pictures of lights and trees to come, as we get closer to the holiday.

Today I went in search of the original Twinnings Tea Shop. I wandered down the Strand, and back up, confused by the numbering on the buildings. I wandered back down, only to find the shop completely under construction. Extremely bummed out, I stopped in a Whittard of Chelsea, and picked up 2 packets of tea, but they didn't really have anything I drooled over. I wandered off the very beaten path a little bit, and found a Satya jewelry boutique at the edge of Covent Garden that just opened two weeks ago. In need of retail therapy to nurse my lack-of-Twinnings woes, I bought myself a beautiful necklace and bracelet. Now to pop off to the movie theatre and see District 9 for the second time. Today is the UK release and Guy can't wait to see it.

My flight into Heathrow was long, but tolerable. After a quick nap and a shower, I felt a lot better. I tend to get plane sick, so my appetite was shot for most of the afternoon. G's parents came around and stayed for a cup of tea as well. It was really lovely seeing them, and so sweet that they made the time to stop and see me. We made plans to meet up again next week, once they come back from France. For dinner, we went to a small Japanese restaurant and had some sushi. An eel and cucumber roll, and a tuna hand roll for myself, while G had a fermented bean roll, fried tofu, and a seaweed rice ball that was excellent. After dinner we swung by this cute Thai grocery called Thai Smile, and got some junk food. Sesame mochi and some sort of corn nuts. We popped by his tattoo parlour since it was just a bit up the road, and on a lucky chance his artist was there, so I got to meet her. We hung around and chatted with the owner and her for a bit, and then headed home. The rest of the evening involved sitting on the couch and watching bad tv. It's the little pleasures in life, my friends. Now, I'm by myself for most of the day while he's at work, and I should probably get out of my pajamas and go to Boots to pick up the rest of the stuff I forgot to pack. I'm a little nervous about getting lost on the tube, but being that everything is labeled within an inch of it's life(which I love), I am sure I'll be fine. Time for some adventures!

Today, Guy and I went to the Tate Modern Museum. I am officially in love with the Tate. The surrealist collection they have is fantastic. I got up to see Magritte's "The Reckless Sleeper" up close, and that had to have been the highlight of my day. I snapped a few photos before a lovely lady caught me and asked me to stop. Oops! The 5 floors have such an interesting variety and the view of the Thames river and St Paul's cathedral from the top is breathtaking. We ate lunch at a place called Wahaca which serves "mexican market" style food. It was good eats and the drinks were tasty, and cheap to boot. I picked up some teas at Whittard of Chelsea, and we popped over to the Whole Foods in Kensington to get beer and snacks for a nice quiet evening on the couch. The store was huge, with 3 floors and a really nice selection of goods. I'll even be able to get my favorite brand of vitamins when I move over. I'm pretty stoked about that, actually. Tomorrow is my last full day in London, and I really wish I didn't have to fly back to the States. I really love it here. Only a year, and that will fly by. I can't wait.

Wednesday, we spent the morning at the London Zoo. The weather stayed dry for us, and we had a really nice time wandering around and looking at the animals. I loved the butterfly hot house. They has a really fascinating selection of moths as well as butterflies, and an area that you could see the caterpillars crawling around. They also had a really nice tropical bird house, which had some free flying rooms so you could get a closer look at some of the smaller birds.  We decided to skip Camden Market on our way home since we'd been walking around so much. There's always another day for shopping. Later that night Guy had a really nice surprise for me. He'd gotten tickets for Les Misérables, but hadn't told me what we were doing for the evening. The show was wonderful. The smaller Queens Theatre was a nice venue, and the sets were incredible. There was a nice mix of opera and traditional musical actors vocally, so the contrast of their voices really stood out and helped you hear both parts clearly. All in all a really lovely day.

On Tuesday, Guy and I headed off to The Natural History Museum for a Darwin Exhibition. There was s much to look at, and my personal favorite being this display with a hundred or so different kinds of hummingbirds. I couldn't find my adored Ruby Throated Hummingbird, but it was still an amazing display. After perusing the collections, the exhibition, and much staring at how beautiful the building itself is we walked over the the Science Museum. We ate lunch in the Deep Blue Café, which is this huge cobalt blue room, with internally lighted tables and decent food. I found the color rather soothing, and quite a lot of the museum was that hue. We wandered around, rode the motion simulator, and spent a good amount of time in the History of Medicine wing. We've come so far in terms of health care, and looking back at some of those instruments, I have to say I'm glad I was born in a later century. That night we went to Madame Jojo's for what they call White Heat: London's Infamous Art Rock Disco. The bands were enjoyable, and the people watching even more so. Scenesters look the same, wherever you go. We had a few drinks, but left early and enjoyed the walk home. I even got heckled at, which in a city this large, and full of so many gorgeous people, took me by surprise a bit. A quick ride home on the Tube, and I was out like a light as soon as I hit the mattress.

Sunday morning. After almost an hour getting through customs and baggage claim, Guy met me just outside of the arrivals gate. The smile on his face was worth all the hours on the plane times ten. After a sleepy ride home on the tube, I took a quick nap. We went out for lunch with his parents and siblings for Mother's day. His parents were so sweet and such fun to spend time with. His siblings are awesome as well. After lunch we all lazed about and watched television. Napping ensued after TV time, as I was exhausted by that point. We watched the last episode of Battlestar Galactica, and I managed to fall asleep at a decent hour and slept a full 8, waking up at 6:30 to sunshine and birds chirping outside. Today was a wonderful day in London. Guy and I went to the Royal Academy and saw the Utagawa Kuniyoshi exhibit which was a really nice selection of his work. Everything from geisha and warrior portraits to mythological triptych panels and humorous pieces. There was a small selection of humorous erotic panels the size of post cards, which I was pleased they included. We snagged lunch at Pret á Manger and headed off to The British Museum, but stopped by Fortnum & Mason and I perused the tea counter and bought some Margret's Hope Oolong from Darjeeling. I've just had a cup and it is floral and complex. Lovely. We browsed around the collections at the British Museum for 2 hours or so, and then came home, made dinner, and are now vegging out on the couch watching TV and surfing the web. Tuesday is a science day, with more museums and possibly a night out to see some bands play. I'm amazed at how at home I feel here. I don't feel like a tourist or a vacationer. All those day to day activities that should feel strange feel normal.  I can see myself making a very smooth transition to living here next year.