Arrival in London, England

Well, it took a grueling flight and a strenuous 48 hour day, but I am finally here sitting in bed in my grandma’s spare room on a thunderous cloudy morning in Wolverhampton. Hardly a thing has changed since I was here last; a comfort in many ways as I am here to relax and recuperate before the major trip overseas takes place. My dad and I had an excellent sleep last night. We managed to stay awake until 9:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. Ontario time) and crashed as soon as it began to get dark.

After getting off of the plane following six rather restless hours, dad and I had a hurried yet very interesting look around the important parts of London. It was raining and I was feeling quite sick after the plane ride since the plane had to make circles over the airport for about a half an hour due to thunderstorms, so we couldn’t help but rush. The first thing I saw when stepping out of the underground of Houston train station was the colossal structure that makes up Big Ben. When one thinks of Big Ben, the clock tower is usually what pops to mind. However, the clock is only a small attachment to the massive base, a grand structure that reminds me of a tawny coloured cathedral put out of use. It was the first thing that filled my vision, and got my trip off to a great start.

Next we saw the Thames river, looking glorious framed by the traditional rainy skies of Britain, and the Ferris wheel in the background. On the Thames, one could see little tug boats gently knocking against the docks, and a few birds happily dotting the waves as they sloshed in and out of the peer. It was a lovely sight of which we got quite a few pictures. This was followed by a quick peek at White Hall, and a hurried walk down the various streets of London with the occasional venture into a small café for a drink. It was dreadfully humid and since England rarely gets such weather, not a single store was air conditioned – not even the large superstores. In the end, we had to find a shop with an open door refrigerator to relieve ourselves of the drenching heat. (I guess in terms of global warming, England really isn’t a large contributor as they don’t air condition!)

It took about two more hours to get to Wolverhampton by the Virgin railway. Dad and I barely remember this part of trip as we both fell asleep lying on the table in our little booth. As dad said: That was the quickest ride to Wolverhampton I’ve ever had! But from what I remember, the train was very clean and perhaps the only air conditioned place in all of London! (Overly so…) From Wolverhampton station, we walked for about an hour trailing our luggage behind us. I refused to take the bus to grandma’s house because of my poorly stomach, and despite our tired state, I think we were both glad to get the walk in.

Funnily enough, my grandma was hardly surprised to see me – at least from her expression! But it was obvious that she hadn’t a clue I was going to be there, and seemed delighted to have me. The rest of the relatives found out yesterday as well and we are all looking forward to getting together. (I must say a quick thanks to my cousin Amanda who kept the secret of my coming the whole two weeks before my arrival! You’re the best!!) But for now, I have just been enjoying the company of my dad, grandma, her two lovely dogs Milly and Molly, and her suspicious yet very sweet cat Toby. I don’t know if I am quite ready for the drama of seeing everyone but I am sure it will all work out.

Love to mum, Nick and grandma – I hope you are all getting on well. Don’t worry about us since we are doing just fine! And Trin, you will definitely love it here! This trip has made me all the more excited for Europe 200- with Trin coming up in a few years time. Hehe.