Two Month Reunion

Ok. So on Friday I went and met my mom at Victoria train station after she had landed and taken the train from the airport. I actually woke up later than I wanted but I got there with plenty of time. I was so happy to see her. It seems like ages since we last said goodbye in MN. So we met each other and then took the Tube to my flat. We went there first because it was only 10 or 11 am and she couldn't check in to her hotel until later. So we got ready and settled and decided to do my "usual walk" from my flat to the National Gallery.

It was pretty cold out but not that bad with the sun shining. We walked by the Albert Memorial (picture 1) and through Hyde Park and the Serpentine. I have said this before, but sometimes this walk can be kind of boring or whatever but it's always fun to walk it with someone who hasn't seen it before. From Hyde Park we continued through Hyde Park Corner and meandered on to Buckingham Palace (Victoria Statue in front of Buckingham picture 2). It was here that we started to notice all the people walking around. There were TONS of tourists around. I was very surprised. Because of all the people, they closed the roads from Hyde Park Corner to Trafalgar Square. The clouds were amazing with the blue sky. It was so strange seeing all the tourists walking around. There are always people taking pictures and stuff but this was crazy. We continued walking and I had us take the detour through St. James's Park (picture 3) because I think it is the best park in London. The dafodils were blooming like usual. So pretty.

We got to Trafalgar Square and sat outside on the steps for a while. The view down Whitehall to Big Ben was just as magnificent as it always is (picture 4). Mom and I ventured in the National Gallery. We did a quick tour of all the galleries. I got to see the Impressionist paintings again which was great. Mom got to see some paintings by Vermeer which she wanted to do. Then we left the Gallery and walked to Parliament. The horse guards weren't out because of construction which was kind of depressing because they are fun for people to see. The clouds were still awesome so Big Ben was cool. We took each other's pictures in front of it (picture 5). We also walked around and saw the outside of Westminster Abbey. Then we took the Tube back to my flat. Mom grabbed her stuff and took the bus to her hotel. Because Kensington Gardens closes at around 6, it is not easy to walk around to her hotel so she took the bus. Anyway, she got to the hotel fine and then took the bus back over so we could go to dinner.

Mom had a little bit of an adventure getting back to my flat. She got off at the right stop but wasn't sure exactly where she was so she walked past my street a whole bunch of times until she finally figured it out. I felt bad for not explaining it better but she got here so it's all good. We ate dinner at Gloucester Arms, the pub down the road from my flat. They have 2 entrees for £8 which is a pretty good deal. We talked and ate. It was very nice. Mom took the bus back and I watched some basketball on the computer and went to bed.

It was a nice day and it was fun to walk around and show Mom all the stuff that I get to see almost every day.

Bye!