Super Tourist: Part 6

Last Day in London

My time wound down in London with a few more sites to see. First was Hampton Court, which is where Henry VIII was raised and spent much of his time while King. I had seen the grounds of Hampton Court as a missionary, but had never been inside it. So going to see it was something I had been wanting to do for 15 years (yikes, can I have been home from my mission for that long?!?). Above is a picture of Hampton Court from the outside. There is also a hedge maze, which I conquered (unintentionally--I totally was giving up on finding the center when all of the sudden I was there); below is the marker of the center of it. The next picture is of the famous walkway leading from the palace to the Thames dock.

I have to note that while we were at Hampton Court I had my Year of Miracles #7--my mom and I had been ripped off by a taxi driver who got us there, which really stressed out my mom. But while walking around Hampton Court we heard this beautiful music. A famous opera singer, Katherine Jenkins (I think her name is) was there warming up with a full orchestra in one of the courtyards of the palace. She was to give a concert that evening. The music was gorgeous and really helped to reduce the stress we were feeling and was actually one of the best parts of the whole visit. What could have been a lousy experience was made great. I am really grateful for that.

The next day I went and saw a parade called the Trouping of the Colors. It was not the real thing; they were practicing for the following Saturday to mark the Queen's birthday. Still it was interesting to watch and I enjoyed it. Here is one of the bands that marched by.One of the last things I did was take a train down to Lingfield to visit my friends Bill and Yessie Baldock. Bill and Yessie are the sweetest couple who I knew from my mission. He is a sealer in the London temple and has the best sense of British humor! Yessie made me a delicious lunch of Shepherd's pie and veggies and then we went and visited a botanical garden near their home. I had such a nice time visiting with them. This is me and Bill at the garden.
After returning from Lingfield my parents and I went to see Spamalot, a play based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This was quite funny -- definitely a good laugh.

The last full day of my trip was a Sunday, so I refrained from doing much more than takinga nap and walking around enjoying the cooler weather--I knew I would be coming home to 100+ degree temps. I have to say this was a dream trip for me and I owe both my parents and my husband a HUGE thank you for making it all possible. It was such a great experience in every way possible!