4 years and 4,000 miles

Actually apparently it's only 3,963 miles between London and Chicago but nevertheless, it's far. And four years is just too long. So when my friend Kandy from Chicago told me she would come and visit I was thrilled to be able to see her!

After a couple of weeks in Spain, Kandy came and stayed with us for a few days before crossing the pond back to Chicago. It was an absolute whirlwind of a few days as we dragged her all over London and St Albans so she could experience as much as possible, but we had such a great time together!

Kandy wrote a wonderful little account of her experience with us on her blog so I'll let you read about it through her eyes.

"I took a short flight from Madrid to London Luton Airport and it was like stepping into a different world. It was a world that spoke English, which, ironically, my mind could not handle. In my head I would respond in Spanish and then have to translate it to English. It was the most bizarre feeling.

A short train ride and I step out of the train station to find a taxi queue. My taxi driver was full of history and told me that St. Michaels used to be its own parish, but was now a part of St. Albans. I was dizzy driving on the wrong side of the street. I could barely listen to a word he was saying because I was staring at the beautiful flowers, all of the green, the old buildings, the little bridge, the lead pane glass, just everything.

St. Albans is steeped in history. You trip over it at every corner. Cora and I spent Friday wandering around St. Albans and trying not to step on dead people in the cathedral. She took me through the park and pointed out the Roman ruins in the distance. There are Roman ruins in the park. It is just inconceivable. There are six churches in the town. It is absolutely beautiful. There are cobblestone streets and little shops. Houses line the streets with postage stamp gardens brimming with flowers.

Cora and CW live in a wee cozy little house with a sweet garden out back. They live on Blacksmith Lane, and truly, it is a lane. I have to admit when I arrived on Friday I was sick and I'd had about 4 hours of sleep. The day is a brilliant blur of bricks, either on the street or on the houses!

Saturday we got up early and took the train into London. Cora was not kidding when she said it was a hike up hill to the train station. When we left the house it was raining. We walked through St. James Park, through Green Park and then to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard. The concept of public space is much different in London. There are little chairs for rent so you can sit in the park. Grass is meant to be sat on. By the time we got to the palace it was nice and sunny. Ironically it was the first day I did not put on any sun screen because I figured it was going to be cloudy and rainy. The trees in the park are immense. It feels like you've stepped into a storybook.

The changing of the guard was filled with pomp and circumstance, but someone definitely had a sense of humor. The band played a medley of swing music and an old 70's song. It was fun to see and get a sense of the tradition, but it was also a little confusing. If someone can explain why they walk up and down so many times that would be great!

It was amazing to watch and to think about the years of history and the fact that this happens day in and day out. While we were waiting for the new set of guards there was a line of horse drawn carriages and people dressed to the nines who drove by. One can only assume they were going to a wedding.

We walked from the palace up the Mall to Trafalgar square. We walked down Whitehall past the Horse Guards parade and a ton of big gorgeous government buildings. Everything is immense. At Westminster we decided to take a boat ride on the Thames to the Tower of London and back. There was a race between Thames watermen who were racing their boats up the Thames, against the tide, the old fashioned way. They were rowing the boats. That was a very lovely sight, because the boats were pretty, not because of the muscular men.

I love the Thames. I love the buildings, even the newer relatively ugly ones, lining the banks of the river. I love that each of the bridges has a story. I could not even quite conceive that I was at the Tower of London. I had read so much about it, including Queen Elizabeth's account of crossing under Traitor's Gate. I can't even quite explain how hard it was to conceptualize all of the history surrounding me. My little tired brain could not even take it all in.

We then took the tube to Camden Town. The moment we walked out on to the street I felt like I had come home. Imagine the Belmont/Halsted area, well, back about 5 years ago, and multiply that by 100. That is Camden Town. My people.

There is a huge warren-like-den of markets. Everything you could possibly want is for sale. When you get tired of shopping you can stop and eat, and smoke some shisha. I got my second wind when we got to Camden Town, but after wandering around for a while it was definitely time to head back home. Plus, I was laden with packages. I bought some big chunky bracelets because all the girls in Spain were wearing them. I also bought a couple of scarves because the girls in Madrid and London were wearing them. I did not buy any of the MC Hammer pants, which unfortunately were also fashionable.

We took the tube, and at Camden Station you can either take a long twisty staircase down or the elevator. We took the elevator. Then we transferred to our train station to get back to St. Albans. The long walk home, uphill again (I still cannot figure out how it is uphill both ways), just about did me in. We stopped by the house and got Guinness (Cora and CW's chocolate lab) and then off we went to the pub, the Rose and Crown, just down the street. I had a proper dinner of fish and chips and a Shandy in an old English pub. The ambiance, beer, and good company, capped off a brilliant day."

There's probably a bit more to come since she had a few days to herself before she left but for now, let's just say we had a fantastic time and we definitely won't let four more years go before we see each other again! Thanks Kandy for coming to visit!