Brighton

On Friday, once we finally woke up and got going, we took the hour-long train ride south of London to Brighton. Brighton is a seaside town with a pebbly beach along the Channel in between England and France. It was quite lovely, a nice change from London, with lots of unique shops and restaurants.

The Channel and the pebbly beach


My little piggies took a quick dip in the Channel!


Brighton is also home to the Royal Pavillion, a former royal home built for King George IV in the early 1800s. It's built in an Indian style and even served as an Indian military hospital from 1914-1916.


For lunch we went to Gourmet Burger Kitchen. The menu was World Cup themed since all of the United Kingdom is crazy about soccer.


I got the Wellington burger - cooked medium rare and served with a mushroom-horseradish sauce, tomato jam, and rocket (arugula). Tasty!


After walking around for hours, looking around gardens and neighborhoods and visiting boutiques, we stopped at an old pub, Ye Old King and Queen, and watched some of the France-Uruguay World Cup match.


Yann and Kristi


We made friends after inquiring about a pink beer one of these guys was drinking, which turned out to be a delicious berry cider made in Sweden. They asked us questions about Barack Obama and American basketball.


The infamous pink beer...aka mixed berry cider



All in all, a good day, but my feet definitely hurt by the time we caught the train back to London!

First Night in London

We went to dinner and then walked around the city, which is beautiful (and cold!) at night. Here are a few of the pictures I took.

London Eye to the left with the clock tower (Big Ben) and Parliament in the distance


The London Eye


Parliament


The clock tower/Big Ben


This one's for my daddy...for some reason he likes pictures that include me in them. Parliament and the clock tower are in the background. It was 57 degrees and I was cold.

Welcome to London

We've made it to London! Kristi's friend Yann is being kind enough to let us stay in his home, which is in the heart of London's Waterloo area. We are within walking distance of attractions such as the London Eye and the Tate Modern museum. In fact, we went to the Tate Modern this afternoon and saw paintings by Dali, Picasso, Monet, Miro, Pollock, and other modern artists.

We also had lunch at Leon, where I had sweet potato and cauliflower curry and hummus. Yum!

The weather is currently chilly and wet, but a nice change from the oppressive heat and humidity of Louisiana. Tomorrow it's supposed to be raining all day, so Yann is taking us to the coastal city of Brighton. My friend Marissa went to school in Brighton for a year, so I am excited to check out her old stomping grounds.

I was able to sleep some on the plane rides, but of course am struggling with the time change. I know I'll sleep well tonight and adjust quickly.

Getting ready

Getting ready to leave the country for three weeks involves a lot of planning. Bags must be carefully packed and weighed, and the contents must be conscientiously considered. Supply checks are frenzied and frequent. And the cats...I cannot forget the cats. Their care must be planned for in my absence. But most importantly might be the last meal.

Mary and I racked our brains trying to decide what we were going to eat for dinner last night. What would be a suitable "last meal" before we fly across the Atlantic? In the end, we decided to stick with our roots: Cajun! We visited Kristian at Parrain's and enjoyed a really tasty meal.

Andouille Encrusted Fish - Fresh fish with a crawfish, mushroom, and andouille cream sauce with garlic mashed potatoes


Half and Half - Fried crawfish tails and catfish fillets with fries, hush puppies, and dirty rice


All yumminess aside...tomorrow's the big day! In the morning we're driving to New Orleans, flying to New York, then to London via Iceland!

Partners in Crime

Fear not, I will not be galavanting across Europe on my own. Allow me to introduce you to my lovely travel companions.

Mary, my friend/cousin (frousin?)


Kristi, a friend



The three of us - Mary, Kristi, and me at Spanish Town Ball 2010


In the picture above, another person is present in the top left corner: Heather. Heather recently passed away and we love and miss her dearly. She will be with us on our journey as well, though she won't require a passport.

Europe!

Christine takes on...Europe!
This is where I'll be for the next three weeks:

London


Croatia


Italy