So I Can Remember

These are my favorite pictures from the trip. The rest are on Facebook.

We arrived at Heathrow on Friday night. My Dad picked us up in his rental car. My Dad, Mum, and Brother had arrived a little less than a week earlier. My Dad drove us to Southampton, where his brother, my Uncle John, and their Mother, my Nanny, live. We stayed in Southampton for 3 nights. On Saturday, we had a dinner party at a local pub for my Grandma's 80th birthday. It was great because everyone was there; my Uncle John and Aunt Bev, and their kids, my cousins Tim and Chloe, Tim's girlfriend Jess and Chloe's boyfriend George, my Uncle Mark and Aunt Maggie, and their kids, my cousins Nick and Jonathon (they live in Stilton, England), and my Uncle Paul and his daughter, my cousin Vickey (they live in Austria). On Sunday we went to a car show at Goodwood, near Chichester, and then had a barbecue that afternoon.

On Monday morning me, Lee, and my Mom, Dad and Jack left for Oxfordshire. We used to live in Witney, so we drove by our old house. Then we went to visit old friends, Liz and Bill and their son Matthew in Carterton (Lee, Jack and I stayed here), and my Mum's brother, my uncle Tony, in Carterton. That night we went to dinner at Chequers in Brize Norton with my Mum's extended family. The next day we rode the bus to Oxford and spent the day walking around. That night we went to the local pub, while my Mum spent time with friends from her school days. On Wednesday morning, Tony made us breakfast and then we left for York.

It was over a 3 hour drive in a squished car, and when we got there, our hotel was not very impressive, but I still really enjoyed York. On the first day, Lee and I got afternoon tea, we explored York Minster, and then ate dinner at a pub. On the second day, Jack and Lee went to York Dungeon, while my mom and I walked the city walls. After that, Lee, Jack and I visited the town market, and then we all left for Chester.

We arrived in Chester on Thursday. Our hotel was lovely. My Mom, Jack, Lee and I walked the city walls and then later that night we all went out for Indian food. The next day we had breakfast at the hotel, and then spent some more time walking around before leaving for Southampton around noon. I loved Chester.

The drive to Southampton was eventful. Jack and Lee decided that since there was no open-bottle law in England (apparently there actually is...), they would buy a 6-pack for the road. Then we were completely stopped in traffic and they had to pee, so they got out and peed on the side of the road. Then, just as we thought we were almost to Southampton, my Dad accidentally put unleaded gas in our diesel rental car (felt so bad for him...) and it had to be towed. We spent most of our Friday night at a rest stop. On Saturday, my Mum and I took the train to Southampton and then in the afternoon England played USA in the World Cup. John and Bev's garden was completely decked out for the occasion. We had a barbecue and then all watched the game - it was great fun. Poor Lee was the only non-Brit there, so the result was probably the best it could have been for him. After the game we let off these lanterns with St. George's cross on them.

On Sunday morning, Lee and I rode a ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre. What a cool way to travel! We then took a train from Le Havre to Paris. That night we walked around, and then ate dinner. The next morning we went to the Louvre (which was much better than I remember it), then went to Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur. We took the metro back to central Paris, planning to go to Notre Dame, but Lee said we should walk along the Seine. We sat down on a bench and were talking, when Lee said "I have something for you" and took a box out of his pocket (I can't believe he'd had it in his pocket all day!). I immediately started crying as soon as I saw it and he said "Will you marry me?".

The next day we went to the Musee D'Orsay, had a picnic at the Arènes de Lutèce (and almost got in trouble for breaking another country's open bottle rule), visited the Pantheon and then went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love Paris.

On Wednesday morning we rode the Chunnel train to London. In London, we checked into our hotel, and then went on a long walk. That night, we saw Caribou at Heaven. I had seen them recently in Tempe with Nathan, but Lee was working at the time, so this was his first time seeing them. It was great! The next day we toured Westminster Abbey and the gardens, ate Fish and Chips outside Buckingham Palace, walked through Hyde Park, ate Indian food, then went up in the London Eye. On Friday, we went to the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, watched the US come back against Slovenia, spent some time at Camden Market (probably my favorite place of them all) and then watched England embarrass themselves against Algeria in a pub. On Saturday we had to wake up really early in order to make it to Heathrow for our 8:40 flight.

We both had an amazing time. I love Lee so much and am so glad I got to share all of this with him!