Adventures in London
Spring Break 2005
Journal
March 24
We left Capernwray at 11PM on the coach to London with many tears and even more hugs. Actually I didn’t cry… but I think I was the only one, and it wasn’t cuz I didn’t want to, just cuz I don’t. It was really sad. We headed on our long bus ride down to London which was uncomfortable, emotional, and sleepless, and arrived in London around 5AM. We then started the journey of finding our hostel. It took us a while but after the tube and several blocks of walking we made it to our hostel in Holland Park around 7:00AM. We checked in and got to sleep for like 3 hours before we really started our day.
March 25
Technically the 25 started an hour into the coach ride but since what day was what was confusing then it will be here too. So after our nap and some Starbucks for us girls we rejoined the boys (girls = Courtney, Allison, and I, boys – at this point = Ben and Josh… Josh and Allison decided to start dating on the coach… it had been a while coming). We ate a picnic lunch in the Park then took the tube to Liester Square to check theatre prices which were all to expensive. We walked around a bit and I had my favourite experience in which God decided to cheer me up (I was rather down due to extraneous circumstances coupled with all the goodbyes). I had been craving a music store big time and lo and behold who was having a HUGE salve but HMV! I got 2 albums I’d been really wanting.
We then met Janell, who stayed with friends in London, at Westminster Abby – it was sunny and nice, we sat around on the grass. We went to Piccadilly Circus and got some Baskin Robbins, yum, and then later we split from the boys and us girls went to the London Eye. That was cool it was around 8PM so the city was all lit up.
At the bottom we rejoined the boys who had added Rob McAlister to their number for the evening. Our group sat around outside for an hour or so and then walked around the City – over the millennium bridge, all along the river, to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Finally around 11 we headed back to the hostel and said goodbye to Rob who was leaving for Jerusalem that night.
March 26
The day of art. We got up and had a good full breakfast provided by our hostel. Then we got more tube passes (which we were quickly becoming rather at home in) and headed over to the National Gallery where we met Janell. We took our time in the Gallery and saw amazing wonderful art. So much art it made my head hurt. We saw Czessane, Renoir, Monet… gosh I can’t even say… just all of it. I spent most of my time in the 19th century art, but they had it all from the 1500’s forward.
We then we sat around Trafalgar Square and had a picnic lunch. We unexpectedly met BJ, Daveo, Jon, and Marissa there and hung out with them. It was nice out – good times. Then we left them and headed to the Tate modern with plans to re-meet them later at BJ’s. I LOVED the Tate. It was so amazing. Matisse, Picasso, Pollock, more Cézanne, Monet… totally amazing exhibits. I couldn’t believe I was really seeing it all. I love modern art, it makes me think more than anything else does. I had a really good time there but barely even got to see one floor of it. I hope to go back some time.
Uumm, so we left there and headed to BJ’s uncle’s house. BJ’s rich, young, hip uncle that is. We were going to hang out in the Park but it got chilly so we bought food and Sainsbury’s and then watched a couple DVD’s back at the apartment. We were super tired from our cultured day and it was nice to just chill. Ben had picked up his brother at the airport that morning so Ken had now joined us. Ken is a little Ben. They are cute together, very funny. Also we hung with Daveo at the apartment. Sadly this is the only picture of art I was allowed to take because it was out in the foyer. Bloody rules. But they’re all tucked away in my mind.
March 27 (Easter Sunday).
We woke up on time for us but ended up being an hour later than we’d meant to wake up because of stupid daylight savings time. So we missed our hostel breakfast (sad) and had to hurry a little to meet Janell and go to Holy Trinity church. Holy Trinity is an awesome church. It’s in this BEAUTIFUL old building. It’s also the church where Alfa courses began, so it’s in the traditional looking building but is totally full of life. The service was really fun and lively and the pastor spoke out of John 20:1-10. We had a very moving communion service and wonderful worship. It was good to get our focus back on Jesus and what he did for us.
We went to Piccadilly and I had a hotdog and others had burger king. It was really crowded. Then we went to Janelle’s hotel and took a nap there for an hour. It was a slow afternoon which also included plenty of London Underground.
6:00 Hillsong began. It takes place in a gigantic auditorium (which hosts the Queen Rock Opera, We Will Rock You the rest of the week). It was so amazing. So alive. So full of art. The worship team was just a whole bunch of Rock Stars. All sooo talented. They had 3 different music pieces for an Easter Presentation and the speaker gave a terrific sermon. It was so exciting to be there with 1000’s of Londoners rocking out. Everyone jumping and clapping and singing at the top of their lungs. A totally multimedia church service, and you could really feel the love more than anything. It made me really excited because it was like seeing Peter’s vision in real life. I believe, if God wills it, that’s what his church is going to look like. It’s so cool. Dozens get saved every week and this week was no exception. They gave out Easter eggs, I must have eaten like 6 big ones, and they gave EVERYONE free books as well. They also had free coffee afterwards. It was really cool, I’m so glad we had to opportunity to go. We met Daveo there.
Whew, yeah, so then we went back to the hostel, collected our belongings, took the tube to the train station and got on a train for Luton Airport where we spent the night, checked into our flight at 5AM and will now board in approximately 6 min. Rome here we come!
Journal
March 24
We left Capernwray at 11PM on the coach to London with many tears and even more hugs. Actually I didn’t cry… but I think I was the only one, and it wasn’t cuz I didn’t want to, just cuz I don’t. It was really sad. We headed on our long bus ride down to London which was uncomfortable, emotional, and sleepless, and arrived in London around 5AM. We then started the journey of finding our hostel. It took us a while but after the tube and several blocks of walking we made it to our hostel in Holland Park around 7:00AM. We checked in and got to sleep for like 3 hours before we really started our day.
March 25
Technically the 25 started an hour into the coach ride but since what day was what was confusing then it will be here too. So after our nap and some Starbucks for us girls we rejoined the boys (girls = Courtney, Allison, and I, boys – at this point = Ben and Josh… Josh and Allison decided to start dating on the coach… it had been a while coming). We ate a picnic lunch in the Park then took the tube to Liester Square to check theatre prices which were all to expensive. We walked around a bit and I had my favourite experience in which God decided to cheer me up (I was rather down due to extraneous circumstances coupled with all the goodbyes). I had been craving a music store big time and lo and behold who was having a HUGE salve but HMV! I got 2 albums I’d been really wanting.
We then met Janell, who stayed with friends in London, at Westminster Abby – it was sunny and nice, we sat around on the grass. We went to Piccadilly Circus and got some Baskin Robbins, yum, and then later we split from the boys and us girls went to the London Eye. That was cool it was around 8PM so the city was all lit up.
At the bottom we rejoined the boys who had added Rob McAlister to their number for the evening. Our group sat around outside for an hour or so and then walked around the City – over the millennium bridge, all along the river, to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Finally around 11 we headed back to the hostel and said goodbye to Rob who was leaving for Jerusalem that night.
March 26
The day of art. We got up and had a good full breakfast provided by our hostel. Then we got more tube passes (which we were quickly becoming rather at home in) and headed over to the National Gallery where we met Janell. We took our time in the Gallery and saw amazing wonderful art. So much art it made my head hurt. We saw Czessane, Renoir, Monet… gosh I can’t even say… just all of it. I spent most of my time in the 19th century art, but they had it all from the 1500’s forward.
We then we sat around Trafalgar Square and had a picnic lunch. We unexpectedly met BJ, Daveo, Jon, and Marissa there and hung out with them. It was nice out – good times. Then we left them and headed to the Tate modern with plans to re-meet them later at BJ’s. I LOVED the Tate. It was so amazing. Matisse, Picasso, Pollock, more Cézanne, Monet… totally amazing exhibits. I couldn’t believe I was really seeing it all. I love modern art, it makes me think more than anything else does. I had a really good time there but barely even got to see one floor of it. I hope to go back some time.
Uumm, so we left there and headed to BJ’s uncle’s house. BJ’s rich, young, hip uncle that is. We were going to hang out in the Park but it got chilly so we bought food and Sainsbury’s and then watched a couple DVD’s back at the apartment. We were super tired from our cultured day and it was nice to just chill. Ben had picked up his brother at the airport that morning so Ken had now joined us. Ken is a little Ben. They are cute together, very funny. Also we hung with Daveo at the apartment. Sadly this is the only picture of art I was allowed to take because it was out in the foyer. Bloody rules. But they’re all tucked away in my mind.
March 27 (Easter Sunday).
We woke up on time for us but ended up being an hour later than we’d meant to wake up because of stupid daylight savings time. So we missed our hostel breakfast (sad) and had to hurry a little to meet Janell and go to Holy Trinity church. Holy Trinity is an awesome church. It’s in this BEAUTIFUL old building. It’s also the church where Alfa courses began, so it’s in the traditional looking building but is totally full of life. The service was really fun and lively and the pastor spoke out of John 20:1-10. We had a very moving communion service and wonderful worship. It was good to get our focus back on Jesus and what he did for us.
We went to Piccadilly and I had a hotdog and others had burger king. It was really crowded. Then we went to Janelle’s hotel and took a nap there for an hour. It was a slow afternoon which also included plenty of London Underground.
6:00 Hillsong began. It takes place in a gigantic auditorium (which hosts the Queen Rock Opera, We Will Rock You the rest of the week). It was so amazing. So alive. So full of art. The worship team was just a whole bunch of Rock Stars. All sooo talented. They had 3 different music pieces for an Easter Presentation and the speaker gave a terrific sermon. It was so exciting to be there with 1000’s of Londoners rocking out. Everyone jumping and clapping and singing at the top of their lungs. A totally multimedia church service, and you could really feel the love more than anything. It made me really excited because it was like seeing Peter’s vision in real life. I believe, if God wills it, that’s what his church is going to look like. It’s so cool. Dozens get saved every week and this week was no exception. They gave out Easter eggs, I must have eaten like 6 big ones, and they gave EVERYONE free books as well. They also had free coffee afterwards. It was really cool, I’m so glad we had to opportunity to go. We met Daveo there.
Whew, yeah, so then we went back to the hostel, collected our belongings, took the tube to the train station and got on a train for Luton Airport where we spent the night, checked into our flight at 5AM and will now board in approximately 6 min. Rome here we come!
posted by Pamela Joy at 6:37 AM
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