There's no place like home, there's no place like home...

Sadly, clicking my "trainers" together and repeating this phrase over and over again is only causing more people to stare at me whilst chilling in the Minneapolis airport. I'm just worried this place is going to try to take me hostage again!

I have made it through most of my journey with little to no incident so that's a step in the right direction but apparently I've developed a new habit of leaving things I like on planes. :( Poor Nalgene has been left behind. Delta is going to have to start up a charity fund with all the cool colorful things I leave for them! Oh well, if a sacrifice must be made to insure safe travel- then it might as well be little Nalg and not my Snooky.

I'm not sure if my brain has figured out the time switch again- today is beginning to feel VEEERRRRY long. Hopefully, I can still get started tomorrow nice and early to head out for ole' float trip! I discovered on our travels together across the pond that people from other states are not as familiar with this grand tradition. I just assumed everyone did this in the summer time. A float trip- for those who have not partaken, is basically an excuse to go camping for the weekend but mostly spend your time cruising in a little boat down a river. Please note: there is no hurry, no paddling, and basically no need to do much else besides drink. :) Sometimes the rivers get pretty busy and so there will be large gatherings of floating parties.

Yep, pretty classy gal this girl is. London one weekend, Paris the next, and southern Missouri river the next! Such the adventurous traveler!

Until next time friends~

The Photos

There were many photos taken on this trip- that's putting it mildly, at last count I think I had almost 1,800! I guess that's what happens when you take at least a hundred or more every day. I have to say it will be odd to go a day without taking a picture.

Here is just a sampling of my photos- mostly the ones I liked best. You've probably seen them on Facebook and of course here in my blog. I've now rounded them all up together. Enjoy!

http://www5.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/projectshareewelcome/l=12006200014/p=24331312416277243/g=123557970/cobrandOid=1007/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/otsc=SYE/otsi=SPBKlink/

Taken by tea

As we complete our final day here in London, I can tell already that my renewed love of tea will be a habit I will bring back with me. Now if we only had electric kettles... :)

We wrapped up our royalty tour at Buckingham Palace, which is truly a magnificent place but the best part of today was saying our "Until next times," (no good byes, too sad) to new friends, old friends, and good ole' London Town too. Dr. Everhart handed out awards to all of us in the spirit of "Person most likely to..." or just "Most..." Some of the better ones were, "Best dressed", "Most likely to end up as a can can dancer at the Moulin Rouge" "Most likely to open a British Pub" "Best event planner" "Most likely to go into business as a scone baker" and of course the one that wen to yours truly, "Most Playful Group Member" :) I think my adventures on the high seas and fighting alligators won me that one!

Since today was my last night and it was also Alice's birthday, I went on back to Horsham for one last trip to see my English family. We enjoyed a lovely Chinese take-out dinner in the garden drinking Pimms and chatting up for a few hours. They will always be the part I miss the most. I will try to stay in touch with them and will always think of them as family.

So now that non good-byes are taken care of and my last load of laundry is in the wash, now comes the part where I very much need to sleep but simply can't turn my brain off long enough to do so. :) There is still so much to do in the morning, packing to be done, and of course the long travel back home. Sleep is much too far away.

Lifestyles of the rich and famous...

Henry VII and Hampton Court Palace- another beautiful day walking in the footsteps of royalties of past. Immediately upon arrival, the sense of awesomeness sets in. The grandeur and impressiveness of the palace is still holding after all these years. If you look carefully, you can still envision Henry walking through the main courtyard or through the gardens. You can still hear the sounds of everyone rushing around trying to win the favor of the king and to please him while he entertains guests.

We are beginning to wind down our travels but we are still going out in style. I hope we can all hold out a little bit longer though- about half of us seem to be dropping off. All the traveling and walking around and definitely taken a toll on the group. Tomorrow is our last full day but it's probably for the best. I think it's time for some of us to return to the real world with fond memories of this incredible trip.

Glogster- Traveling Abroad

I've put together this Glog- a digital poster- to help organize the things that I have learned while traveling abroad over the last ten years or so. I've included some of the best websites I've come across and some helpful hints and tips. Certainly- there is much more that could be added but this is a great place to start!

AVAST MATEYS! SECURE THE RIGGINS!!!

Pirate speak is necessary when you start your day off on a mighty pirate ship in the treacherous seas of Kensington Gardens!! :) We pillaged and plundered all morning at the Princess Diana Memorial Park before they let the little ones in.

We took full advantage of the beautiful day going on- walking all around Kensington and Hyde Park. There we lots of people out enjoying the great weather, sun bathing, playing in the fountain and going on out boats. It was a perfect way to start our last week in town.

To finish off our day- we had high tea at the Orangery in Kensington. We did it up right with little sandwiches, scones, and of course teeny tiny cakes! We're all looking forward to wrapping up our last week with Hampton Court and Buckingham Palace. Got to leave in style!

Paris- Second and Third Course

Most of us ended up staying the rest of the weekend in Paris because one day just wasn't going to be enough! We had so much more that we wanted to see and do. Angela and her amazing Web finding abilities found out about a "Museum Pass". This pass cost ¢35 and it got you into most of the monuments and museums around town. Usually, you could skip the long lines and get right in. A few of us signed up for this and weren't disappointed! I was able to hit- the Louvre once more, the Arc de Triomphe, the tropical aquarium, museum of cinema, the museum of maritime, and the architecture museum. Now, had I had more energy I would have still had time to take a few more out- but alas, the walking was long, the sleeping was little, and the stairs were great. So we did what we could and still had an amazing time. If you're going to be in Paris for at least two days- the Museum Pass and the 2-day Metro pass are money well spent. I definitely recommend them both!

Make sure that you end your day at the Eiffel Tower. Granted, you'll see it most of the day, but you must take the time to see the show it puts on once the sun goes down.

Paris- First Course

Our first day in Paris began so early that I'm surprised any of us actually remember it. :) It was good to get such an early start on the day though because we had so much to do! As soon as we arrived, we immediately went over to the Louvre. Being the largest museum in the world, it's difficult to see everything in just a few hours but if you plan out a little bit of what you want to see, you'll take in a lot of it and have a great time. I recommend starting off by the Greek statues and the Mesopotamia area. It's not very crowded and the pieces are exquisite. I was blown away by the absolute capturing of the human form in so many contexts and themes. It was mesmerizing.

After the Louvre, we grabbed some delicious sandwiches and joined a "hop-on-hop-off" bus tour to get a feel for the city. If you have the time to do one of these tours, check it out! You'll hit all the major sites around the city and you'll also get a chance to get the lay of the land. If it's a nice day, head to the top of the bus and you'll still be able to enjoy the fresh air.

We concluded our day with a beautiful, scenic boat ride down the Seine and an amazing meal at a little cafe nearby. It was a perfect first day at the start of an unforgettable weekend.