Foggy London Town

For those of you who have had the immense pleasure of meeting my sweet father-in-law, Mr. Bob Mobley, you would know that he's one of the most enjoyable people in the world.  And this fantastic man turned 80 years old this year!  80...what a milestone.  The Mobleys are very fond of the birthday milestone vacation - as you may remember, we took a journey to Sayulita for Melinda's 70th birthday back in 2012.  Since Mike's dad has an affinity for European culture, we decided to join him for a United Kingdom adventure in London & Scotland.

I'd like to first start with our adventures in London.  Mike's parents had already been in England for a month attending to some business, so we met them at the conclusion of their work commitments to join them for some fun and celebration.  Below are a few highlights from the fantastic time we spent with the Mobleys in London!

1.  Some High Tea at Fortnum & Mason - since it's London & since you HAVE to have tea in London, Mike's mother had the brilliant idea of taking our tea at the world famous Fortnum & Mason, and Mike and I were in British heaven.  Not only was F&M, the perfect tea shop, complete with floors and floors of tea time goodies....we were there on the day that they opened the storefronts for CHRISTMAS!  We could have spent an entire year's salary in that store and walked out with sterling silver teapots, and the most unique British China, and every bulldog shaped home decor item you could imagine....but we resisted, and left with only one small bag full of treasures.  But we'll return, and we'll bring even more treats back next time!

2.  The Tower of London Poppies - We were in London during the 100 Year Anniversary of the start of WWI.  And to commemorate and honor the British lives lost, there was a spectacular display of poppies pouring out of the Tower of London, that was ONLY on display until Remembrance Day (another highlight I'll get to shortly!).  The poppies are symbolic of the beautiful flowers that bloomed through the battlefields covered in blood, but also is an icon every year that people wear proudly on their lapels all over Britain.  The sight at the Tower was incredibly powerful & extremely breathtaking.  It was beautiful, yet emotional when you think about all that it represents...a fantastic artistic installation that we were so lucky to have been able to witness.



3.  A cozy train ride through the countryside - We traveled between London & Scotland via train that we boarded at King's Cross Station...Especially notable, because I was able to get a little glimpse of Platform 9 3/4....which was a lifelong dream of mine since discovering Harry Potter back in High School.  They even have a special Harry Potter dedicated store at the train station - I was in nerd heaven.  We had limited time for visitation of many of the tourist attractions in London, but this would have topped them all anyway!  Not to mention, our train ride boasted some of the best views of the English & Scottish countryside.  There were quaint little farms, sparkling lakes, foggy hillsides, and miles of lush green landscape as far as the eye can see.  The perfect way to transfer from our London adventures to our Scottish escape!

4.  Remembrance Day in London - Our last day in London was on Remembrance Day.  For two history majors in my husband and father-in-law, and for two men who admire military history - celebrating Remembrance Day in London was a real treat.  We observed the day in witnessing the bands marching from Buckingham Palace & followed that with a lovely Remembrance Day Mass at the Guard's Chapel - right outside of the Palace.  The chapel has historical significance when it was bombed in WWII during a Sunday Mass, one of the biggest catastrophic events in British history.  But presently, it's a beautiful chapel & a wonderful memorial to the British military.  As expected, mass was more emotional than usual - complete with bagpipes & the recital of the National Anthem. It was a wonderful way to observe the day in our Sunday best.

Our time in London seemed extremely short - and before we knew it we were off to Scotland.  London was all about spending our time with family and taking part in they typical traditions and celebration of our English friends across the pond.  Being in London with Melinda & Bob, who have spent so much of their lives in Europe, meant that we weren't tourists in London - we were just some Americans...blending in!  I hadn't been to England (outside of a few layovers) since High School - and this was the first time that Mike & I traveled there together!  London is a city so special to my Mobley family, that it was the perfect destination for some family time abroad.

Now we're on to Scotland to continue the next leg of the Mobley family adventures!!!!