Ode to my sissy...... and my brother from another mother

Hello Dear Readers,

This will be mostly a post card, a visual love letter, if you will to my sissy and her fantastically fun and funny husband.  They came for a week starting August 17th and we had a total blast while they were here.

 We took advantage of the beautiful weather in Putney on Saturday to throw our FIRST BBQ in England.  It took a little while and Pat's mad Boy Scout skilz to get the fire started (I know, I should have read the directions more carefully!).  And thanks to the 50 lb suitcase of American food that Cat and Jeff brought, we were able to have S'mores for dessert!

On Sunday we met up with some friends of mine from Knitting Group, Lizzy, Lucy and Sian to see Henry V in the last few weeks at the Globe Theater.  We had Groundling tickets, only 5 pounds ($7) to stand for the entire performance.  You are right up against the stage, and quite a few scenes go right through the audience, I could have reached out and touched Prince Hal if I wanted to.  There is no substitute for seeing Shakespeare in the language, place and theater it was written for, it makes so much more sense!

Later we ate at Waga Mama's and wandered down along South Bank, where there is always something going on.  Cat spotted this great photoshoot opportunity outside of the Tate Modern. 
After watching Henry V victorious at Agincourt,we were off the next morning for, well, I'll let you guess.....

 

Yup, Eurostar to Paris!  Sacre Cour, the Moulin Rouge, the Louvre, Luxumbourg Gardens, dinner at Les Deux Magots (we hoped that didn't mean the two maggots.....), sleep in a quaint and very French hotel where we fortunatly got bumped up to the 500 a night rooms with JUCCUZIs!!  You can bet I hopped in there as soon as I got in the door!  Eiffel Tower first thing Tuesday with a stop for Nutella Crepes, then wandered up to Arc de Triumph, down the Champes Elysees, Louvre again, Shakespear and Co., Notre Dame, the Maire area, pretty much anywhere you could get by walking and then hauled ourselves back to Gare du Nord.  Phew!

Undaunted, Wednesday we went up to Holburn to see where Patrick works, and to enjoy the World Famous Fish and Chips at the Bass and Sole Plaice.  I only eat at world famous or world's best establishments, I have standards.  On Thursday we took Jeff on the obligatory Kew trip, where I showed off my workplace, a lot poorer than Pat's in money, but loaded up on pretty things to look at!  We had fancy afternoon tea at the (obvously) WORLD FAMOUS Maids of Honour tea room just across the street.  Little sandwiches, pots of tea, scones and dessert.  Yum!

Money shot of the beautiful antique (but still functional) Palm House, look for it when you fly over into Heathrow.

 We really lucked out on the weather, as we seem to have with guests this year.  I promise guys, it's raining when you aren't here..... There was a slight drizzle when we went to the Tower of London on Friday afternoon......

But the Crown Jewels are inside, and being a Friday and dreary, there was no line to see them!  That evening we went to see Spamalot!  It was hilarious, it's been a while since I've seen The Holy Grail, so the jokes were familiar, but fresh enough to still be funny.  And of course, Chris hadn't seen either one before, so as usual I get to experience it for the first time again through him.  Who needs kids?  When we got out of the theater the streets were wet, proof of a downpour we  missed while in the theater.  I'm telling you, it's grey and rainy here!

Spamalot was a great note to end on as Cat and Jeff had to fly out Saturday afternoon.  Sniff.  We made do with a day of shopping (30% off at the Gap, got some great deals for Pat!).  But we are thinking of visiting Boston and Cat and Jeff's new house next fall, woo hoo!

Last weekend Chris's cousin came up to see us before she goes back to Cyprus, maybe for good.  And this weekend my friend Molly is coming by herself, yay! Girls weekend!  What a great year 2012, you can't make up for the crap in 2010, but you are close.....

Cheers!