"It's always sunny in London...

because the roads are paved with gold."
That's what our taxi driver told us when I commented on the beautiful day.  They are paved with gold because it's so expensive there!

We finally made it to London (24 hours late)!  This post is a a little under a week late due to powerful jetlag, lack of internet connection and getting acclimated to Italy.  It was a beautiful day, no rain or gloom and our hotel was gorgeous!  We took the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station and then a quick taxi ride to our hotel. We hit Oxford street and walked around to find a pub.  The fish & chips were well worth the walk.  I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the accent and found myself subconsciously trying to perfect my own.  We also saw Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park.  After the lack of sleep was too much to bear we went back to our hotel and collapsed.  We then arrived at the airport the next morning around 4 am.  I had to say goodbye to my mom and you would never know I was only leaving for a little over three months!  It wasn't until I was by myself that i realized this is real.  I'm actually spending the next three months in Italy.

Here's a few pics of my short adventure in London.

London from the air

Commemorative statue

Double Decker!

The cars will run you over!

Bicycle rental in Hyde Park

Gates to Buckingham Palace

Front entrance to Buckingham Palace

Policemen on huge horses!

Hyde Park

Beautiful Architecture

Streets in London

A beautiful church hidden in a small park.

Streets

Photo booth

My luggage set's first trip...

My luggage set's first trip was a rough one.
I had really high hopes this morning -smooth sailing to London!  The life of a "non-rever" is not without adventure.  The first flight was great.  Mimosas, nuts, a salmon salad and warm towel to start the trip off perfectly.  I should of known. My incessant app weather checking told me.  Rain and thunderstorms warned me it would happen.  Six hours, three gate changes and three Starbucks (no joke) later, "I'm sorry passengers on flight 50 to London (Heathrow) but the flight has now been cancelled." Wait. Did I really just hear that? After six hours of scouring for an open electric plug after every gate change I don't even get to squish myself onto this flight?! I was holding back the tears of only three hours sleep.  And well here I am, after two mechanical problems on two separate planes and cancellation due to weather, staring at my hotel's view of the airport parking garage, instead of the Thames River.  If there's anything that flying standby all my life has taught me it's that you need to be positive.  My new luggage (although soaked from sitting in the rain on the runway) is all here and we are safely nestled in our temporary abode.  Bright eyed and bushy tailed to have a go again tomorrow, we are only more excited to arrive in London.  We also had a chance to rebook our hotel to an even better one with a more central location.  More than all that, I'm on  my way to spending a semester in Orvieto and nothing could mull my excitement about that! I'm off to get some sleep and hopefully get on our flight tomorrow.  More updates to follow.  Here's a few pics of my beginnings...

A goodbye letter from my grandma, so sweet!

Our departure cocktails :-)

My soaked luggage taking refuge in the DFW airport

Late night room service, thanks julio!

Ciao,
Kasondra