Day # 8,9: Charming Museums & Foot in Mouth Moments!

Day #8: I survived my 1st week in London! Well... survived makes it sound like a struggle when its been the COMPLETE opposite! (Minus the whole shower hating me...seriously though, it took 15 minutes to turn the dang thing on today! And the stakes where high (acting reference...wow this is a thought within a thought...INCEPTION!) because I had to be to the Museum of London in an hour and had just finished running in Hyde Park (pinch me!) on a surprisingly warm morning! What a tease, European Plumbing!) If you haven't realized already, I love it here. Even as a little girl, when people asked me "If you could go ANYWHERE in the world...where would it be?" I would answer with a resounding "LONDON!" This city is the setting for so many classic stories, so how can I stop myself from daydreaming! (By seeing a "Hot Buns" walk by! I think its a Wednesday thing, because yet again, we saw an increased amount of attractive British men today!

Ok, so the bottom left was too adorable.Talk about the picturesque Englishman! Do you see the matching green socks? PRICELESS! I could be entertained for hours on the Tube just people watching! Oh, which reminds me... two of the girls from our group were on the same Tube cart as Stanley Tucci yesterday...and talked to him! The cruel irony is that I was in the next cart! Bah! (He's from Devil Wears Prada, Hunger Games, and Easy A to name a few!) I WILL have a celebrity encounter (foreshadow for Day #9!) before I leave London... We spent a good chunk of the day at the Museum of London and it was a blast! I love museums (geeking out :P) and this one was unique in how it incorporated the old with the new elements of London's history. Shout out to my dad! You would have loved the WWII exhibit so much... the guns, memorabilia, and video would make you cry! I personally liked the Victorian Garden Party Exhibit where they had authentic gowns, and an interactive movie like Pride & Prejudice covering the walls! But the city's history is truly remarkable for how small the land is! London continues to fascinate me!

Oh, and they also had the ORIGINAL PETER PAN COSTUME from it 1st performance! Kind of spazzed out then...just a little. And if that bike was for sale, I'd buy it in a heartbeat! Later that night, our group went to see the "smashing" new musical Matilda based off of Roald Dahl's children's book. It was spectacular, hilarious, witty, and heartwarming! You really can't go wrong with any show on West End, but this try stands out because the little kids in the show are even better than the adults! Like they were hard core belting and dancing hip hop/ jazz with NO mistakes! Who are there's children and how are they so talented already?!

I know I'm abusing the picstich in this post, but they're effective you got to admit! That's "Ms. Trunchbull" the evil headmistress who was crazy... and also played by a man! Oh theatre and its tricks!

Day #9: Today was the first day I felt like things were starting to move faster...OH NO! By all means, move at a glacial pace! (name that movie! Hint...Stanley Tucci is in it!) Class sped by in the morning, leaving the afternoon open for thrift store grazing at the Camden Markets. Miranda totally scored, but I couldn't get over the beauty and classiness of this wonder...yes, the bottom is velvet.

After wandering around, we bummed into The Camden Eye Pub, which"The Best Pizza in Camden Town", and with our bellies grumbling, we dove in. Apparently Angelina Jolie went there and said it was the best pizza see had ever had, so naturally Miranda and I split the "How To Impress Angelina Jolie" pizza...it was divine!

I highly encourage going off the beaten track to find great hunts like these because they are the "diamonds in the rough" of fine foods! YUM! Well once we realized we were running out of clothes to wear, laundry time became necessary... where's my fairy godmother when I need her! On the plus side, I got to Skype my fabulous sister, Ciera, and baby Jax! Love you, travel agent! I'm bringing back the best chocolate as compensation! Then on a whim, we decided to try and to score tickets to the Tony Award Winning musical Once...here's our adventure in the tube!

WE GOT TICKETS!!!! We be lucking out! The show was based off the 2008 movie, featuring  music by Glen Hansard like "Falling Slowly" (top 10 favorite songs ever for me!) and left me in tears by its moving, yet simply realistic love story...I'm such a sucker!

Oh! Remember my vow to see a celebrity? It happened!!! After Once, we went to the Apollo Theatre were Siera lost her phone to double check, when out waltzes Luke Treadaway!!! He was "Christopher" in our favorite play The Curious Incident from Saturday afternoon! Miranda and I just stared with gapping mouths all while Siera talked to the stage manager...ermergeshchristopherimgonnapeethisisreallyhappening! Like the silly flustered girl that I am, I stumbled in front of him and stupidly gave him the 1st scratch piece of paper I could find = my receipt from Once! He looked at it then laughed at me! Did I care? Nope! Not one bit! Did I take the gold for stupid American moment champion...OH YEAH! This is what he looks like by the way (he won an Olivier award for best actor! The equivalent of a Tony in England! Booyah!