London/Oxford Trip 2012: True Life: I Want to be British

I'm at a loss as to where to start today...we.went.everywhere! I rolled over to wake up at a leisurely 10 am and went downstairs to make myself a fresh pot of tea! Americans, PG Tips is the way to go (add milk and it's even better!). Yes world, I am trying to ween myself off of my CocaCola addiction...I feel that it is even a sin to say that but oh well. Cheers to caffeine in any way, shape, or form! Also, I forgot to mention this yesterday, but another Britishism is adding flavored cordial to your water. The Pooles have elderflower and blackcurrant that we've added to sparkling water--amazing! I've been getting my carbonation fix that way. Anyway, after having a homemade pasta creation a la Catherine Poole (delicious vegetables, garlic, italian meat, and olive oil were involved) and watching a couple of Family Guy episodes with Giles, Catherine and I headed to the nearby train station for Victoria Station to get to Waterloo. Sidenote: WHEN I live in London one day, I will need to devote at least a month to understanding the train stations...quite confusing especially because they have been redone since the last time I visited. First, we went to Trafalgar Square and did a giant loop around the National Gallery, the Canadian Embassy, and a couple of shops in the area. (Trevor, we went by that restaurant that a giant group of us RTHers went to after visiting the National Gallery/getting yelled at by Tribble for sitting on the blue elephants outside and I had major deja vu). Next, we walked through the recently-renovated Leicester Square, the theater hub of London! We were feeling a bit tired already so we stopped into the nicest Haagen Dazs I've ever been to for a cup of English Breakfast tea for Catherine, a Cafe Latte for myself, and vanilla chocolate chip cookies for the both of us! YUM! Naturally, Catherine and I had another Europe is better than America discussion (yes, Trevor, Europe still wins) before we walked to Piccadilly Circus where I loved seeing a giant screen with a CocaCola advertisement! While I am talking about Piccadilly Circus, I urge Americans to redesign our country---Europe trumps us architecturally! Next, we headed to a nearby market where I was very temped to buy a ring I have been obsessing over for quite some time--a pearl ring surrounded in a circle of diamonds for 65 pounds. I was good, however and decided I would get one like it at another time. Afterwards, we went to Fortnam and Mason, the grocery store of the royals (SHOUT OUT JESSIE). Unfortunately, we didn't see Kate Middleton....which saddened me horribly but I WILL see her before the trip is over. The shop is just gorgeous! There are four levels of food, clothes, soaps, home decorations, etc. Best part---the shop smells amazing and they have free samples of the best chocolate I've ever had in my life. I took a couple of pictures of their baked good art in celebration of the Jubilee! 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II and counting. I think I'm biased but I do like the way "Queen Elizabeth" sounds--nice ring to it, you know? Afterwards, we wandered in and out of shops nearby like a vintage shop that sold Prada, Burberry, etc for significantly cheaper prices--Leanna, we also went to Mango--before exploring the area near Oxford Street. We decided that looking through the four-story top shop would have driven us mad so we opted for H&M instead which definitely has more of a European feel to it than the one by my house in Atlanta. Anna, you would have loved it! Now I'm just doing some last minute packing because I leave for Oxford tomorrow, but other than that I think that's about all for today--fajitas are almost ready and I'm starved!