Merrie Olde England

Leaving our family and friends in the US to move into Europe was made sweeter by meeting up with our loverly friends in England.

In London, Trina met us for coffee and din din at Bar Italia in Soho. The following day, we met to see the Monty Python musical Spamalot, which was indeed "funnier than the black death." Thinking she should dress for the event, Tough Trina wedged her arm into the door in the Tube and arrived smartly tattooed. (BTW, you can thank Trina for the technology behind the prophecy room scene at the end of the latest Harry Potter movie. How cool is that?!)

We were later joined by Emily and Mark. Emily took us to a couple of great pubs and a luscious (-ly naughty! :)) coffee house for yummy desserts. At one pub we met her friend who performed comic folk music that night, and is actually from San Francisco. He too was funnier than the black death. Fortuitously, Emily and Mark happened to sit below a love poem about "Em."

We went on to Northwich to visit our friend Richard, an old roller coaster buddy of Eric's. We went to see Richard's sister and her husband at their magical cottage in the English countryside, and his sister (after a workday of being a police sergeant over organized crime!) treated us to the most delicious ever homemade lemon shortbread and cream and fruit-filled cake. Traditionally, first-time guests are to blow the horn hanging on their ceiling. We're not sure why, but we did anyway.

Of course if Richard and Eric get together, there must be roller coasters. So we took another gorgeous drive through the countryside to Alton Towers, an amusement park built around the grounds of old castle.

Eric and Richard at Alton Towers

As we had more important people to see, we had to cancel on the Queen. But we did a drive-by on her house.

Obligatory Pics of Buckingham Palace and Implacable Guard

Tower Bridge

Rosetta Stone in British Museum

Pasties

Fish 'n Chips

Artist in Front of Northwich Cafe

Woman in Front of Parliament Building

Westminster Abbey

Olde and New London