Wide Open Spaces!!!

Since we got to party for most of the week last week we got to work for it this week. Instead of having classes two or three times this week we had them four times!!! (I don't know how I'm going to go back to school Winter semester when I used to such a great schedule). Regardless of how many times we had class this week, it still would have been a very heavy homework week.

On Monday we all visited the Globe theatre for a tour, after the tour some of us went to Westminster Abbey. It was fun to see the Abbey for the second time within a couple of weeks because I was able to go to the places that I loved most, like, the Lady's Chapel and Poet's Corner. Tuesday - Friday we had classes and homework, homework, homework . . . Huzzah!!! On Wednesday we were able to go out and have a little fun at a matinee performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe. We were groundings huddled around the stage . . . luckily the rain held during that time period, and it was hilarious! It's fun to read Shakespeare but even better to see it performed, especially by some of the world's best Shakespeare performers. By the end of the week we were all beat. We went out and wandered around for a bit before relaxing and watching a movie.

Saturday totally made the whole week's effort worth the pain. We went on a country walk in Kent (just for you dad) and I realized how much I love the country and open spaces, something which is very accessible in Utah and the West. I don't think I could live for long without seeing the mountains or open country. It was beautiful!!! The leaves are starting to change and the weather was gorgeous (Rain in England? I don't know why everyone keeps saying that!).

Becky, Katie, and Hillary on the train.

Some more of our train crew: Emilee, Kaitlyn, Kayla, and Michael.

This is the beautiful landscape that we were walking through all day. We only had one uphill climb that got my heart rate up slightly but other than that it was just a relaxing day and my heart was so happy to be out in the wide open spaces. I was shocked that we were just trompin' through people's fields . . . they had already been harvested but this would be a big no-no at home!

After we had been walking a while our tour guide . . . a gentleman from one of the stakes we attend who takes every BYU London group on this walk, took us across this golf course driving range. I couldn't help but think of Papa Mac and Val down in St. George playing golf themselves. It was quite comical to watch 30+ people marching through the driving range with golfers waiting for us to pass at the top of the hill, they were pretty good for not trying to hit some fresh targets (I would have been tempted). Emilee was excited about it though.

After we had made it safely across the driving range we began the next leg of our walk. We discovered that the road was lined with blackberry bushes and we all enjoyed eating as we made our way along. From left to right: Annie, Natalie, Megan, and Lindsey eating blackberries.

For lunch we stopped at Eynsford Castle, or the ruins of an old Roman castle. We didn't have long to eat but we enjoyed the sunshine and a little break. Our lunch crew: Michael, Bethany, Katie, Emilee, Kaitlyn, Laura, and Kayla.

As our journey continued we came across this beautiful bridge and stream . . .

A really, really, old church.

At one point we stopped at this hops farm, thus my picture of hops above, where they were selling some pretty cool stuff. Aside from growing hops they also grow lavender, fruit, corn, etc. Some people in our group bought lavender ice cream and I had a taste. You may be asking yourself: "What does lavender ice cream taste like?" Well let me explain to you: it tastes like lavender smells. It was actually kind of good. Some of the other girls bought Ginger Beer, kind of like Apple Beer . . . but Ginger if you get where I'm going. Anyways, it was okay. It had this bite to it that got you right in the back of the throat, it was fun to try some new things. I ended up getting some frozen raspberries which were delicious!

We finished off our walk around mid-afternoon. I wish we could have kept going but it was time to go home. Here is some of the group at the end of the walk, waiting for the train . . . please note all the books, they were all much more studious than I!