UK TRIP!!

[amuly]

So of course we took a million pictures on the UK trip. Also of course, I'm not going to post all of those. Yes, we saw the Tower of London, and Westminster Abbey, and Whitehall, and all that good stuff. That is not what this post is about. This post is all about the amuly-specific, crazy nerdy/Doctor Who fan/Classics major STUFF that we saw over the course of the trip.

Warning: 
Image heavy
Me acting like an idiot.
Pictures of my little brother.
Pictures selected purely because of weird associations in my brain.


So! Best get us started with a stupid brain-association photo, yeah?




Why is this a stupid association thing? Because when I saw it, my brain went to Christian saying "This isn't the Royal Albert Hall, Zainab." YES. I did see this entire trip through the lens of British television. .... Oops?




Look! A phone booth! And it's all British-y! I was amazed at how many of these were around, and how they were like, actual functional phone booths. NEAT!



HAYFEVER. OH DEAR GOD WHY?! WHYYYYYY?!??!?!?!!?
No, this isn't me posing for a picture. I was just FREAKING DYING because of the damn HAYFEVER. WHAT THE FUCK, LONDON?!



Ooo, look, a random street? I wonder why I was so determined to take a picture here....



IT'S WHERE BOWIE SHOT THE ZIGGY STARDUST AND SPIDERS FROM MARS ALBUM COVER. :DDDDDDDDDD



And while I'm the Bowie fan in the family, Mom's the Beatles fan. So I plotted our route (which, oh my gosh, so proud of myself for the Tube routes I designed for this day. You've got to remember, I'm from Florida, where there is no public transportation. So yay for me!) and we found Abbey Road! And then we did the terrible tourist thing and darted between cars to try and get the shot :P




Then I met myprettycabinet !!!!! Who is, I'm telling you, even more awesome in person than she seems online. SIRIUSLY. OH MY GOSH. I wish we lived on the same freaking continent so we could be IRL besties forever and ever, but we'll just have to be satisfied being internet besties because SO FREAKING AWESOME, YOU GUYS!!! We ate dinner and drank and made terrible Rent jokes the whole time. And her and my brother are both smell-blind!! HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!


Now, I'm Italian (OH MY GOSH THIS IS A HUGE SURPRISE) and a Classics minor (ANOTHER HUGE SURPRISE). So Roman history is like, big big deal to me.



HADRIAN'S WALL!! :DDDDD



TAKE THAT, YOU BARBARIAN CELTS!!!



We found some loose pieces and stole bits of it! Shhh!



Scottish border! As you can see, the weather was entirely appropriate. Me and my poor mother (Side note: the old people on the tour with us kept assuming that her and I were sisters. This... I mean... yeah, my mom looks good and everything, but... what the hell?!?! ;____;)



I HAVE EATEN THE HAGGIS! I thought it was quite good, actually.



Another moment of intense nerdiness brought on by too much British Telly. IT'S WHERE IANTO'S DAD WORKED!! :DDDDD




Another telly moment: I know about Gretna Green due to Eastenders. No, really. So I was like "Oh my gosh, Gretna Green! EASTENDERS HAS BEEN THERE!!!" 



Okay. Beasties. Why have none of you, my British friends, told me about these cool thingys?!?!?! THEY ARE SO NEAT!

Also, you guys have a ridiculous amount of sheep. And it was lamb season! THERE WERE LITTLE BABY LAMBS EVERYWHERE! :DDDD




They were sticking with their mommies and running around and just being generally ADORABLE on every hillside we drove by!!
Note: In America - the part of America I'm from - if you drive up the highways it's all cows. Tons and tons of cows. So to see cows replaced by sheep was just a really weird little culture shock. Obviously there are sheep in America, but... weird. It was just a very "you're not home" thing as we were driving around.



Big surprise of coolness: Chester! Wow! I had no idea this place existed, but oh my gosh, so cool! We didn't have time to walk the entire wall, but we did walk a bit of it from where our tour bus dropped us off over to the amphitheater/Roman gardens. Super nifty!



And you were totally allowed to just wander around the amphitheater! I don't think I've ever gotten to do that, anywhere in Italy/Rome or anything. So THAT was nifty.



CAAAARDIIIFFFF!!!!!! :DDDD

We actually got there like, evening afternoon (which, by the way, Europeans: what's up with EVERYTHING closing down at 4:30/5? It was like that in Italy, too. Geeze Louise. What, you never have to do stuff later in the day?

So, wandered around the Plas, DUH.



Yes, that's my brother and I pretending like the stone is sinking down. SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP.




Ianto Jones memorial still up and depressing as ever ;____;




Oh my gosh oh my gosh it's where Jack and Ianto were talking the second day that Ianto tried to get the job at Torchwood and gave Jack the coffee and they were walking down this pathway RIGHT THERE OH MY GOSH!!!! :DDDD

Off Torchwood for a moment, onto Doctor Who:



Thanks to electrictoes via twitter, she informed me that the diner the Impossible Astronaut was filmed in is on the bay! So we wandered around, found something that looked close...



And then asked someone who worked there AND IT TOTALLY WAS THAT DINER! :DDDDD
Look at me: trying to look 1/100th as cool as River. (IT'S NOT WORKING ;____;)



Finally, to round out the telly-based experience of Cardiff, we managed to catch one of those forward/backwards cabs (taxis?) back to the hotel JUST LIKE the one they road in for the Series 2 premier. Eeeee!!



Then, at the urging of all my UK friends on twitter, I tried Irn Bru.

It is awful. You jerks. --_--

It tastes like cough medicine! YURGK!
My brother liked it though, so... no account for taste, I suppose.




On one of the last days of the tour, we made our way to Bath. Which, as you should know by this point in the post, Roman shit = I AM SO HAPPY.

UNFF. You guys. SO FREAKING COOL. Like... UNF. Romans, man. ROMANS. Fucking brilliant.

So there I am ^ just chilling at the bath house. Like a pimp, yo.

Then we were back in London, and my brother and I had done some research online to try and figure out if there were any Police Boxes still in London. According to Wikipedia, as of 1997 there was only one, and it was above the Earl's Court Tube station. Not a lot to go on, but we had one last evening in London, so damn it, we were going to try.
...
...
...
And guess what?
...
...
...
...



We so totally found it!!! *high fives*


So that was about it! Our tour of the UK! We did lots of other like, important stuff that I didn't include in here: Buckingham Palace, boat ride down the Thames, York, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Stratford Upon Avon, &c &c &c. But I just thought I'd share the nerdy part of my trip, because, duh, that's obviously the best part ~.^

Cheers!

Comments

[captainkatt.livejournal.com]

I completely adore this post!
I mostly adore the way you Americans seem love the UK so much - live here and it's boring as hell after a while :P
I'm totally going to be as crazy as you when I come to America in a couple of years (fingers crossed for a year!).
Now, I have serious catching up to do on Gwil - brb ;D

[amuly.livejournal.com]

The explanation I always give my UK friends: Where I live, there is NOTHING older than 30 years. It's nice, because it's all very technologically updated and comfortable, but not pretty! We don't have any old buildings, and certainly nothing as cool as castles or anything!!

When you do come to America, lemme know!! As a native American, I will be sure to tell you all the bestest places to go/things to see ^.^

[captainkatt.livejournal.com]

I've been dragged around castles and old stuff since I was about 4 and my parents are obesessed so I'm over it now :P

I should be hopping and skipping over the ocean end of 2013 for a year of university over there! *squees with utter excitement*

Awesome!

[jen erdman (from livejournal.com)]

I loved your pics! I imagine my first trip to the UK will be very similar! Awesome!

Re: Awesome!

[amuly.livejournal.com]

Well make sure you take awesome pictures as well! We can compare notes! ~.^

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

just to say well done on standing on the right stone... yes, i managed to stand to the left as you look at the picture instead the first time we went!

[amuly.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, my brother and I totally had an argument about it, standing in front. We were like, okay, huuurmm.... it never occurred to us to double-check before hand! So yay! :DD We stood on the right one!

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

I went with hubby and 5 year old son... I'm the only Torchwood fan in the family so it didn't occur to them either - well Junior obviouly had never watched it as he was too young

[jejo763]

Bad LJ for eating my comment! *sigh* Okay, the point in my previous comment was that I am so jealous, because I love history and have always wanted to take a tour across the UK. Been only to London twice, and even though it's lovely old city I want to see more...

So right now I have the fantasize and take virtual trips with other people's photos. Like yours! :D

[amuly.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, the history was just ASTOUNDING. I honestly think I saw more Roman history touring through the UK than I did on my two trips to Italy!! It was a major shock, especially places like Chester that I had never heard of before. Bath and Hadrian were like, no duh Roman places, but just about every city we visited, including York (Roman frescoes below the minster there!!) had Roman stuff around. Soooo cool!!

[jejo763]

Well, I can't say anything about Italy as I've only been to Milan (and it was beautiful, btw, especially the Duomo), but Rome is on the plan. Someday. I would've loved to study archaeology, but the circumstances were not the best possible at the time when I was making choices about unis and so on.

But will definitely have to bookmark this page and remember it when I'm planning my next trip to the UK.

[amuly.livejournal.com]

Ungk, yeah, Milan is absolutely gorgeous. But fairly modern-looking on the scale of Italian cities. Rome is just... you know. It's freaking ROME. Florence is probably the best mix of the two, though: super pretty, but just STEEPED in amazing history.

Though, my favorite favorite favorite thing I saw in Italy had to be Pompeii. Just... so freaking cool. It was like you were back there, you know? And it was all so ADVANCED. <3s forever for the Romans ^.^

[jejo763]

Yeah, Milan is quite modern and certainly very lively city. And I loved it, just because it has old parts and modern parts. And very long history.

I, personally, am not that much interested in Pompeii as I am in Herculaneum, as I've heard and read that you can see all those things like you can in Pompeii, but lot better in there. But wouldn't say no to Pompeii if the opportunity arose.

[myprettycabinet.livejournal.com]

Ohhhhh boy, I'm look quite chunky. lol. I always get these shots of me in the foreground leaning back and my upper arms...uugugghhhhh. But it's a nice picture!!! I'm glad we got one together!!!!!

I went home so depressed that night, because it was so nice being able to openly talk about all those things (namely R/S stuff, but Harry Potter in general, and you knew Rent and the Office - it was amazing.

Lol, Rent-impression of your dad: "Anywhere else you could possibly go after London would be...a pleasure cruise."

And a Rent-pression of your bro: "I'd be happy to die for a SMELL of what Vincenza had (for dinner)!"

And lastly, a Rent-ssion of yo mama: "All your shoes are nice sweetie, but Abbey Road's not a three way street!" (can you tell I've taken half a prescription pain-killer? hahahaha.

That Abbey Road picture is fucking hilarious. I loooooove it. I want it framed. LOL. And you didn't post the photo your mom took of us crossing the road to the pub, hahaha.

LOL, phone picture is just like mine:


(if you go to the link you can see my lame-ass ride on the London Eye)

And oh MAN, it is impossible to take a bad Bath photo, it's so gorgeous and eerie in a wonderful sort of way:



Le sigh. Atleast now we can hang out online, whereas this past week you've been pretty much incommunicado. And maybe, someday...ANOTHER DAY - the words would only rhyme we'd be in outer space - we'll meet again. But, as discussed over Christmas, neither of us will be in each other's home states anytime soon, lolol. Good luck with those man-eating mosquitoes and that killer crocodile....heeeyyyyy duuuuuuudee.

[mypretty-art.livejournal.com]

Christmas? Christmas Eeeeeve laaaast yeeeeear...

[amuly.livejournal.com]

Little bro in imitation of your phonebooth photo ^.^


And I didn't post the walking picture because YOU ARE HIDDEN.



Between my brother and I we managed to ENTIRELY BLOCK YOUR SLENDER FORM. *pat pat pat*

Also my dad looks like a freaking retard in most of the photos, because of his stupid, stupid backpack. So I refuse to look at piccys of him. *glare* Haha.

[mypretty-art.livejournal.com]

LMAOOOOO I can see my hair!!!!! Hahahahahahahaha.

Oh, and if your brother isn't in the EXACT SAME PHONE BOOTH as me, I know for a fact that they are in sight of each other, because I was at Westminster Abbey, across the square from it, lol, poor people having to deal with tourists always taking god-damned retarded phone booth pictures in Westminster. XD

[amuly.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOSH! So cool! :DDD SOUL MATES!!!

[mypretty-art.livejournal.com]

OO OO OO OO!!! You know what your brother and I were doing???

We were leaving our consciences at the tone!!!!

(The film-maker cannot see, the songwriter cannot hear and Richard Jamie cannot smell - so there!)

[amuly.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh you do NOT look chunky!! *smack smack*

And Bath! IT IS SO COOL!!! Richard totally did a phonebooth photo like yours, where he's in it and everything. I think you smell-blind people are much better suited for actually getting into the phonebooths because... well... *wrinkles nose* YEAAAHHH...


And I totally just sat here for about 5 minutes, staring at your London Eye photos and trying to think of something witty and pun-tastic to say.

BUT I CANNOT. YOU HAVE DEFEATED ME. *hangs head*

Okay, another 2 minutes just passed. I WILL STOP TRYING TO THINK OF THINGS.

WAIT! I'VE GOT ONE:

Maybe we won't meet in our home states, but we could always go to...

SANTA FE!!

*bows out*

[mypretty-art.livejournal.com]

I just made that to respond to this comment with.

[amuly.livejournal.com]

:DDDDDDDDD

[lyra500.livejournal.com]

Wow! That's some whirlwing tour! You've seen more of the UK than I have and I have lived here all my life! And yay! You came to Scotland. The cows - the one in the foreground is called a Belted Galloway. You don't find them much outside of Scotland and personally I've always thought they look like something out of a cartoon but they're kind of cool too, if you like cows.

[amuly.livejournal.com]

I thought they looked like something in a fantasy novel/movie. Like, some sort of crazy fantasy creature that's almost normal but not quite.

Then again, I suppose things like that are to be expected in the land of Hogwarts ^.^

[choccy-grl.livejournal.com]

Love your excitement over things we would find quite mundane...phone boxes (sometimes they work), sheep (those fluffy buggers are everywhere), iron bru (just no!).
But the place is seeped in history, even when you don't realise it. We have some awesome castles and, being an island, the old costal defence forts are brilliant.
Glad this little isalnd of ours didn't disappoint :)

[amuly.livejournal.com]

I am glad you agree with me on the disgustingness of that drink!! YURGK. On twitter I was absolutely BARRAGED by my UK friends telling me how delicious it was and how I must drink it!

Yeah, see, the history is what gets me. We just don't have it over here. Sure, Boston's got some cool stuff, but it only goes back about 200 years, 350/400 at the most. And we don't have old buildings. I mean, it's nice to live here, with all the modern loveliness and no problems with old plumbing or anything, but it's REALLY cool to visit and see all the history you guys have preserved so well ^.^

[choccy-grl.livejournal.com]

Oh I meant to say, that Abbey Road picture looks like you've been superimposed onto it. Soooo weird.

[aoitsukikage.livejournal.com]

Aah, that looks so awesome!!! I'm so glad you had a great time ^_^ (and of course I'm still extremely jealous because it looks lovely and I only wish I could get there someday!!)

(Also, up here in the good 'ol Canadian prairies it's mostly cows/horses with the occasional buffalo/alpaca farm. And elk farms. But sheep are around but definitely not as numerous as they look to be in the UK!!!)

[amuly.livejournal.com]

Yup, it's alllll cattle in Florida. I think I read somewhere that we're one of the biggest cattle producers in the country, actually. Go figure O_o But yes, cattle and orange groves as you drive up Florida, definitely no adorable little fluffy sheep (and the LAMBS. The little fluffy lambs EVERYWHERE!! :DDDD)

[saint-incisor.livejournal.com]

oh my goodness! that's absolutely brilliant! thanks for sharing! (totally not normal boring holiday photos!!)

[amuly.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, there were plenty of the "normal" boring holiday photos - I think the total pictures we took was somewhere around 800! But I selected out the fun ones to share with you guys ~.^