The Patrones come to London

So my parents came to visit in February. I know, I know...yes, it takes me this long to post something to the blog.

Anyway, their visit was fun for many reasons, the most obvious being that I got to see my parents after about two months of being away. Less obviously, it also meant I got useful/tasty presents from home, including American pancake mix and a lifetime supply of saline solution. (You'd never believe it, but London appears to be going through some kind of saline drought. My drugstore - and every other branch I've been to in the city, for that matter - has been out of saline for over a month, with no end in sight. CVS, where are you when I need you?) Also, it was a huge novelty to have my parents in London. Worlds colliding, indeed.

We started the trip off on the right foot when I discovered I couldn't pick them up from the airport because the damn tube didn't start running until AFTER their flight got in. This would have been okay, if I then didn't sleep through picking them up at the tube station. Whoops. I think they made it to their hotel ok, though.

We didn't do too much that night...just went for a Sunday roast and walked in the freezing, bitter rain. This is a theme that will recur the entire week, by the way. The weeks before and after my parents' visit were dry and generally mild. The week they came to visit had weather magically transported from Siberia. Ah. C'est la vie (in London).

On Monday we took a ferry to Greenwich, which is the home of British Naval History and the Prime Meridian. Meaning we had plenty of pictures of us standing in two hemispheres, and my dad had the BEST TIME EVER learning about naval navigation. I think we were at the tiny museum for over 2 hours. Then that night, (dum dum duhhhhhh!) Nic met the parents. We decided to go to this little tapas place that's usually fantastic, but which kinda sucked this time. Oh well. Dinner was moderately awkward, with my parents convinced Nic was quiet (??) and Nic convinced my Dad's relative silence wasn't due to jet lag, but rather to the fact he was plotting on the best way to kill Nic and dispose of the body. So, yeah. That went well.

On Tuesday we did the London tourist thing, and went to Harrods, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Tate Modern. Wandering through Harrods (huge jewelry, expensive clothes, saddles) is always an experience, but I have to say my parents' favorite part (and mine, really, let's be honest) was the food halls, where you can get anything and everything pertaining to prepared food or raw ingredients, and all of it arranged in a gorgeous manner. After picking up a few sandwiches, and some macaroons from Laduree, this fantastic bakery I wanted to go to in Paris but didn't, I headed off to work for a bit while my parents headed off to St. Paul's, where they apparently took more pics of Mom looking freezing (recurring theme: see pictures below). I met up with them again for some coffee at the top of the Tate Modern, which again resulted in my Dad being fascinated by all things nautical (i.e., watching the boats and tide on the Thames).

Dinner again, this time at my local cheap Chinese restaurant. Nic was also there, and things went slightly better this time around, with more relaxed conversation on all sides (although Mom was forever lowered in Nic's eyes for ordering a bottle of Budweiser with dinner). Also, my parents had crispy duck for the first time, which they loved. And you think I'm the only one interested in food. Come on.

I don't know how to write a brief description, so stay tuned for part II.

= :)