the twins in england part I

As for our flood of guests we had throughout the months of April and May, it was fun for Marco and I to watch all our friends' trip planning come to fruition.  When we realized that three groups of our visitors would be back to back, we couldn't contain ourselves and at the same time mourned our livers. 

After our trip to Cognac we flew home to England early Saturday and drove directly to London because our friends Brooke and Abigail were arriving that morning.  We couldn't wait to see the twins, who are Marco's close friends from high school and his JMU days. 

When Brooke found out she had a work event in Berlin the girls decided to tack on a mini vacation and come see the Westbrook's.  So Abigail, entering her third trimester bless her, met Brooke in London.

Leading up to their trip, we told the girls that we should stay Saturday night down in London to get in two full days of sightseeing and shopping.  Meanwhile Marco spent a good amount of April monitoring Premiere League Match tickets on the internet because these girls say "Bucket list!" every time they hear about ANOTHER match Marco has attended since we have lived in the UK. 

I was giddy with I-can't-wait-to-see-their-faces-when-we-tell-them excitement when Marco told me he scored 4 tickets to Chelsea vs. Everton.  At Stamford Bridge, two proper Premiere League teams, the final match of the season. 

We met the girls at their fancy hotel and started chatting about what we wanted to do over the next two days in while in London.  As we were standing on the street corner Marco and I started telling them, "wellllllll maaaaaaybe we want to get in the majority of the sightseeing today and do brunch and some shopping tomorrow morning because tomorrow afternoon WE ARE GOING TO CHELSEA VS. EVERTON!"

Brooke and Ab: Blank stares.

Brooke: Whaaaaaaat?!?!

Ab: Whaaaaaaat?!?!

Brooke: Are you serious??

Ab: (teary eyed;) Are you serious?!

And then, as these two do, 20 questions ensued. 

To me, that moment was a great kick off to the rest of a short little trip in London with them. 

Saturday we did all the classic London sights - Westminster, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, etc.  We strolled St. James's Park, ate crêpes on the go, ducked in to pubs in the fancy Mayfair, and hit up the Oxford Street staples where Abigail scored maternity wear GOLD at the Topshop flagship.

Sunday we brunched at 202 in Notting Hill, roamed the neighborhood playing home envy, hit up Portobello Road Market and - of course - more pub ducking, and crêpes on the go.

Then we ventured over to Chelsea territory for pregame action.  Because it was such a beautiful day and the pub gardens were packed, many of the pubs had people spilling out on to the streets.  It made for a great afternoon of day drinking and people watching. 

The match was truly an experience.  Sitting in Everton's section, we were entertained by the pure passion and spirit (read: scathing hatred) for the Chelsea players.  We had fun trying to decipher their chants.  Directed at Fernando Torres, my favorite was "LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZY BOY.  LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZY BOY."  I think it was the only non-explicit ridden chant.

It was an exciting match, with a 2-1 Chelsea win.  There was a post match ceremony where Chelsea players hoisted the Europa League trophy that they had won the week prior and thanked the fans for another great season. The players were accompanied by their little ones who were toddling around with bright orange footballs and the stadium crowd couldn't handle the cuteness.  There were even a few WAG appearances. 

Photos below from our time in London with the twins. 

bordeaux and cognac

The Thorpeleigh Cottage month of visitors started with Nick and Tami arriving in mid May.  They hobnobbed around London for a few days and then came up to the midlands to see us + Cambridge before the four of us headed to France to visit our friends Ian and his wife Mélanie. 

After morning airport beers and a quick flight, we arrived in Bordeaux where Ian picked us up and started his week long role of tour guide and translator.  We spent the day in Bordeaux and then traveled to Ian's home in Cognac where Mélanie had beef bourguignon simmering on the stove.  (Ian told us that Mélanie had taken the pot of beef to work that day so it could simmer on a hot plate, proving that whole the-French-taking-cooking-and-eating-very-seriously stereotype to be TRUTH.)

As you would guess, our time in Cognac was spent sipping fine Cognac.  Ian scheduled two very different vineyard tours - first a smallish mom and pop operation where Marco met his long lost twin and we saw the process of Cognac making from start to finish.  French oak barrel making to picking grapes to fermentation to bottling.  The next stop was a tour on a much larger scale and highly regarded in the Cognac world, ($$$$) (no photos please!) Remy Martin.

Evenings were spent around Ian and Mélanie's dinner table with wine, cheeses, funny stories, and fine company.  Seeing close friends' faces, smiles, and hearing their laughter was something Marco and I hadn't realized we missed so so much.  This was just the beginning of a month stretch of seeing friends whom we have missed since moving across the pond.

Photos below from our time in Bordeaux, Cognac, and a day trip to La Rochelle.  To Ian and Mélanie: a BIG thank you for your ever so gracious hosting.  Mélanie, for hanging late night even when you had to wake up early for work and Ian, for going to pick up fresh pastries every morning, the translating, and airport taxiing.   

After an impromptu late night at the Casino ;) we got up early and headed to La Rochelle on the coast.  I fell in love with the old nautical city.  We browsed markets, enjoyed cold cocktails and lunch at a tiny Moroccan joint, walked along the stone walled sea that was lined with sailboats, and I resisted every urge to add to my striped shirt collection.