Wicked . .

Stop rolling your eyes at all of the west-end shows I've been seeing. I'm American and I like American shows, so get over it.

I've seen Wicked in L.A., New York, and now London.

I have to say that seeing Wicked with British accents was charming. "Dancing through life" will never quite measure up to "dawncing through life." Trust me, there's a difference between the two.

Elphaba's voice in London was the most amazing sound I've ever heard live. I'd go again just to hear her . . sigh.

Legally Blonde . .

Legally Blonde, need I say more?

Okay, I probably do need to say more. A friend, who I respect, saw the show a few months ago and really loved it. Her recommendation was enough for me. I hadn't seen the movie then but I had a pretty good idea of what it might be like. The music was outstanding and it was ridiculously entertaining on all levels.

It was, what is was and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Windsor Castle . .

I visited the Queen's weekend home. I just loved what she's done with the place and the fluffy hat soldiers were a nice touch too.

It turns out we have way more in common than I thought. After watching this video you'll know why.

La Iglesia . .

I've heard some say that there is a church on every corner in Utah. Next time I hear that, I'll ask, "Have you been to Europe?"

I have visited many churches during the six weeks that I've been here so far. The churches are ancient and represent much of the history and culture of worship that once saturated this land and the lives of it's people. Now it seems they are crowded with tourists, photography and admission prices.

The churches are ornate and detailed to say the least. Everything about them is massive, and even suffocating. The style and custom craftsmanship represents work and dedication to God. I am always impressed by every carefully built square inch of the buildings.

On Sundays I attend The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I leave my house at nine a.m. and return home at three p.m. During that time I walk, ride a train, and walk some more, attend a sacrament meeting, teach a sunday school class, attend a priesthood meeting, walk, ride a train, and walk some more.

When I started attending the Clapham Common Ward six weeks ago I knew exactly what the meetings would be like, but I didn't know how much I would learn from other church members and especially from those I teach in the gospel principles class.

They are amazing.

Jersey Boys . .

If you don't think you know who the Four Seasons are, then I'll tell you that you do. Because you do.

"Sherry," "Walk Like a Man," "Oh What a Night" . . ringing a bell? Even if it's not, you've heard their songs on commercials at the very least.

The acting was solid and the singing was record quality. The show made me love their music even more because I learned how the group formed, fell apart, reformed and transformed into what it was in the end.

As I watched their story, I saw how and why they wrote their songs. Context is powerful.

More than anything, I'm just happy to know why "Big Girls Don't Cry."

Hampton Court . .

Music men . .

The changing of the guard in London is beautiful. The soldier's uniforms are majestic, they march in front of Buckingham Palace, and play shiny gold instruments - that's why it's beautiful.

Sure, they exclusively play American hits and you expect that at any moment they'll start playing the Star Spangled Banner followed by fireworks shot from behind the palace, but if you don't listen to the music, it's a completely British experience.

The Globe . .

I went to a play at the Globe Theatre. As You Like It was a perfect addition to my London experience.

Shows at the Globe are raw.

And get the standing tickets, the actors might even spit on you.

Punt this . .

Punting is an art. And it takes practice. That's what I learned from Cambridge.

Here is what wikipedia has to say:

A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole. A punt should not be confused with a gondola, which is propelled by an oar rather than a pole.

Punts were originally built as cargo boats or platforms for fowling and angling, but in modern times their use is almost exclusively confined to pleasure trips.

This is what punting is supposed to look like . .

This is what I look like while punting.

City of bikes . .

In many parts of Cambridge you can't drive - it's bikes only. I can't explain to you how many bikes there are. It was nuts. Okay fine, I'll try to explain. I was leaning up against a fence and a man riding his bike gave me the "you are wasting a perfectly good bike parking spot" and I was. I took a hint and told him I'd move. He verbally agreed that it was a good idea and I nodded in agreement. Provo parking flashbacks followed.

Spending the day in Cambridge was a delight. We went on a tour of Pennbrook College, King's College (where we ran into the Brother and Sister Tanner, yeah, the prominent Mormon folk), visited the Christopher Wren Library, went punting in the river behind the colleges and attended evensong at King's College Chapel.

I really wanted to eat at the Cambridge cafeteria. I was obsessed with doing it, obsessed enough to ask a Cambridge student to take me. Thank you Artes! My friend Alison joined Artes and I and it was a feast of food and people watching. Like all schools they have jocks, geeks, preps and mean girls.

Beyond the cafeteria, they also have the option to attend a formal dinner after evensong, which is also done every night. I love their traditions and the community it creates. The formal dinner is candlelit, robes are worn and waiters serve dinner. I had to peek in and it was 100% Harry Potter style.

I'd go every night.

Oh, and did I mention that there are bikes everywhere?

Scottish Gems . .

Here a few of the Scottish Gems I was talking about.

Only in Scotland . .

This is the cafe where J.K. herself started writing Harry Potter.
My family doesn't have a tartan but I would choose the blue one on the bottom row.
Plaid formals anyone?

Teach me Scottish . .

A British accent is one thing and a Scottish accent is another. I went on a tour of the castle in Edinburgh, Scotland and I probably understood about 70% of what the tour guide said. Seventy percent may sound like a lot but missing 30% is also missing a lot of information. Next time I’ll just have to stick to the audio tour.

Beyond the accents and the castles, Scotland is full of gems. Baked potatoes drenched in homemade mac ‘n cheese happened to be one of the more memorable gems. And if you know how I feel about mac ‘n cheese (and not the stuff out of the box) then you’ll know that I was happy as a lark.

I hiked Arthur’s seat, saw the Royal Yacht, walked the Royal Mile, pondered in the National Gallery, and ran to the top of Carlson Hill. Between the two views, I think I’ve seen a big chunk of Scotland. Okay, I probably missed more than 70% of it but the 30% that I think I saw but probably didn’t is a lot too.

Les Mis . .

Les Mis. Need I say more?

It was, what is was and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Durdle Door . .

Being on the beach makes me want to be a poet. I don’t think about anything deep or profound. I just think and thinking makes me want to be a poet.

We visited Durdle Door Beach on our way back from a trip to Bath, Bristol and Stonehenge. Between the high winds and the scenery, it took my breath away.

It was interesting to see what different people do on the beach. There were people singing any song they could think of (of course they were BYU students), some were skipping rocks, some walked down the beach with their socks off, others buried themselves in the pebbled sand, there was journal writing and I’m sure that were at least one or two idiots texting (such a chosen generation).

One day I’ll be a poet – beach or no beach.

A flop . .

Jekyll & Hyde was a flop, a belly flop.

Painful.

Stonehenge 101 . .

A few things I learned . .

Stonehenge was built between 3100 – 1100 BCE.

The circle was built to align with the midsummer sunrise, the midwinter sunset, and with the most southerly rising and northerly setting of the moon.

The formation and construction of Stonehenge demonstrates a great understanding in math and geometry.

The builders used two types of stones used in its construction: the bluestones which weighed as much as four tons and were brought from 240 miles away) and the Sarsen stones (averaging about eighteen feet in height and twenty-five tons in weight).

Experts have also estimated that the construction of Stonehenge required more than thirty million hours of labor.

There are more than nine hundred stone rings exist in the British Isles but Stonehenge is the most well known. I also visited one in Avebury - it had a much larger radius.

The rock formations in Britain predate eastern Mediterranean, Egyptian, Mycenaean and Greek cultures.

Something I didn't learn . .

If aliens built it.

Just me and my camera . .

Shopping with your camera is more fun than you think. I'm on a new kick, well it's not really a new kick, it's more of a lifelong plan. I like to collect things, or at least I used to. While in London, I'm not buying anyTHING. By that I mean, I'm not buying things - I'm just buying experiences.

If you haven't read this, then read it and you'll see what I mean - I gave you two links so go on and read it.

A few weeks ago a group of us went to Abbey Road and got our picture. Check that one off the bucket list. We arrived at 7 a.m. to avoid major traffic. I admire anyone who snaps this shot successfully. It's a challenge to dodge cars AND pose.

Shortly after we headed over to Portobello Market (you know the market from Notting Hill where Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts fall in love). It's just a few blocks from where I live and it's everything a market should be; lots of antiques, delicious food, fresh produce and fascinating people.

Here are three things I bought with my camera. Yes, even the camera is on a budget.

Cell phones are so overdone.
Yes, it's a door knocker. I've always wanted a lion on my door and now I'll have a functional lion on my door.
You can never have enough luggage and I'm sure it could double as a coffee table.

This is my kind of market.