Henkes' Euro-trip

Mom and Dad arrived in London last Thursday. They said their flight went well. My flight would go well too if I were seated in first class. They were served champagne and chocolates, and they had plenty of room to recline and stretch their legs. Maybe they'll upgrade my ticket for the return flight home? haha.

I met up with mom and dad Friday at their London hotel. It was a happy reunion... I haven't seen them in over 10 weeks. They look the same, they act the same... I'm glad nothing's changed.

Friday night we went to see the Mary Poppins musical. It was amazing. We had great seats, too. I was so impressed with the show... the effects were so neat. I would recommend this show for any age.

Saturday we bought tickets for one of those big double-decker tour buses. The weather was awesome... probably somewhere around the mid to upper 60s. (My parents couldn't have picked a better weekend.) The bus tour was fun. It gave us a chance to cover the entire city in a matter of a few hours. We sat on the top level and took tons of pictures while we "oooooo'd" and "awwwwww'd" like typically tourists. I had already seen most of the London sights on my 2 previous trips, but this was a first-time show for mom and dad. They saw Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, London Tower, etc, etc. I even taught them how to use the Underground (London's subway system). They were getting quite good at it by the end of the weekend.

Sunday we caught a train to Grantham. Once in Grantham we took a cab to Harlaxton Manor. Mom and dad got their first glimpse of the castle where I live and study. They were amazed. They couldn't stop talking about it. I gave them a semi-official tour and then they got settled into their room... a suite in the Blue Corridor of the Manor. We used our few days at the manor leisurely. I took mom and dad to town and showed them where I do my grocery shopping and stuff like that. They enjoyed several delicious meals in our dining hall (the Refectory). Last night they bought 8 pizzas for my friends and I. This gave them a chance to mingle with my friends here at Harlaxton. Everyone had a good time... you'll have that when free pizza is involved.

Last night was also Sir Harlaxton. It's a male beauty pageant that Student Government puts on. They asked Lauren and I to be the MCs of the event. We didn't really prepare anything for the show, but it went well. We had a lot of fun, and it was great that mom and dad could see it. My friend Austin ended up with the crown and title of Sir Harlaxton 2005.

Mom and dad are on their way to Paris now. I still have one more class today, then I'll be joining the school trip bound for Paris. Hopefully I'll get to meet up with my parents one more time before they head back to the States.

Wish me luck with the French! ha. Cheers!