Mickey Mouse & Memphis

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain

It has been an amazing and challenging year so far.  I have had the opportunity to travel so much in just the first seven months, and I've been blessed to share these journeys with my dearest friends. In April I had a visit from Cheryl & Sam (Singaporeans going to University in Manchester) and we went on a road trip to the Smoky Mountains. We stayed in a log cabin down in Murphy, North Carolina and had such a blast. I have never been to this part of the country before, and the beauty and simplicity of the region took my breath away.

View of the Smoky Mountains near the Fontana Dam, North Carolina

When the month of May came around I found myself on an airplane headed to Orlando, home of Mickey Mouse. There I met up with my friend Katherine and her boyfriend Brandon. At the time they were living in Fort Myers, but after my visit to them they were packing up their bags and moving to San Antonio, Texas. We had an amazing time and we went to a little place there called Disney World. You may have heard of it. What can I say about my trip to Disney except that...

I freaked out. When I say I freaked out I mean that I was shedding tears of joy whilst walking down Main Street, USA. And I sang Be Our Guest while standing in line to eat at the Beauty and the Beast restaurant. And I basically talked in Disney movie quotes the whole time. Don't even get me started on the parade. When I saw Minnie and Mickey.... well let's just say I needed some more Kleenex tissues.

Kat & I at Disney

While in Florida we also went shopping (no surprise there!) and found time to go to Universal Studios for more good times. We rode the Transformers ride four times and it was AMAZING! Not to brag or anything, but technically we saved the world with Optimus Prime that day. You're welcome, world. ;) I also had a near death experience while riding Return of the Mummy. At first the ride started out all nice and Kat assured me it was not a roller coaster. Yeah... right. The next thing I knew the room was on fire and I was being hurtled through Lord knows where going at a ridiculous speed screaming like a two year old at Walmart. Needless to say, I only rode it once.

After I came back from Florida it was bittersweet. I figured all my traveling opportunities for this year were done, and all my visits with distant friends were over. I've never been so glad to be wrong in my whole life.

One of my dearest friends from Manchester, Natalie, was coming to the States and wanted to visit me in KC. Words cannot describe how excited I was when I got that message. She stayed with us for the week of July 4th and we had the best time. If there is one thing you gotta know about Nat, it's that she loves music. And I just couldn't let her come all the way to the midwest and then not take her to the greatest place around: Graceland. So we headed out on the open road with Elvis as our final destination in a road trip of epic proportions. We did more on this three day trip in Memphis than I have done in all my other trips there combined.

The National Civil Rights Museum - Memphis, TN

Beale Street, Graceland, Rock N Soul Museum, National Civil Rights Museum, Sun Studios... we pretty much hit the highlights of Memphis in less than 72 hours. By the time we rolled back into Kansas City just after midnight on the 4th of July, needless to say we were a little tired. But we had a great bbq with family that day, and then I took Nat to her very first baseball game. It was a beautiful night and a great way to end the holiday. But that wasn't all I had in store for my lovely friend. The next day we went somewhere I've always wanted to go, and somewhere that was only 30 minutes away from where I live. And what place would this be, you ask?

The Glore Psychiatric Museum, of course! Thankfully they didn't keep us, although judging from my interpretations of the inkblots perhaps I should have checked myself in. Although I still maintain that one blot looked exactly like a chicken riding a motorcycle. What? It did!

Medical Examiner Lewis, at your service - Glore Psychiatric Museum, St. Joseph, Missouri

I shed more than a few tears at the airport when she left, but I have a feeling she'll be back in KC before long. I think we made a good impression. :)

I'm not saying there will be no more trips this year, because who really knows what the future has in store. Until I find myself at the airport or in my car on the open road again, I've taken up a new hobby to fill my time. I'm learning how to play the guitar via the internet. So we'll see what happens. I'm definitely not Johnny Cash, but hopefully by Christmas I will be able to play at least part of Silent Night. :) It's an adventure for sure!

With my Fender

I will not allow this long time between blog posts. Even if I have to start blogging about all these superhero movies that are coming out and blowing my mind! I mean Guardians of the Galaxy... wow. Love it. And Doctor Who is starting again this month! I can't even. Too much excitment. This may become a nerdy blog (not that it isn't already). ;) Love to you all.

Cheers!

Charlie & The Great American Adventure

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. -  Jawaharial Nehru


This past week has been fantastic and one I will never forget. I was reunited with one of my dear friends from the UK, Charlie, and she and I embarked on a road trip of epic proportions. She had studied this past semester at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and had been traveling the south since the end of the semester. I was so excited for her to arrive in Kansas City last Monday, and I'm fairly certain I have talked of nothing else for at least the last three months. After showing her Platte City and Kansas City in a day (an admittedly easy task to accomplish!) we set out on the open road to South Dakota. We had dreams of seeing mountains turned into sculptures, beautiful national parks, and (hopefully) loads of good shopping. Here we are just before stepping into the car for our adventure...

We were definitely not disappointed! We stopped at the #1 roadside attraction in the United States on the way there... the famous Wall Drug. It was an interesting place with pretty much anything you could think of up for sale.

We stayed at the historic Hotel Alex Johnson in downtown Rapid City. It was a beautiful hotel that I had seen featured on one of Rachael Ray's shows. The hotel itself has a very interesting history, including that of infamous hauntings. While we didn't see any ghosts lurking around the linen closet, there were strange sounds from the pipes around the room. Maybe the ghosts haunt the plumbing? ;) Who knows. In any case, the hotel was very charming...

We had a very busy first day in South Dakota. Seeing Mount Rushmore was at the top of our list, and it was a truly amazing sight to behold. Charlie and I were in awe of it, especially when we saw how the mountain was sculpted. The workers had basically dangled from a cable, perched on a shoddy piece of metal, with nothing around them but a tiny bit of leather. Yikes. I think maybe you had to be passionate - and just a tad crazy - to want to work on a project like that. But the work certainly paid off, and it is such an interesting landmark for everyone to enjoy...

Next we headed to the mountain sculpture in progress, the Crazy Horse Memorial. The only part that is completed is the face, and it looks like that is the only part that is anywhere near complete. The project is entirely made up of private funding, and unfortunately this means very slow progress. Charlie and I both hope that it is completed in our lifetimes, but I can't help but feel skeptical. I encourage everyone to go and at least see how it is now. When it's finished it is surely to be spectacular...

After eating lunch in Custer (which I mistakenly thought was Keystone), we set out to see the wildlife at Custer State Park. Charlie had never seen buffalo before, and that was our main goal to accomplish. Not only did we find a herd of resting buffalo, but we literally crossed paths with them several times as we were attempting to leave the park. They are massive animals, and it was so neat to see them close-up. Yet another "Things Charlie Needs to See in America" box checked off the list...

The next day we set out to the town of Deadwood to see the sights. We were also trying desperately to find an old-fashioned Soda Shop and Ice Cream Parlor. Google told me there was in the nearby town of Lead. To make a long story short: Google lied. However, on our way to Keystone we stumbled upon something extraordinary. We came upon the quaint 50's diner-inspired establishment of Boondocks. This place had it all: Classic American diner food, black bar stools with a cool counter, oldies music playing, pictures of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, vintage cars, and dinosaurs. Yes, they even had dinosaurs (apparently they are a big deal in South Dakota)! In fact I'm not totally convinced this place is 1940's or 1950's inspired. It may actually be that old. Hard to tell these days.

After driving through the beautiful Black Hills, and exploring Rushmore Cave, we decided to end our road trip with a bang. We went to see a drive-in movie. There aren't any drive-ins in the UK, and I had never been to one, so it was a first for both Charlie and myself. It was certainly an adventure again, seeing as how my car died right before the movie started. In my defense, I didn't know my ignition should be on "Accessory" mode so that we could listen to the movie AND make sure my battery didn't go dead. The nice ticket booth lady didn't give us our pamphlet or trash bag that held this vital information. Thankfully we were rescued by the owner, Roy, who jump-started the car at the beginning of the show. We watched Oz the Great and Powerful from the comfort of the car and will have a funny story to tell! :) Here is Charlie, pre car-battery-failure...

We had to head back to Kansas City the next day, so that was the end of our road trip. It was such a great time to catch up with her, and I was reminded yet again of how amazing my time in the UK truly was. It was so difficult to say goodbye to Charlie at the airport, but as she so eloquently puts it: "It is only ever goodbye for now". I'm hoping to visit my girls across the pond next summer, so I will focus on looking forward to our reunion then.

Now it is back to work, back to writing, and back to dreaming. Till we meet again!

Cheers!

:)

Going Back

Do you ever wish you could go back to a specific time in your life, just to see if everything was as you remembered it? Perhaps things wouldn't be quite as good as you had talked them up to being. Maybe the scenery wasn't as beautiful, or a relationship wasn't as perfect as you thought. How would time skew your memories and then how would that mesh with a new current perspective?

These are the thoughts that ran through my mind on my flight to Manchester in the early hours last Sunday morning. However all my fears were laid to rest as soon as I was reunited with my friends at the airport. It was such a special reunion, and honestly felt very surreal all day long. It was so strange to be back in the exact same place as I was last year. Catching up with everyone has been so amazing, and of course I've had several days now to see the sights (aka go shopping!).

Yesterday I decided to go to Salford Quays, a part of town I missed out on during my last stay in Manchester. It is a newly redevloped area around MediaCity, where BBC is located. Here is a picure looking towards the water...

My mission was to see the Lowry Museum and do a bit of shopping at the outlet mall next door. On the way to the museum though I saw something that made me smile...

It was election day! Someone had mentioned to me earlier in the week that it was their Police and Crime Commissioner elections coming up, but I had completely forgotten that their elections are on Thursdays. So I'm happy to report I spent an entire election day separated from politics and did not have to tell anyone where their polling site was, for a change! I'm sure my coworkers at the Board of Elections back home would have loved to join me. :)

Salford Quays is such a beautiful place, and I will be going back there next week to see everything I didn't have time to do yesterday. Here is a footbridge in the area, and yes - that is sunshine you see! It was a beautiful day...

The Lowry is a museum that houses incredible artwork from its namesake, the artist L.S. Lowry. I don't believe I had ever seen any of his paintings or drawings before, but they were truly incredible. There was also a special exhibit for pop artist Peter Blake, whose artwork was inspired by The Beatles and Elvis Presley. The museum itself is interesting to look at...

Last night was a formal dinner at Gabs (my hall from last year that I'm extremely blessed to be staying at again), and it was in celebration of the Hindu festival Diwali. It was so great getting to see more of my friends and, as usual, Gabs put on a fantastic show. Here are some pictures from the exciting evening...

Grace and I at Diwali dinner

Natalie being cute and Cheryl being herself :)

Bana and I - neighbors reunited! :)

Well that is all for now. Many more adventures to come, and still a few reunions to happen. Tonight is the American costume party at Gabs, so I shall begin my preparations for a cowgirl transformation! Yee-haw!!

Cheers!

Graduation and More Travels

It seems like such a long time ago that I left my second home in England and came back to all that was familiar back in Missouri. Much has changed since then, and I have found myself constantly looking back at all the wonderful experiences and friendships that I made. It was wonderful coming back home, but I pretty much hit the ground running once I returned.

I graduated from Regent University in early May with my Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and I have to say it is one of the best feelings I have ever had! I'm still adjusting to all this free time I suddenly have, but I am more than enjoying it. To celebrate my graduation I took a trip with my good friend Katherine to one of the best cities (in my opinion) in the United States... New York City. :)

I saw two shows on Broadway, Mary Poppins and Newsies. I have loved the film version of Newsies since I was in the third grade, so seeing it in its Broadway debut was something I will never forget. The cast did an amazing job and I had the best time...

I have been to New York before, but I had never visited Ground Zero. I wanted to go there this time, and I have to say it was quite a humbling experience. The 9/11 Memorial is not finished yet, but they did have a temporary memorial preview site set up. It was one block away from where the twin towers fell, and it held images, video, and pieces of the shattered buildings. For a small crowded room in New York City it was oddly quiet, and the horrors of that day are eerily felt outside on those city blocks. I took a picture of the new Freedom Tower that is under construction at Ground Zero. It will be the tallest building in the United States when it is completed...

It was just a few short weeks after I went to New York City that I found myself on a plane once more, this time headed to New Orleans to visit my friend in her new hometown. It was my first visit to Louisiana and I had a great time. We drove to Biloxi, Mississippi one night to see Gavin DeGraw at the Hard Rock. It was a beautiful drive along the Gulf Coast, and an amazing concert...

We spent the rest of the time exploring the city and eating amazing food. All in all not a bad way to spend Memorial Day weekend. This is a photo of the Joan of Arc statue in the French Quarter...

Jackson Square was probably my favorite spot in New Orleans. Palm trees and beautiful buildings... the perfect combination!

My travels are over for the time being. I will just have to be content to stay in Missouri for a while! :) For those of you that may not have heard yet, I am going back to England this November to spend Thanksgiving with my dearest friends. As I mentioned before, I have missed them terribly and I cannot wait to see them all again. I truly feel as though a part of me is missing, and I just could not pass up the opportunity to go back to my second home.

I will be sure to keep you updated on anything new and exciting that happens to occur... you never really can tell what that may be in my life! :)

Flat Hannah's Corner

Oh c'mon. You didn't really think I could forget about Flat Hannah, did you?! Of course I didn't. She had to join me on my trips, because it just would not be the same without her anymore! Flat Hannah loved New York, and we visited many shops on 5th Avenue our first day there. Here is Flat Hannah amongst the NYC skyline...

She also went to see Newsies with me, and was interested to find out that the musical was based upon the actual newsboys strike of 1899...

Flat Hannah will undoubtedly join me this fall in England... as long as Real Hannah says it is ok, that is. :) Until next time!

Cheers!

Saying Goodbye to England

Wow!

That's the best word I can think of to describe this last week here in England. Last week I had a feeling something was being plotted very secretly (and not so secretly at times!) for me on the weekend, but I had no idea what it was. Let's just put it this way. I was awoken Saturday morning... to Christmas! How can that be, you ask? Well my friends decided to make it Christmas morning for me, and surprised me with this amazing winter wonderland on my door...

I knew something was up the night before, because my friend Grace was completely covered in glitter. But I had no clue it was for something like this! Charlie, Grace, and Louisa worked so hard on this, and I have refused to take it down while I am here. Hopefully it will be here to greet the next occupant of Room 8 next semester!

That wasn't the end of the surprise though. They had, along with Cheryl, given me the most amazing poster I have ever seen! It has the entire book of pride and prejudice on it, and in the words you can see the silhouette of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth! Don't worry, when I get home I will be sure to post a picture of this. It was so incredibly thoughtful of them, and also explained why they wanted to measure my suitcase the week before. :) I was surprised yet again when they told me that a bunch of us were going to my favorite restaurant here for lunch. Here is all of us at Southern Eleven, the same American restaurant I went to at Thanksgiving...

On the left side of the table from Front to Back: Cheryl, Charlie, Natalie, and me. On the right side of the table from Front to Back: Jiaowan, Cristina, Grace, Louisa, and Martha.

The food was amazing, and my bbq chicken was just as good as anything I would get back in the States. The presentation is also fantastic at this restaurant, so I had to take a picture of my chicken and little dish of mashed potatoes and (of course) my gooey chocolate brownie I had for dessert...

It was an absolutely amazing day that ended with the movie "Top Gun" and lots of Krispy Kreme donuts. I have truly been blessed with wonderful friends here, and am so sad to be leaving them tomorrow. It's hard to believe that we have only known each other for a few months, it seems like I have known them so much longer!

Sunday our floor decorated our corridor for Christmas, because there was a competition between floors for an amazing prize to be given at our Gabs Christmas Dinner on Wednesday. We have many talented and creative people living on our floor, and without them there is no way we would have had these beautiful decorations made from recycled material. Here is a message my next-door neighbor Bana created out of a trashed yoga mat...

We were so happy, and very proud, to find out Wednesday night that our floor won the competition! We had so much fun decorating it together, but it has to be said that all the other floors were beautiful as well. :)

Christmas dinner at St. Gabriel's was so great, and I stuffed myself full of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and dessert. It was the last time a lot of us would be together, so I used the time wisely and took many pictures of the wonderful friends I have made at Gabs. Here is a picture of (from Left to Right) Louisa, Martha, Charlie, and me...

And also a picture of the amazing Natalie looking gorgeous and mischievous at the same time (as only she could)...

This one is of my good friend Ingvild, who is from Norway, and Cheryl...

And finally a group picture! :) Standing in back from Left to Right: Charlie and Grace. Sitting in front from Left to Right: Ingvild and Cheryl...

I will miss everyone at St. Gabriel's so much! We have had the best times together, and I will remember them all for the rest of my life. My very last class at University of Manchester was yesterday, and since then I have been packing in earnest. Free space in my luggage is filling up fast, but luckily everything is going to fit! (insert massive sigh of relief here) :) Hopefully the weather cooperates tomorrow (it snowed a bit this morning and caused all kinds of chaos) and I will be eating a delicious home-cooked meal tomorrow night!

It's a very bittersweet moment for me. I'm excited to go home, yet already missing my friends here. But I have a plan.

I'm just going to have to convince them all to move to Missouri.

Hey... it could happen!

Flat Hannah's Corner

Flat Hannah is already packed up and ready for our journey home, but she also attended our "Christmas Farewell" party last Saturday. She hung out a bit with Charlie at dinner, and was very excited to hear of our good friends' plan to study abroad in the States next school year. We both look forward to reuniting with her when she visits our home country, and can't wait to show her around! Here is Flat Hannah and Charlie at dinner...

It is now time for Flat Hannah and I to say our goodbyes to our friends and to the beautiful country that hosted us for almost four months. Great Britain certainly lived up to its name, and was everything that we always hoped and dreamed it would be - and so much more!

See you on the other side of the pond!

Cheers!

Elizabeth Gaskell House

Last Sunday I ventured a few blocks away from St. Gabriel's Hall to the home where Elizabeth Gaskell, author of North and South among many other novels, once lived. I did not even know this place existed, so I'm very thankful for my new American friend Caitlin for letting me know and joining me on this mini-adventure. And what an adventure it was! The crazy Manchester weather decided to mess with us on our walk there. But neither rain nor hail could keep us away from one of our favorite authors. The house is only in the beginning stages of its restoration, but it was still incredible to see another sight of such literary inspiration. Here is a picture of the house. The outside restoration has just been completed...

We were greeted by the kind and knowledgeable members of the Gaskell Society, who helped us navigate the rooms and history of the house. The first room we saw was the study of Elizabeth Gaskell's husband, William. This room is currently a used bookshop that helps raise money for the restoration of the house. And yes, I did make a few purchases here... :)

William and Elizabeth were prominent members of Manchester society, and often wrote about the terrible conditions of the exploited working class. The Gaskell's moved into this house in 1850 and remained there until their deaths. They entertained many famous writers here including Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. I can just imagine Charles Dickens in his dark waistcoat looking out of this window and commenting on the outside gardens...

Next we found the dining room, which is where Elizabeth wrote many of her novels. Yet again it was overwhelming to be in the same room were such influential literature was written...

The Gaskell Society even sells tea and cake, and if there is one thing I've learned in England you never say no to a cuppa and cake! In classic Mary-style I took a picture of my tea and cake - which was out of this world fantastic by the way - and so beautifully presented...

I am definitely going back to the Gaskell House some day, and the ladies there were confident that the restorations would be completed sometime in 2013. They told me the aim of restoring the house was to present it to the public as if it were still the 1850's and Elizabeth and William had just stepped out of the house. I can't wait to see the finished product!

As for me I am beginning my preparations for my long journey home. I have started packing a bit, and I think this time next week I will have to enlist my friends in the classic "sit on my suitcase so I can get it shut" moment. :) I have a feeling this will be a very emotional week, but I know I will treasure these months in England for the rest of my life.

Flat Hannah's Corner

Poor Flat Hannah. It's been so rainy and miserable she hasn't gotten to go anywhere. But she has been an excellent study-buddy for me. I have had to dig her out of my books and essays all week, but she has been a trooper. Here she is, ready to finish off her last week of university in England...

Side Note - Rubber duck in the picture was provided by my nephew, Jonathan. :)

Cheers!

Thanksgiving in England

Happy (late) Thanksgiving to everyone!

This was my very first Thanksgiving away from home, and I was very homesick that day. However my friends here at Saint Gabriel's made the day special for me! When I got home from class in the afternoon this was here to greet me on my message board...

That night Cheryl and I headed out to have Thanksgiving dinner at an American restaurant right here in Manchester called Southern Eleven. I have to be honest... I was pretty skeptical. The website said they offered real southern American cooking, but I figured I would be the judge of that. :) The food was absolutely amazing! We had fried pickles for an appetizer (can't get more southern than that!) and I had a meal of fried chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and gravy. It was delicious! Of course, with it being Thanksgiving and all, I just had to top off the meal with a slice of chocolate and blueberry cheesecake. This was not my 'traditional' Thanksgiving meal, but then I realized something. Even though I am thousands of miles away from home, I was able to have a great day surrounded by friends that I love. I have so much to be thankful for this year! Besides, today when I was at Tesco (where I get most of my groceries) I was able to find Thanksgiving dinner in a bag! How is this possible, you say? I will let the picture speak for itself...

They really do taste like all that - it's amazing and odd at the same time. :)

This past weekend I embarked on my very last trip. It was bittersweet, because while I loved exploring Bath it reminded me that my time here is winding down to an end. I took the train Friday morning down to the south and had my first nail-biting experience of changing trains with just a few minutes in between. Everything went off without a hitch so I was very glad! After checking into the hotel I was browsing through their attraction highlights booklet and came upon this page...

They might as well call it Mary-town. This place had the cutest shops and buildings everywhere. I met up with Grace, a friend that I met at my orientation in London. We caught up while working our way through the Bath Christmas Market - where I was able to snag some cute Christmas presents! Artisans from all over the world had gathered there to sell their goods - and it was everything I needed to propel my Christmas spirit into high gear. Christmas lights, carolers, hot chocolate, and roasted hazelnuts were everywhere... it was truly magical! Saturday we set out to explore the Jane Austen Centre. It is a quaint museum close to the home that Jane lived in while she was in Bath for a brief time of her life. Here is a picture of a Regency-era dress and writing desk that would have been in style during Jane's time...

After leaving the museum we went down the street to see the actual home that Jane lived in - 25 Gay Street. It is currently a dental office...

It is very inspiring to walk the same streets that Jane did when she was alive. Next Grace and I set out to find the Royal Crescent - an architectural gem. I have seen it in movies (many times they were based on Jane Austen's novels) and I couldn't wait to finally view it with my own eyes. It was built between 1767 and 1774 and is a classic display of Georgian architecture. Needless to say it is massive and even though I was very far away, I still couldn't fit the entire thing in one picture...

Afterwards we set out to explore the Assembly Rooms, which had been designed by the same man that designed the Royal Crescent. In Georgian society these rooms were used for upper class high-end people. It was a fashionable place to go and socialize with others. Anyone that has read Jane Austen's Persuasion will remember these were key rooms where much of the gossiping went on. Many of the rooms were closed due to a wedding that day (lucky bride!), however we did get to see the main Ball Room, which was incredible. Here is a picture I took at the entrance...

You may notice that all the buildings in Bath look like they are the same color. You would be correct! I was told by my friend Grace, an engineering student, that this was a code in Bath. Every building is made from the same type of stone; the only noticeable difference is in the much older buildings where pollution has discolored parts of it. Essentially though, they are all made of the exact same thing: Bath Stone.

We browsed the Christmas Market a bit more and before I knew it - it was time to come back to Manchester. I had a longer train journey back, and I was excited because I would be going through Wales for a bit. I have not been able to visit Wales on this trip, so I will definitely have to come back some day to visit it. Sadly the only picture I have of the Wales countryside is from a train, but I wanted to show at least a part of it...

Now I am back in Manchester and set on enjoying my last few weeks here with my friends. I have met wonderful people here, and I will be very sad to leave them behind. However I am looking forward to reuniting with my family and friends back in the States, as well. It's a bittersweet time for me, but I can honestly say that this has been the best experience of my life. It is a time I will always treasure. :)


Flat Hannah's Corner


Flat Hannah and I cannot believe that our UK adventure is almost at an end! We have had so much fun exploring Britain and making new friends. We tried to enjoy as much of Bath as we could, especially the food! We ventured to have lunch at the famous Sally Lunn's Restaurant and it was a terrific meal. It is one of the oldest houses in Bath, and has been serving amazing food since 1680. They are famously known for their Sally Lunn Bun, which we - of course - had to try. It is essentially a giant dinner roll and served with anything on it imaginable. We opted for the chocolate and butter topping which was out of this world! You could also get it with cinnamon and butter, lemon curd, raspberry jam, and many other insanely delectable combinations. Oh yeah, and did I mention we ate our meal in the Jane Austen room here? Coincidence... I think not! Here is Flat Hannah outside this amazing food-fest called Sally Lunn's...

I don't think Flat Hannah and I have had our last adventure together, though. Even though we don't have any more trips planned, we've still got 3 more weeks in Manchester and a very long plane ride across the Atlantic before we get back to Kansas City. Who knows what could happen in the meantime!

Cheers!