From Worcester Again!

Hello again from Worcester!!!!! Friday.
(Tracie typing, Julie adding tidbits)

We enjoyed a full day in London yesterday with the Girls Chorus. We left the hotel after 5:30 (fun story about Julie and Angela, then Hayley and Kayliegh running through the streets of Worcester trying to locate the train station - some people weren't up in time, so Julie stayed behind to point them in the right direction.) Our train left at 6:20 in the morning, and we arrived in London after 9:30. (we actually payed for our tickets, though it was hard - the ticket machine wouldn't take our money/cards, so we had to wait for the ticket office to open - at 6:10, so we were cutting it close. However, someone tried to get on the train (our car) without a ticket - he tried to say he had one, but the security knew he didn't - he had tried it before. So they brougth him off the train, and we left the station).
The first order of the day was the Globe Theater - a reproduction of the original Globe Theater, where Shakespeare's plays were performed. Julie was SUPER excited. It took us awhile to find it, because we started going in the right direction, then were told that it was the other way, then we asked for directions again, and were told it was the way we had been going originally. So we walked back, and finally made it, but then we couldn't find the right entrance. Dr. Mock said, 'I've never had so much trouble finding a theater in my life.'
We finally got tickets, and went through the wonderful museum that told about Shakespeare, the period and other things around that time (Julie quote). Then we went on a tour into the theater. It was pretty cool.
Julie finally made her life complete and quoted his plays inside the theater as a groundling (spherical globes, double toils and troubles, breeches, fighting men, and the like). She loved it. She was sad to miss the tech run of the Merry Wives of Windsor. She got many wonderful souveniers that will be released at a later date. Everyone was very glad to make Julie's day.
After our tour, we were all very hungry, so we went to the cafe in the globe, and ate outside. (We hadn't had a very good, or any, breakfast.)
Then we took the underground to the London Eye, the biggest ferris wheel in the world. Our exit came out right under Big Ben, so we saw that too. The Eye was awesome. To pass the time in the long line, Sarah brought some trivia - Bible and Disney. The Bible trivia was easy, but the Disney one was harder. The views were fantastic.
After we got back onto solid ground, we went to the boat dock, because our tickets included a boat trip on the Thames. However, we found out that scaffolding had fallen off a bridge (London Bridge is falling down), the only one our boat would be able to go through. So we decided to get a refund. But it took forever for Dr Mock to get it - it wasn't his fault - it was the people behind the desk.
We (Tracie) really wanted to see the Tower of London, so we hurried off to go. But we didn't have enough time to go in (or enough money), so we just looked at the outside, and went to the gift shop.
Dinner was at family friendly pub (sort of). Tracie had to order for Maddie and Julie since they were underage (we had to order at the bar). But it was good food.
Then we decided we had enough time to run to Buckingham palace before we had to be back at the station to catch our train. The Queen is not there right now, so we didn't see many guards, but there were two in front. We didn't spend much time there, because we had to take the underground back to London-Paddington station to catch our train, which left at 8:20 pm, and arrived back at 10:45. It was pretty much a 19-20 hour day. It was fun though.

Wednesday was Ludlow, Wales. This is where Arthur, Prince of Wales (Henry VII's son) lived with Catharine of Aragon until his death. It is in ruins now, but better preserved than the other castle keep we saw in Cardiff (Cardiff had two castles - one newer). It was amazing, and we could climb to the tower, and saw GREAT views of the surrounding countryside. It looked like the land around was painted. It was gorgeous. The sky was blue and had white clouds (most days it is overcast). We had a great (but short) time there, and went to a market that has been around for 900 years. It was wonderfully amazing and exciting.

Today we saw Edward Elgar's birthplace and some of the places where he lived. We went up the Malvern Hills, and there are towns built on the side of it. It was really pretty. We sang Elgar tonight at Evensong, and it was okay - not the best, but not horrible.
"It was more than credible. Almost good." - David Vanderpool.

Tomorrow is another day in Worcester, and after Evensong we have been invited to the Dean's house for drinks (mostly alcoholic, I think, but hopefully us "minors" will get something else.)

We can't post pictures now because we are on the hotel computer. But look after we get back, and we will definitely post many pictures when we get home. I've already taken more than 1000.

We have been having a great time! The food is good, and we've been walking around Worcester a lot. We have been basking in the glory of cool weather, and rain (but only sporadic).

We hope and pray that Laura, Bradley and Eric do wonderfully in Willy Wonka Jr. (we tried calling Mom, right before Evensong, but she didn't answer her mobile tele.) Break a leg!!!!!!!!

It would be great if you could pray for a member of our choir, who's mother died Tuesday night.