May 13, 2013

europe 2013: day one

We arrived at Heathrow airport on Tuesday afternoon and got on the tube but we didn't go to London. Our first night was an adventure up to Essex County (just north of London) in Waltham next to the Epping Forest. All of our hotels were free in England because we had Marriott points, so the first night we had to stay at this particular hotel because that's what was available and it ended up being one of our favorite parts of the whole trip.
We got to the tiny train station at around 5 p.m. and called a cab to our hotel (which wasn't anything spectacular but plenty nice for one night). We got a chatty, local cabbie who we asked about where to eat dinner that night. We were leaving for London the next morning and wanted to get a small taste for life outside the big city. He recommended a few places and told us that this area was really quiet and didn't have much going on. We arrived at our hotel and asked the concierge for more recommendations (we like to get a second opinion on restaurants and see if anyone mentions the same ones - those are usually winners). She told us about a few places but when we asked if we could walk to any of them, she said, "Oh no. Nothing is within walking distance of the hotel. We are surrounded by the forest and we're out of the town center so you'll probably want to call a cab." But David wasn't having any of that and said that we would walk . . . through the forest. We still had a couple hours of daylight but I was a little nervous of being lost in the forest in the dark. Nevertheless, we were determined so we put on our coats (even though it was in the high 50s - low 60s) and had our little map from the hotel telling us where to go.
I didn't have my camera with me so I took this one from online of the Epping forest.
For the first half a mile, we were still on the main road but then we got into the forest area and it was so beautiful. There were cows grazing in a nearby pasture, white blossoms on the trees and the air was crisp but not cold. I was in heaven. Pretty soon we got to the edge of the forest and found a pathway so we took it since it was parallel to the road. So there we were, walking through the forest in England, totally unsure of where we were going. It was twilight and everything was really quiet and beautiful in the forest. We stopped for a few pictures and as we did, a herd of deer came walking along and we saw about a dozen bunnies and a few foxes. With all those creatures and surrounded in a canopy of blossomed trees, I felt like fairies were going to come flying out of a tree stump or something. It sounds really simple and maybe boring to some of you but it's one of those memories I'll remember because of how it felt. I'm glad David had the idea and determination to have a little adventure.

We made it to the restaurant and enjoyed a delicious dinner and took a cab back to the hotel. The next morning we woke up and had a very tasty English buffet breakfast (eggs, sausage, baked beans, tomatoes and also pastries, yogurts, fruit, toast, waffles, etc. - we were very full) and got back on the train and went into London (which I'll blog about tomorrow).

10 comments:

  1. Sean sees vampires in Australia... You guys see fairies, foxes, bunnies and deer in England :) It all makes me think of that scene in Mary Poppins...you know, the fox hunt. Day one sounds awesome!! Can't wait to hear what's next!!!!

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  2. I was thinking of Snow White! Did you hold up a finger and sing for a little birdie to land. How magical!

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  3. This reminds me of "Enchanted" and Giselle, or Snow White. How magical!

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  4. Sounds magical! I can't wait to hear more about your trip!!

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  5. I'm loving all of your pictures and stories about England, it is making me remeber and miss our time we spent there. You and David both look amazing.

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  6. I love your photos and I know you'll have more I will enjoy. Off topic - I was thinking today about weight struggles and decided it was finally time to contact you and ask you about what has helped you. You said a while back that you had found some resources that helped. My email is mandycrna@gmail.com. You don't need to publish this comment - actually I'd prefer you didn't. Thank you so much for any help you can offer.

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  7. I've been reading your blog for years & it's so fun to read your posts about my city!! I live right in the centre of London - by Covent Garden - and went out to Epping Forest last week when we had a public holiday. Every time we go we get lost in the maze of paths, despite multiple maps! Sounds like you had an amazing trip - so glad London treated you well!

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  8. I've been reading your blog for years & it's so fun to read your posts about my city!! I live right in the centre of London - by Covent Garden - and went out to Epping Forest last week when we had a public holiday. Every time we go we get lost in the maze of paths, despite multiple maps! Sounds like you had an amazing trip - so glad London treated you well!

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  9. Don't you love how it's often the unplanned parts of a trip that end up being your favorites? I felt that way in Manhattan, when on a whim, we paid for a rickshaw ride to get us from the Empire State Building back to our hotel near Times Square. It was nearing midnight, and the city was all lit up, and feeling the breeze in our faces as we rode past all the glory that is the City of Lights was perhaps the most memorable part of my trip. Your stroll through Epping sounds absolutely magical! Looking forward to hearing more! :)

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