Missing Me Some Patti: London, Day One

Missing my Patti today. She's got herself bunkered down between St. Peter's Church and St. Paul's Cathedral over there in London, just across the pond. -


Patti took the red-eye on Friday night and found herself cornered & questioned by Customs at 4 am her time, 9 am their time. There was some mix-up and they took her aside and questioned her for 30 minutes, threatening arrest. It was intimidating, frightening, and not a great way to start the trip, but a good learning experience.


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With a 50lb suitcase and a backpack, she took the train and then a taxi and arrived at her new diggs with time for a nap. Patti is over there for a Maymester class, a full three-credit course which will be completed in three weeks.
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As classmates trickled in, Patti called us via Skype. Eva is staying with us and watching the two of them on Skype is an awesome thing. I can't show you, because someone took my camera. When Patti's call came in, Eva grabbed her blankie, crawled up in Grampsy's computer chair and asked her mama to read her the Ariel story the she (Eva) tucked in mama's suitcase, thinking perhaps that mama would enjoy a good book during her travels.
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Patti is not impressed with English food. She did enjoy a meal at The Giraffe. The only thing less impressive than the food is the modern art museum. Even I can't hack modern art, I think it's a big con that all peoples go along with - kind of like The Emperors New Clothes.

What I'd really like her to see: My Chocolate Workshops, where she could:

• Immerse herself in a world of chocolate
• Discover how chocolate is processed from bean to bar
• Sample a variety of exotic homemade treats
• Learn how to make Dutch truffles, praline and fudge and prepare her own chocolates to take home to Pookie
• Discover how chocolate is actually good for her (and Pookie)
• Create her own personalised box of chocolates
• Take home recipes to create her own chocolates at home.

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Patti hasn't seen much of London yet and just started classes Monday. She called me between classes, during naptime. A Siesta - isn't that a Spanish thing, I didn't think it was a European thing? The evening class consisted of the student barristers doing a mock court. "With wigs on?" I asked her, "Do they really wear those white wigs??" She said, "They really do! I passed a wig store yesterday and could have bought myself one!" I'm looking forward to hearing about her travels. Tom asked her, "Did you see Gentle Ben....er... Big Ben.... or any kind of Bens?" Yeah. So we're not so big on London.
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I've included this picture just to show you how brave Patti is. Eva begged/dared her not to walk under this "Monster," but Patti marched bravely through it like it was nothin'. She's a brave one and will conquer London like she did Spain a few years ago. You go, girl!
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but come home soon!