UPDATED: We returnd VERY late last night and our bodies think it's God only knows what time.
Thank you so much for your prayers and concern. When the attack happened were on a tour and were in Westminister Abbey (about a half a mile a way). As it happened on the Tube (mostly) and we were on a tour (in our own little) world, we had no idea until we were in the Westminister Abbey gift shop and someone saw it on the news. All of the mobile (that's what they call cell phones) went down because the emergency services needed the network. Wouldn't have mattered anyway as neither one of our phones works outside of the country. I saw vans of police speeding down but being in a foreign country you never actually know why so I didn't panic. We first heard about the one bus bomb (not until 11:30 or so). I knew it wasn't IRA (they are small potatoes now next to al Quaida) but when you hear bomb, well, what does that mean? Is it a small bomb that was found in a backpack or is the bus completely obliterated. I spent several summers in northern Ireland growing up.
It wasn't until we got back to the hotel... the coach bus brought us back to central points and we walked back to our hotel. It wasn't until we turned on the news did we know the extent. I then told David we have to call home. My brother, and many of you actual knew about it before we did because you woke up to the news. We found an internet cafe that you could make cheap international phone calls from (there is a huge demand for such as London is even more of a cosmopolitan city than NY... huge international population) and called David's parents and asked them to call people. I feel bad because as many of you know my Dad is homebound from a stroke and spends most of his day watching TV so I just hope because he gets up around 10am (3 pm London time) my brother called him to tell him we were ok before he even heard.
We couldn't really sightsee for the rest of the day as al of the attractions were closed for security. Fridaay, we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum but much of it was closed since they couldn't get the workers in due to the tube situation. Imagine if two of the major lines of the NYC subway were completely down. A greater percentage of Londoners take mass transit as gasoline is the equivalent of $8. a gallon and there is a 8 pound congestion charge to bring your car into the city center ($16. US equivalent).
It was there Sept. 11th and David's Birthday. We joined with Londoners and the international community at Buckingham Palace for the two minute moment of silence at noon on this Thursday. You could hear a pin drop (except for 4 very rude French people next to me whose collective heads I almost ripped off and presented to the Queen!!!! Hello, don't you remember that our collective power saved your freakin hineys from TWO, yes let's count again, TWO WORLD WARS..... SHUT UP, STICK A CROISSANT IN YOUR TRAP, PEOPLE DIED... sorry, I'm better now...lol.). Those pics you saw on the news were not still. NO ONE MOVED..., traffic stopped, everyone in the city came out of their offices in a show of defiance... it was very moving. The only thing that moved was the Tube to show them that they can't stop our way of life!!!
Some people say that rain on your wedding day is good luck... hah, what about a terrorist attack on your honeymoon? I guess after that, David and I will be married for many lifetimes.
OK, I'm still a bit delerious so I better go. The first load of laundry is done... back to reality. I'll write more later and in my review.
Thanks again for all of you prayers,
Theresa and David
So the wedding day was beautiful. I'll write more when we return from London.
Our guests raved about all of the personal touches..
lace from my mother's dress on my veil
my Dad's wedding ring tied into the bow on the back of my dress
leaving my mother's seat empty and placing part of my bo-kay on it
cry packs
my programs w/ bios and explanations of ceremony
Oh, and my new hubby got me the GREATEST present.. he wrote a song for me and performed it with the best man at the reception!!! It's called 'Beautiful You'
OK got to go
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
(but London)
