Charlottesville

Alright, to start off, I have to admit...I have been working on this blog post since Tuesday. With the jet lag, getting settled here in London Town, and exploring, it has been hard to sit down and write. And when I do have the chance, there's not a lot of eloquent words that come; mainly "I did this" or "I went here" or "this was fun" or "the food was so good." So, until I get into the groove of things and let London pull and tug that inner writer that is hiding deep deep inside somewhere, I'm going to keep things simple and allow my pictures to do most of the talking.

Charlottesville, VA was so much fun. It was so great to see my Umptie T and her family! I don't get to see them very often, so I treasure the precious time I got to spend with them. Sweet Libbers dropped me off at the airport Wednesday morning after treating me to a most delicious brunch. Uncle Otey picked me up from the Reagan airport in DC late that night. Thursday was spent playing with Henry, Charlie, and Trixie in the backyard. Henry, the St. Bernard, is probably my favourite...he made the best pillow. Thursday evening we adventured in the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. It used to be Main Street, but they bricked it over, creating a perfect pedestrian mall. This was probably my favourtie part of Charlottesville; it is so beautiful! Trees median the two sides of the walkway, with a "Freedom of Speech" wall at the end-a giant wall coated in chalkboard paint, so anyone can write with the chalk provided. I couldn't think of anything original or crafty-no personal deep thought rose up for me to share with the world, or at least the good citizens of C-Ville, so I borrowed some words from a Mr. Emerson:

We find in life exactly what we put into it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Teresa and Otey let me choose where to eat. So naturally, we had to walk up and down the entire strip so I could look at all the restaurant menus to decide where to eat-it's serious business, eating and all! Nearly all of the shops and restaurants are locally owned-no chains nor franchises. The food at most of the restaurants are locally grown and raised, providing a fresh and fun meal experience. I chose to eat at Bizou. The food was phenominal! T and O definitely splurged and spoiled me. Big Time. We had kalamari, pimento cheese, pickled watermelon rind, pork tenderloin with grilled peaches and kale salad, rockfish, shrimp and grits, then gelato down the street. Carlos (yes, my stomach has a name) was one happy camper.

I won't see this cutie for nearly two years...we're sisters somehow!

Downtown Mall

Bizou

 Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Peaches

Shrimp & Grits

Friday was spent in another fun part of town, around UVA. Pearl's Cupcakes was amazing, and the old-fashioned butcher shop was grand, and the chocolate shop was quaint, and the whole thing was wonderful.

 Pearl's Cupcakes

Mmmmm...apricot almond

 Little butcher's shop-it was so cool! This isn't the best picture, but I didn't want any icky, raw meats in it. ;)

Chocolate Shop

So good to see my cousins at dinner on Saturday-I haven't seen them in such a long time! So good to catch up with them.

Sunday we went to a darling French bakery-Marie Bette. AMAZING. It got me really excited to go to France.  I got a Bricohe Feuilletee, this delicious pastry-croissant thing with a lemon curd creme filling...oh man. It was the best. Later in the day, Aunt T dropped me off at Shaela's home to spend the night. We ate a delicious dinner, played games with Issac, then watched "The Woman in Gold," which was excellent to say the least!

Marie Bette's

Monday, after taking Issac to school, Shae took me for my first manicure. (I went with Melissa for my first pedicure about a week before this...what have I been missing my whole life??) Then, we started the drive to IAD. On the way there, we stopped for pho soup and this amazing Vietnamese restaurant. After saying my goodbyes, I hopped on the big jet and flew to London Town...more on that coming soon!

Again, it was so wonderful to see my family-it was the best way to start this excursion of mine. Love ya'll back in the states and hope you're doing well. Au revoir!