Fun with Karla

Back when I was just out of college, I worked in New Orleans as an administrative assistant to a geneticist at the Tulane Cancer Center.  And there,  I met one of my many dear and fun friends, Karla.  We haven't seen each other in six years, but when she got to London after a scientific conference in Berlin, it was like no time had passed at all (except that we're older and I have two kids and etc. etc.)!  

We did a lot of fun things, starting with eating at the Hollybush:

Thanks to another friend, we also got to go to the Chelsea Flower Show, which is a quintessential English Event run by the Royal Horticultural Society (and their elephant).

We were lucky to get to spend the day with the lovely Potter sisters, Claire and Marguerite:

And to see some pretty amazing gardens!

Pimm's at 10am!  And then I was ready for a nap.

Inside admiring the roses (with some guy):

And feigning interest in Adirondack chairs for a chance to rest our feet.  In the end I really WAS interested in the chairs, but they cost too much.

There has been much celebrating of The Queen on this, her sixtieth year of ruling England.

In front of a memorial garden based on a Korean prison camp (I think).

And Claire, proudly in front of the Australian garden, complete with a 'typical Aussie bloke' in a hot tub.

We also got to a garden that was designed by Sarah Price who did the Great British Garden on the Olympic Park and one designed by some of Jim's other work friends as well.  It was a lot of fun and very British and slightly overwhelming because there was so much to see.  So many really beautiful flowers and gardens.

While Karla was visiting, we had some really wonderful weather (as mentioned in my previous blog, it had been raining non-stop for months before she got here.  And it started raining again the day she left. I'm convince our guests are controlling the weather somehow).  So, we took advantage of the situation and had an evening picnic in the park. 

We weren't the only ones enjoying the good weather.  At least everyone was picking up their trash!

Karla and I also went on a fat tyre bike tour of London, which was harrowing. Riding bikes in London is scary!  I was one of the few who opted to wear a helmet.

Our tour guide was a Spaniard (but had been in the UK since he was eight and was a Shakespeare major, so he was pretty English).

We stopped off in Borough Market and ate an enormous lunch. It was important to keep our energy up on our strenuous bike ride along the Thames!

Tower Bridge

An amazing quartet in Covent Garden:

Jubilee preparations (sideways):

Scary bike riding past Big Ben.  I was so glad to get off my bike when we made it back to our meeting place in one piece!

It was great seeing Karla and I hope another six years doesn't go by before we see her again!