I’m not going to lie, this may be our best blog post yet. You literally could not make this up. It’s a long one, but it is about the journey, not the destination. Although, we did hit quite a few destinations in the past two weeks… Just read it already!
Tuesday 4/2
Z: On Tuesday we decided to escape from the city for a few hours and take the tube to Epping Forest, which is all the way at the end of the Central Line. We spent the morning wandering the forest, getting lost only a couple of times, and practicing our British accents (unsurprisingly, they are awful). We stopped by a lovely little pond to eat lunch, before making our way out of the forest and toward a pub. Catja got a Guinness and I decided to try Guinness Zero. We were the only people in the pub so we chatted and edited our TikTok video while deciding if we actually enjoyed Guinness…the conclusion was no. We then headed to the nearest tube station and made our way back home for dinner.
Thursday 4/4
Z: After many weeks of talking about making cardamom buns, Catja’s favorite pastry, we finally decided it was time to attempt them. We spent our evening on Wednesday husking and grinding cardamom pods much to our downstairs neighbor’s dismay, and prepared the dough. We let the dough rise and rest overnight, and I woke up early Thursday morning to braid the buns and let them rise again before baking. In the meantime, Catja and I wrote job applications and did schoolwork. The buns were finally finished after two days of work and were absolutely delicious!
Late in the afternoon, we got a surprise visit from Ethan who was returning from Sandhurst. We caught up on the week before Ethan headed out for drinks with his family and we made dinner. Ethan returned hours later to pick up his things and ended up staying for many hours as a quick chat about today’s Worldle turned into a conversation on Israel/Palestine and the morality of public execution…you know, the usual.
Friday 4/5
C: It was a beautiful sunny day, so we decided to take the bus up to Golders Hill Park to see a pagoda atop a hill. In true London fashion, we accidentally stumbled upon a zoo! It had an eclectic mix of animals: lemurs, wallabies, kookaburras, a pheasant, many deer, two chickens getting very close, and donkeys with massive… 5th legs. I snapped a photo of Zoe looking like a polite little wallaby before we made our way to the garden and pagoda, a rich man’s garden designed by Thomas Mawson. Zoe taught me about the iNaturalist app that helps identify plants through photos, so naturally, I stopped to identify every flower (Z: literally EVERY SINGLE ONE) we walked by. We found a massive Japanese camellia bush, and I picked up some fallen flowers that were bigger than my hands. I absolutely love camellias, and there are so many blooming in the suburbs this time of year. Finally, we took the bus home, stopping by Sainsburys for pizza fixings.
Z: Ethan and I originally planned to stalk Catja on her Hinge date Friday night, but the boys recommended that we have a movie night instead (C: to be clear, Ethan demanded I postpone and pulled the “I’m moving soon so do as I say” card - how can I argue with that?). So, Catja postponed her date, and we offered to make pizza. Catja and I could not wait till 8 pm to eat, so we made pizza and ate at home before making the boys pizza and heading over to their house. We sat and chatted for a while about Catja’s looming date with a man who was simply not good enough for her and apparently had poor taste in suits.
We then debated what movie to watch for far too long. Luke scrolled through Netflix as we argued about whether Top Gun: Maverick is a good movie (it’s not) (C: it is) and finally handed his phone to Catja to choose. She picked the childhood classic, Madagascar. We watched the first 10 minutes before realizing that Madagascar may have been funny when we were 7 and 8,
but unfortunately, the jokes simply did not hit anymore. We were back to square one, but once Catja and I learned that Luke and Ethan had not seen Pitch Perfect we knew exactly what to watch. Although I already thought Pitch Perfect was a fantastic movie, the movie experience was greatly improved by Luke and Ethan realizing that the Cup Song is from this movie and hearing Ethan use the phrase “aca-scuse me.”
Saturday 4/6
Z: My parents arrived on Saturday morning and I headed into the city to meet them. We ate a quick lunch before setting off on a walk to Bloomsbury. They were staying near Hyde Park, so we walked through Soho and Oxford Street before stopping at the Foyles bookstore. My mom forgot her book at home, so we perused the many floors. We continued walking toward UCL and took a break outside IOE, where we admired the strange brutalist staircase architecture of my most frequented school building. I took them through to the student center and main quad before we started our journey back to the hotel. We stopped along the way for a quick pit stop and a pint at a nearby pub.
C: I went on the date. The boys were right.
Sunday 4/7
C: The big day finally arrived: the Dubeliers were going to meet our new friends! Minus Hebe unfortunately, but she makes a special appearance later. I sprinted out of bed to get dressed, do last minute cleaning, and look out my window to see when Zoe’s parents aka my adopted second set of parents would arrive. Finally, they walked up our narrow front steps and gave us both hugs. We gave them the grand tour that took about 2 minutes, then we sat down for tea and coffee. Lucy joined soon after, then Ethan and Luke made their way over from Harlesden. Zoe’s parents Eric and Kristin brought the most gorgeous croissants and pain au chocolats from the Four Seasons, and we displayed them on a plate along with Zoe’s delicious cardamom buns.
Everyone had heard so much about each other, and I sat in the corner of the room watching all the introductions unfold. Just as I received over 4 years ago when we met, Eric Dubelier gave Lucy, Luke, and Ethan his classic first impression interrogation, where he gets to know the people entering his beloved daughter's life. After 7 months of friendship so far, Eric’s questions reminded us about the core of what we love about our friends: Lucy has the biggest heart and so much passion for nursing; Luke is really. Fucking. Smart. And he knows a LOT about space. Ethan is going to Sandhurst to learn how he can take action rather than just watch events unfold.
It was a question from Ethan rather than Eric that shifted the attention to me. How did my date go with the boy who all of my friends thought wasn’t good enough for me? Not great. He was nice and we talked while drinking coffee in Kensington Gardens. However, he made the grave mistakes of wearing a satin blue bomber jacket and skinny jeans and, more importantly, mansplaining etymology to me. When I was talking about linguistics. I didn’t get a whole fucking degree in English to get mansplained about etymology!!!
Anyway, after a hilarious scene in which Kristin asked Zoe if she had been on an online date/had a profile then Eric point blank asked Ethan why he’s still single and I giggled to myself knowing what I know, we all departed to go on with our days and enjoy the sunshine.
Z: After an eventful brunch, Catja and I showed my parents around our neighborhood and Gladstone Park. The grand tour concluded and we headed our separate ways for some relaxation time before dinner.
Catja and I headed back out for dinner and a pub quiz with my parents in Central. The pub quiz had to be one of the most challenging we have ever done, which made it fun, but rather chaotic. My dad spent half the time trying to find the name of a literary character hidden in the phrase “bleach inspector” (Hannibal Lecter) while my mom yelled random song names from the 70s across the table at me. We finished 5th out of 7 or 8 teams, which is not too bad for us. While at the pub we also watched the Spurs game, where Micky van de Ven scored a GORGEOUS goal to win the game!
Monday 4/8
Z: Catja and I headed down to my parents' hotel for breakfast, which was delicious, and then out to the Churchill War Rooms. The War Rooms have been on my list of places to visit since we moved here, so I was very excited. We wandered through the basement maze of bedrooms and offices, learning about the Blitz and the early life of Churchill. The map room was particularly interesting as it had not been changed at all since the end of the war. Even the sugar cubes on one man’s desk sat unchanged. The museum was fascinating and most definitely tops the list of the best museums we’ve visited in London.
Emerging back into the sunlight, we saw an ice cream truck parked outside, so, in true Dubelier fashion, we decided on ice cream for lunch. We sat in St. James Park and enjoyed our 99 Flakes before parting ways for afternoon nap time.
C: After a brief siesta, we returned to the hotel with Hebe in tow to join Eric and Kristin for dinner. We started with some cocktails, where Hebe took the stage and explained her passion for nursing and love for both Luke and Vancouver (in that order of course). Then, the feast began. Hebe panic ordered an intriguing starter that was essentially a piece of bread soaked in something with melted cheese on top. I nibbled at it and tried some of Kristin’s yummy asparagus. Our mains arrived, and I was thrilled. It was a glorious pile of greens and fish roe on a perfect circle of monkfish. I even tried caviar for the first time, and it was a very salty and gooey experience. Finally, Hebe, Zoe, and I shared a dessert called “Sweet Spiced Cloud,” which tasted exactly as it sounds. It was a coffee-cardamom-hazelnut ice cream masterpiece. We left feeling rounder and even happier than we did before.
Tuesday 4/9
C: I left from Paddington in the morning to train to CARDIFF! I was so excited to see Wales and tick another country off of my UK bucket list. Despite ongoing train strikes, my train left on time and ran smoothly. I fell asleep looking at sheep outside my window. Did you know there are more than 3x as many sheep as people in Wales??
I arrived bleary eyed and windswept to the hotel and reunited with my fellow Fulbright friends. We dropped off our luggage and walked to University of Cardiff for a lunch and panel talk with leaders in Welsh arts and cultural industries. In expressing her passion for Welsh-produced art and culture, one of the panelists repeatedly slandered London which was irksome. Nonetheless, I met some cool new scholars and reconnected with old ones. My friend, Bilal, greeted me by saying, “Catja! Have you found a husband yet?” I love how supportive my friends are with my failed attempts at getting a marriage visa (UK government I am joking please don’t deport me).
Later, one of our hosts walked us through Alexandra Gardens and gave us a brief history tour. The tulips and cherry blossoms were in full bloom! I was so distracted by their beauty that I tripped into a very elderly man and profusely apologized while turning as red as the tulip gardens.
After quickly checking into my massive room and taking a 15 minute siesta, we walked as a group around city center, walking by Cardiff Castle, petting the stone animals on the wall outside, getting soaked in several brief yet mighty rain showers despite the weather report saying 0% chance of rain, strolling past the Principality Stadium and joking about how truly terrible Wales is at their national sport (sorry Zoe the Welsh said it themselves), and ending up at Cosy Club for dinner and drinks.
My friends and I hoped to swing by a touristy shop for souvenirs and Primark for raincoats, but apparently the city becomes completely dead by 8pm. Every shop on the main street was shut by the time we left the restaurant, and very few people and vehicles were on the streets. It was surreal. Luckily, Tesco Express was still brightly lit, so I stocked up on candy for the evening before calling Viggo from the comfort of my massive bed.
Z: I headed out Tuesday morning to join my parents for a morning walk about the Imperial War Museum. If it was not obvious, the Dubeliers like a good history museum. We wandered through the WWI and WWII exhibits before deciding that maybe 5 hours in war museums was enough for this trip. We spent the rest of the afternoon completing a crossword puzzle. This makes us sound like the most boring people now that I am reading it…anyway. We then headed out to get fish and chips for dinner per my father’s request.
Wednesday 4/10
C: I started my day with a full English breakfast and a latte before speedrunning to Primark to buy a raincoat. I thought an umbrella would be sufficient for the Welsh rain, but I underestimated the Cardiff gusts of wind. I made it back to the hotel in time to catch our coach to St. Fagans National Museum of History, 100 green acres of re-erected or reconstructed Grade I historical buildings from centuries of Welsh history. There was a round house from 2300 years ago, a late 16th century manor, and a recreation of a 13th century medieval court to name a few.
I wandered the open-air museum with friends, taking many photos of lambs and thatched roofs. We stopped by an old Catholic church called St. Teilo’s from the late 12th/early 13th centuries. The story goes that during the Reformation, these paintings were hastily covered up with limewash. Typical religious strife Traces of the original medieval pigment were found in 1980s, and the paintings were reconstructed today. Down the path from the church was a reconstructed Iron Age roundhouse from 2300 years ago. I love a thatched roof and was admiring the handiwork, but the clouds of smoke from a central fire lingered beneath the cone of reeds without an escape, and the asthma kicked in. I smelled like smoke for the rest of the day.
We passed a building labeled the “Women’s Institute,” and my group of five women and one feminist king excitedly took photos and walked closer. Turns out, our feminine excitement blurred our vision, as the sign actually read “Workmen’s Institute.” We forgot women weren’t invented yet in 1917. But speaking of women, we met two lovely older ladies in an exhibit about natural materials, and they taught us about lovespoons, wooden spoons hand-carved with Celtic symbols and given to lovers. Today, they are a symbol of Welsh culture and found in many gift shops, and the sentiment of sharing love, romantic or not, remains.
After a quick lunch break, we took the coach to Tredegar House, a 17th century manor owned by the “Welsh, wealthy, and wild” Morgan family. The Morgans lived on this land for over 500 years, and some of the Morgan men squandered their generational wealth on yachts, fashion, and other things that appeal when one has too much money.
I was dead tired when we got back to Cardiff at 5, but I needed food. My friends invited me to Brewhouse and Kitchen, where we got happy hour drinks and lots of delicious food. Our server was Canadian, and she was so kind to us throughout the night. By 8, we were all exhausted, and some of the girls ordered sticky toffee pudding to go. They asked if there were any to-go utensils around, and the bartender checked all around the property before returning with metal spoons. He said he wouldn’t mind parting with them if we left a good review, and I promptly took out my phone and left a 5 star Google review. I told the girls that I thought they just received some lovespoons, and I’d like to think my little review was a sort of digital lovespoon back to the restaurant.
Z: With no firm plans for the day, my parents and I decided to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral. We meandered about the atrium listening to the audio guide. Strangely the morning prayer, which interrupted our tour, was about those looking for employment…kinda weird if you ask me. I think the Bible is making me see things, which is VERY concerning. We then walked all the way to the top of St. Paul’s dome. My mom and I, who are rather afraid of heights, somehow made it to the top, but I am not really sure how as the stairs were terrifying. To my surprise we also got to see the grave of the infamous Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, who is buried in the crypt. The first week I feel like I escaped Napoleon and there he is again!
After leaving the Cathedral, we were feeling snacky, so we walked to Borough Market for a bite to eat. Of course, I had to bring my parents to Bread Ahead, which they thoroughly enjoyed (see photos). We wandered around the market before heading back to the hotel to watch DIY shows. We finished the day in the West End to see Six the Musical! The show was fantastic!! The actresses were amazing and I learned quite a bit about the wives of Henry VIII.
Thursday 4/11
C: We set off on our final field trip to the Senedd Cymru, aka the Welsh Parliament, where a jovial tour guide gave us fascinating facts about Welsh politics and the history of the building, designed by Richard Rogers. Decorated with slate and warped wood ceilings and set right on Cardiff Bay, the 2006 building is the newest parliamentary building in the world built from scratch along with Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, the Scottish Parliament (2004). The walls were floor to ceiling glass to represent a transparent government, and the large trunk of wood in the center of the building represented a tree, with the roots symbolizing the people. The logo is of a dragon facing backwards while flying forwards, which reminds me so much of the Akan symbol, Sankofa, I learned about in Ghana.
Our tour guide said that he would do his best to be politically neutral when answering our questions while also giving us his honest answers, especially when discussing Welsh political parties and independence movements around Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I could have listened to him for hours. He emphasized the importance of devolved press and broadsheet reporting that is not tainted by tabloid journalism, which reignited my love for journalism. I forgot how much I enjoy news reporting for local communities. Eventually, we had to leave the Senedd chamber to make room for the next tour, but my mind was swirling with new information.
Back in central Cardiff, I grabbed my bags, ate a meal deal in Bute Park, and walked along the River Taff to catch my train to New Milton. I did some blogging and job apps whilst on board. I also did a double take when I saw a massive, flat white horse on a distant hill. After some googling, I learned about the Westbury White Horse, a chalk carving from the late 17th century. The original horse carving was thought to commemorate the Battle of Ethandium in 878 CE. Just England things.
Z: My parents and I rolled out early Thursday morning to catch our train to New Milton. Once we arrived my mom and I took a short walk around before Catja arrived. We then had a lovely dinner at the hotel while we caught up on Catja’s adventures in Wales.
Friday 4/12
Z: After eating breakfast, we started our morning with a walk to the beach. We dodged mud puddles through the forest before emerging onto the beach. It was a sunny and warm day, so Catja and I kicked off our shoes and wandered along the shoreline hunting for shells. We walked past a little boy who was rolling around in the mud and absolutely loving every second of it. He very sweetly said hello to us as we passed, which made us all chuckle. The water was freezing, so we ran up and down the beach trying to avoid it.
C: Zoe’s mom very kindly booked us both for a body recovery spa treatment, and nothing could have prepared me for this. Having only had my first massage ever in January, this was diving into the deep end. First, the massage therapist met me in the lobby and called me Cathy. That’s a new pronunciation of Catja. Then, I was given a pair of disposable underwear, which looked like a massive hairnet with three holes. I was confused why this was the outfit of choice for a massage when I received the big news: I was to be slathered in seaweed-algae mud. For those of you who don’t know, I don’t love mud. Zoe and I strongly differ in our opinions about many things, but particularly mud. She loves the feeling of mud between her toes. I feel like Shrek farting in his mud bath (Z: I’m actively crying looking at this image and picturing Catja. PLEASE click the link)— a bit icky (Z: the understatement of the century).
Before the mud, I was brushed like a horse with a small rough brush. Head to toe, front and back, brushed until my skin tingled. Then, I was coated with greenish-greyish mud, which smelled like the sea just down the road. The cherry on top: I was wrapped in large plastic sheets like a to-go sandwich while my scalp was massaged with oil. The scalp massage was quite nice, but my body was so itchy from the brushing and mudding and wrapping that I couldn’t relax. I was then given time to shower off the mud and return to the bed, where I was coated in oil and gently massaged. This part was lovely, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the therapist’s stomach rumble asmr right by my head as she massaged oil onto my chest.
Finally, she said the treatment was finished and she would return with a refreshment. I was thinking maybe some cucumber water or a juice or something, but she reentered with a tray and a small cup of raspberry sorbet. She left to let me change, and I paused to look at myself in a mirror above the sink. I burst out laughing. I was laying naked on a table, skin glistening from the brush-mud-plastic-wrap-oil experience, hair falling out of a loose, oily bun, holidaying on the south coast of England, eating raspberry sorbet in a gorgeous hotel. Oh, I love how weird life is.
Saturday 4/13
C: Zoe and I took advantage of being near a gym to workout just like our Conn days. It was nice to get back into our routine of swapping machines, but our arms and legs were jelly after. We showered, had breakfast, then walked along the cliff and the ocean at Barton on Sea for a few miles, collecting shells and looking at dogs. Eventually, we returned to the hotel, hot drinks in hand, for another siesta. Zoe and I watched the Spurs v. Newcastle game, the same match up we watched Spurs dominated when we went to the stadium in December. Unfortunately, Spurs were completely off their game, and the 4-0 loss was painful to watch.
Z: Feeling sufficiently sad after watching the Spurs game, we decided to head to the pool with my mom. We sat for awhile discussing jobs and life before heading back to the room to get ready for dinner. Before dinner we decided to play a round of croquet as my sister and I had done 18 years prior when we first visited the hotel. Not really knowing the rules of croquet and no longer being 5 meant that what we had planned as an hour long activity took all of twenty minutes.
We headed inside for a drink at the bar where we met Grace. I was sitting peacefully enjoying my drink when I heard a voice right behind my head and turned to see a 4 year old blonde girl, peeking over the top of my chair. Grace was very chatty and shared with us that she has many dragon friends, including Shampoo and Brian, which she thought was a very silly name. To our surprise a new dragon hatched right before out eyes on Catja’s head. I was honored when Grace decided the dragon should be called Zoe. She described baby dragon Zoe as green with rainbow eyes (don’t worry I made a mockup so we can all envision it). Grace very kindly held Zoe right next to my face, so I obviously have the best idea of what she looked like.
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