Throughout my life I have grown to realize how fortunate I have been to grow up in a family that cherishes time together and loves to travel the world. While I have never been one to be homesick, I can't express enough how amazing it was to reunite with my family in London just over halfway through my study abroad experience. We made sure to update each other about the details of our lives, make fun of one another (especially mom and grandma), and take in the world around us. Our week was filled with so much laughter and incredible memories that will last forever!! As Grandma Linda would say, "It was a splashing time!"
Day 1: Reunion in London
My dad arrived early for work and we were able to get together for dinner the night before the whole gang arrived. The next morning my dad and I took a train from Coventry to London and eventually found the condo we were staying in after a few bumps in the road. After checking in we decided to get a bite to eat and go grocery shopping for the week with a few hours to kill before my mom, 2 brothers, and grandparents on my mom's side would arrive. Not realizing how much food we bought, we ended up having to push our grocery cart about a mile across cobblestone roads back to our place. We looked ridiculous and got a few stairs, but it got the job done! Don't worry we returned the cart!
The rest of the family was very tired and jet-lagged from their flight over, but they were troopers! After getting them some food, we ventured to the London Eye for an evening ride and beautiful view of the city turning on their lights.
Day 2: Touring London
Our first full day in London was absolutely gorgeous!! We purchased tickets for the Hop On Hop Off Big Bus Tour (or the "Hip Hop Bus" as Grandma Linda calls it) and made our way over the Tower Bridge to take a tour in the London Tower. After a relaxing lunch in a park, we hoped on the Big Bus towards The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. We then made our way through St. James Park to Churchill's Bunker. In the evening we found our way to The Ship & Wale near our condo for dinner. After dinner the grandparents went back to the condo, while the rest of us found The Wibley Wobbly Boat Pub.
Day 3: Mum's Day in London
Our second full day in London was Mum's Day. We made sure to find some gardens for grandma to enjoy! We also thought Kensington Palace would be an appropriate thing to do. Turns out, it was not worth the money. The women in the family had high expectations. Oh well! We walked around a bit more and enjoyed our afternoon on the Big Bus seeing more of the city. For dinner we had our minds set on finding one of the oldest pubs in London. In only took getting a little lost to find it. We also managed to find a chocolatier where we tried a chocolate beer and chocolate martini. We also purchased chocolate covered coffee beans!! I think I ate most of them...
Day 4: Canterbury and Dover
Our day trips in England with our private tour guide were incredible! Our guide was very friendly and knowledgable!
We began our first day by making our way to Canterbury and remembering the Canterbury tales. The small town, partly enclosed by castle walls, was so quant and had a lot of history! We had the opportunity to tour the Cathedral and afterwards we were lucky to stumble upon a grand opening and we all received free pulled pork sandwiches!
Our tour guide then brought us to the White Cliffs of Dover. I wish we would have been able to hike them more, but there was so much to do and not enough time! We then went up to the Dover Castle and Dover bunkers. It was amazing how much more I learned about WWII in the Dover bunkers besides just the American history.
Day 5: April Fool's Day in the Cotswolds, Coventry and Priors Hardwick
April Fool's was no doubt my favorite day of the entire trip! We all had our attempts at pulling pranks, but Grandma Linda was definitely on a mission to prank everyone. :) We began our private tour in the Cotswolds. Absolutely stunning! It was the picture perfect area that I imagined England to be like. We had a picnic in Upper Slaughter then made our way to Kenilworth Castle. This castle was completely run down, yet the most beautiful! When roaming the ruins we had to imagine everything from what was still standing. After a quick stop in Coventry to show the family where I am attending school, we set off for The Butcher's Arms restaurant in Prior Hardwick where we met up with the Porter's for dinner. This authentic Portuguese restaurant will forever be my favorite place to eat! Our night was filled with great company, lots of laughter and stories, delicious food and such welcoming staff. Or as Tony Porter would say, "Besides the food and service, our evening was fantastic!" Definitely a night to remember!
Day 6: Last day exploring London
Our evening before turned out to be a very late night, so it was great to sleep in! Once everyone was up and ready for the day, we made our way to a local farm for brunch. All of their food in their cafe was fresh from their animals and crops on the farm.
We then made our way back to the Westminster Abbey for a tour. It was absolutely incredible! The aspects that I really enjoyed was understanding the royal customs within the church as well as recognizing all of the historical figures buried or commemorated within the church. My senior year of high school I woke up at 3am to watch the marriage between Prince William and Kate. It was very cool to see where it all happened! Also, with the historical figures, I was almost at a loss of words realizing I was standing above the tomb of Charles Darwin and other important figures I have learned so much about throughout my years in school.
Day 8 & 9: Normandy Beaches & Paris
Upon arrival in Cien we got picked up by our Normandy Beach tour guide. Our first stop was Sainte-Mère-Église where the parachute memorial for John Steele and other parachuters stood. We then toured the American conquered Utah Beach, Pointe Du Hoc and Omaha Beach. I remember learning about these areas in school, but actually being there was much more impactful! There is so much history and detail beyond what people learn in class! After our Normandy tour we made our way to our hotel in Paris for our last night together. We had a wonderful meal and said our goodbyes to the Grandparents as they were leaving in the morning for their Rhine River Cruise. With the five of us left, we spent a day in Paris enjoying what the city had to offer and each others company. We had the opportunity to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Love Lock Bridge, and had lunch outside the Louvre. It was a very relaxing day in a beautiful city! That evening my mom and I said our goodbyes as we left for the train station to begin our Italian adventure.
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| Tyler, Myself and Kyle at the London Eye |
Day 1: Reunion in London
My dad arrived early for work and we were able to get together for dinner the night before the whole gang arrived. The next morning my dad and I took a train from Coventry to London and eventually found the condo we were staying in after a few bumps in the road. After checking in we decided to get a bite to eat and go grocery shopping for the week with a few hours to kill before my mom, 2 brothers, and grandparents on my mom's side would arrive. Not realizing how much food we bought, we ended up having to push our grocery cart about a mile across cobblestone roads back to our place. We looked ridiculous and got a few stairs, but it got the job done! Don't worry we returned the cart!
The rest of the family was very tired and jet-lagged from their flight over, but they were troopers! After getting them some food, we ventured to the London Eye for an evening ride and beautiful view of the city turning on their lights.
 |
| The Knutsons with a beafeater after our London Tower tour |
Day 2: Touring London
Our first full day in London was absolutely gorgeous!! We purchased tickets for the Hop On Hop Off Big Bus Tour (or the "Hip Hop Bus" as Grandma Linda calls it) and made our way over the Tower Bridge to take a tour in the London Tower. After a relaxing lunch in a park, we hoped on the Big Bus towards The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. We then made our way through St. James Park to Churchill's Bunker. In the evening we found our way to The Ship & Wale near our condo for dinner. After dinner the grandparents went back to the condo, while the rest of us found The Wibley Wobbly Boat Pub.
 |
| Celebrating Mum's Day with Grandma and Mum |
Our second full day in London was Mum's Day. We made sure to find some gardens for grandma to enjoy! We also thought Kensington Palace would be an appropriate thing to do. Turns out, it was not worth the money. The women in the family had high expectations. Oh well! We walked around a bit more and enjoyed our afternoon on the Big Bus seeing more of the city. For dinner we had our minds set on finding one of the oldest pubs in London. In only took getting a little lost to find it. We also managed to find a chocolatier where we tried a chocolate beer and chocolate martini. We also purchased chocolate covered coffee beans!! I think I ate most of them...
 |
| Fam at the White Cliffs of Dover |
Day 4: Canterbury and Dover
Our day trips in England with our private tour guide were incredible! Our guide was very friendly and knowledgable!
We began our first day by making our way to Canterbury and remembering the Canterbury tales. The small town, partly enclosed by castle walls, was so quant and had a lot of history! We had the opportunity to tour the Cathedral and afterwards we were lucky to stumble upon a grand opening and we all received free pulled pork sandwiches!
 |
| The Butcher's Arms restaurant in Priors Hardwick |
Our tour guide then brought us to the White Cliffs of Dover. I wish we would have been able to hike them more, but there was so much to do and not enough time! We then went up to the Dover Castle and Dover bunkers. It was amazing how much more I learned about WWII in the Dover bunkers besides just the American history.
Day 5: April Fool's Day in the Cotswolds, Coventry and Priors Hardwick
April Fool's was no doubt my favorite day of the entire trip! We all had our attempts at pulling pranks, but Grandma Linda was definitely on a mission to prank everyone. :) We began our private tour in the Cotswolds. Absolutely stunning! It was the picture perfect area that I imagined England to be like. We had a picnic in Upper Slaughter then made our way to Kenilworth Castle. This castle was completely run down, yet the most beautiful! When roaming the ruins we had to imagine everything from what was still standing. After a quick stop in Coventry to show the family where I am attending school, we set off for The Butcher's Arms restaurant in Prior Hardwick where we met up with the Porter's for dinner. This authentic Portuguese restaurant will forever be my favorite place to eat! Our night was filled with great company, lots of laughter and stories, delicious food and such welcoming staff. Or as Tony Porter would say, "Besides the food and service, our evening was fantastic!" Definitely a night to remember!
 |
| The Knutson siblings pose + tourist pose = perfection |
Our evening before turned out to be a very late night, so it was great to sleep in! Once everyone was up and ready for the day, we made our way to a local farm for brunch. All of their food in their cafe was fresh from their animals and crops on the farm.
We then made our way back to the Westminster Abbey for a tour. It was absolutely incredible! The aspects that I really enjoyed was understanding the royal customs within the church as well as recognizing all of the historical figures buried or commemorated within the church. My senior year of high school I woke up at 3am to watch the marriage between Prince William and Kate. It was very cool to see where it all happened! Also, with the historical figures, I was almost at a loss of words realizing I was standing above the tomb of Charles Darwin and other important figures I have learned so much about throughout my years in school.
Day 7: Windsor Castle, Bath and Stonehenge
Our last day in England was spent traveling with our private tour guide again. Our first stop was Windsor Castle. By this time, we all felt like we had seen so many castles that any more would just be too much.. Yet, we were all pleasently surprised! Upon arrival we found out that the Queen was not only at the Castle at the moment, but they were preparing for the first official meeting in England between the Queen and Ireland's Prime Minister since the split. Therefore, we had to opportunity to watch a dress rehearsal of the parade including horses, bands, guards and two empty carriages where the Queen, Prime Minister, and other important personel would be the following week. Furthermore, inside the castle there was preparation already occurring for the dinners and celebrations.
After Windsor we made our way to Bath and Stonehenge. Both had amazing history and beautiful sites! It was great to have a private tour so that we could gather a little extra information that isn't necessarily picked up anywhere else. Now that I have seen them both, won't be needed to return any time soon..
We then made our way to a night ferry taking us to Cien, France.
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| The Family and the Eiffel Tower |
Upon arrival in Cien we got picked up by our Normandy Beach tour guide. Our first stop was Sainte-Mère-Église where the parachute memorial for John Steele and other parachuters stood. We then toured the American conquered Utah Beach, Pointe Du Hoc and Omaha Beach. I remember learning about these areas in school, but actually being there was much more impactful! There is so much history and detail beyond what people learn in class! After our Normandy tour we made our way to our hotel in Paris for our last night together. We had a wonderful meal and said our goodbyes to the Grandparents as they were leaving in the morning for their Rhine River Cruise. With the five of us left, we spent a day in Paris enjoying what the city had to offer and each others company. We had the opportunity to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Love Lock Bridge, and had lunch outside the Louvre. It was a very relaxing day in a beautiful city! That evening my mom and I said our goodbyes as we left for the train station to begin our Italian adventure.
