London Day 6: The Mama Eagle has landed.

Dad left (taking my glasses with him, as it were), and Mom arrived in London this morning. 

Apparently, when Mom was getting her passport stamped at the border control desk, the officer asked her why she was in London, and staying at the Royal Horseguards--he said he had a "young lady and an older gentleman" come in last week staying at the same hotel. Mom responded that she was visiting me since I was doing research here, to which he replied--I kid you not, "Is she writing her thesis on Lord William Campbell, the last royal governor of South Carolina?" When my mom told me that, I asked if he sounded exactly like Jack Davenport--and he did. It was the same exact border control officer who had stamped my passport last week! Small world. But, I digress. Mom told him that was indeed my research topic, and he chuckled (according to Ma) and said, "It's rather obscure!" (Preach, Mr. Border Control Officer.) All this time, I've been making lasting impressions on people with my gushing, border-line obsessive search for the Governor. Who knew? I wonder how the Caird Library people remember me... Actually, I don't think I want to know.

Mom and I set out on a grand adventure of visiting the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. I took more creeper pics of paintings. I'm thinking this might be a skill to add to my resumé. 

"The Morning Walk" by Gainsborough.

"The Archers" (top left) by Raeburn.

We also did some shopping this afternoon--I won't bore you with the details--and we had dinner at The Crusting Pipe in Covent Garden with Kaily! 

Iowa!!!

If you haven't noticed, I've been spending a lot of time in Covent Garden. For good reason--it's incredibly festive. If ever you were in want of gigantic Christmas trees, twinkling lights, person-sized ornaments, large Reindeer topiaries, Jack Daniels barrel-trees, &c &c, Covent Garden would be the place to go.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Tomorrow, Mom and I are heading to Kew to spend the day (10am to 7pm) at the National Archives. I have a lengthy list of things to get through, so hopefully no more potentially-hazardous substances will get in my way this week. If they do, I guess I'll just have to lady up, pull a Nic Cage, and snatch them for posterity or whatever the excuse was in National Treasure.