Yes, we made it home safely. It took me two days to get home, but I'm here and back to work. Can't live in vacation land forever. The trip was essentially uneventful and the long plane ride was actually quieter than the ride over. We just couldn't sleep as it was the middle of the day for us. I had a harder time adjusting to the jet lag coming home than going over. It took me several days to feel like myself again. I had talked to Sam and he said he felt the same way.
I was ready to come home. I was missing my home, bed, and the kids left at home. Sam on the other hand, said he could have stayed longer. That's the beauty of being young, I guess. You can keep going longer. I think I did a pretty good job of keeping up for most of the time. We really didn't get on each others nerves much, other than my suitcase and the one bus ride to Harry Potter, where I was scared we would miss our stop. We had fun and shared an absolutely amazing vacation. Both of us taking memories with us we will cherish forever.
I have been asked what my favorite part of the trip was. It was funny, I had to think about it and would say, the last night in Ireland... no wait the Harry Potter Studio Tour...no wait the castles....no, Wicked...
Well, you get the point, it all was the most amazing trip and it is so hard to pin a favorite moment. I faced my fear of heights on the London Eye, learned history of England and Wales, climbed and walked on castle walls, and saw sights people have dreamed their entire lives of seeing. I am so grateful and blessed to have seen, touched, tasted, and done all I did. Traveling like that is kind of life changing. You leave as a person with expectations of the things you may see and do, and come home as one who has seen and done things they only dreamed of before.
I have certificates stating I am an official Jamison whiskey taster and can pour a mean Guinness. I have key chains from the places we have been. I have pictures of all we saw. But the best part of the trip was experiencing it with my son. No, he's still not my favorite because they all are my favorites for something, but he's grown into a very special man that I am proud to say he's my son.
I can state that my favorite country was Wales. While discussing it with friends, we decided London and Dublin are for the young. There is so much to see and do there. Wales was more laid back and had a slower life. I appreciate the slowing down to smell the roses, so to speak, at this time of my life. I know that all the rushing the young do, is ultimately going to get them to the same place as those of us who like to take it slower and savor the journey. The young might get there quicker, but do they appreciate it as much? It's the journey of getting there that makes life worth while.
I have also tried to express how awesome it is to walk through buildings that are older than this great country of ours. I have talked to my kids about it and they try to understand, but it is impossible. You can talk of the castles with their several feet thick walls made of stone. You can explain how small and circular the stairs in the towers are. You can explain that they are hundreds of feet high. The thing is, unless you have been their to experience them for yourself, it just isn't as impressive.
I hope that you have enjoyed our blog. Even though you weren't there physically with us, many of you we carried in our hearts and minds. I know that you tried to imagine the places we were at, but if you haven't been there, it is hard to do. My wish for each of you is that you get to take this kind of journey yourselves. Maybe not to these places, but to some place you have always wanted to go. If you are as lucky as I have been, maybe it will also be with someone you cherish.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Chapter 14 - Coming Home
Well 5 planes, 4 trains, 1 ferry, and several buses, taxis and private vehicles later, our trip has come to an end. It's hard to believe it has already been a week since we flew home, but, as it always does, time flies. We fit so much into just two weeks, I am not surprised that I had my very first bout of jet lag. It doesn't help that I didn't get to my house until midnight on a Wednesday and had to work in the AM on Thursday, but even with how tired I was for the next few days after returning, I wouldn't trade this trip for anything.
The flights home were much better than the flights out. It seems the universe wanted to give me a break for the return flights because I don't think there was a single screaming child right next to me. Don't get me wrong, there were screaming children on the plane, just none that were sitting very close to me. I was able to tune them out by watching three movies on the flight from Dublin. Before we get to that flight, we did wake up in London and have to make it to Dublin. We got to the airport with plenty of time, and Heathrow airport isn't horrible. The only weird part is that they don't post your gate until it's almost time to board, and then the times for when the gate is available changes, which is what happened with our flight. The time changed to after our flight was supposed to take off for when our gate would be posted. That was the first sign that our flight may have been delayed. Keeping in mind that we had to fly to Dublin, collect our bags, change terminals, go back through the check in, and back through security, and then go through customs; this delay made me a little uneasy to say the least. A gate finally appeared for us to go and wait at, until an update could be given to us on the status of our flight. We made it to the gate, and it just so happened to be the same gate that a celebrity was at. Now don't get too excited, because I say celebrity loosely. I don't even know the kids name; but it was the boy from We're the Millers with Jennifer Aniston, the one where in the movie he played a nerdy kid that just turned 18. I would have been more motivated to go over and talk to him if it had been Jennifer Aniston.
Anyway, we got word that the flight would be delayed 30 minutes and that it would be flying into a gate on the other side of the airport than where we were told to wait. So we got our things together, and walked over. I kept in the back of my mind the whole time what we still had to do once we got to Dublin, and knew that we only had a few hours to do it. Our flight arrived and we made it to Dublin just a few minutes late of our scheduled arrival time, the pilot apparently sped (I guess they don't have speed limits in the air, and if they do our pilot may have just ignored them, I mean, it's not like there are police planes pulling pilots over for speeding). Trying to hurry to collect our bags so we could go through security again, we found out upon arriving in our Aer Lingus terminal that there really weren't a lot of people wanting to fly that day. There were no lines at all, and we checked in our bags, went through security, and still had plenty of time to stop off for one last pint before leaving the country.
After the pint, we went through customs, which was a joke (they asked me like two questions and then sent me on my way), and then waited in a room at our gate for another hour until our flight was ready to board. There really wasn't much to do in the room, it was rather boring; and it didn't help that I really didn't want to go home. I know my mother was home sick and ready to go, but I could have stayed another month, or year. So we got on our flight home, and as I said I watched 3 movies (12 Years A Slave, The Book Thief, & August, Osage County) which weren't the most uplifting movies, and by the time they were done, we were preparing for landing.
In Chicago, we had to go through the same process as on the way to Dublin. We had to leave the terminal, take a shuttle to the correct terminal and then go back through security (there should be a more efficient way of doing this). Our tickets didn't work when we got to the front of the security line, so we had to go back to the ticket agents (who were struggling with their printers) get our tickets re-printed, and then head back to the security line. Again, I thought for sure we were going to be late for our flight. Luckily, the others from our flight were having the same problem with their tickets, so all of us as a group were able to cut the rest of the security line our second time through. After security, we had a tiny bit of time for some food, and what better place to welcome us back to America than... McDonalds. We ate and then found out our flight from Chicago to Minneapolis was also delayed because they were waiting on other passengers on a different inbound flight. So after another 20 ish minute delay, we boarded our flight. It was at this point that I was getting extremely tired, and I still had a 2 hour drive ahead of me to get home. So needless to say, I don't remember the last flight all that well, I may have dozed off before take off and woke up at landing time.
We both collected our bags at the airport, walked to the shuttle area and said our goodbyes. It was the end of our vacation, and, like the end of most vacations, we were both exhausted and just wanting to be home. It was a quick goodbye, and my shuttle was there to take me to my car. The drive home was dangerous to say the least, and as I said I was very tired so I can't really remember most of it (I don't think I was asleep as much as I was just not able to focus). Like I said, it was dangerous. I made it home and immediately passed out on my bed, just to wake up every few hours until at last I had to get ready for work.
In the end, it was an amazing vacation (I know I keep saying that, but it's true) and I really didn't want it to end. My first taste of Europe was a success and it left me wanted to see and experience more. Now all I have to do is decide where I want to go next, and then start planning that grand adventure. Until then...
The flights home were much better than the flights out. It seems the universe wanted to give me a break for the return flights because I don't think there was a single screaming child right next to me. Don't get me wrong, there were screaming children on the plane, just none that were sitting very close to me. I was able to tune them out by watching three movies on the flight from Dublin. Before we get to that flight, we did wake up in London and have to make it to Dublin. We got to the airport with plenty of time, and Heathrow airport isn't horrible. The only weird part is that they don't post your gate until it's almost time to board, and then the times for when the gate is available changes, which is what happened with our flight. The time changed to after our flight was supposed to take off for when our gate would be posted. That was the first sign that our flight may have been delayed. Keeping in mind that we had to fly to Dublin, collect our bags, change terminals, go back through the check in, and back through security, and then go through customs; this delay made me a little uneasy to say the least. A gate finally appeared for us to go and wait at, until an update could be given to us on the status of our flight. We made it to the gate, and it just so happened to be the same gate that a celebrity was at. Now don't get too excited, because I say celebrity loosely. I don't even know the kids name; but it was the boy from We're the Millers with Jennifer Aniston, the one where in the movie he played a nerdy kid that just turned 18. I would have been more motivated to go over and talk to him if it had been Jennifer Aniston.
Anyway, we got word that the flight would be delayed 30 minutes and that it would be flying into a gate on the other side of the airport than where we were told to wait. So we got our things together, and walked over. I kept in the back of my mind the whole time what we still had to do once we got to Dublin, and knew that we only had a few hours to do it. Our flight arrived and we made it to Dublin just a few minutes late of our scheduled arrival time, the pilot apparently sped (I guess they don't have speed limits in the air, and if they do our pilot may have just ignored them, I mean, it's not like there are police planes pulling pilots over for speeding). Trying to hurry to collect our bags so we could go through security again, we found out upon arriving in our Aer Lingus terminal that there really weren't a lot of people wanting to fly that day. There were no lines at all, and we checked in our bags, went through security, and still had plenty of time to stop off for one last pint before leaving the country.
After the pint, we went through customs, which was a joke (they asked me like two questions and then sent me on my way), and then waited in a room at our gate for another hour until our flight was ready to board. There really wasn't much to do in the room, it was rather boring; and it didn't help that I really didn't want to go home. I know my mother was home sick and ready to go, but I could have stayed another month, or year. So we got on our flight home, and as I said I watched 3 movies (12 Years A Slave, The Book Thief, & August, Osage County) which weren't the most uplifting movies, and by the time they were done, we were preparing for landing.
In Chicago, we had to go through the same process as on the way to Dublin. We had to leave the terminal, take a shuttle to the correct terminal and then go back through security (there should be a more efficient way of doing this). Our tickets didn't work when we got to the front of the security line, so we had to go back to the ticket agents (who were struggling with their printers) get our tickets re-printed, and then head back to the security line. Again, I thought for sure we were going to be late for our flight. Luckily, the others from our flight were having the same problem with their tickets, so all of us as a group were able to cut the rest of the security line our second time through. After security, we had a tiny bit of time for some food, and what better place to welcome us back to America than... McDonalds. We ate and then found out our flight from Chicago to Minneapolis was also delayed because they were waiting on other passengers on a different inbound flight. So after another 20 ish minute delay, we boarded our flight. It was at this point that I was getting extremely tired, and I still had a 2 hour drive ahead of me to get home. So needless to say, I don't remember the last flight all that well, I may have dozed off before take off and woke up at landing time.
We both collected our bags at the airport, walked to the shuttle area and said our goodbyes. It was the end of our vacation, and, like the end of most vacations, we were both exhausted and just wanting to be home. It was a quick goodbye, and my shuttle was there to take me to my car. The drive home was dangerous to say the least, and as I said I was very tired so I can't really remember most of it (I don't think I was asleep as much as I was just not able to focus). Like I said, it was dangerous. I made it home and immediately passed out on my bed, just to wake up every few hours until at last I had to get ready for work.
In the end, it was an amazing vacation (I know I keep saying that, but it's true) and I really didn't want it to end. My first taste of Europe was a success and it left me wanted to see and experience more. Now all I have to do is decide where I want to go next, and then start planning that grand adventure. Until then...
The Last of the Pictures
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Chapter 13 Sam’s favorite day
It is sad that our journey is coming to an end, but it has
been a great time. Sam is constantly stating that he doesn’t want it to end. I
am ready to go home and see all the ones I have missed.
The strike by the tube workers did happen. It was crazy the
amount of people we saw leaving the train station this morning. The TV cameras
were at the chained doors to the tube station. We were planning on buying train
tickets on the normal train this morning, but we were told we had to buy the
express train tickets. Of course, they were more expensive. We were just glad
to have found a way to get to our new hotel near the airport. We took the
express train and I have to say it was fast and the smoothest train I have ever
been on. We got to the airport and found the shuttle to our hotel. In Europe,
you must have to pay to these shuttles, but again we were at least able to get
to our hotel. We checked in early and tried to get options to get to the place
where the shuttle to the Harry Potter Studio. The hotel didn’t have any better
ways, so we took the shuttle back to the airport and found another bus from
there to the point of the shuttle pick up. Yes, that means we spent most of the
day on buses, but this was so important to Sam it was worth it.
I have to say that I am not a Harry Potter super enthusiast.
I have read the books and saw all the movies and really enjoyed both. Sam,
however, has read all the books at least 6 times and seen the movies more. He
is an ultimate fan and was so excited for this day. I was ready to watch him
enjoy himself. I was pleasantly surprised at the day. I love seeing how things
are made and created. This was all about the creation of the movies. We saw,
walked on, touched, drank, and learned all about the making of the movies.
These were the actual sets, costumes, and props used in the movies. The way the
tour is set up, you get to spend as much time exploring the sets as you wanted.
It was almost like being transported to Hogwarts yourself. You learned who was
behind the scenes. These are the people who made the magic happen. From the
animal trainers, to the graphic designers, every member of the staff poured
their heart into these movies. They were together for years and became a
family. The details they put into their work are phenomenal. The newspapers
have actual articles, the paintings were real paintings, and the sets were made
to last forever. These movies were so
special because of these details.
We even got to drink Butter beer. Apparently you can only do
this in two places on earth and this was one of them. The entire experience was
made more special just watching Sam. He was in total bliss. We saw Diagon Alley,
Dumbledore office, and the actual Hogwarts they used for filming. It is a model
and it is spectacular. The detail in this was breathtaking. I was in awe and
Sam was almost crying he was so impressed. I can’t express how cool it was to
see. I can only say I would highly recommend going to see this.
Tomorrow we are hoping to get to the airport on time and
make our flights safely and our time.
Chapter 13 - Butterbeer & Boddingtons
Well as worried as I may have been for this strike and last day of our journey, everything seemed to have worked itself out just fine. The day started the very same as the rest of them, with showers and breakfast from the hotel. Then we gathered our belongings, checked out of the hotel, and walked to the train station to catch the Heathrow Express.
I could tell by the number of people on the streets as well as in Paddington Station that the strike was affecting the public. (If I haven't already, allow me to explain the strike. The tube workers are striking because the authority is wanting to install more electronic paying and charging machines and take out the teller machines in the underground. Because everyone in London has an Oyster Card, there is little need for the teller area's (according to the gov't), but the workers union is striking because the number of jobs will decrease dramatically if these new electronic machines are put in. That's what I understood of the situation in a nut shell.) Anyway, the station was packed with people trying to do their morning commute to work without the tubes. I was a little worried there would be no room on the train, but once we got to the platform, I realized there really wasn't that many people wanting to go to the airport. So we were fine for the first transport.
Once we reached the airport (only a 15 minute ride on the express), we made our way to the bus area, and waited for our bus to the airport hotel we have booked for the night. The bus came, and again there wasn't too many people, and the traffic wasn't too horrible. I didn't get on the wrong bus, and I didn't get off at the wrong station. It was shaping up to be a very nice day. Speaking of which, the weather for this entire trip has be outstanding! We not only had warm temperatures, but we only got slightly rained on twice the entire time, and that's saying something seeing as we are in some very rainy regions of Europe. We went into the hotel, got an early check in, put our belongings in our room, and went back out to wait for the same bus back to the terminals. You see, I had researched a route for us to take without the use of the tube to get to the Warner Bros Studio out in Watford. The best, and cheapest and fastest, route for us was to take a bus right from the airport. So we got back on the same bus, with the same bus driver, except this time without luggage, and headed back. From the terminal, we went back through the airport to the bus stop, and waited for our bus to arrive.
It was at this point that I was thinking we might actually be able to pull this off during the strike. But, of course, right away my relief was met with anxiety. The bus that we needed to catch, when it arrived, stated that it was out of service. Then, when the scheduled time of its arrival passed, I feared that the buses stopped for the afternoon and that we'd missed our chance. But then, 10 minutes late, our bus showed up. Relief once again. We sat through the 55 minute bus ride until we got to our stop in Watford, and then jumped off the bus and almost immediately got on a shuttle bus (that was completely decorated with Harry Potter scenes!) towards the studio.
Now because I have a long day of travel tomorrow and it's very late, I'll summarize the tour for you. IT WAS AMAZING! I got to try Butterbeer, which was everything I'd ever dreamed it would be and more (and it's only found one other place in the entire world). I got to see the actual sets, costumes, props and places that the series was filmed at. I could have spent hours there (which I did), but I mean hours more than I did. I know I'm a little nerdy for doing this, but I don't care! I bought several souvenirs, and took more pictures than I did the rest of the trip!
After we toured everywhere we could at the studio, we got back on the shuttle, back on the 55 minute bus ride, and then back on the other shuttle to the hotel. The nice thing about coming back to the hotel, they have Boddingtons! I have been looking for Boddingtons since I arrived in London, and it is just perfect that I found it on my last night here. It was a great way to end this vacation. I had a few pints and then decided that I should get some sleep before I fly for the entire day tomorrow. Back to reality I suppose, but there will of course be one last chapter about me coming home before I wrap this up permanently. Until then...
I could tell by the number of people on the streets as well as in Paddington Station that the strike was affecting the public. (If I haven't already, allow me to explain the strike. The tube workers are striking because the authority is wanting to install more electronic paying and charging machines and take out the teller machines in the underground. Because everyone in London has an Oyster Card, there is little need for the teller area's (according to the gov't), but the workers union is striking because the number of jobs will decrease dramatically if these new electronic machines are put in. That's what I understood of the situation in a nut shell.) Anyway, the station was packed with people trying to do their morning commute to work without the tubes. I was a little worried there would be no room on the train, but once we got to the platform, I realized there really wasn't that many people wanting to go to the airport. So we were fine for the first transport.
Once we reached the airport (only a 15 minute ride on the express), we made our way to the bus area, and waited for our bus to the airport hotel we have booked for the night. The bus came, and again there wasn't too many people, and the traffic wasn't too horrible. I didn't get on the wrong bus, and I didn't get off at the wrong station. It was shaping up to be a very nice day. Speaking of which, the weather for this entire trip has be outstanding! We not only had warm temperatures, but we only got slightly rained on twice the entire time, and that's saying something seeing as we are in some very rainy regions of Europe. We went into the hotel, got an early check in, put our belongings in our room, and went back out to wait for the same bus back to the terminals. You see, I had researched a route for us to take without the use of the tube to get to the Warner Bros Studio out in Watford. The best, and cheapest and fastest, route for us was to take a bus right from the airport. So we got back on the same bus, with the same bus driver, except this time without luggage, and headed back. From the terminal, we went back through the airport to the bus stop, and waited for our bus to arrive.
It was at this point that I was thinking we might actually be able to pull this off during the strike. But, of course, right away my relief was met with anxiety. The bus that we needed to catch, when it arrived, stated that it was out of service. Then, when the scheduled time of its arrival passed, I feared that the buses stopped for the afternoon and that we'd missed our chance. But then, 10 minutes late, our bus showed up. Relief once again. We sat through the 55 minute bus ride until we got to our stop in Watford, and then jumped off the bus and almost immediately got on a shuttle bus (that was completely decorated with Harry Potter scenes!) towards the studio.
Now because I have a long day of travel tomorrow and it's very late, I'll summarize the tour for you. IT WAS AMAZING! I got to try Butterbeer, which was everything I'd ever dreamed it would be and more (and it's only found one other place in the entire world). I got to see the actual sets, costumes, props and places that the series was filmed at. I could have spent hours there (which I did), but I mean hours more than I did. I know I'm a little nerdy for doing this, but I don't care! I bought several souvenirs, and took more pictures than I did the rest of the trip!
After we toured everywhere we could at the studio, we got back on the shuttle, back on the 55 minute bus ride, and then back on the other shuttle to the hotel. The nice thing about coming back to the hotel, they have Boddingtons! I have been looking for Boddingtons since I arrived in London, and it is just perfect that I found it on my last night here. It was a great way to end this vacation. I had a few pints and then decided that I should get some sleep before I fly for the entire day tomorrow. Back to reality I suppose, but there will of course be one last chapter about me coming home before I wrap this up permanently. Until then...
Monday, April 28, 2014
Chapter 12 Our own personal guide
Today was the day we were going to meet the man who was
going to give us our own personal tour. We were waiting for him when he came
into the hotel. He introduced himself and asked what we had done already in
London. Right away we all could tell we were going to get along well.
We decided he would show us St Paul’s Cathedral and
Westminster Abbey. So off we went to the tube station to get to our first
destination. Mind you, we were heading out at 9 in the morning. We were hoping
the rush hour commute would be over, but we caught the tail end of it. We were
packed like sardines in the tube. I couldn’t believe they let that many in at
one time. Our guides name was Peter and he was charming and very funny. He is
not originally from London, turns out, he was born in Wales. As we were getting
to the tube station, Peter told us that it is so weird how no one talks to
anyone on the tube. He never could understand why and he is so full of energy
and life, he always gets on and says Hi! He said everyone always looks at him
like he’s lost his mind!
We got on the tube and talked the whole way between the
three of us. We did get strange looks, but I agree with Peter, people should be
nice and friendly. I guess I am opposite of the people in the big cities, I don’t
trust those that can’t look you in the eye and say Hi! and the people in the
cities don’t trust those that do look at you. Just another reason why I am
probably not cut out for city life.
We got to our destination at St Paul’s Cathedral. I let Sam
and Peter get to know each other better, as they may see each other again, and
I most likely will not. They had the same sense of humor and got along
famously. He took us all over the Cathedral and explained everything so well.
He is very knowledgeable about London and its history. The Cathedral has a book
of all the soldiers’ names from the USA that lost their lives in WW!!. They
turn the page to a new one every day, so they could remember the soldiers that
died saving their country.
This is also the Cathedral where Prince Charles and Princess
Diana got married (I think, I’ve seen and learned so much that it all starts to
run together and today I saw both Cathedral’s the royals use). This Cathedral
has a dome and is much more colorful than most of their Cathedrals. It reminded
me more of the Churches and Cathedrals of Italy.
We left that Cathedral and went for a walk along the river
to the next destination. We crossed the Wobbly Bridge, so named because when it
was first opened as the only pedestrian only bridge and the people started to
cross it, it started wobbly so much, people fell off it. That was in the year
2000. They were going to name it the Millennium Bridge, but the Wobbly Bridge stuck. Peter pointed out the theaters
and showed Sam the hotel where the company uses.
We stopped for coffee and a chat and then continued on. The walk
was beautiful and it was nice to have someone with us that could explain
everything to us. We saw the Eye again and Big Ben and the Westminster Abbey.
We just looked at the outside and did not go in. Peter was very knowledgeable
in this as well.
He took us to our bus stop where we bid farewell to him and got
on one of the double Decker buses. I sat in the top, just because I thought it
would be cool. We got off at our stop and ate lunch at The Crypt. It’s kind of
creepy how the English like to build café’s in the crypts. After lunch we went
to Harrods of London. This is a very posh store. But it was fun to look in there.
The whole neighborhood by it is very posh (ritzy and expensive).
After Harrods we decided to go to the V and A museum (Victoria
and Albert). Inside we looked at the exhibits for awhile. There were a lot of
marble statues from Italy and I really enjoyed that. We were trying to get
everything done, as the strike was due to begin tonight and we wanted to get to
our area before then.
We were pretty much tired and headed back to the hotel to
freshen up. We went souvenir shopping and then came back and dropped everything
off. We had to be selective as we don’t want to go over in weight for our
luggage.
We went looking for a free house for Sam’s particular beer
that we haven’t found yet. We tried one were told that we would only find it on
the other side of the river, so we said we would just stay there and eat and
had several pints of other local beers.
Tomorrow we will attempt to take the Express train to the
airport and catch a shuttle bus to our next hotel. The strike is going to cause
massive disruption and we have no idea how hard it will be to make this
journey. We have tickets to go see The Harry Potter Studio, and this is going
to be a long day spent on the transportation system of London. Wish us luck!
Chapter 12 - Another Country, Another Strike
I'm beginning to find patterns in my days abroad. I wake up every morning (thank goodness), and my mother jumps in the shower first. After she is finished, I shower and get ready. We go downstairs to breakfast, I eat pretty much the same thing for breakfast (the hotels usually have the same thing they offer), and I drink a few cups of coffee. Then, when we're finished, we come back up to our room, get ready for the days events (planning, dressing for the occasions, what camera to bring, etc), and then head out the door for the tube. It has been the same every morning since we've left pretty much. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I am a creature of habit, you see, and I think it makes me feel more comfortable to have these repetitions while I travel. Tomorrow, however, that is going to change. I will get to that in a bit, but first let me explain what we did today.
A quick side note: I have noticed a few things about this blog. 1) I have been typing less and less every night, and it seems that my mother is typing more and more. I am very excited to get back home and read her opinion and thoughts about our vacation. I just think that she must be putting a lot more detail into her chapters, and I think she must be doing a better job than me. 2) The format of the website has changed since my last blog, and with the new format it is possible to see how many views we've had. Now I want to say first and foremost that I am doing this blog for myself more than anything, so I can look back on this vacation whenever I want and remember everything about it. Having said that, it is amazing to see we've had almost 700 views since we left. I want to thank everyone for reading, I know you don't have to and it takes time out of your days, but it's nice to know your out there. Now having said that, I've also noticed (because it breaks it down by views per day) that our number of views each day has been dropping. I hope we're not boring anyone... are you still out there reading about our great adventures?
Anyway, I digress, so after our usual morning routine, we went down to the lobby to meet our guide for the morning. My work has utilized a guide here in London, Peter, for several years now, and because it would help me in my job, they had asked him to show my mother and I around for the morning (I know... my job is INCREDIBLY difficult). He was right on time, and he was fantastic. I know I say that about everything here, but it's always true. He was funny, witty, and extremely knowledgeable. He took us on an extremely fast tour of some major attractions here in London, explained them all in extensive detail, and all while making us laugh. He was a truly amazing guide and I can see why we continue to work with him.
He took us first to old London, explaining in detail that London used to only be 1 square mile just off of the Thames River, where the shale started. They couldn't lay foundation in medieval times, so they started the city of London on the river after the mud stopped and the shale started. From there, London expanded westward, which is why the further west your travel in London, the more modern the buildings become. So, we started off in old London at St Paul's Cathedral. He explained a great deal about the history of the cathedral, and took us inside and showed us the main areas. From there we crossed the 'Wobbly Bridge', which is the only bridge across the river that does not allow motorized vehicles. It's called the Wobbly Bridge because when it was built, it was so unstable it wobbled and many people were catapulted off of it before the city refortified it making it more sturdy.
From there we walked up the river and stopped off for some coffee. We continued onward until we reached Westminster Bridge, Peter pointing out different buildings and areas of London, explaining more history and architecture along the way. We then went over to Westminster Abby, where we were given a tour of the grounds and the outside of the building. Peter then led us to the bus stop and showed us the proper bus to get on to get to Trafalgar Square, we said our goodbyes and then went our separate ways. (I rode a city bus! A big red one! And we sat on the 2nd floor! And we didn't get lost or get off at the wrong stop! It makes me feel a little more comfortable for tomorrow, but I'll get to that in a moment.)
Once back in Trafalgar Square, my mother and I walked over to The Crypt. It is a cafe in the Church Saint Martin-in-the-Fields. It is located in an actual crypt and the tables and chairs are situated on centuries old tombstones. It was good food and not too expensive (which I finding in London is not that easy to come by). We finished eating and then made our way back to the tube station in the area and went to Harrods, a shopping complex and place to get High Tea while in London. Now, I didn't really know what to expect when going to Harrods, but I'm glad I went there. It is a little to ritzy for me in terms of shopping (we're talking Sacks 5th Ave types of shops) but it has great tea, and a nice dining area on the upper floor with a decent view.
From Harrods, we made our way down the street to the Victoria & Albert Museum. This museum is another that I think is on par with the British Museum. It is free of charge, and full of ancient artifacts from all over the world. They have changing exhibits that you can visit for a small fee, but the majority of the museum (ancient Rome, The Renaissance, ancient Asia, etc) is free and fascinating. After we looked around the museum a while we decided to head back to our hotel a little earlier than normal, due to the impending strike about to take place.
We decided it'd be best to get our train tickets for the airport today so they didn't sell out before tomorrow. The tube station by our hotel just happens to also be a train station which we were told would not also be affected by the strike, that it would just be the tubes. Well, when we went to buy our tickets, the train station (which charges 1/2 the price) told us they would not be operating tomorrow either, and that we would have to take the Heathrow Express (which is faster but more expensive). So we left that area, went to the Heathrow Express line, and asked the clerk for 2 tickets for tomorrow morning, to which she replied 'we are operating limited hours tomorrow due to the strike so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get there'. When we asked what hours are they operating, she said she had no idea! Perfect, just wonderful, the only good thing is that we don't have to be at the airport tomorrow, we're just going because we had DJ re-book our last night at a hotel closer to the airport due to the strikes. But now, it looks like we may miss an entire day of touring because of this mess. And for those of you that read my Chilean blog you'll recall they were all in strike when I was there also (I hope I'm not the start of all these riots!).
Then to make things a little more complicated, my mother and I have tickets tomorrow at 2:30 for the Warner Bros Studio Tour of the making of Harry Potter. So we have several buses to take now (because the tubes won't be operating) and the traffic is going to be horrible, and the train to get us to the airport (which will get us to the hotel to check in and which will get us to the bus to Warner Bros) doesn't have a certain time they are operating! Tomorrow is going to be interesting to say the least. We better not miss the tour because I've already paid for the tickets, and the Harry Potter tour is one of the things I was looking forward to the most (and I know this goes without saying, but I don't care if you think I'm weird or childish for wanting to tour Harry Potter Studios... Harry Potter is amazing!).
In order to prepare as much as possible, we bought all our last minute souvenirs tonight, and went to one last pub just in case. Now, even if it takes us all day tomorrow, at least we're ready to go. It is sad for me to think these grand adventures are coming to a close so quickly; it feels like yesterday I was planning this whole vacation. Well, we still have one more day, which will be an adventure in and of itself, and then the flights home (and airports are always an adventure). So, until then...
A quick side note: I have noticed a few things about this blog. 1) I have been typing less and less every night, and it seems that my mother is typing more and more. I am very excited to get back home and read her opinion and thoughts about our vacation. I just think that she must be putting a lot more detail into her chapters, and I think she must be doing a better job than me. 2) The format of the website has changed since my last blog, and with the new format it is possible to see how many views we've had. Now I want to say first and foremost that I am doing this blog for myself more than anything, so I can look back on this vacation whenever I want and remember everything about it. Having said that, it is amazing to see we've had almost 700 views since we left. I want to thank everyone for reading, I know you don't have to and it takes time out of your days, but it's nice to know your out there. Now having said that, I've also noticed (because it breaks it down by views per day) that our number of views each day has been dropping. I hope we're not boring anyone... are you still out there reading about our great adventures?
Anyway, I digress, so after our usual morning routine, we went down to the lobby to meet our guide for the morning. My work has utilized a guide here in London, Peter, for several years now, and because it would help me in my job, they had asked him to show my mother and I around for the morning (I know... my job is INCREDIBLY difficult). He was right on time, and he was fantastic. I know I say that about everything here, but it's always true. He was funny, witty, and extremely knowledgeable. He took us on an extremely fast tour of some major attractions here in London, explained them all in extensive detail, and all while making us laugh. He was a truly amazing guide and I can see why we continue to work with him.
He took us first to old London, explaining in detail that London used to only be 1 square mile just off of the Thames River, where the shale started. They couldn't lay foundation in medieval times, so they started the city of London on the river after the mud stopped and the shale started. From there, London expanded westward, which is why the further west your travel in London, the more modern the buildings become. So, we started off in old London at St Paul's Cathedral. He explained a great deal about the history of the cathedral, and took us inside and showed us the main areas. From there we crossed the 'Wobbly Bridge', which is the only bridge across the river that does not allow motorized vehicles. It's called the Wobbly Bridge because when it was built, it was so unstable it wobbled and many people were catapulted off of it before the city refortified it making it more sturdy.
From there we walked up the river and stopped off for some coffee. We continued onward until we reached Westminster Bridge, Peter pointing out different buildings and areas of London, explaining more history and architecture along the way. We then went over to Westminster Abby, where we were given a tour of the grounds and the outside of the building. Peter then led us to the bus stop and showed us the proper bus to get on to get to Trafalgar Square, we said our goodbyes and then went our separate ways. (I rode a city bus! A big red one! And we sat on the 2nd floor! And we didn't get lost or get off at the wrong stop! It makes me feel a little more comfortable for tomorrow, but I'll get to that in a moment.)
Once back in Trafalgar Square, my mother and I walked over to The Crypt. It is a cafe in the Church Saint Martin-in-the-Fields. It is located in an actual crypt and the tables and chairs are situated on centuries old tombstones. It was good food and not too expensive (which I finding in London is not that easy to come by). We finished eating and then made our way back to the tube station in the area and went to Harrods, a shopping complex and place to get High Tea while in London. Now, I didn't really know what to expect when going to Harrods, but I'm glad I went there. It is a little to ritzy for me in terms of shopping (we're talking Sacks 5th Ave types of shops) but it has great tea, and a nice dining area on the upper floor with a decent view.
From Harrods, we made our way down the street to the Victoria & Albert Museum. This museum is another that I think is on par with the British Museum. It is free of charge, and full of ancient artifacts from all over the world. They have changing exhibits that you can visit for a small fee, but the majority of the museum (ancient Rome, The Renaissance, ancient Asia, etc) is free and fascinating. After we looked around the museum a while we decided to head back to our hotel a little earlier than normal, due to the impending strike about to take place.
We decided it'd be best to get our train tickets for the airport today so they didn't sell out before tomorrow. The tube station by our hotel just happens to also be a train station which we were told would not also be affected by the strike, that it would just be the tubes. Well, when we went to buy our tickets, the train station (which charges 1/2 the price) told us they would not be operating tomorrow either, and that we would have to take the Heathrow Express (which is faster but more expensive). So we left that area, went to the Heathrow Express line, and asked the clerk for 2 tickets for tomorrow morning, to which she replied 'we are operating limited hours tomorrow due to the strike so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get there'. When we asked what hours are they operating, she said she had no idea! Perfect, just wonderful, the only good thing is that we don't have to be at the airport tomorrow, we're just going because we had DJ re-book our last night at a hotel closer to the airport due to the strikes. But now, it looks like we may miss an entire day of touring because of this mess. And for those of you that read my Chilean blog you'll recall they were all in strike when I was there also (I hope I'm not the start of all these riots!).
Then to make things a little more complicated, my mother and I have tickets tomorrow at 2:30 for the Warner Bros Studio Tour of the making of Harry Potter. So we have several buses to take now (because the tubes won't be operating) and the traffic is going to be horrible, and the train to get us to the airport (which will get us to the hotel to check in and which will get us to the bus to Warner Bros) doesn't have a certain time they are operating! Tomorrow is going to be interesting to say the least. We better not miss the tour because I've already paid for the tickets, and the Harry Potter tour is one of the things I was looking forward to the most (and I know this goes without saying, but I don't care if you think I'm weird or childish for wanting to tour Harry Potter Studios... Harry Potter is amazing!).
In order to prepare as much as possible, we bought all our last minute souvenirs tonight, and went to one last pub just in case. Now, even if it takes us all day tomorrow, at least we're ready to go. It is sad for me to think these grand adventures are coming to a close so quickly; it feels like yesterday I was planning this whole vacation. Well, we still have one more day, which will be an adventure in and of itself, and then the flights home (and airports are always an adventure). So, until then...
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