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...
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Chapter 11 Tower stairs and my aching feet
We got this morning and got ready to go on a private tour.
We didn’t know what to expect and Sam wanted to check his email this morning
and make sure nothing had changed. That’s when he noticed the day that the tour
is supposed to take place, the 28th. You have to understand, we have
been traveling for many days and we lose track of the days. I heard Sam say, “Oh
no!” I asked why, and he said that, and he said it is the 27th
today. I couldn’t figure out why that was bad. Then he explained that the tour
is for the 28th! So we got up and got ready for nothing! Oh well, if
that is the worst thing that happens on this trip, then life is good!
Since we really didn’t have anything planned for the day, we
quickly decided that we should go to the Tower of London today. Since the tube
was working for the day and the Tower was a long ways from this hotel, we
decided it was the perfect day to go see it. We got on the tube, which even though
I can be claustrophobic and it is several hundred feet or more underground, I
think it a rather ingenious method of transportation. We are pretty sure today
I was standing right next to one of the main actors from Wicked on the first
route we took this morning.
We had to switch routes to get to where we were going and on
the last stretch saw that the route was going to end early, due to construction
in that section of the tube. So we decided we would walk the rest of the way.
We both really like to walk, and you see so much more, but we really didn’t
realize the length of the walk. We are pretty sure it ended up being farther than
we planned, due to all the detours we had to take because of construction.
We got to the Tower and got our tickets. I did not realize
how big the place was. I heard Tower, as in singular, and it is so much more
than a singular tower. I did not study up on any of this because I really liked
to be surprised. I was pleasantly surprised. Every corner you turned, there was
more to see. My poor feet were getting very sore and tired at that point. In
fact, if I don’t see another curved staircase going up a tower again for a long
time, I would be happy. Even my legs were starting to protest. But it was such
a learning experience for me. I saw the Royal Crown Jewels. The largest cut
diamond was in there and so many other precious gems. It is mind boggling to
know that that was real and not fake. All the gold and gems in those crowns
must make them very heavy to wear! It was amazing! We also saw a film of the
Queen being crowned. That was cool.
We went through all the towers, including the White Tower
where two Princes were murdered. We saw graffiti from hundreds of years ago.
Who knew tagging isn’t a modern thing? It was fascinating to read about that.
Prisoners in the towers left their marks on those castle walls.
We did see the Guards up closer, but I left them alone due
to all the signs asking us to respect
them as they did their duties, and the fact that Sam forbid me from trying
to make them smile. He is much more of a rule follower than I am. I am much
more of a rebel!
After we went through all we could and my feet and legs were
ready to divorce me, we decided to walk over the Tower Bridge. I know, more
walking, right? But it was something I needed to do. We did opt to not do the
tour of this, as both of us were starving and both our feet hurt. We found a
pub across the Bridge and had lunch. After lunch, we found the nearest tube and
headed to the British Museum.
We got to the Museum a little late, and knew we weren’t going
to have long to see it. My first stop was the ladies loo. Why do people design
buildings without thinking of how many women will be going in there? It is a museum; did they not think women would
ever go in there? The line for the loo was so long, I couldn’t even see the
actual loo from my position. So if any of you reading this ever design a building,
please make sure that you remember the women and put in more bathrooms!
We saw the Egyptian, Greece, and other ancient exhibits. We
only had about 45 minutes until closing, so we really went thorough very fast.
That and the fact our brains are so full of all the other history we have been
reading about and seeing, we really just enjoyed at looking at the things, not
reading about all of them. I would highly recommend going to this museum on a
day you have lots of time.
We then came back to the hotel and have relaxed
a little. Our feet are thanking us for that. Tomorrow we will hopefully get
that tour. I can’t wait fChapter 11 Tower stairs and my aching feet.
We got this morning and got ready to go on a private tour.
We didn’t know what to expect and Sam wanted to check his email this morning
and make sure nothing had changed. That’s when he noticed the day that the tour
is supposed to take place, the 28th. You have to understand, we have
been traveling for many days and we lose track of the days. I heard Sam say, “Oh
no!” I asked why, and he said that, and he said it is the 27th
today. I couldn’t figure out why that was bad. Then he explained that the tour
is for the 28th! So we got up and got ready for nothing! Oh well, if
that is the worst thing that happens on this trip, then life is good!
Since we really didn’t have anything planned for the day, we
quickly decided that we should go to the Tower of London today. Since the tube
was working for the day and the Tower was a long ways from this hotel, we
decided it was the perfect day to go see it. We got on the tube, which even though
I can be claustrophobic and it is several hundred feet or more underground, I
think it a rather ingenious method of transportation. We are pretty sure today
I was standing right next to one of the main actors from Wicked on the first
route we took this morning.
We had to switch routes to get to where we were going and on
the last stretch saw that the route was going to end early, due to construction
in that section of the tube. So we decided we would walk the rest of the way.
We both really like to walk, and you see so much more, but we really didn’t
realize the length of the walk. We are pretty sure it ended up being farther than
we planned, due to all the detours we had to take because of construction.
We got to the Tower and got our tickets. I did not realize
how big the place was. I heard Tower, as in singular, and it is so much more
than a singular tower. I did not study up on any of this because I really liked
to be surprised. I was pleasantly surprised. Every corner you turned, there was
more to see. My poor feet were getting very sore and tired at that point. In
fact, if I don’t see another curved staircase going up a tower again for a long
time, I would be happy. Even my legs were starting to protest. But it was such
a learning experience for me. I saw the Royal Crown Jewels. The largest cut
diamond was in there and so many other precious gems. It is mind boggling to
know that that was real and not fake. All the gold and gems in those crowns
must make them very heavy to wear! It was amazing! We also saw a film of the
Queen being crowned. That was cool.
We went through all the towers, including the White Tower
where two Princes were murdered. We saw graffiti from hundreds of years ago.
Who knew tagging isn’t a modern thing? It was fascinating to read about that.
Prisoners in the towers left their marks on those castle walls.
We did see the Guards up closer, but I left them alone due
to all the signs asking us to respect
them as they did their duties, and the fact that Sam forbid me from trying
to make them smile. He is much more of a rule follower than I am. I am much
more of a rebel!
After we went through all we could and my feet and legs were
ready to divorce me, we decided to walk over the Tower Bridge. I know, more
walking, right? But it was something I needed to do. We did opt to not do the
tour of this, as both of us were starving and both our feet hurt. We found a
pub across the Bridge and had lunch. After lunch, we found the nearest tube and
headed to the British Museum.
We got to the Museum a little late, and knew we weren’t going
to have long to see it. My first stop was the ladies loo. Why do people design
buildings without thinking of how many women will be going in there? It is a museum; did they not think women would
ever go in there? The line for the loo was so long, I couldn’t even see the
actual loo from my position. So if any of you reading this ever design a building,
please make sure that you remember the women and put in more bathrooms!
We saw the Egyptian, Greece, and other ancient exhibits. We
only had about 45 minutes until closing, so we really went thorough very fast.
That and the fact our brains are so full of all the other history we have been
reading about and seeing, we really just enjoyed at looking at the things, not
reading about all of them. I would highly recommend going to this museum on a
day you have lots of time.
We then came back to the hotel and have relaxed
a little. Our feet are thanking us for that. Tomorrow we will hopefully get
that tour. I can’t wait fChapter 11 Tower stairs and my aching feet.
We got this morning and got ready to go on a private tour.
We didn’t know what to expect and Sam wanted to check his email this morning
and make sure nothing had changed. That’s when he noticed the day that the tour
is supposed to take place, the 28th. You have to understand, we have
been traveling for many days and we lose track of the days. I heard Sam say, “Oh
no!” I asked why, and he said that, and he said it is the 27th
today. I couldn’t figure out why that was bad. Then he explained that the tour
is for the 28th! So we got up and got ready for nothing! Oh well, if
that is the worst thing that happens on this trip, then life is good!
Since we really didn’t have anything planned for the day, we
quickly decided that we should go to the Tower of London today. Since the tube
was working for the day and the Tower was a long ways from this hotel, we
decided it was the perfect day to go see it. We got on the tube, which even though
I can be claustrophobic and it is several hundred feet or more underground, I
think it a rather ingenious method of transportation. We are pretty sure today
I was standing right next to one of the main actors from Wicked on the first
route we took this morning.
We had to switch routes to get to where we were going and on
the last stretch saw that the route was going to end early, due to construction
in that section of the tube. So we decided we would walk the rest of the way.
We both really like to walk, and you see so much more, but we really didn’t
realize the length of the walk. We are pretty sure it ended up being farther than
we planned, due to all the detours we had to take because of construction.
We got to the Tower and got our tickets. I did not realize
how big the place was. I heard Tower, as in singular, and it is so much more
than a singular tower. I did not study up on any of this because I really liked
to be surprised. I was pleasantly surprised. Every corner you turned, there was
more to see. My poor feet were getting very sore and tired at that point. In
fact, if I don’t see another curved staircase going up a tower again for a long
time, I would be happy. Even my legs were starting to protest. But it was such
a learning experience for me. I saw the Royal Crown Jewels. The largest cut
diamond was in there and so many other precious gems. It is mind boggling to
know that that was real and not fake. All the gold and gems in those crowns
must make them very heavy to wear! It was amazing! We also saw a film of the
Queen being crowned. That was cool.
We went through all the towers, including the White Tower
where two Princes were murdered. We saw graffiti from hundreds of years ago.
Who knew tagging isn’t a modern thing? It was fascinating to read about that.
Prisoners in the towers left their marks on those castle walls.
We did see the Guards up closer, but I left them alone due
to all the signs asking us to respect
them as they did their duties, and the fact that Sam forbid me from trying
to make them smile. He is much more of a rule follower than I am. I am much
more of a rebel!
After we went through all we could and my feet and legs were
ready to divorce me, we decided to walk over the Tower Bridge. I know, more
walking, right? But it was something I needed to do. We did opt to not do the
tour of this, as both of us were starving and both our feet hurt. We found a
pub across the Bridge and had lunch. After lunch, we found the nearest tube and
headed to the British Museum.
We got to the Museum a little late, and knew we weren’t going
to have long to see it. My first stop was the ladies loo. Why do people design
buildings without thinking of how many women will be going in there? It is a museum; did they not think women would
ever go in there? The line for the loo was so long, I couldn’t even see the
actual loo from my position. So if any of you reading this ever design a building,
please make sure that you remember the women and put in more bathrooms!
We saw the Egyptian, Greece, and other ancient exhibits. We
only had about 45 minutes until closing, so we really went thorough very fast.
That and the fact our brains are so full of all the other history we have been
reading about and seeing, we really just enjoyed at looking at the things, not
reading about all of them. I would highly recommend going to this museum on a
day you have lots of time.
We then came back to the hotel and have relaxed
a little. Our feet are thanking us for that. Tomorrow we will hopefully get
that tour. I can’t wait for the next adventure!
Chapter 11 - Ancient London
Another day down and only a few more to go. I have to amend something I wrote yesterday, I had thought I was meeting a guide this morning, but in actual fact he is meeting my mother and me tomorrow. I have been on the go so much that I seem to have lost track of the days. I guess its beginning to be like that old movie, 'If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium'. Well, at any rate, I'm glad that I checked my e-mail and realized that I had the wrong date before I went down to the lobby and wasted half the morning waiting for someone that wasn't even coming!
So I had to sort of improvise today's itinerary. I decided to start the day with the Tower of London. The only problem was the Tube. I had a route selected and we made our way through the stations, only to find that the stations were closed where we needed to go. So improvising we decided to walk. It took us about an hour (because it was a little further than I thought) but we finally made it. It was well worth the walk. The Tower of London is quite impressive. There is so much to see and do there, that there is no way anyone could see everything in 1 day. So we put on our running shoes and got to work. We saw the Crown Jewels, the ravens, the White Tower, and walked through several other towers. There were many exhibits and many shops, and at the end of everything (about 2 hours) we were feeling pretty drained.
We walked across the Tower Bridge, and ate lunch at a small pub (I had sausages and mash for the first time). Afterwards, because we were now on the other side of the Thames River, we took the subway to the British Museum (there were 3 or 4 connections on the route but we handled them like champs!).
The British Museum is another attraction that could take weeks to tour the entire thing. Even though we were drained (which seems to be happening more and earlier the later into this adventure we get) we got to work. We basically sprinted through the rooms while absorbing as much as possible. We were there for about an hour, saw the mummies and the ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman exhibits. It was incredible, and a lot bigger than I ever expected. Hopefully I'll be able to get back and give it the time it deserves someday.
For the evening I've just been trying to prepare us for the impending strike. It is going to be very interesting for us to get around without the tube. I'm not looking forward to it. Well, I'm tired and tomorrow is another day, the day I actually thought we were going to have today. A tour of London awaits in the morning. Until then...
So I had to sort of improvise today's itinerary. I decided to start the day with the Tower of London. The only problem was the Tube. I had a route selected and we made our way through the stations, only to find that the stations were closed where we needed to go. So improvising we decided to walk. It took us about an hour (because it was a little further than I thought) but we finally made it. It was well worth the walk. The Tower of London is quite impressive. There is so much to see and do there, that there is no way anyone could see everything in 1 day. So we put on our running shoes and got to work. We saw the Crown Jewels, the ravens, the White Tower, and walked through several other towers. There were many exhibits and many shops, and at the end of everything (about 2 hours) we were feeling pretty drained.
We walked across the Tower Bridge, and ate lunch at a small pub (I had sausages and mash for the first time). Afterwards, because we were now on the other side of the Thames River, we took the subway to the British Museum (there were 3 or 4 connections on the route but we handled them like champs!).
The British Museum is another attraction that could take weeks to tour the entire thing. Even though we were drained (which seems to be happening more and earlier the later into this adventure we get) we got to work. We basically sprinted through the rooms while absorbing as much as possible. We were there for about an hour, saw the mummies and the ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman exhibits. It was incredible, and a lot bigger than I ever expected. Hopefully I'll be able to get back and give it the time it deserves someday.
For the evening I've just been trying to prepare us for the impending strike. It is going to be very interesting for us to get around without the tube. I'm not looking forward to it. Well, I'm tired and tomorrow is another day, the day I actually thought we were going to have today. A tour of London awaits in the morning. Until then...
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Chapter 10 We found Sam’s London
Last night I asked Sam if London was what he expected. He
said it wasn’t the London he expected and that we needed to go looking for it.
So today, we set out to find Sam’s London.
We had slept in a little this morning. I’m trying really
hard to keep up with someone almost half my age, and he is doing well to try to
slow down a little for me. I’m normally a fast walker, but he is a good foot
taller than me, so it isn’t easy. That and I really like to look around at all
the new sights and that is hard to do while I’m trying to keep up with Sam.
The first thing we did today was master “The Tube” system.
There is reported to be a strike going to happen with the underground system
while we are here. It seems that the government here has decided it would be
better to only have automated ticket sales and no human ticket salesman in the
stations. I certainly don’t agree with this, as today we used the human over
the confusing automated system. If they do go on strike, it is going to cause
massive disruptions in the commuters. Thousands of people use the underground
daily, an all these people will have to use other forms of transportation. That
leaves us tourists in kind of a tricky situation. I chose to look at it as
maybe witnessing some history. I am always up for a new adventure. However, we
will have to change hotels during this strike, and you all heard how much Sam
loves my closet sized suitcase! Lol
Well, we got our tickets and hopped on the tube going to
wear we want to go. I must say, it is a very easy transportation system to use.
We figured it out in a short time and got to the place we wanted to. Charring Cross
was our first stop and we went to Trafalgar Square. We walked around here and
went in the National Gallery and looked at the paintings. Right before we went
in, there is a huge blue chicken. This is as big as the other statues of lions
and other famous people. I had to know what it stood for and why it was blue.
We made our way over there to read the plaque. I’m trying to come up with what
the chicken could stand for. Some kind of Calvary group in some war? Food that
save the soldiers and blue for the royal family? We got there and I read the plaque.
Talk about major let down. It stood for absolutely nothing. It was just art commissioned
by the government. I told Sam that we had to go look at the paintings so I
could have my faith in art restored again. So we went in and checked some out.
We didn’t stay long, as this is the city Sam was looking for and he just found
the London he was looking for, and it wasn’t in that building.
After that Sam just wanted to start walking and see what he
could find. So we started walking. Sam is not into taking photos, and I had
left one camera back at our hotel and my other one was getting low on battery
life. My phone camera is being finicky. I sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t.
So though we saw tons of cool things, we didn’t take many photos. We happened
to come across the Horse guards Parade. It happened to be at the time of the
changing of the horse guard. That was awesome to watch and those horses are
beautiful. Sam told me that if I touched them at all, I could be arrested. I
decided I really didn’t want to test this out and meet a London cop up close
and personal under those circumstances.
We then walked down to the river Thames (pronounced Tems,
according to Sam). We could see the London Eye and we decided we would go on it
today. For those of you that don’t know me, I am terrified of heights and
really don’t like Ferris wheels. I was assured by some friends that this one
was worth it and not scary like the others. We had to pass through a fair to
get there. We saw a cute merry go round. It had a sign on it that told about
the origin of the Ferris wheel. Apparently they were used to train the troops
on and that America’s goes the opposite direction than the traditional ones. Interesting
information.
We stood in line to buy the tickets. The lines were long,
but moved quickly. Then we got in line for the Eye. Again long, but moves
quickly due to the fact many people get in the car, and it doesn’t stop for
people to get in and out. Yes, you heard
me; you get in and off while it is moving. Granted it goes slowly, it is still
a little scary to get on and off a moving object. I managed to get on and even
stand up and look around the city. We found Big Ben, The Parliament Building
and Buckingham Palace from up there. I was so proud of myself. I walked all
around the car and looked out. Sam wanted me to lean up against the glass, but
I really didn’t like to do that. After we went around, I got off without any
mishaps, and we headed off to the buildings we had seen. We heard Big Ben up
close and personal and walked through St James Park to Buckingham Palace. It
had beautiful tulips in the front, but the gates we closed to the palace and we
could barely see the guard. I had wanted to try to make them smile, but at that
distance, it wasn’t going to happen. Sam said that when the Queen is in
residence, the gates are closed, so I choose to believe she was in there
somewhere.
After that we needed to head back to the hotel to get ready
for the Broadway show Wicked we were going to attend that evening. We dressed
up nice and headed to the tube again. We got to the right station and found a place
to eat. It was a very popular place and was very busy. We both tried several
different beers and I even tried a pear cider. That was very good. We ate some
pub food and on our last beer, one of the bar tenders came up and asked me if I
would like to try some black current syrup in mine. I said yes and went and got
some. It gave the beer a different taste and I decided I liked it. He came back
and asked me several times if I liked it and I assured him I did. Sam decided I
needed to find a London man so he would have someone here to stay with when he
came back, but I told him that it gave a whole new term to long distance relationship
and I wasn’t interested in anyone there anyhow.
We finished our food and beers and headed to the theater.
Being from Montana, I haven’t really been to many Broadway
shows. I like good theater and really like musicals. Wicked was reported to be
one of the best ones. Sam has seen it a couple of times and when he saw most of
the cast was new at it, he was a little worried. But after the opening act, we
both sat back and totally enjoyed it. He said some of these actors were better
or as good as the ones he had seen. I have to admit, I really enjoyed it. I
will buy the soundtrack to it. It was amazing watching it from the 3rd row. We
also looked at the orchestra at the end. I hope to be able to attend some more
shows sometime in the future.
After the show, we came back and wrote our blog. Tomorrow
morning we are getting a private tour from the man who Sam’s company uses when they
come to London. I have no idea where he will take us, but I will enjoy every
moment of it.
Chapter 10 - So if you care to find me... look towards the, well, eastern sky
Note to the Readers: Pictures may be late in coming, unfortunately the internet is incredibly slow and they take forever to upload, and seeing as we lose sleep to write and upkeep this blog, I've decided I don't want to lose THAT much sleep for the pictures. We'll upload them when we can... and thanks for your patience and understanding.
Today was amazing. No really, it was wickedly amazing! We started the day with an included breakfast at our hotel. Afterwards, we got ready for the day and disembarked on yet another adventure. Today's goal, master the London Underground, or the tube as they call it.
We are only a block from the Paddington Station Underground, so we made our way towards that. Once we got into the underground we had to get our tickets. It was a little bit of a chore, we stood in line at the kiosks and then, after about 10 minutes of waiting in line, and even less time spent trying to find out which ticket was the right ticket for us, we moved to a different line with a live person at the end. We got to the front and decided that we should get the 7 day pass for zones 1 and 2. Even though it sounds as if this underground strike is going to happen (which really puts a damper on London travel for us), our passes still work for the bus systems. Now if this strike happens, and we have to end up taking the bus, I hope beyond all hope that I won't have any chapters similar to my bus stories from south america. Some of you may already know, and for those of you that don't, check out my other blog for a good laugh.
Anyway, we got our passes and proceeded through the entrance and down to the tube. It was incredibly fast, efficient, relatively cheap, and extremely easy to use. Seriously, if anyone is looking to visit London, and you should really consider it, take the tube. If they aren't on strike it is the fastest way to get around London. Granted you don't see as much as you would if you had taken the bus, or walked, but you save valuable time for more sight seeing. Just remember to 'mind the gap'.
Our first stop today was Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. It is free admission (just remember to donate a little something to help maintain and upkeep their buildings!), so we walked into the Gallery and meandered through the rooms, looking at some very impressive 14-19th century artwork. After a little time, we decided to get out and walk. We walked up to Piccadilly Circus area, perused the shops and restaurants, people watched a little bit, and continued our walk. We made to an area where it looked like a movie was being filmed, then we walked across a square and made it to the Horse Guard Parade, just in time to see the changing of the horse guards. It was something else.
From there we made our way towards the Thames River (pronounced Tems). We got our first look at the London Eye, the Parliament Building and Big Ben's Clock! We decided we wanted to do the Eye first, perhaps get our bearings on this massive city. Now for those of you who don't know, there are a lot, and I mean A LOT of people that have done, are doing, and will do the London Eye. There is a building across from the Eye, that is where you get in a line (about 35 minutes or so) and purchase your ticket, just to go back across the street and get in the same line you just were in to get on the Eye! It seemed really odd to me to do it that way, but what do I really know about lines (well except that I seem to be in one a lot of the time). The long wait was well worth it. The views from the Eye are amazing, and the London Skyline is quite enormous. The rotation lasts about 30 minutes or so and from there we continued on towards Big Ben and the Parliament building. We didn't stop for too long, instead we made our way towards Buckingham Palace. We were to late for the changing of the guard (it's at 11:30 am or so) but we saw the queen's guards and the royal palace. Honestly (and don't tell the queen I said this), it wasn't SUPER impressive. It really was like seeing the white house for the first time. I just remember thinking, 'that is the White House?!? It's TINY'. And now I've gone and not only offending the Queen of England, but the President of the United States, if either of you are reading this, I'm sure the insides of your building are much more luxurious and full of history, and if you'd like to extend an invitation to either one, I'd be more than happy to change my opinion.
From Buckingham Palace, we went back to the Hotel to get dressed up for our evening. We got ready, got back on the underground, and went to Victoria Station. We went to a good ole pub for dinner and tried several different local brews, and then took off down the street to get ready for the main event of the evening. WICKED! I got my mother and I 3 row seats, center stage, tickets for Broadway's Wicked tonight. I've seen it a few times already, but never that close to the stage. It was, like all broadway shows I've seen so far, incredible. I was awe struck throughout the show. After that we came back to the hotel, and now I must get ready for bed. It's already almost midnight and my mother has to still write her chapter for the night. We have an early-ish start tomorrow, we're going on a tour of London, with a Londoner. Until then...
Today was amazing. No really, it was wickedly amazing! We started the day with an included breakfast at our hotel. Afterwards, we got ready for the day and disembarked on yet another adventure. Today's goal, master the London Underground, or the tube as they call it.
We are only a block from the Paddington Station Underground, so we made our way towards that. Once we got into the underground we had to get our tickets. It was a little bit of a chore, we stood in line at the kiosks and then, after about 10 minutes of waiting in line, and even less time spent trying to find out which ticket was the right ticket for us, we moved to a different line with a live person at the end. We got to the front and decided that we should get the 7 day pass for zones 1 and 2. Even though it sounds as if this underground strike is going to happen (which really puts a damper on London travel for us), our passes still work for the bus systems. Now if this strike happens, and we have to end up taking the bus, I hope beyond all hope that I won't have any chapters similar to my bus stories from south america. Some of you may already know, and for those of you that don't, check out my other blog for a good laugh.
Anyway, we got our passes and proceeded through the entrance and down to the tube. It was incredibly fast, efficient, relatively cheap, and extremely easy to use. Seriously, if anyone is looking to visit London, and you should really consider it, take the tube. If they aren't on strike it is the fastest way to get around London. Granted you don't see as much as you would if you had taken the bus, or walked, but you save valuable time for more sight seeing. Just remember to 'mind the gap'.
Our first stop today was Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. It is free admission (just remember to donate a little something to help maintain and upkeep their buildings!), so we walked into the Gallery and meandered through the rooms, looking at some very impressive 14-19th century artwork. After a little time, we decided to get out and walk. We walked up to Piccadilly Circus area, perused the shops and restaurants, people watched a little bit, and continued our walk. We made to an area where it looked like a movie was being filmed, then we walked across a square and made it to the Horse Guard Parade, just in time to see the changing of the horse guards. It was something else.
From there we made our way towards the Thames River (pronounced Tems). We got our first look at the London Eye, the Parliament Building and Big Ben's Clock! We decided we wanted to do the Eye first, perhaps get our bearings on this massive city. Now for those of you who don't know, there are a lot, and I mean A LOT of people that have done, are doing, and will do the London Eye. There is a building across from the Eye, that is where you get in a line (about 35 minutes or so) and purchase your ticket, just to go back across the street and get in the same line you just were in to get on the Eye! It seemed really odd to me to do it that way, but what do I really know about lines (well except that I seem to be in one a lot of the time). The long wait was well worth it. The views from the Eye are amazing, and the London Skyline is quite enormous. The rotation lasts about 30 minutes or so and from there we continued on towards Big Ben and the Parliament building. We didn't stop for too long, instead we made our way towards Buckingham Palace. We were to late for the changing of the guard (it's at 11:30 am or so) but we saw the queen's guards and the royal palace. Honestly (and don't tell the queen I said this), it wasn't SUPER impressive. It really was like seeing the white house for the first time. I just remember thinking, 'that is the White House?!? It's TINY'. And now I've gone and not only offending the Queen of England, but the President of the United States, if either of you are reading this, I'm sure the insides of your building are much more luxurious and full of history, and if you'd like to extend an invitation to either one, I'd be more than happy to change my opinion.
From Buckingham Palace, we went back to the Hotel to get dressed up for our evening. We got ready, got back on the underground, and went to Victoria Station. We went to a good ole pub for dinner and tried several different local brews, and then took off down the street to get ready for the main event of the evening. WICKED! I got my mother and I 3 row seats, center stage, tickets for Broadway's Wicked tonight. I've seen it a few times already, but never that close to the stage. It was, like all broadway shows I've seen so far, incredible. I was awe struck throughout the show. After that we came back to the hotel, and now I must get ready for bed. It's already almost midnight and my mother has to still write her chapter for the night. We have an early-ish start tomorrow, we're going on a tour of London, with a Londoner. Until then...
Friday, April 25, 2014
Chapter 9 our last country
Today was our last day in Wales. I can honestly say that I
will miss Wales. The country is truly a beautiful place rich in history and
culture. Maybe it was just the amazing tour guide we had, or maybe it is just a
magical place. I will definitely want to return to the area and explore it some
more.
We know we have many pictures of castles on our blog. I don’t
think you can honestly appreciate the castles without being there. They are
magical places where you can almost see the guards marching the parameter and
the ladies of the court sitting in their chambers. These castles are so massive
that just looking at them from a distance takes your breath away. We saw a few
more on our train ride to London and wished we could explore those as well.
Today, we really didn’t explore the castles. We learned more
about the real people of Wales. We started the day off with a tour of a slate
mine. The slate from Wales was and still is considered the best in the world.
This particular mine was where they slate came for the dais and the bench and
chair used by the Queen Elizabeth when she crowned Charles the Prince of Wales.
It was the last job the workers of the mine did. After that, the mine just closed
down. The mine just didn’t have any more jobs to do and technology seemed to
make the slate less needed. The workers just left everything and closed the
mine down. Today it is a museum used to educate others about the mines. The
mountain has a huge chunk out of it, the quarry has filled with water, and the buildings
are now silent where their used to be the sound of workers performing all the
tasks needed to run the mine. This mine was totally self sufficient. They made
everything needed, from the buildings out of slate to the windows, the wheels
for the railroad cars, and the tools to work on everything. It was all run by a
huge water wheel and pulley system. There were mills to cut the trees to make
the railroad ties and anything else made out of wood, there were blacksmiths to
create any metal needed, there was even a hospital that had the capability to
take X rays. This was one of the first in all of Europe to have this capability
and it was all for the miners of the slate.
After the slate museum we drove through the Snowdonian Mountains
on another path. On the way we stopped and had coffee at a little house known
as the Ugly House. It was reputed to be made and had smoke coming out of the
chimney in 24 hours. It was said that if you could do this task, the land would
be yours, much like our homesteaders in America.
We then went and saw the Swallow waterfalls. They were
beautiful, even though they weren’t at their fullest, due to the lack of rain
recently.
After that we went to a working wool mill. We learned how
they take the wool and turn it into beautiful creations. This particular mill
still uses the Celtic patterns and you can only get this pattern from this
mill. It was cool to see how the looms worked, and how the spindles created on
ply and more. The entire mill also used water to operate, but used hydropower,
not a water wheel. The colors used have changed throughout the times and they
had a little garden to show what plants made the colors of yesteryear.
From there, we had to catch our train to London. Our guide
took us to the train station and made sure we knew what terminal to use. My
luggage was our biggest problem. Seems my closet sized suitcase is not easy to
fit in the luggage carts! We had to switch trains on the way and that train had
some sort of technical difficulties. It even stopped in the middle of nowhere
for awhile. It managed to get us here after another stop at another station to
repair whatever the problem was. We where about a half hour late getting here
to London, but for us it was ok.
When we got here we had to figure out how to get to our
hotel. I actually flagged sown my first taxi! Being from Montana, we really don’t
have taxis just driving around. You have to call them, in Belgrade. I stuck up
my arm and like magic, a taxi stops. He gave us a ride to our hotel and we
checked in. I thing the universe wanted to punish me some more, so our room was
on the top floor and the lift was broken, so I had to haul my suitcase up all
the stairs. Well, I got it half way and Sam got it the other half.
After that we walked around a little bit, but it was dark,
so we found a place to eat and came back here. This is Sam’s favorite place, so
I will let him have the fun here. Good night all!
Chapter 9 – London Baby
Well I’ll have to keep this one a bit short as I’m very
tired. We’ve made it to London! I’ll get to that in a moment, first is our last
day in Wales.
For the last day, Irene took my mother and me up the
mountainside in Snowdonia to a living slate museum. We got to learn about Welsh
Slate (some of the best slate in the world), how they mined it, where they
mined it, and what they did with it after it was mined. It was a beautiful area
and the cliff full of giant slate slabs was incredible.
Afterwards, we went to Wales’ Ugly House. Its story was
rather unique. Apparently in Wales, a few century ago, if you could build a
house in 24 hours and have smoke coming out the chimney you could keep the land
you built it on. This house, which wasn’t really that ugly, was one of such
legend. If it is true, it’s impressive to look at the house and the huge stones
that were used to make it and know it was possible to make in 24 hours without
today’s modern advances in technology. There was a café in the house and a nice
garden out back, and a bee farm on the premises.
From here we continued on to some waterfalls, a town called
Betws Y Coed, and then toured a Welsh Woolen Mill. It was fun watching the
process of making sheep’s wool into all different kinds of products; from
gloves, to pillow covers, to boots, to scarves. Irene then dropped us off at
the station and made sure we made our train safely.
The train ride to London was very nice. On the first
connection we followed the beach with views of the sea on one side and with
Welsh countrysides and old castle ruins on the other. We had a tight connection
in Chester for our other train, but we made it with plenty of time to spare.
Once we got on our other train, I’ll admit I was a little crabby. For the first
time, my mother’s suitcase, which is the size of a small home (you seriously
could fit a family of 5 and all their belongings in this suitcase) wouldn’t fit
in any of the luggage areas. The train was too full and her case was too big!
So we (meaning me) had to carry her case down four car lengths until we finally
found a place where her bag sort of fit. I say ‘meaning me’ because I have to
haul her bag around because it is bigger than she is! Anyway, that is my bit of
complaints for the trip so far, so really no complaints!
Our train had a few complications, we were delayed on the
tracks in the middle of the English countryside for about 20 minutes (so at
least we had a great view!) and then we were charging full steam ahead into
London.
Once we made it into London, it was a bit tricky getting to
the hotel. My mother finally hailed a cab, we got in and a few minutes later we
were here! It’s a weird sort of feeling, getting to do something you’ve wanted
to do since you were a child. London is A LOT different than I’d pictured, and
it was very cloudy and dark, but we checked into the hotel and went exploring
anyway! (Funny side note: the lift at the hotel was broken when we arrived and
we, of course, are on the top (4th) floor, so guess who had to haul
that giant, elephant sized suitcase up the stairs… OK she got it halfway up,
but then it was too much so I brought it the rest of the way.) After we got
everything situated in our room, we went exploring. The streets of London are
gloriously and hopelessly confusing. I was able to find the main road that
would lead us to the British Museum. And I was able to find Paddington Station
and Hyde Park, and then able to make it back to the hotel, so it wasn’t all
bad! It just may take me a while to get my bearings in this city.
Tomorrow we
will use the tube as our main transportation, after that I believe it will be
on strike for the remainder of our stay. That may complicate things a bit,
because I’ll have to learn the bus schedules/routes, and then get us to the
airport hotel we have booked for the last night, with that giant suitcase, all
while using the bus! That’s something I’ll worry about when the time comes, for
now I’m just going to enjoy this city. Tomorrow we have tickets to Wicked and
we’re going to take the tube for the first time! Wish us luck! After that it
sounds as though we have a guided tour
of London on Sunday! Until then…
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