Highlights: Sleeping in, Changing of the Guard, lunch in Hyde Park, British Museum, The Eye, Packing for home
It's hard to believe that this is our last night in London. We've had a brilliant time here. Absolutely smashing! We would love to visit again. ("Brilliant" is Eric's adjective of the day, and "Smashing" is mine.) The changing of the guard was amazing - I think it's something that my parents would really enjoy seeing - there is a lot of pagentry and music. We really enjoyed it. Sorry that this is such a short entry, but we have an early flight in the morning and I still have to pack. I would definitely recommed a trip to London for anyone who is thinking of traveling. We've had a great time - taken almost 1,000 pictures - need to go through and delete a bunch of those! Cheerio!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Day 4 From London
Highlights: The joys of getting older, Canterbury, Fish and Chips, Shopping
As much fun as Eric and I have on our adventures, we do "feel" the effects of trying to fit in 7+ miles worth of sight seeing every day. Today I woke up and could barely bend my legs. I felt like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz before Dorothy gives him his oil can. What's worse, is sitting on a train for two hours and then trying to get those miles of sight seeing in. But, despite the aches and pains, we had another great day.
Again, we are amazed by the beautiful weather- the clear, sunny skies, and mild temperature. Today was a little bit more brisk, but still a gorgeous day. Today was what we call "an alarm clock day." I was up at 6:30 so that we could make our 8 a.m. train. That was a bit of a challenge since we didn't get back to our hotel until late last night, but we were excited for our trip to Canterbury. So after a few groans, we were up and ready to go.
The train ride took us through a different part of England, where we saw some sketchy neighborhoods, as well as beautiful countryside. Today we saw lots and lots of sheep on those hillsides. We enjoyed the ride.
Canterbury was really cool! Especially the joy on Eric's face as memories came flooding back to him. He had visited Canterbury when he was about 8 years old on a school field trip. Many things were the same, but many more were different. We spent a few hours at the cathedral, which was immense, amazing, incredible beyond words. There were several school groups there - they weren't so amazing. But it's funny to see that kids and teachers are the same no matter where you go. One teacher was yelling at this boy in French, so I couldn't understand what she was saying, but I knew what she was thinking/feeling. As soon as she turned around, the boy started laughing and ran off to play with his friends. Oh they never listen, do they? :)
We enjoyed exploring castle ruins and wandering through gardens and shops, and at the end of our afternoon we took a little boat tour on the river that surrounds the town. That was a lot of fun and a great way to end our time in Canterbury. Dad will be happy to know that we ate fish and chips for lunch, and they were very good - definitely better than in the U.S. I think it's because the fish is very fresh and the batter is really good and crispy.
We were tired when we got back - although we were able to see the London skyline at night from the train. Big Ben was amazing, all lit up, as was the Eye, and the park in that area. We loved it and decided that's that's where we are going to hang out on our last evening. For tonight, we returned to our room, put on warmer clothes, went to dinner at the restaurant we ate at on our first night, and then went to my favorite grocery store. I don't know what it is, but I love shopping in foreign grocery stores! I think it's the best way to find fresh, unique products at reasonable prices to bring back as souveniers. :)
I'll stop now so I can upload some pictures - which you will see before you read this. Hope everyone is doing great!
As much fun as Eric and I have on our adventures, we do "feel" the effects of trying to fit in 7+ miles worth of sight seeing every day. Today I woke up and could barely bend my legs. I felt like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz before Dorothy gives him his oil can. What's worse, is sitting on a train for two hours and then trying to get those miles of sight seeing in. But, despite the aches and pains, we had another great day.
Again, we are amazed by the beautiful weather- the clear, sunny skies, and mild temperature. Today was a little bit more brisk, but still a gorgeous day. Today was what we call "an alarm clock day." I was up at 6:30 so that we could make our 8 a.m. train. That was a bit of a challenge since we didn't get back to our hotel until late last night, but we were excited for our trip to Canterbury. So after a few groans, we were up and ready to go.
The train ride took us through a different part of England, where we saw some sketchy neighborhoods, as well as beautiful countryside. Today we saw lots and lots of sheep on those hillsides. We enjoyed the ride.
Canterbury was really cool! Especially the joy on Eric's face as memories came flooding back to him. He had visited Canterbury when he was about 8 years old on a school field trip. Many things were the same, but many more were different. We spent a few hours at the cathedral, which was immense, amazing, incredible beyond words. There were several school groups there - they weren't so amazing. But it's funny to see that kids and teachers are the same no matter where you go. One teacher was yelling at this boy in French, so I couldn't understand what she was saying, but I knew what she was thinking/feeling. As soon as she turned around, the boy started laughing and ran off to play with his friends. Oh they never listen, do they? :)
We enjoyed exploring castle ruins and wandering through gardens and shops, and at the end of our afternoon we took a little boat tour on the river that surrounds the town. That was a lot of fun and a great way to end our time in Canterbury. Dad will be happy to know that we ate fish and chips for lunch, and they were very good - definitely better than in the U.S. I think it's because the fish is very fresh and the batter is really good and crispy.
We were tired when we got back - although we were able to see the London skyline at night from the train. Big Ben was amazing, all lit up, as was the Eye, and the park in that area. We loved it and decided that's that's where we are going to hang out on our last evening. For tonight, we returned to our room, put on warmer clothes, went to dinner at the restaurant we ate at on our first night, and then went to my favorite grocery store. I don't know what it is, but I love shopping in foreign grocery stores! I think it's the best way to find fresh, unique products at reasonable prices to bring back as souveniers. :)
I'll stop now so I can upload some pictures - which you will see before you read this. Hope everyone is doing great!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Day 3: A Bath in Bath
Highlights: Another gorgeous weather day, seeing the "real" England, soaking in the mineral baths.
Oh wow- how I love the town of Bath! I cannot begin to describe how incredible it is - it is exactly what I picture when I think of England - the Georgian architecture, the rolling green hillsides, the quaint churches and shops...it's all very breath taking!
Our morning started off with breakfast at our hotel. We immediately asked for corn flakes and didn't even wait to hear the other choices. In addition to the cereal, you can have a "full English breakfast". This is something I never get, but Eric does. It consists of a fried egg, "bacon" - which is more like Canadian bacon, sausage and a boiled tomatoe. And yes, Eric even eats the boiled tomatoe. I just sip on tea and nibble on toast while he "enjoys" his breakfast. :)
We were early to the train station, so we decided to wander around and look at all of the stores. Train stations here remind of Grand Central Station, with lots of shops to mill about. We were at Paddington Station, and I realized that yes, indeed, Paddington Station has something to do with Paddington Bear, that this is the area Paddington Bear "lived" in. Did you know that it is the 50th anniversary of the original book? I'm really into Paddington Bear now. :)
We enjoyed a 90 minute train ride through the English country side. Lots of areas were beautiful, and some were surprising to see - such as the strip mall with a Toys R Us in it.
As we pulled into Bath, I couldn't help repeating "Oh Wow!" The views were so amazing! Green hills in the back, great architecture everywhere you look. From the train, we walked to the center of town where there is a 500 year old abby. It is the oldest abby in England, and it is huge and amazing to look at. Right across the churchyard are the Roman Baths. I wanted to visit this site, but I was not prepared for how much I would love it! We must have spent a couple of hours wandering through the ancient baths. Oh how I wish we could post pictures for you to see. There is still water in the baths, although it is green with algae (so you can't touch it.) But underneath the baths, you can see the spring from which the hot hot water still flows. It was amazing to wander around these ruins. I also like that we were given an audio guide as part of our admission price, and could wander at our own pace, but still learn a lot by listening to the audio guide.
From the baths, we wandered around the shops and found a deli to get a picnic lunch of sandwiches from. We took our lunch across this cool bridge, to a bench next to the Avon River, and ate and people watched. We are so amazed by the great weathering we are experiencing and how fun it is to sit in the sun and people watch. Very delightful.
Before I forget, Dad keeps asking if we've had fish and chips - not yet - we are looking for a place that looks good. Also, Eric liked the fried egg on his hamburger, but he didn't like the beef - he thinks meat here tastes weird. I think I've figured it out - I think it just tastes plain (without all of the hormones and additives). It tastes like what you expect it to taste like, except it seems like someone's soaked it in bleach or something and stripped down most of the flavor. I don't know how else to explain it.
Anyway, after lunch we wandered up a very steep, long hill, to a park, where we wandered for awhile, found a little lake and a botanical garden and wandered around that. We love wandering and exploring and stumbling upon "unexpected treasures". It was a great afternoon!
As the sun was setting, we returned to town to visit the spa, where we bathed in mineral baths (not the kind with algae!) :) Wow - it was so relaxing and felt great on our tired legs and feet. There was a roof top bath, where we enjoyed watching the sun set and seeing the sky line of Bath. It was so amazing to look around at the historic churches and buildings while relaxing in the spa. Aaaaaahhhhh. That about sums it up!
From the spa, we wandered around and found a Thai restaurant. After dinner, sadly, everything was closed, and this internet cafe is the only place open, as we wait for our train back to London. Lesson learned - the town shuts down after 7pm! But what a great day it was. If you can only visit one place in England, I highly recommend a bath in Bath! This has been my most favorite day so far!
Hope everyone is doing great! We're off to Canterbury early tomorrow! More later, and I think Eric is trying to add pictures - so look for those! Cheerio!
Eric's Thoughts from Bath
Hello again! We have about 20 minutes to kill before we board a train back to London, and we found an internet cafe. This has been a wonderful day. Bath is fascinating mix of the ancient Roman, medieval, and the modern. We visited an ancient Roman bath which is truly an amazing ruin. The pool itself is a serene area open to the sunlight that was fun just to lounge about and relax near by. The town itself is filled with medieval churches, an abbey, and many interesting structures from the middle ages.
After walking around seeing the sites, we went to visit a bath house (I know in a town called bath, it really doesn't make any sense, does it?). The bath house was a very modern structure with a roof top pool and a pool in an underground area. Both pools were heated and extremely relaxing. After trying out both the pools, we went into one of the steam rooms. This was also a refreshing experience. Needless to say, after a long day of wandering around the town, it was just to thing to reinvigorate the body.
Today was a wonderful day all around, and I am glad that I got to experience it with my best friend. I look forward to tomorrow's visit to Canterbury. I hope that I will get to share my thoughts after that experience. Well, I am going to sign off for now because I am going to try to post some pictures. Take care.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Day 2
Highlights: Another day of beautiful weather, walking about 8 miles, St. Paul's Cathedral, The Tower of London
After breakfast at our hotel, we took a wonderful, 7 hour walk all over the city. First, we went to the train station to buy our tickets for Bath tomorrow, and Caterbury on Wednesday. We laughed about how even though everyone speaks English, we still have a difficult time understanding what people are saying to us. (We had "corn flakes" for breakfast because we had no idea what the other two options were, even though we had the girl repeat them twice, and hopefully we have the right train tickets!) :)
Then we wandered back to Buckingham Palace, to Piccadilly Circus (looks like a smaller version of Time Square) to St. Paul's Cathedral - which is amazing and beautiful! We lost track of how many Starbucks we saw along the way, as well as Pizza Huts. We also learned about British chains - Nero Coffee, and Pret. At St. Paul's we climbed a couple hundred stairs to the whispering gallery inside the dome, and then another couple hundred stairs to the viewing platform outside with gorgeous views of the city. We could not climb all the way to the top, because it was closed for some reason. But we still enjoyed the views from where we were.
As we left the cathedral, we stopped by a French patisserie and got sandwiches and a strawberry tart - some of our favorites from Paris. We seem to be enjoying the international cuisine a bit more. :) After a delicious picnic on the steps of St. Paul's (with at least a hundred other people) we walked across the Millenium Bridge and visited Shakespeare's Globe Theater (or I should say the gift shop because we didn't want to wait two hours for the next available tour - there were hundreds of school groups there!) We enjoyed a walk along the Thames to the Tower Bridge and then visited the Tower of London. This was a real highlight for Eric because he remembers visiting the Tower as a kid. He especially loved seeing the ravens again. I enjoyed reading about all of the folklore surrounding the Tower. We were there for a couple of hours.
At this point, we were tired and not sure what to do, so we ended up taking the subway (which is very easy to use here) to Harrod's department store. The store itself was so overwhelming with so much to see and so many people! We looked at the level with the food, but everything was very expensive, so we decided to head back to our hotel. It was about a 15 minute walk and we stopped at Jenny Lo's Tea House for dinner. It was another Asian fusion place with very spicy food. After dinner, we went to the grocery store - one of my favorite things to do! I love to see what is for sale- usually lots of good, inexpensive candy and desserts! :)
So that's it. We're headed in for an early evening so that we can catch our train to Bath tomorrow morning. Hope everyone is doing well. Eric may post his thoughts in a little bit.
After breakfast at our hotel, we took a wonderful, 7 hour walk all over the city. First, we went to the train station to buy our tickets for Bath tomorrow, and Caterbury on Wednesday. We laughed about how even though everyone speaks English, we still have a difficult time understanding what people are saying to us. (We had "corn flakes" for breakfast because we had no idea what the other two options were, even though we had the girl repeat them twice, and hopefully we have the right train tickets!) :)
Then we wandered back to Buckingham Palace, to Piccadilly Circus (looks like a smaller version of Time Square) to St. Paul's Cathedral - which is amazing and beautiful! We lost track of how many Starbucks we saw along the way, as well as Pizza Huts. We also learned about British chains - Nero Coffee, and Pret. At St. Paul's we climbed a couple hundred stairs to the whispering gallery inside the dome, and then another couple hundred stairs to the viewing platform outside with gorgeous views of the city. We could not climb all the way to the top, because it was closed for some reason. But we still enjoyed the views from where we were.
As we left the cathedral, we stopped by a French patisserie and got sandwiches and a strawberry tart - some of our favorites from Paris. We seem to be enjoying the international cuisine a bit more. :) After a delicious picnic on the steps of St. Paul's (with at least a hundred other people) we walked across the Millenium Bridge and visited Shakespeare's Globe Theater (or I should say the gift shop because we didn't want to wait two hours for the next available tour - there were hundreds of school groups there!) We enjoyed a walk along the Thames to the Tower Bridge and then visited the Tower of London. This was a real highlight for Eric because he remembers visiting the Tower as a kid. He especially loved seeing the ravens again. I enjoyed reading about all of the folklore surrounding the Tower. We were there for a couple of hours.
At this point, we were tired and not sure what to do, so we ended up taking the subway (which is very easy to use here) to Harrod's department store. The store itself was so overwhelming with so much to see and so many people! We looked at the level with the food, but everything was very expensive, so we decided to head back to our hotel. It was about a 15 minute walk and we stopped at Jenny Lo's Tea House for dinner. It was another Asian fusion place with very spicy food. After dinner, we went to the grocery store - one of my favorite things to do! I love to see what is for sale- usually lots of good, inexpensive candy and desserts! :)
So that's it. We're headed in for an early evening so that we can catch our train to Bath tomorrow morning. Hope everyone is doing well. Eric may post his thoughts in a little bit.
Evening Day One
After a short nap and showers, we wandered around the neighborhood and found a great Asian fusion place for dinner, called Dim t (on Winton Street - so I don't forget). The food was very delicious and perfect for the both of us - Eric was able to enjoy dim sum, while I enjoyed pad thai and gyoza. For dessert we had chocolate sukiyaki, which was basically a chocolate fondue with fruit and marshmallows for dipping. After dinner, we wandered around some more, and then passed out around 10 p.m. We had a great night's sleep and were able to get up at 8 a.m. On to Day 2....
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Eric's Thoughts from London
I am going to keep this post fairly short, but it has been fascinating to be in the country where I spent six and a half years of my childhood. I remember somethings that we are seeing. Others were not even around, and somethings seem like new even though they may not be.
I think the thing that I enjoy, other than being here with my best friend, is being in a walking city again. We are staying in a hotel with many restaurants within just a few blocks. It is nice to be able to walk to dinner and take a leisurely stroll back to the hotel.
I will end with the hope that we are able to adjust to the time change quickly. We took a few naps, and we are hoping that we are able to sleep through the night and wake up at a reasonable time.
Take care everyone who might be reading this. We will try to post some pictures tomorrow.
I think the thing that I enjoy, other than being here with my best friend, is being in a walking city again. We are staying in a hotel with many restaurants within just a few blocks. It is nice to be able to walk to dinner and take a leisurely stroll back to the hotel.
I will end with the hope that we are able to adjust to the time change quickly. We took a few naps, and we are hoping that we are able to sleep through the night and wake up at a reasonable time.
Take care everyone who might be reading this. We will try to post some pictures tomorrow.
Good Day from London
Hi Everyone,
Sorry, but we are unable to post pictures at the moment. For now, our tales of travel will have to suffice.
First off, I'd like to give a plug to Continental Airlines. In this day and age of airlines skimping and charging for every little thing, Continental appears to be one of the last hold outs. Not only did we not have to pay for our checked luggage, but we were served dinner (lasagna with green salad, dinner roll, and a package of Pepperage Farm Milano cookies), and a small breakfast as well.
OK - on to the good stuff... we arrived at Heathrow airport on time, to a sunny clear day. We took two trains to the neighborhood we are staying in (which is really cute and we like it - close to everything) and dropped off our luggage. It was only 9 a.m. and check in wasn't until 2 p.m. We were exhausted from not being able to sleep on the plane, but we still wanted to get out and explore...
We started off by walking to Buckingham Palace. I have to admit that I felt a bit cheated because the iconic guards in the red uniforms and big black hats were not there. It was still neat to see the palace and walk around the park. This is one very cool thing I've noticed about London - there are lots of beautiful parks everywhere. From the palace, we walked to Big Ben, West Minster Abby and all of the sights in between. I am awed by the beautiful architecture everywhere!
Around 11:30 we were hungry, so we stopped at this quaint looking pub called The Albert. Apparently, royalty eat there (or so the pub claims.) The food was...interesting...I don't know how else to explain. We both got burgers - Eric had some weird burger with a fried egg on top. Both of our burgers had salad on the bun with the burger. Very different, but the "chips" (fries) were good.
From lunch we wandered back to Buckingham Palace to see what type of guards had come out since the changing of the guard had taken place at 11:30. This time, they had the black puffy hats, but grey coats instead of red. I was just happy to see the puffy hats. We then wandered to Hyde park, which is this beautiful, huge park, which reminded us of Central Park in New York. The weather was so gorgeous that we decided to sit down on the grass...where we fell asleep for about an hour! Thankfully there were tons of people around and lots of little children too.
Refreshed from our nap, we headed back to the hotel. We stopped at a little corner market and picked up the same Lipton Peach Ice Tea that we enjoyed so much in Paris. We also bought chocolate bars. Rick Steve's said that the Kit Kat bars were different here - and he was right. Much richer. I could only eat one piece. Eric got some gooey caramel Cadbury bar. Very tasty.
Now we are off for our greatest adventure - looking at our eyelids for a couple of hours. Hope you are all well. More adventures to come...
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