ONE MORE DAY--LONDON, DAY 8

Friday, June 8

   

We ate breakfast at Caffe Nero, knowing that today would be our last full day to enjoy the sights and sounds of England.  I ate an almond croissant before realizing that I had actually planned to order porridge before leaving London.  Oh, well.  I can make oatmeal at home.  Home seemed so very far away, like something from another lifetime.  Actually, home WAS so very far away, but we would be returning after just one more day.

After breakfast, we walked the short distance to Paddington Station to buy train tickets to the town of Windsor, where the Queen's favorite home away from home is located--Windsor Castle.  We have a real talent for embarrassing ourselves in unfamiliar situations.  It took us forever even to rationalize where to go to buy the train tickets.  Such tourists!

Tickets in hand, we scurried through the large station to the platform we thought would get us on the correct train.  In time, we found some employees and asked where, exactly, we needed to go to catch the train to Windsor.  We were told to go several platforms over from where we were and that the train would arrive in about ten minutes.

We boarded the right train and headed for a little village just outside of London called Slough (rhymes with plow), changed trains, and quickly arrived in Windsor, a town of about 30,000. 

Luckily, the train station has more than adequate shopping and restaurant facilities, and we stumbled onto a Caffe Nero, where we grabbed a ham and cheese pannini before heading across the street--yes, across the street--to the castle.

After waiting in an insanely long line we purchased our Windsor tickets and were allowed to enter the grounds of the castle.  I had flashbacks to the long lines at Six Flags.  While waiting, I could not help but notice the thousand plus year old wall that we were standing beside and how moss and flowers were growing right out of it.

Once the tickets were purchased and we were properly and thoroughly inspected, we entered the gates of Windsor and began our audio tour. 

The State Apartments at Windsor are amazing.  We expected to go through about three rooms.  Wrong.  It was something like twenty rooms.  Huge rooms.  Once again, we needed a full day to see Windsor Castle but only had a few hours.  Many times on our trip we felt like the Griswalds.

The rooms in the State Apartments are exquisite and difficult to describe.  Just imagine never-ending glitz and glitter from floor to ceiling and you have it.  Unfortunately, there are no pictures--no photography allowed inside the castle.  No problem.  I was mostly impressed with the gardens and fountains anyway and never tired of taking pictures of these.

Unfortunately, all of the dates are wrong on these photos.  They were taken June 8, 2012, not January 2, 2006.  Darned camera operator.  (I have only myself to blame.)

After leaving the castle, we strolled through the town of Windsor.  It looks like this.

Streets of Windsor

I was determined to purchase something that would remind me of our time in England, so I decided a small silver ring would do the trick.  As we completed the transaction, the store clerk asked if we had seen much of the town of Windsor.  She said we definitely needed to see the Long Walk before catching the train back to London.

Unfortunately, this meant walking all the way back through town.  My feet were aching, and Glenn was getting cranky, but we knew we might never have this opportunity again.  We followed the route she gave us and soon reached our destination.  It was well worth sore feet and a grouchy disposition.

Connie on the Long Walk

Glenn and Connie on the Long Walk with Castle Gates in the background

We met a young couple--he was from Florida, and she lived in London.  We exchanged cameras, and they made pictures of us, and we made pictures of them.  That works out well unless you ARE the Griswalds, and the friendly photographer runs away with your camera.   

Feeling satisfied that we had seen and done all we could physically handle in one day, we returned to the train station and waited for the little train that runs between Slough and Windsor.  By this time we knew we had spent one of the most memorable days of our entire trip and we were ready to get back to London.

The Train Station in Slough

We walked from Paddington to The Swan to enjoy one last night of Fish and Chips and Mushy Peas.  As we sat and ate we felt quite at home in our little pub.  We were filled with mixed emotions knowing that tomorrow we would leave, maybe never to return, but satisfied that we had made memories that would last a lifetime.

LONDON TRIP--DAY 7

Thursday, June 7


We are up and at 'em and off to Caffe Nero.  Today is going to be a busy day, and we need all the espresso shots we can get!

One of the things on our agenda that we have not had time for is the British Museum.  It is filled with artifacts from Egypt, Assyria, Greece, and everywhere else you can imagine.  It would take days to see everything there, and we only have a couple of hours.  How sad.

It is raining again and cold, so we take the Tube to the station nearest the Museum and walk until we arrive at our destination.

Once inside we were amazed at the glass-domed lobby, called the Great Court.

After a few minutes of oohing and aahing over the beauty of this room, we located the Egyptian exhibit and waited our turn to see the Rosetta Stone.  It was discovered in the Egyptian desert in 1799.  Upon it is the same phrase repeated in three different languages, thereby helping linguists to decipher hieroglyphics.

Another interesting display is the upper half of the statue of Ramesses II (1270 B.C.).  This is most likely the Pharoah that Moses confronted when he said, "Let my people go!"

At the entrance of the Assyrian exhibit are two human-headed winged lions (865-860 B.C.).  These lions guarded an Assyrian palace.

From there we toured rooms of Greek statues, vases, and jewelry and were amazed that we had covered such a small part of the museum. 

We began to prioritize the artifacts that we really wanted to see and decided that Egyptian mummies were high on the list.

We also saw mummies of cats.

So was Lindow man, also known as Bog Man, who was the victim of a Druid human-sacrifice ritual.  His body was preserved 2,000 years in a peat bog, and his wounds are still visible.

We ended our visit to the British Museum and headed for some place to eat before trying to squeeze in a visit to the British Library before our tour of St. Paul's Cathedral and Evensong.  Burger King was our best option.  Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce . . . .


We hopped another Tube train and located the
British Library.  By the time we arrived, the rain had really set in, so it was nice to have a place to stay dry.  At the library, we were greeted by a statue of a naked Sir Isaac Newton bending forward measuring the universe with a compass.  Interesting.

We visited the Sir John Riblat Gallery which contains early works of writers such as Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Ben Jonson.  A page of Handel's Messiah was on display as well as lyrics to famous Beatles songs hand-written by John, Paul, George, and Ringo.  We saw the Gutenberg Bible and copies of the Magna Carta.

Time was getting away from us, and we hurried to St. Paul's Cathedral so that we would have time to tour before Evensong began at 5:00 o'clock.  Photography is not allowed inside, but here is a picture taken outside.

St. Paul's was designed by Sir Christopher Wren.  He spent forty years working on this cathedral and was able to see its completion at the age of 75.  During World War II it was hit by twenty-eight bombs.  It was the site of Winston Churchill's funeral and Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding in 1981.  And on Tuesday of this week, only two days before, St. Paul's had hosted the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Thanksgiving Service. 

We attended the Evensong service that afternoon.  We were told to sit under the dome.  I didn't count the number of people attending the service, but I would estimate at least three hundred others were there.  I especially loved hearing the organ and the choir.  When the collection basket came around, Glenn ended up holding it and no one came to get it from him.  He sat and held it for several minutes and finally set it down in the aisle hoping that one of the ushers would come to get it sooner or later.  At the end of the service, the priests and choir processed out and the congregation was told to follow them.  I guess that is a good way to get everyone to leave quickly.

We were exhausted from our long day, so we located the nearest Underground station and waited for a train.  They were unbelievably crowded that day, so we had to pass up four trains before we were able to board one.  I was disturbed because there were no seats and also nothing to hold onto.  Glenn assured me that as packed as the train was there was no way I would fall.  He was right.  We were sardines packed in a fast-moving can.

While standing and waiting for said train for at least a half hour, I couldn't help but notice this advertisement for whiskey in the Tube station.  It shows a very solemn Queen Victoria . . .

and reads as follows:  "Jack Daniel was so proud of the whiskey he created that he wanted to share it with the world.  That's why, in 1892, he sent Queen Victoria a barrel as a gift, confident his charcoal-mellowed whiskey would be appreciated by a woman accustomed to the finer things.  He never heard back, but Jack was certain someone, somewhere was very appreciative."

We had become creatures of habit.  We went back to The Swan for more Fish & Chips and Mushy Peas, but this time we topped it off with delicious Apple Pie w/ Ice Cream.  What a way to spend the day!

LONDON TRIP--DAY 6

Wednesday, June 6


Of course, you know we started out at Caffe Nero with our two shots of espresso and almond croissants.  We had become "regulars" there--they really didn't have to ask what we wanted.  They just knew we wanted our coffee, that we wanted to add our own cream, that we would buy a newspaper, that we would get two pastries, and that we would head for the two comfy chairs in the back.  Period.

Buckingham Palace was on the agenda for the day.  The Queen's Thanksgiving Service had been on Tuesday at St. Paul's Cathedral, so we felt pretty certain that life would be back to normal at the Palace.  We were wrong.

We took the Tube to the nearest station and walked the couple of blocks to reach our destination only to discover that the entire area was surrounded by barricades.  Officials told us that they were not sure that we could get close to the Palace or that there would even be a Changing of the Guard.  Our best chance would be to walk through St. James's Park and hope for the best.  When we got inside the park I took this picture.  I still don't know what is in the background, but I think it may be St. James's Palace where Charles and Camilla currently reside.

We continued to walk, walk, and walk until we reached what they call the Mall (rhymes with pal) where, if you watched the Concert on Monday night, EVERYONE, and I do mean EVERYONE, was standing.
It was lined with porta-potties.  We walked until we could actually see Buckingham Palace; at this point, there was another barricade.  Many people lined the streets, but Glenn and I were somehow in a very good spot.  A British bobby walked over and said in a very authoritative voice, "I'm going to say this one time.  If you want to see the Changing of the Guard you will follow me right now."  Needless to say, we did exactly what we were told.  The stage and bleachers were all still in place from Monday night's concert, but workmen were trying very hard to disassemble it all.

We settled in near the Palace gate to watch whatever it was that they planned to do. I feel that what we saw was a somewhat modified version of the real Changing of the Guard, but it lasted a long time, and I'm not complaining.

Next on the agenda for the day was a visit to Westminster Abbey.  Before we could begin our tour we had to find a place to eat lunch.  Unfamiliar with that particular part of town we were hoping for a Caffe Nero, where we could feel at home.  We did not find one; however, we did find a pub that was full of businessmen and women, so we knew it would be a good choice.  Pub protocol is as follows:  1) You find a table; 2) You look over the menu and decide what you want to eat; 3) You go to the bar, order your food, and pay.  When it is ready, someone brings your food to you.  No tipping is expected.  

We found our table and eagerly began to examine the menu.  Did we really want to eat more fish and chips?  Seriously.  A hamburger?  Not making that mistake again.  We continued to look at our options.  After several minutes, we felt that the Salmon Quiche and Salad was the least weird food choice that could be made.  When it arrived, we were relieved that it was actually pretty tasty. 

Westminster Abbey was next on the agenda.



This has been the site of all British coronations since the 1000s.  It is where Elizabeth married Prince Phillip and where William married Catherine.  Unfortunately, all photography is prohibited inside the Abbey.  Everyone is given an audio device in his or her language which allows you to walk around to specific stations, choose that number on the player, and listen to narration about that particular area. 

Poet's Corner is an amazing part of Westminster.  It is the burial place of many famous British authors like Chaucer and the Bronte sisters.  Even Sir Laurence Olivier is buried there.  The burial site we were most interested in finding, however, was that of Thomas Parr, who is said to have lived to the age of 152.  Having traced Glenn's ancestry to London, we feel that Thomas must be a distant relative, but we do not believe that he was actually 152 when he died.  Anyway, someone did; and because of that, he was laid to rest among all of the famous people in Poet's Corner.  We searched and searched for his tombstone and were about to give up when I just happened to look down.  I was standing on his final resting place. 

Les Miserables was the icing on the cake for the day.  We were exhausted and wanted desperately to go back to the hotel for a quick nap before heading to the Queen's Theater near Leicester Square, but we were afraid to chance the Tube at that time of day.  Therefore, with over two hours to kill before it started, we visited the Rainforest Cafe for a leisurely light meal and then found a Ben and Jerry's to top it off.  Our seats were on Row 12, and we were well-pleased with the performance.  "One More Day" became our theme song for Friday since we were leaving on Saturday.

When we left the Queen's Theatre, we made our way to the nearby Tube Station and enjoyed seeing the beautiful lights of London's Theatre District.  Late night on Wednesday.  Early rise on Thursday.  After all, we still had to see the British Museum and St. Paul's Cathedral. 

LONDON--DAY 5

Tuesday, June 5

Today is Day 5 of our London Journey, and we are feeling energized and ready for another full day of sightseeing.  Two shots of espresso in a cup of grande Americano will do that to you.  We love Caffe Nero.

On the agenda for today is a walk through Kensington Garden to the bridge that crosses over The Serpentine, continuing on to the Prince Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, and a tour of Kensington Palace.  This was the plan for the morning.  We made our way to the bridge, Glenn posed for a picture with an incredible background, I readied the camera, and then realized the batteries were still in the charger in our hotel room.  We retraced our steps there and back, and then I took this picture.

Our walk continued through Kensington Garden until we arrived at the Prince Albert Memorial.

 

I have become quite intrigued with the love story between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  They were married for about twenty years before his untimely death at the age of 42 from typhoid.  Albert co-ruled with Queen Victoria, especially during the time that she was having their nine children.  After his death she wore black until her death some forty-three years later.  Queen Victoria had this memorial built in his memory.  She reigned for sixty-three years and was Queen Elizabeth’s great-great grandmother.  If Elizabeth continues on the throne for another three years, she will then surpass Queen Victoria as the longest reigning monarch in Great Britain.

Across from the memorial is the Royal Albert Hall where many of London’s concerts are held.

Again we walked until we arrived at Kensington Palace

where William and Kate and Prince Harry are moving soon.  This has been the home of several monarchs including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  The photographs that followed were taken without flash, so they are somewhat difficult to see.

Queen Victoria's Wedding Dress

Connie on the stair going to the King's apartment

Glenn at Kensington

King's robe lined in ermine

Princess Diana lived there from 1981 until her death in 1997.  Five of her dresses are on display there, but one of the most interesting things I saw was the wallpaper in the hallways leading to the Diana exhibit.

Flash photography was not allowed, but I was able to get a fairly good picture of a dress I actually remembered seeing Diana wear.

One of Princess Diana's dresses on display at Kensington Palace

                                

After spending several hours touring Kensington, we passed a Pizza Hut and thoroughly enjoyed our lunch.  On the way there, we passed a TK Maxx, England's version of TJ Maxx.  

Next on our agenda was Harrod's and we quickly found the Egyptian escalator and the memorial to Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed.

One of the most amazing things at Harrod's was the food area.  Notice the beautiful ceiling.

Harrod's Food Court

By the time we left Harrod's, rain had set in for the day, but we made our way to the London Eye anyway and boarded one of the cars.  Each car holds more than twenty people. 

View of the Eye with Big Ben in the center

Typical London Rainy Day on the London Eye

Parliament and Big Ben from the London  Eye

After riding the Eye, we found this cut-out of William and Kate and posed for a picture.

 

We then returned to Hard Rock for a satisfying American meal of nachos and apple cobbler before heading back to the hotel to plan day 6 of our trip.