TRIP REPORT : Kenderina in London
Aug 3rd, 2005, 11:33 AM
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TRIP REPORT : Kenderina in London
First of all, I hope you forgive me for not saying a word here since I came back, I had lot of things to do these days that I had delayed because of the trip.
Now , let's go to the report
********************************************
THE CHARACTERS
Me, Patty (my real name is Patricia). You know, disabled so not the kind of people that go everywhere walking
Emilio, my best (male) friend. He is a nice travel companion but he got ill two days before the trip so his time in London was not as good as it should be.And, he is afraid of flight!! He is OK now
Alina, my best (female) friend. She is from Romania but she lives and works now in Edinburgh. She arrived to London after a fortnight work in Lisbon. She's a true business woman !!!
THE AIRPORTS
Valencia's airport is a little one. So the lines are BIG for easy jet flights.
The plane was rather new, the crew only spoke English (a nice thing when you travel from Spain, doesn't it ?), the prices were not so high (1 euro for a coke)and the schedule great , we arrived 5 minutes before the time
For the return flight we had a bigger plan, a little more older.
At Stansted airport the police control was just fine and quick. Even the policemen said goodbye to Emilio this way : "Arrivederci, signore". Emilio was delighted because he believed the policemen had taken him for an italian..I think he was learning the language and say the same thing to everybody.
I didn't notice more police in Stansted than it's usual in airports. Everyone looks very relaxed even it was absolutely crowded.
We had booked "just airports" for the transfer as most of you advise here and it went really smooth. Oh, well, the one who drived us to London was a muslim and it was his praying time..so he had a cassette with the prayings and asked us if we minded him to pray. We didn't mind so he began his prayings..I've never thought that when we arrived to London he still was praying. Emilio and I had some laughs about it after the trip.
THE HOTEL
It was the Hilton London Euston. I booked it on their website for 90 pounds /night including taxes. It's a 4 star and I sincerely loved it.Despite the name, it's in Bloomsbury , besides Tavistock Square. Very quiet and we felt safe even late at night. The building is rather old but everything is modernised. It has two elevators for only 4 floors and 150 rooms. We were in the 4th, the smoking floor. (Yes, we do smoke).
The staff is very welcoming, kind and efficient.
We had a big room for London standards and the bathroom was also very good. I think it worths every penny.
My friend alina booked herself a room at the Royal National Hotel(our hotel was full when she knew she could come to London with us) and she sweared not to be there never again.
It was an almost 1000 rooms hotel where you can get lost inside and with the smallest bathroom I've ever seen. And I thought that the bathroom in my first visit to London was a small one..I need to watch again to Sesame Street for the small-large lesson !!
LONDON
Well, most of you know London better that me.
On our first night we explored a bit Bloomsbury and got dinner on a Chinese Restaurant in Woburn Place, Poons. Good chinese meal and cheap. 10 pounds a menu which we were not able to finish !!!
We booked the touristic bus (Original London Tour) for our first full day, it was great but very very tiring to be done all in the same day. We took it at 10 AM and at 5 AM (after a stop in the Tower for lunch, we ate sandwiches)Emilio got asleep and I had a terrible desire to leave the bus so when we arrived to the Madame Tussaud's stop ..we went down the bus and took a taxi to the hotel.
Emilio wanted to see Picadilly but I told him the place is not so beautiful to make the effort while he was sleeping !!!
So we rested a bit at the hotel and when Alina arrived from Lisbon we went to have dinner at Tas Restaurant in Bloomsbury Street. It's a greek-turkish restaurant and I loved it. The only drawback for me is I don't like mint at all, and they seem to use it in most dishes. But I recommend to give it a try, it's not really expensive, the waiters are really kind and helpful and the food is very good !!!
Next day we went to the Shakespeare's Globe. It's just beautiful, I was excited to be there and have not many words to explain how I felt. And it's free for disabled !!. I recommend it without doubt, even if you , like me, cannot go to a play.
I tried but there were no seats left (not even groundling tickets!!).
We took some sandwiches at the Starbucks next to the Globe and,
after that , Alina and I rushed to the Sadler's Wells Theatre for a matinee at 2:30 PM. I had booked from Spain two tickets to see "Les liasons dangereouses", a new ballet coreographed and danced by Adam Cooper. It was my first time at the ballet and it was very very special for me.
Alina is a fan of ballet and opera and she was as delighted as me, that man really dances !!!!!
If you like ballet and are in London before August 16, just go and see it. You won't regret !!
Emilio was taking a nap (poor guy, his diarrhea didn't let him to have a good asleep in the night) so we woke him up, took a taxi and went to Covent Garden for the rest of the day. Shopping first and then another nice dinner at Rock Garden in the piazza. I found it cheap because the food was very tasty and the place has no comparison to any other thing I've seen in London. It was 60 pounds for the three of us, eating a la carte and in the terrace.
THAT'S ALL FOLKS
I finally discovered why England people loves tea..their coffee is the worst thing I've tasted in my whole life. Not even with milk and lots of sugar can get sweeter. So if you like bitter coffee..just ask for it, it's everywhere !
I also discovered I can speak English fairly well ..but I cannot understand most people talking !!
And the most important of my discoveries is that I want to go back to London, many, many , many times in my life, I still have so much to do, so much to see, so much to enjoy !!!!
Love you all
Patty
Now , let's go to the report
********************************************
THE CHARACTERS
Me, Patty (my real name is Patricia). You know, disabled so not the kind of people that go everywhere walking
Emilio, my best (male) friend. He is a nice travel companion but he got ill two days before the trip so his time in London was not as good as it should be.And, he is afraid of flight!! He is OK now
Alina, my best (female) friend. She is from Romania but she lives and works now in Edinburgh. She arrived to London after a fortnight work in Lisbon. She's a true business woman !!!
THE AIRPORTS
Valencia's airport is a little one. So the lines are BIG for easy jet flights.
The plane was rather new, the crew only spoke English (a nice thing when you travel from Spain, doesn't it ?), the prices were not so high (1 euro for a coke)and the schedule great , we arrived 5 minutes before the time
For the return flight we had a bigger plan, a little more older.
At Stansted airport the police control was just fine and quick. Even the policemen said goodbye to Emilio this way : "Arrivederci, signore". Emilio was delighted because he believed the policemen had taken him for an italian..I think he was learning the language and say the same thing to everybody.
I didn't notice more police in Stansted than it's usual in airports. Everyone looks very relaxed even it was absolutely crowded.
We had booked "just airports" for the transfer as most of you advise here and it went really smooth. Oh, well, the one who drived us to London was a muslim and it was his praying time..so he had a cassette with the prayings and asked us if we minded him to pray. We didn't mind so he began his prayings..I've never thought that when we arrived to London he still was praying. Emilio and I had some laughs about it after the trip.
THE HOTEL
It was the Hilton London Euston. I booked it on their website for 90 pounds /night including taxes. It's a 4 star and I sincerely loved it.Despite the name, it's in Bloomsbury , besides Tavistock Square. Very quiet and we felt safe even late at night. The building is rather old but everything is modernised. It has two elevators for only 4 floors and 150 rooms. We were in the 4th, the smoking floor. (Yes, we do smoke).
The staff is very welcoming, kind and efficient.
We had a big room for London standards and the bathroom was also very good. I think it worths every penny.
My friend alina booked herself a room at the Royal National Hotel(our hotel was full when she knew she could come to London with us) and she sweared not to be there never again.
It was an almost 1000 rooms hotel where you can get lost inside and with the smallest bathroom I've ever seen. And I thought that the bathroom in my first visit to London was a small one..I need to watch again to Sesame Street for the small-large lesson !!
LONDON
Well, most of you know London better that me.
On our first night we explored a bit Bloomsbury and got dinner on a Chinese Restaurant in Woburn Place, Poons. Good chinese meal and cheap. 10 pounds a menu which we were not able to finish !!!
We booked the touristic bus (Original London Tour) for our first full day, it was great but very very tiring to be done all in the same day. We took it at 10 AM and at 5 AM (after a stop in the Tower for lunch, we ate sandwiches)Emilio got asleep and I had a terrible desire to leave the bus so when we arrived to the Madame Tussaud's stop ..we went down the bus and took a taxi to the hotel.
Emilio wanted to see Picadilly but I told him the place is not so beautiful to make the effort while he was sleeping !!!
So we rested a bit at the hotel and when Alina arrived from Lisbon we went to have dinner at Tas Restaurant in Bloomsbury Street. It's a greek-turkish restaurant and I loved it. The only drawback for me is I don't like mint at all, and they seem to use it in most dishes. But I recommend to give it a try, it's not really expensive, the waiters are really kind and helpful and the food is very good !!!
Next day we went to the Shakespeare's Globe. It's just beautiful, I was excited to be there and have not many words to explain how I felt. And it's free for disabled !!. I recommend it without doubt, even if you , like me, cannot go to a play.
I tried but there were no seats left (not even groundling tickets!!).
We took some sandwiches at the Starbucks next to the Globe and,
after that , Alina and I rushed to the Sadler's Wells Theatre for a matinee at 2:30 PM. I had booked from Spain two tickets to see "Les liasons dangereouses", a new ballet coreographed and danced by Adam Cooper. It was my first time at the ballet and it was very very special for me.
Alina is a fan of ballet and opera and she was as delighted as me, that man really dances !!!!!
If you like ballet and are in London before August 16, just go and see it. You won't regret !!
Emilio was taking a nap (poor guy, his diarrhea didn't let him to have a good asleep in the night) so we woke him up, took a taxi and went to Covent Garden for the rest of the day. Shopping first and then another nice dinner at Rock Garden in the piazza. I found it cheap because the food was very tasty and the place has no comparison to any other thing I've seen in London. It was 60 pounds for the three of us, eating a la carte and in the terrace.
THAT'S ALL FOLKS
I finally discovered why England people loves tea..their coffee is the worst thing I've tasted in my whole life. Not even with milk and lots of sugar can get sweeter. So if you like bitter coffee..just ask for it, it's everywhere !
I also discovered I can speak English fairly well ..but I cannot understand most people talking !!
And the most important of my discoveries is that I want to go back to London, many, many , many times in my life, I still have so much to do, so much to see, so much to enjoy !!!!
Love you all
Patty
Aug 3rd, 2005, 01:18 PM
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Great report kenderina/Patty! I was waiting to see your post and how your trip turned out.
Yes, I think you will go back to London many, many. many times
Maybe combine it w/ a trip to Edinburgh to visit your friend. London plus Edinburgh makes a terrific holiday.
Yes, I think you will go back to London many, many. many times
Maybe combine it w/ a trip to Edinburgh to visit your friend. London plus Edinburgh makes a terrific holiday.
Aug 3rd, 2005, 03:07 PM
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kenderina, I have a hard time understanding some people in London too. It's like they swallow whole syllables.
I'm glad you liked staying in that area. I will be nearby when I go in a couple weeks, and it's a bit disconcerting to think some of the terrorist attacks were right there.
I'm glad you liked staying in that area. I will be nearby when I go in a couple weeks, and it's a bit disconcerting to think some of the terrorist attacks were right there.
Aug 3rd, 2005, 03:11 PM
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Yes, I liked it a lot and it's absolutely peaceful with so many trees in the squares that they seem to me the forest It seems incredible that something so horrible had taken place there.
I hope you have a great time there, Will
It seems incredible that something so horrible had taken place there.I hope you have a great time there, Will
Aug 9th, 2005, 07:40 AM
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Patty, if your spoken english is as good as your written english, then you speak better english than half the English!
Glad you enjoyed my home town. How did you cope with the early eating hours in the evening?
Hope you come back soon!
Kate
London
Glad you enjoyed my home town. How did you cope with the early eating hours in the evening?
Hope you come back soon!
Kate
London
Aug 9th, 2005, 08:18 AM
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Thanks , Kate !! My spoken English is not as good, I'm not very fluent due to the lack of practice. But I managed quite well though I got a bit nervous because I didn't understand very well to other people, standard English accent is not the rule in London 
We didn't have problems to have dinner around 9 : 30/10 except the day we arrived from the airport past 9 o'clock. It seems in most Bloomsbury places close the kitchen at 9. But still we found the Poons opened so we had a nice meal
Thanks, Suzie Emilio still is not fully ok but he's getting better.
We didn't have problems to have dinner around 9 : 30/10 except the day we arrived from the airport past 9 o'clock. It seems in most Bloomsbury places close the kitchen at 9. But still we found the Poons opened so we had a nice meal
Thanks, Suzie
Emilio still is not fully ok but he's getting better.
