Europe Calling
Jun 7th, 2018, 06:31 PM
#1
Original Poster
Europe Calling
Our trip planning started in December when hearing about the flight deals on Air New Zealand we bought tickets from LAX to LHR. I really should say I but my husband agreed probably because he was half asleep when I bought the tickets. 
We had many options and ulimately decided to go to the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK. Our itinerary was :
Haarlem- 4 nights
Ghent-3 nights
London-5 nights
And We Are Off-
Day 1-2
I don’t know about you but working full time and getting packed is very hard for me. This trip I decided to take Thursday off in order to pack and get the dogs ready for the house sitter. Great idea until I spent the better half of the day with work on the phone. Computer issues aside, I was able to finish packing and took the dogs on a long walk before falling into bed.
Our flight from SMF to LAX the next morning was uneventful. Flying over Yosemite made for some nice views and made me want to go visit in the fall. We had a long walk between terminals and then lunch at the Earl of Sandwich. We shared a Earls Club on whole wheat and people watched until we checked in for our flight.
Thanks to Mai Tai Tom and the Air New Zealand Sale, we flew Air New Zealand direct LAX to LHR. We thought we had good seats and settled in for our flight. Dinner included wines from New Zealand which was a treat and dinner was very good. I was relaxed and ready to watch a movie when a three year old behind me decided to kick at my seat for the next 5 hours. Loved the airline but not the 3 year old.
Arrived to a cool and cloudy London at 1140 then proceeded to hoof it to terminal 4 for our connecting flight to Amsterdam. We were able to accomplish this in all under an hour🙂
After landing in Amsterdam we decided to get a taxi to take us to our place for four nights in Haarlem. We thought about taking the bus or the train but we were tired after traveling and so we opted for 20 minutes instead of an hour. We had rented a darling apt. right across from a river. The owner, Hans was there to meet us show us the apartment and answered all of our questions. High ceilings with beautiful moldings but renovated to make a wonderful mix of old and new.
Refreshed after a quick shower we stepped out our apartment and dove into Haarlem. We could not of had a nicer evening for our first experience in Haarlem. We let the river guide us toward the square. We passed the paint roller bridge which became a good location beacon for us in the days ahead.
It was a beautiful Saturday night with people eating along the river. The restaurants were hopping and boats were cruising along the river. We stopped at Ome Pietje and sat enjoying the river treating ourselves to dutch beer with a chauteree of bread, hams, smoked egg salad and a roasted tomato jam.
This was what we were ready for when we started planning our trip.
After this, we were not very hungry for dinner so we headed back to climb into bed. Got lost om the way back and found a grocery store for some items. Bed by 1030 and don’t even remember falling asleep..
Day 2- Bus Rides, Tulips and Frites
We had many options and ulimately decided to go to the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK. Our itinerary was :Haarlem- 4 nights
Ghent-3 nights
London-5 nights
And We Are Off-
Day 1-2
I don’t know about you but working full time and getting packed is very hard for me. This trip I decided to take Thursday off in order to pack and get the dogs ready for the house sitter. Great idea until I spent the better half of the day with work on the phone. Computer issues aside, I was able to finish packing and took the dogs on a long walk before falling into bed.
Our flight from SMF to LAX the next morning was uneventful. Flying over Yosemite made for some nice views and made me want to go visit in the fall. We had a long walk between terminals and then lunch at the Earl of Sandwich. We shared a Earls Club on whole wheat and people watched until we checked in for our flight.
Thanks to Mai Tai Tom and the Air New Zealand Sale, we flew Air New Zealand direct LAX to LHR. We thought we had good seats and settled in for our flight. Dinner included wines from New Zealand which was a treat and dinner was very good. I was relaxed and ready to watch a movie when a three year old behind me decided to kick at my seat for the next 5 hours. Loved the airline but not the 3 year old.
Arrived to a cool and cloudy London at 1140 then proceeded to hoof it to terminal 4 for our connecting flight to Amsterdam. We were able to accomplish this in all under an hour🙂
After landing in Amsterdam we decided to get a taxi to take us to our place for four nights in Haarlem. We thought about taking the bus or the train but we were tired after traveling and so we opted for 20 minutes instead of an hour. We had rented a darling apt. right across from a river. The owner, Hans was there to meet us show us the apartment and answered all of our questions. High ceilings with beautiful moldings but renovated to make a wonderful mix of old and new.
Refreshed after a quick shower we stepped out our apartment and dove into Haarlem. We could not of had a nicer evening for our first experience in Haarlem. We let the river guide us toward the square. We passed the paint roller bridge which became a good location beacon for us in the days ahead.
It was a beautiful Saturday night with people eating along the river. The restaurants were hopping and boats were cruising along the river. We stopped at Ome Pietje and sat enjoying the river treating ourselves to dutch beer with a chauteree of bread, hams, smoked egg salad and a roasted tomato jam.
This was what we were ready for when we started planning our trip.
After this, we were not very hungry for dinner so we headed back to climb into bed. Got lost om the way back and found a grocery store for some items. Bed by 1030 and don’t even remember falling asleep..
Day 2- Bus Rides, Tulips and Frites
Jun 10th, 2018, 12:01 PM
#6
Original Poster
Day 2- Bus Rides, Tulips and Frites
Ok, so I love gardens and when I realized that we would be able to go to the last day at the Keukenhoff Gardens I was pretty excited. After reading about whether or not the tulips would be at their best we decided to go anyways and I am glad we did. I bought the tickets online and was able to save them to my phone.
We woke up to a cloudy sky with sprinkles here and there. The walk from the apartment to the train station was about 20 minutes. It was a walk we enjoyed both ways every time. We caught bus 51 at the train station. They have one leaving every 15 minutes and drops you in Lisse. The bus ride was great and took us past homes, tulip fields and parks. A ten minute walk took us to the front of the Keukenhoff garden. I had pre purchased our combi tickets online had them saved to my phone so we did not have to wait in any lines and I told the bus driver that we had bought them he did not even want to see the ticket.
The history of Keukenhof dates back to the 15th century. Countess Jacoba van Beieren [Jacqueline of Bavaria] (1401-1436) gathered fruit and vegetables from the Keukenduin [kitchen dunes] for the kitchen of Teylingen Castle. I also read that she added a small herb garden near the kitchen. This is where the area got its name Keukenhof, which literally means ‘Kitchen Courtyard’. So I am not sure if both of these are correct or just one. Keukenhof Castle was built in 1641 and the estate grew to encompass an area of over 490 acres.
Fast forward to the 19th century and Baron and Baroness Van Pallandt wanted to have a garden that was more in an English Landscape style. They hired architects, a father son team, who designed Vondelpark in Amsterdam. The garden was designed in an English landscape style. The 97 acres has the same basis from the architects Zocher design.
Walking into the gardens was a treat. The swaths of color and the design of the garden drew us down paths that would lead us to other paths. We wove in and out of paths for hours. Music drew us to the back of the park and we were treated to an umbrella dressed opera singer. We sat and enjoyed a cold beer along with some apple pie. Interesting mix but I had heard the pie was really good and we had already been walking for hours.
The garden has many great spots to discover. It has many areas set up for picture taking and I loved the children’s playground. Not at all like the playgrounds in America. The playground had many climbing opportunities . When we walked by children were going on a small zip line from one end to the other while another was sliding off the roof of a playhouse.
We went through the hot houses and ended up finding the frites truck where we shared some crispy fries. They have different dips to choose from and I have to say that they were very good.
After 6 hours in the park we left and walked the ten minutes back to the bus stop where we did not have a long wait until we boarded the bus back to Haarlem.
For those interested, 2019 will be the 70th anniversary for the gardens. We went on the last day so the fields surrounding the garden were pretty much finished. The garden itself was still very beautiful even though some of the tulips were starting to fade. I do think that they do an amazing job keeping the garden looking great for 8 weeks.
It started drizzling on our way back so on the walk back to the apartment we stopped at Roast Chicken Bar and got a half chicken and frites to share at the apartment. If you are ever in Haarlem and want an easy dinner the is delicious head over to this restaurant. The beer is cold, the staff is friendly and you can sit outside and enjoy the views while you have great chicken.
In all we walked 9.5 miles for the day.
Keukenhoff garden
Day 3- Utrecht and Haarlem
Jun 12th, 2018, 05:34 AM
#8
Original Poster
Day 3-
I always wake up early when we are in europe and today was no different. I got up and tried to make some coffee for my husband but for the life of me could not get the expresso machine to work. Oh well we could grab some on the way to the train station. Today we were taking a train to Utrecht to wander and look for a book store I had read about.
The day was sunny and on our way to the train station we were passed by children on their way to school. I have never seen so many bicycles in my life. All different colors with different kinds of seats. I especially liked seeing the small children riding in the front cart chatting away as their parents peddled. Crossing the bridge looking up the canal to see how the water sparkled. It makes you pause and enjoy the moment. I was so glad that we decided to stay in Haarlem. The city was comfortable.
We bought our tickets at the station and boarded the train to Utrecht. The ride was a little over an hour. We got to see the green fields, farms and canals along the way. It all made for a relaxing journey.
Disembarking at the Utrecht train station leads you to a light filled airy central area. It really was one of the better train stations so far. We went through the mall and exited to wander down a narrow lane toward the canal. We did stop in the lane and had a great lunch at De Markt. The restaurant had their windows thrown open to enjoy the sunny day. We ordered a salad and sandwich to split. That along with the Aperol and beer and we were ready to shop and explore.
Our first stop was a childrens book store called De Utrechtse KinderboekwinkeI. I had read about this book store on someones blog and it sounded great. The girl in the shop was so friendly and helped us choose some books by Dutch authors. We have a grandson who just turned one and I decided that I would try to expand his little library of books with ones that I find on the trip. Book stores are places where your imagination can run wild and take you on so many adventures without ever leaving your chair.�� Well we ended up buying 8 books and I really appreciate my husband for carrying them around in his backpack the rest of the afternoon.
We then went over to the Dom Tower of Utrecht and gazed at its height. It is the tallest church tower at 112 meters. They are testing the mortar and bricks to make sure everything is up to snuff so the upper area was draped in a cover. We thought about climbing to the top but decided to walk out of town a bit and follow the canal. There were workers rebuilding the sides of the canals and were using a vibratory pile driver to insert the sheet piles. My husband really got a kick out of all of the rebuilding of the canal walls.
The afternoon was coming to a close and we needed to head back. After grabbing an gelato from a cute ice cream truck, we caught the train back to Haarlem. We walked through the main square and then up and down streets and side streets. The evening was comfortable and we soaked up the town of Haarlem.
Miles walked-8
I always wake up early when we are in europe and today was no different. I got up and tried to make some coffee for my husband but for the life of me could not get the expresso machine to work. Oh well we could grab some on the way to the train station. Today we were taking a train to Utrecht to wander and look for a book store I had read about.
The day was sunny and on our way to the train station we were passed by children on their way to school. I have never seen so many bicycles in my life. All different colors with different kinds of seats. I especially liked seeing the small children riding in the front cart chatting away as their parents peddled. Crossing the bridge looking up the canal to see how the water sparkled. It makes you pause and enjoy the moment. I was so glad that we decided to stay in Haarlem. The city was comfortable.
We bought our tickets at the station and boarded the train to Utrecht. The ride was a little over an hour. We got to see the green fields, farms and canals along the way. It all made for a relaxing journey.
Disembarking at the Utrecht train station leads you to a light filled airy central area. It really was one of the better train stations so far. We went through the mall and exited to wander down a narrow lane toward the canal. We did stop in the lane and had a great lunch at De Markt. The restaurant had their windows thrown open to enjoy the sunny day. We ordered a salad and sandwich to split. That along with the Aperol and beer and we were ready to shop and explore.
Our first stop was a childrens book store called De Utrechtse KinderboekwinkeI. I had read about this book store on someones blog and it sounded great. The girl in the shop was so friendly and helped us choose some books by Dutch authors. We have a grandson who just turned one and I decided that I would try to expand his little library of books with ones that I find on the trip. Book stores are places where your imagination can run wild and take you on so many adventures without ever leaving your chair.�� Well we ended up buying 8 books and I really appreciate my husband for carrying them around in his backpack the rest of the afternoon.
We then went over to the Dom Tower of Utrecht and gazed at its height. It is the tallest church tower at 112 meters. They are testing the mortar and bricks to make sure everything is up to snuff so the upper area was draped in a cover. We thought about climbing to the top but decided to walk out of town a bit and follow the canal. There were workers rebuilding the sides of the canals and were using a vibratory pile driver to insert the sheet piles. My husband really got a kick out of all of the rebuilding of the canal walls.
The afternoon was coming to a close and we needed to head back. After grabbing an gelato from a cute ice cream truck, we caught the train back to Haarlem. We walked through the main square and then up and down streets and side streets. The evening was comfortable and we soaked up the town of Haarlem.
Miles walked-8
Jun 14th, 2018, 07:59 PM
#9
Original Poster
Day 4-5
Today was Amsterdam day. We woke up to another amazing weather day and caught an early train to Amsterdam. Exiting the train station the amount of bikes just amazed us. But our stomachs were rumbling for breakfast.
Our destination was a restaurant called De Vier Pilaren. I ordered Poffertjes with strawberries and cream. My husband had a ham and cheese crepe. Add a coffee and a cappucino we were all set. But we sat and sat and sat. I did get my dutch pancakes that were small delicious rounds of goodness but we waited another 15 minutes for my husband to get his. It was weird because people who were there before us ended up leaving and people who got there after us ate and left before we finished. Regardless the food was great.
We walked to the Riks museum from the restaurant passing some boat tours along the way. I had pre purchased tickets for the Riks museum so we were able to walk straight in and avoid any lines. We opened the Riks app that guided us through rooms and levels. Wearing our headphones was a bonus because we were joined by Lots of school children. I should say very loud school children��. We were able to see some very beautiful paintings by the masters. I had watched a movie about Vermeer so was happy to see some of his work. One of my favorites was Donkey Rides on the beach by Issac Israels and In The Month Of July by Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriël. The museum is amazing from the replica boats, painting, pottery and a giant doll house. In all, we spent 4 hours in the museum.
After we left, we did go outside and enjoy a shaded spot in the garden. The kids were playing in the water and a toddler was showing his Dad how to duck. It was relaxing but we had more to do.
We bought tickets for a small boat tour but it did not leave for an hour so we walked through Vondel park and grabbed a snack and cold drinks for the boat tour. We had probably fifteen people on the boat. Captain John did a great job giving us the history of canals and homes. The ride was for an hour so by the time we got off we were ready to head back to Haarlem. We were able to catch the tram from downtown to the station. It was a great way to get back and very reasonable.
Our last night in Haarlem so we got another chicken and some salad on our way to the apartment.
Miles walked 9.5
Day-5 Travel Day
Today we were leaving for Belgium but I felt like we had just scratched the surface of the Netherlands. I would definitely like t come back and stay in Haarlem again but also rent a car and explore the rest of the country.
We had train reservations and we were gong from Haarlem to Antwerp then onto Ghent. We caught the bus to take us to the train station and got a snack there for the ride to Antwerp. I think we were kind of getting the hang of the train stations and transferring to other trains. We were able to get on the local train to take us to Ghent. When we arrived it was not sunshine that greeted us but a bit of rain.
We took a taxi to the apartment that we rented. It was on the 3rd floor of the building which had a small lift....thank goodness. The apartment was bright and airy and ended up being ok for the two nights we were staying. After dropping our bags we decided to find the market for some supplies and then find someplace for dinner. Our first choice we discovered was closed for renovations so we wandered along and found De Superette. It was a great place to kick back and enjoy ourselves. A cold Belgium beer and a hard cider to start. We ended up sharing a mortadella pizza with a pesto oil and a salad that was amazing. The restaurant was busy and the staff was great. We really enjoyed looking at their quirky art work. A nice walk through a park on the way back to the apartment was a nice way to end the evening.
Miles walked- 5
Today was Amsterdam day. We woke up to another amazing weather day and caught an early train to Amsterdam. Exiting the train station the amount of bikes just amazed us. But our stomachs were rumbling for breakfast.
Our destination was a restaurant called De Vier Pilaren. I ordered Poffertjes with strawberries and cream. My husband had a ham and cheese crepe. Add a coffee and a cappucino we were all set. But we sat and sat and sat. I did get my dutch pancakes that were small delicious rounds of goodness but we waited another 15 minutes for my husband to get his. It was weird because people who were there before us ended up leaving and people who got there after us ate and left before we finished. Regardless the food was great.
We walked to the Riks museum from the restaurant passing some boat tours along the way. I had pre purchased tickets for the Riks museum so we were able to walk straight in and avoid any lines. We opened the Riks app that guided us through rooms and levels. Wearing our headphones was a bonus because we were joined by Lots of school children. I should say very loud school children��. We were able to see some very beautiful paintings by the masters. I had watched a movie about Vermeer so was happy to see some of his work. One of my favorites was Donkey Rides on the beach by Issac Israels and In The Month Of July by Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriël. The museum is amazing from the replica boats, painting, pottery and a giant doll house. In all, we spent 4 hours in the museum.
After we left, we did go outside and enjoy a shaded spot in the garden. The kids were playing in the water and a toddler was showing his Dad how to duck. It was relaxing but we had more to do.
We bought tickets for a small boat tour but it did not leave for an hour so we walked through Vondel park and grabbed a snack and cold drinks for the boat tour. We had probably fifteen people on the boat. Captain John did a great job giving us the history of canals and homes. The ride was for an hour so by the time we got off we were ready to head back to Haarlem. We were able to catch the tram from downtown to the station. It was a great way to get back and very reasonable.
Our last night in Haarlem so we got another chicken and some salad on our way to the apartment.
Miles walked 9.5
Day-5 Travel Day
Today we were leaving for Belgium but I felt like we had just scratched the surface of the Netherlands. I would definitely like t come back and stay in Haarlem again but also rent a car and explore the rest of the country.
We had train reservations and we were gong from Haarlem to Antwerp then onto Ghent. We caught the bus to take us to the train station and got a snack there for the ride to Antwerp. I think we were kind of getting the hang of the train stations and transferring to other trains. We were able to get on the local train to take us to Ghent. When we arrived it was not sunshine that greeted us but a bit of rain.
We took a taxi to the apartment that we rented. It was on the 3rd floor of the building which had a small lift....thank goodness. The apartment was bright and airy and ended up being ok for the two nights we were staying. After dropping our bags we decided to find the market for some supplies and then find someplace for dinner. Our first choice we discovered was closed for renovations so we wandered along and found De Superette. It was a great place to kick back and enjoy ourselves. A cold Belgium beer and a hard cider to start. We ended up sharing a mortadella pizza with a pesto oil and a salad that was amazing. The restaurant was busy and the staff was great. We really enjoyed looking at their quirky art work. A nice walk through a park on the way back to the apartment was a nice way to end the evening.
Miles walked- 5
Jun 17th, 2018, 08:27 AM
#10
Original Poster
Day 6-7
We woke up and had a light breakfast. The strawberries that we bought at the market were great with the yogurt and granola. We walked through Koning Albertpark on our way to the center of town. People were walking their dogs and enjoying a beautiful morning. Our intentions for the day were to explore the town see the castle and eat some chocolate.
We found our way and enjoyed our walk through the narrow streets looking at the chocolate through the windows. We eventually found the castle. The Castle of the Counts or Gravensteen Castle originated in the middle ages. We were gong to walk the ramparts but a very foul odor prevented us and a lot of others from even entering. We walked along the river enjoying the sunny but cool day. We headed over to Het Groot Vleeshuis to check out the hall and to see the meats that were hung and after that headed over to the Korenmarkt former post office building that was built in 1909. It is a huge building that houses shops and a hotel it is also where we had lunch. We ate at an organic cafe de Korenmarkt. I went for the lunch special colorful open faced vegetable sandwich with carrot soup. My husband had a chicken sandwich and a cold Belgium beer. It was a nice lunch. We wandered through the different squares and found a cute childrens store for some more purchases. We then went by Stadshal which is a city pavilian that is a modern masterpiece in the heart of the old town square. It was a beautiful contrast to the old buildings. We decided to walk to the Belfry and see about walking to the top but by then our feet were to tired.
After 8 miles of walking we headed home and had a dinner in.
Next day dellema Stay in Ghent or go to Brugges???
We went to Brugge. Caught the local bus and went to the train station catching an early train. We followed a few people from the train into Brugge. It was a quiet and very peaceful morning. It was so nice to wander through the streets peering through the shop windows and admiring all of the chocolate. We went to House of Waffles for breakfast. Enjoyed our waffles and the service was good. We then zig zagged through the street to go to De Vos Almshouse. The beautiful white homes facing the green park and the church made for a very peaceful stroll. We went into the church, stepping on the worn stairs makes you think of all history. After that we walked through Minnewaterpark and then wove out way back to the center to take a boat ride through the canals. My niece said we had to try frietes so we got some from a cart and enjoyed them while we watched all of the people in the square. By then the quiet Brugge was the tourist Brugge, we decided to do a bit of shopping and then went to the brewery, Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan. The beer was great and the atmosphere just what you would expect from an ale house.
We left the brewery and walked back to the train station at about 5 pm. We really enjoyed Brugge and it is no wonder so many people go there, I also can understand the appeal of staying overnight in order to not have so many tourists around.
Back at the apartment we have a light dinner and packed for travel the next morning. Just in time for the royal wedding- too bad we lost our invitation.
Miles walked-8.5
Jun 17th, 2018, 11:24 AM
#11
lovely photos, paqngo!
I don't remember too much about our stay in Bruges over 30 years ago, except the fruit flavoured beer, the wonderful meal we had in a for us very high end restaurant, and the fact that we were enjoying night-time Bruges so much we got locked out of our B&B and had to knock up the proprietor who wasn't very happy. It is indeed a very lovely place in the evening.
where to next, i wonder?
I don't remember too much about our stay in Bruges over 30 years ago, except the fruit flavoured beer, the wonderful meal we had in a for us very high end restaurant, and the fact that we were enjoying night-time Bruges so much we got locked out of our B&B and had to knock up the proprietor who wasn't very happy. It is indeed a very lovely place in the evening.
where to next, i wonder?
Jun 19th, 2018, 01:57 PM
#13
Original Poster
London days 8-12
We left Ghent and took a train from Brussels to London. Bought our Oyster cards then found the train to South Kensington Station. We had a fifteen minute walk to our apartment for the next 6 nights. No lift so up 2 flights of stairs. I am glad we packed light because it still felt so heavy hauling everything up and up.
We unpacked and headed down Kings Cross Road and through a neighborhood to
The Cross Keys Pub. We were able to get a seat in the bar area and order dinner but first a toast to Harry and Megan. I loved the old wooden tables and the windows and doors were flung open to enjoy the beautiful evening. For our first impression of London this could not of been better. The food was
amazing, beer cold and the waiter was so friendly. With our stomachs full, we left and walked down the street to the Thames. We wandered around exploring and then back to the house for a good nights sleep.
The next day we decided to take a bus to the Royal Navel Observatory. We were doing good until we had to switch buses and the sign said that our bus was not coming due to road construction.. We walked down the road and found the bus parked. The driver opened the bus and said that he was on his break but to come in and he would get us to our destination. On the ride he told us all sorts of things we could do in London. We were loving London, everyone was so friendly! The meridian line was our destination and the walk through the park a big bonus. I took lots of pictures of my husband and the line. The museum and house were both very interesting. I really enjoyed the house and the history of the families who lived there. Afterwards, we grabbed a sausage and drink from a vendor and sat on the hill overlooking London. Everyone was out for the day enjoying the sun and taking the dogs and children to the park. It was a moment for us to just stop and enjoy where we were. Dinner that night was fish and chips at The Trafalger. The fish was a good sized portion and the chips were nice and crispy.
On Monday, we took the train to Kew. We walked through the town to the entrance of the garden. Arriving just before the opening we were able to just wait a short time before it opened. I loved the gardens. There were so many different areas to explore. The kitchen gardens were my favorite. The design of the different areas was so well done. The staff were out and it was obvious that they love what they do. We were able to see the “The Hive”. It is a beautiful piece of art work that highlights the extraordinary life of bees. It was great to see all of the children enjoying the park as well as elderly people being pushed in their wheelchairs out for the day. It was another amazing day in The UK. We were there for four hours and our stomachs were grumbly. We walked back to the town and had an amazing lunch at Antipodea Kew. Flank steak sandwich with goat cheese and arugula with some polenta fries. Both very good but I now want to make the polenta fries at home...they were that good. Back in Chelsea we got ready to go to a play. We went to see Bat Out Of Hell at the Dominion Theatre.
It was a good play and we enjoyed ourselves. Late night and an early morning ahead.
We decided to take a London Walks tour of Salisbury and Stonehenge. We were up at 6 to catch a train to the Waterloo station. The group met up at 8 am so we had a bit of time to grab breakfast and some snacks, Our guide was Richard and we had about 26 people in the group. We got on the train and went to Salisbury first. Walking through the town we were regaled with lots of stories and great information. The cathedral was beautiful and the tower being the 2nd tallest in Europe was impressive. We met some very nice people and had lunch with them in the cafe at the cathedral. Great food and great company. We then all met up and boarded a private bus to take us to Stonehenge. The bus took us on the backroads and we got to see some really nice homes and men fly fishing in the creeks. Stonehenge did not disappoint. Walking up we were given some great stories from Richard. The stones were magical but I am not sure if this is the right phrase. You could feel the history. We used up all of our time there looking at the stones and taking pictures so we did not have time to go through the museum. But that did not bother us. A bus ride and train ride later we were back in Chelsea by 8 pm. It was a long day but so worth it. Would we do this tour again? Yes, the guide was great and when we do come back to London I would use London Walks again.
For Our last full day in London, I wanted to explore the Borough Market so we were up and out of the apartment by 9. We grabbed a coffee on the way and got a bit lost when we were looking for the market. No worries though because another really nice Londoner told us where to go. I always go to our local farmers markets at home and this one did not disappoint. I bought spices and sausages for family and friends. We had a cheesy toast with onion jam from Kappacasien.
Lovely salty cheese toasted with a slightly sweet onion jam. We shared one and enjoyed every bite. We then found a sausage roll to share that was good to. Ok so breakfast and lunch were done we wound our way through the stalls to see everything else. In the afternoon we went to the Phycic Garden and enjoyed the peacefullness and intimacy of the garden. I got a kick out of seeing all of the plants that can be used medicinally. At about 6 we left and walked back along the river to The Cross Key Pub again. For our last night we went back to the first night and it was just as good. Steak for my husband and the hot greens for me. Loved dinner and the dessert was so good. Sticky Toffee Pudding to share. Waddling home afterward to pack for the flight home on Thursday.
We left Ghent and took a train from Brussels to London. Bought our Oyster cards then found the train to South Kensington Station. We had a fifteen minute walk to our apartment for the next 6 nights. No lift so up 2 flights of stairs. I am glad we packed light because it still felt so heavy hauling everything up and up.
We unpacked and headed down Kings Cross Road and through a neighborhood to
The Cross Keys Pub. We were able to get a seat in the bar area and order dinner but first a toast to Harry and Megan. I loved the old wooden tables and the windows and doors were flung open to enjoy the beautiful evening. For our first impression of London this could not of been better. The food was
amazing, beer cold and the waiter was so friendly. With our stomachs full, we left and walked down the street to the Thames. We wandered around exploring and then back to the house for a good nights sleep.
The next day we decided to take a bus to the Royal Navel Observatory. We were doing good until we had to switch buses and the sign said that our bus was not coming due to road construction.. We walked down the road and found the bus parked. The driver opened the bus and said that he was on his break but to come in and he would get us to our destination. On the ride he told us all sorts of things we could do in London. We were loving London, everyone was so friendly! The meridian line was our destination and the walk through the park a big bonus. I took lots of pictures of my husband and the line. The museum and house were both very interesting. I really enjoyed the house and the history of the families who lived there. Afterwards, we grabbed a sausage and drink from a vendor and sat on the hill overlooking London. Everyone was out for the day enjoying the sun and taking the dogs and children to the park. It was a moment for us to just stop and enjoy where we were. Dinner that night was fish and chips at The Trafalger. The fish was a good sized portion and the chips were nice and crispy.
On Monday, we took the train to Kew. We walked through the town to the entrance of the garden. Arriving just before the opening we were able to just wait a short time before it opened. I loved the gardens. There were so many different areas to explore. The kitchen gardens were my favorite. The design of the different areas was so well done. The staff were out and it was obvious that they love what they do. We were able to see the “The Hive”. It is a beautiful piece of art work that highlights the extraordinary life of bees. It was great to see all of the children enjoying the park as well as elderly people being pushed in their wheelchairs out for the day. It was another amazing day in The UK. We were there for four hours and our stomachs were grumbly. We walked back to the town and had an amazing lunch at Antipodea Kew. Flank steak sandwich with goat cheese and arugula with some polenta fries. Both very good but I now want to make the polenta fries at home...they were that good. Back in Chelsea we got ready to go to a play. We went to see Bat Out Of Hell at the Dominion Theatre.
It was a good play and we enjoyed ourselves. Late night and an early morning ahead.
We decided to take a London Walks tour of Salisbury and Stonehenge. We were up at 6 to catch a train to the Waterloo station. The group met up at 8 am so we had a bit of time to grab breakfast and some snacks, Our guide was Richard and we had about 26 people in the group. We got on the train and went to Salisbury first. Walking through the town we were regaled with lots of stories and great information. The cathedral was beautiful and the tower being the 2nd tallest in Europe was impressive. We met some very nice people and had lunch with them in the cafe at the cathedral. Great food and great company. We then all met up and boarded a private bus to take us to Stonehenge. The bus took us on the backroads and we got to see some really nice homes and men fly fishing in the creeks. Stonehenge did not disappoint. Walking up we were given some great stories from Richard. The stones were magical but I am not sure if this is the right phrase. You could feel the history. We used up all of our time there looking at the stones and taking pictures so we did not have time to go through the museum. But that did not bother us. A bus ride and train ride later we were back in Chelsea by 8 pm. It was a long day but so worth it. Would we do this tour again? Yes, the guide was great and when we do come back to London I would use London Walks again.
For Our last full day in London, I wanted to explore the Borough Market so we were up and out of the apartment by 9. We grabbed a coffee on the way and got a bit lost when we were looking for the market. No worries though because another really nice Londoner told us where to go. I always go to our local farmers markets at home and this one did not disappoint. I bought spices and sausages for family and friends. We had a cheesy toast with onion jam from Kappacasien.
Lovely salty cheese toasted with a slightly sweet onion jam. We shared one and enjoyed every bite. We then found a sausage roll to share that was good to. Ok so breakfast and lunch were done we wound our way through the stalls to see everything else. In the afternoon we went to the Phycic Garden and enjoyed the peacefullness and intimacy of the garden. I got a kick out of seeing all of the plants that can be used medicinally. At about 6 we left and walked back along the river to The Cross Key Pub again. For our last night we went back to the first night and it was just as good. Steak for my husband and the hot greens for me. Loved dinner and the dessert was so good. Sticky Toffee Pudding to share. Waddling home afterward to pack for the flight home on Thursday.
Jun 20th, 2018, 05:43 AM
#14
Thanks so much for your great writing and descriptions of the places you visited plus your lovely photos. It's a long time since I've been to Kew [when it was still 5p to get in I think] and sad to say I've never been to Salisbury or to the Chelsea Physic Garden or Borough Market [it wasn't a "thing" when I worked in London].
Also amazing that you found that bus and got a guided tour from the driver!
[PS -I think it's the Royal Naval Observatory - the "Navel Observatory" would be something quite different!]
Also amazing that you found that bus and got a guided tour from the driver!
[PS -I think it's the Royal Naval Observatory - the "Navel Observatory" would be something quite different!]
. @ Annhig thanks for the correction but think of how many people would come out the see peoples belly buttons 
Jun 22nd, 2018, 06:07 AM
#19
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Jun 22nd, 2018, 02:14 PM
#20
I was about to say that I hadn't realised that the royal family was so Zen!>>
lol, bvl, but given the amount of time they spend Cowes and inspecting the troops generally, I'm sure that some naval gazing has been involved.
lol, bvl, but given the amount of time they spend Cowes and inspecting the troops generally, I'm sure that some naval gazing has been involved.
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