Keep Calm and Carry On--Trip Report of 13 Days in England and Wales
Aug 30th, 2010, 04:06 PM
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Keep Calm and Carry On--Trip Report of 13 Days in England and Wales
<b>“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page,” </b>said St. Augustine, while Francis Bacon, Sr., thought that <b>“Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.”</b> And so to provide more reading, education and experience for all 3 of us, especially for 21 year old DD, we traveled to England and Wales in late summer 2010, and we will herewith give our report! In brief, we spent 3.5 days (4 nights) in London and then traveled via auto in a loop, spending 1 night each in Oxford, Shrewsbury, Conwy, Carlisle, Durham, York, Dartford (just a way-stop), Dover, and at LHR.
First thanks to all who had any input in my planning; I am growing to really love planning “tours-for-us” and can’t imagine doing it without this Forum. <b>“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.”</b> (John Hope Franklin) Well, we didn’t really get out into wilderness, but we did go on what was for us “untrodden paths” (even places we were revisiting, we had never been to as a trio) and now we will want to share with the Fodors world the “glories of our journey”!
This first “installment” or chapter (yes, it will be a long TR!) is the background/planning info that I find fascinating when reading others’ <b>but if you’re just wanting the TR facts, feel free to skip/wait for Chapter 2/Days 1 and2!</b>
Chapter 1—The TPR—<b>Trip PLANNING Report!</b>
<b>Warning:</b> Our trip this time was not a wandering, lingering one. We planned more of an excursion: Sargent Shriver said <b>“to travel with a purpose is educational and exciting,”</b> and this fairly well describes our plan: We set out a specific route with specific stops with a few specific sites to see. A more leisurely journey or a trip that had no set itinerary could be great, but not for us this time.
This trip’s itinerary was one I designed both WITH and DESPITE input from here—it’s not quite whirlwind but it wasn’t slow travel either! We spent 4 nights (3 whole days) in London which were rather leisurely, but then we spent 9 nights in 9 different places, making a loop from London to Hadrian’s Wall and back, a pace many advised against. It was an itinerary designed for US, THIS YEAR, for our desires AT THIS TIME; we decided we’d like to at least see briefly a good bit of stuff (and maybe go back!) rather than do as much of an in-depth look as we’d sometimes like to. In educational theory there is a concept referred to a “learning hooks” to describe how a first experience or lesson may be rather introductory or even superficial and is not expected to provide deep or full appreciation or understanding. However, these initial experiences provide a “hook” on which future experiences or lessons can attach and make for better comprehension. This trip was a lot about providing such “learning hooks” for future trips/reading/experiences!
<b>Us:</b> DH and I are in mid-50’s; DD, 21. I teach English; DD is a university senior double-majoring in English and history; and DH is a chemical engineer/IT manager who has read lots of the fiction DD and I like and enjoys taking pictures by the 1000’s of historic/scenic sites!
<b>UK travel background:</b> DD and I went on an EF tour to England in 2005; DH and I came on a 30th anniversary trip for 2 weeks to England in 2008; on business DH has traveled a good bit to Europe over the last 5 years, mostly in Germany, but a trip to England last fall included his first UK driving.
<b>Impetus for this trip:</b> DD looked into studying abroad, preferably in London, for summer of 2010, but in early fall 2009 she decided that she didn’t want to pursue this, as it might make her unable to graduate in May 2011. DH had enough AA/FF miles for 3 tickets, so I urged an early graduation present (she’s done quite well in college) of a trip for the 3 of us and he agreed! And he agreed to drive this time, so I began to implement a plan.
<b>First thing first:</b> As we had a pretty narrow time window (barely a month in late summer because of school and personal commitments), I first had to secure AA/FF tickets if available. Flying from Corpus Christi, not a hub, makes choices a bit lean. We spent a couple days in late October running dummy flight plans through the system and were able to get 3 tickets with fairly decent times and connections, if we stayed13 nights. (We put the tickets on hold for a few days; a couple days later DH tried to look for other AA/FF tickets that might work for us around the same times, but there were none available, so it was good we decided to secure these so far ahead!)
<b>Itinerary planning:</b> With the tickets in place, I began developing an itinerary. First, I took wish lists from the 3 of us and sat with maps for many days trying to figure out what our priorities were and what an itinerary might look like as we tried to get to most of those choices. We agreed on London and Oxford again, Hadrian’s Wall, Dover and York. DH’s wish list was topped by “Less walking per day than in 2008”! And I hoped for Scotland, Wales and tons of literary-connection places. We all agreed we wanted to see cathedrals, castles, Roman “stuff,” and as many literary-connected things as possible. We all agreed we didn’t care about fine dining, stately homes, hiking, shopping, or night-life. With such points of interest so far apart geographically, and finite days, something had to give, like Scotland and a lot of literary-connections. Next trip! I also wanted to limit DH’s driving to no more than 4-5 hours on even the long days, if possible, and have few of those long days. I made up about a dozen different loops and shared the top 3-4 with DH, from which we chose the one that seemed to fit most off our needs/desires/boundaries.
<b>Accommodations:</b> We must plan ahead, for peace of mind, so finding rooms was the next task. For our London nights, I used an agency we used in 2008—At Home in London—and located a Bed and Breakfast in Bayswater. I started with those rooms secure to make sure my itinerary (beginning in London and going clockwise) would work. I decided we’d stay in B&B’s as much as possible for the rest of the trip, too. I hoped this would put us within walking distances, more than some hotels might, of sites in towns; would hold down costs somewhat; and would let us meet some folks along the way! Having 3 adults in a room does narrow choices somewhat, I found quickly, so I spent a hectic couple of weeks with every spare moment given to looking. I used the internet almost exclusively for my research; I’d Google-map a city, spot B&B’s, look at their web-sites and then on Trip Advisor and other things like that for feedback, and finally search the Forum for comments. Then I would email the top 3-4 in each city and see what their response was in terms of availability and price (and in a couple cases, the promptness of the email was the only deciding factor.) (A couple nights would be in hotels for various reasons. We used points for one free stay and chose Jury’s Inn at LHR, upon recommendations on the Forum, for the last night because of an extremely early flight home.)
<b>Auto rental/transport:</b> In 2008 we had ridden the Tube from LHR to a B&B in Belgravia, but for a variety of reasons, we decided to have JustAirports transport us from LHR to B&B and from B&B back to rental car at LHR. We decided to rent a car from LHR on Day 5, heading to Oxford, and turn it in at the same place on the evening before our flight home. This was a better plan, logistically and economically, for us than having pick-up and drop-off at different locations. DH (fairly experienced in rental car procurement in Europe) did most of the research and picked National.
<b>A word about Food:</b> We aren’t “foodies” and don’t arrange our trips around fine dining, so in general I don’t have much to say about food. DH likes food to be available, tasty, and not real expensive and I will eat most anything. However, we had an extra factor this trip: DD is slightly gluten intolerant and so strives for a GF diet and recently has decided to try to be vegetarian, even vegan. So I will comment on some of our food choices as meals were a bit more of an “issue” than they had been before.
<b>Other pre-travel purchases:</b> I purchased three Great British Heritage Pass—7 Day version. Got DD a new rainproof jacket. DH bought 3 pairs of small Sony earbuds. We got 4 UK plug adaptors (we had one adaptor already).
<b>Pre-travel tasks:</b> I did all the typical stuff like notifying financial institutions and leaving contact info with people and such. I made sure we had cash accessible from two accounts. A few idiosyncratic things: 1. Called AA to arrange for vegetarian/gluten free meals for DD (they only offered vegetarian meals on the flights, they said—comment about that later) 2. I won’t go into all the details of my Blackberry-with-Sprint talks, but in the end I arranged to have stuff blocked or leave unused so I wouldn’t have expensive data-use charges but could use it as a phone sparingly. 3. I find an accordion file with reservation confirmations/travel info/maps filed by day to be helpful, so I got that ready. It also serves as a semi-organized place to file each day’s receipts/brochures/postcards/etc.
<b>Electronic equipment:</b> Two Sony DSLR’s each with extra battery/charger/cord for picture transfer; Sony flash; DH and I each carried Blackberries, chargers, and one car-charger; DD took her Dell Notepad small laptop which would serve as an internet access and photo storage; a portable external hard-drive; “Sheila” our Garmin GPS and the “stuff” that goes with her.
*****DH--aka VolCrew--and I are going to try something a bit different here; we are going to “tag-team” or consolidate our separate comments, so after most of my “chapters” about a day, DH will also post his take or evaluation.
First thanks to all who had any input in my planning; I am growing to really love planning “tours-for-us” and can’t imagine doing it without this Forum. <b>“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.”</b> (John Hope Franklin) Well, we didn’t really get out into wilderness, but we did go on what was for us “untrodden paths” (even places we were revisiting, we had never been to as a trio) and now we will want to share with the Fodors world the “glories of our journey”!
This first “installment” or chapter (yes, it will be a long TR!) is the background/planning info that I find fascinating when reading others’ <b>but if you’re just wanting the TR facts, feel free to skip/wait for Chapter 2/Days 1 and2!</b>
Chapter 1—The TPR—<b>Trip PLANNING Report!</b>
<b>Warning:</b> Our trip this time was not a wandering, lingering one. We planned more of an excursion: Sargent Shriver said <b>“to travel with a purpose is educational and exciting,”</b> and this fairly well describes our plan: We set out a specific route with specific stops with a few specific sites to see. A more leisurely journey or a trip that had no set itinerary could be great, but not for us this time.
This trip’s itinerary was one I designed both WITH and DESPITE input from here—it’s not quite whirlwind but it wasn’t slow travel either! We spent 4 nights (3 whole days) in London which were rather leisurely, but then we spent 9 nights in 9 different places, making a loop from London to Hadrian’s Wall and back, a pace many advised against. It was an itinerary designed for US, THIS YEAR, for our desires AT THIS TIME; we decided we’d like to at least see briefly a good bit of stuff (and maybe go back!) rather than do as much of an in-depth look as we’d sometimes like to. In educational theory there is a concept referred to a “learning hooks” to describe how a first experience or lesson may be rather introductory or even superficial and is not expected to provide deep or full appreciation or understanding. However, these initial experiences provide a “hook” on which future experiences or lessons can attach and make for better comprehension. This trip was a lot about providing such “learning hooks” for future trips/reading/experiences!
<b>Us:</b> DH and I are in mid-50’s; DD, 21. I teach English; DD is a university senior double-majoring in English and history; and DH is a chemical engineer/IT manager who has read lots of the fiction DD and I like and enjoys taking pictures by the 1000’s of historic/scenic sites!
<b>UK travel background:</b> DD and I went on an EF tour to England in 2005; DH and I came on a 30th anniversary trip for 2 weeks to England in 2008; on business DH has traveled a good bit to Europe over the last 5 years, mostly in Germany, but a trip to England last fall included his first UK driving.
<b>Impetus for this trip:</b> DD looked into studying abroad, preferably in London, for summer of 2010, but in early fall 2009 she decided that she didn’t want to pursue this, as it might make her unable to graduate in May 2011. DH had enough AA/FF miles for 3 tickets, so I urged an early graduation present (she’s done quite well in college) of a trip for the 3 of us and he agreed! And he agreed to drive this time, so I began to implement a plan.
<b>First thing first:</b> As we had a pretty narrow time window (barely a month in late summer because of school and personal commitments), I first had to secure AA/FF tickets if available. Flying from Corpus Christi, not a hub, makes choices a bit lean. We spent a couple days in late October running dummy flight plans through the system and were able to get 3 tickets with fairly decent times and connections, if we stayed13 nights. (We put the tickets on hold for a few days; a couple days later DH tried to look for other AA/FF tickets that might work for us around the same times, but there were none available, so it was good we decided to secure these so far ahead!)
<b>Itinerary planning:</b> With the tickets in place, I began developing an itinerary. First, I took wish lists from the 3 of us and sat with maps for many days trying to figure out what our priorities were and what an itinerary might look like as we tried to get to most of those choices. We agreed on London and Oxford again, Hadrian’s Wall, Dover and York. DH’s wish list was topped by “Less walking per day than in 2008”! And I hoped for Scotland, Wales and tons of literary-connection places. We all agreed we wanted to see cathedrals, castles, Roman “stuff,” and as many literary-connected things as possible. We all agreed we didn’t care about fine dining, stately homes, hiking, shopping, or night-life. With such points of interest so far apart geographically, and finite days, something had to give, like Scotland and a lot of literary-connections. Next trip! I also wanted to limit DH’s driving to no more than 4-5 hours on even the long days, if possible, and have few of those long days. I made up about a dozen different loops and shared the top 3-4 with DH, from which we chose the one that seemed to fit most off our needs/desires/boundaries.
<b>Accommodations:</b> We must plan ahead, for peace of mind, so finding rooms was the next task. For our London nights, I used an agency we used in 2008—At Home in London—and located a Bed and Breakfast in Bayswater. I started with those rooms secure to make sure my itinerary (beginning in London and going clockwise) would work. I decided we’d stay in B&B’s as much as possible for the rest of the trip, too. I hoped this would put us within walking distances, more than some hotels might, of sites in towns; would hold down costs somewhat; and would let us meet some folks along the way! Having 3 adults in a room does narrow choices somewhat, I found quickly, so I spent a hectic couple of weeks with every spare moment given to looking. I used the internet almost exclusively for my research; I’d Google-map a city, spot B&B’s, look at their web-sites and then on Trip Advisor and other things like that for feedback, and finally search the Forum for comments. Then I would email the top 3-4 in each city and see what their response was in terms of availability and price (and in a couple cases, the promptness of the email was the only deciding factor.) (A couple nights would be in hotels for various reasons. We used points for one free stay and chose Jury’s Inn at LHR, upon recommendations on the Forum, for the last night because of an extremely early flight home.)
<b>Auto rental/transport:</b> In 2008 we had ridden the Tube from LHR to a B&B in Belgravia, but for a variety of reasons, we decided to have JustAirports transport us from LHR to B&B and from B&B back to rental car at LHR. We decided to rent a car from LHR on Day 5, heading to Oxford, and turn it in at the same place on the evening before our flight home. This was a better plan, logistically and economically, for us than having pick-up and drop-off at different locations. DH (fairly experienced in rental car procurement in Europe) did most of the research and picked National.
<b>A word about Food:</b> We aren’t “foodies” and don’t arrange our trips around fine dining, so in general I don’t have much to say about food. DH likes food to be available, tasty, and not real expensive and I will eat most anything. However, we had an extra factor this trip: DD is slightly gluten intolerant and so strives for a GF diet and recently has decided to try to be vegetarian, even vegan. So I will comment on some of our food choices as meals were a bit more of an “issue” than they had been before.
<b>Other pre-travel purchases:</b> I purchased three Great British Heritage Pass—7 Day version. Got DD a new rainproof jacket. DH bought 3 pairs of small Sony earbuds. We got 4 UK plug adaptors (we had one adaptor already).
<b>Pre-travel tasks:</b> I did all the typical stuff like notifying financial institutions and leaving contact info with people and such. I made sure we had cash accessible from two accounts. A few idiosyncratic things: 1. Called AA to arrange for vegetarian/gluten free meals for DD (they only offered vegetarian meals on the flights, they said—comment about that later) 2. I won’t go into all the details of my Blackberry-with-Sprint talks, but in the end I arranged to have stuff blocked or leave unused so I wouldn’t have expensive data-use charges but could use it as a phone sparingly. 3. I find an accordion file with reservation confirmations/travel info/maps filed by day to be helpful, so I got that ready. It also serves as a semi-organized place to file each day’s receipts/brochures/postcards/etc.
<b>Electronic equipment:</b> Two Sony DSLR’s each with extra battery/charger/cord for picture transfer; Sony flash; DH and I each carried Blackberries, chargers, and one car-charger; DD took her Dell Notepad small laptop which would serve as an internet access and photo storage; a portable external hard-drive; “Sheila” our Garmin GPS and the “stuff” that goes with her.
*****DH--aka VolCrew--and I are going to try something a bit different here; we are going to “tag-team” or consolidate our separate comments, so after most of my “chapters” about a day, DH will also post his take or evaluation.
Aug 30th, 2010, 04:09 PM
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DH here.
You know how it is, guys. You go on one of these jaunts and you end up driving, walking all over the place and schlepping the luggage up three flights of stairs too narrow for Friar Tuck. At the end of the day, you just want to rest comfortably. In my following posts, I will give you my view of the places we stayed. Frequent Fodorites will know DW planned this trip so I will have to make like Grasshopper and tread the rice paper lightly.
Also, I don’t mean to flame anyone, but offer these comments in the spirit of improvement. For example, I live in an area with a lot of restaurant turnover. If we like one and get bad service, I don’t hesitate to tell the manager there is an improvement opportunity. I don’t want to get comped; I just want them to stay in business so we can enjoy it.
The ratings you will see are really closer together than I thought they would be when I started. That’s good, because all these places are comfortable, in most ways, have clean rooms and satisfying food. The difference visually is that some of the more recently remodeled rooms might sparkle a bit more than the older ones.
Ratings will be 1-5 stars with 1 being poor and 5 being great. These impressions were discussed in the car each day and, although I intended for them to be solely my view, I found there were some strong opinions that did modify my final ratings in some cases.
I hope, too, that your travels will be pleasant and you can use my observations to pick the best place for your next trip. I will also be commenting on some special topics, but if you have questions about something, ask. I know there is more I can write.
Next installment will be from DW: <b>Chapter 2: Travel Day and London!</b>
You know how it is, guys. You go on one of these jaunts and you end up driving, walking all over the place and schlepping the luggage up three flights of stairs too narrow for Friar Tuck. At the end of the day, you just want to rest comfortably. In my following posts, I will give you my view of the places we stayed. Frequent Fodorites will know DW planned this trip so I will have to make like Grasshopper and tread the rice paper lightly.
Also, I don’t mean to flame anyone, but offer these comments in the spirit of improvement. For example, I live in an area with a lot of restaurant turnover. If we like one and get bad service, I don’t hesitate to tell the manager there is an improvement opportunity. I don’t want to get comped; I just want them to stay in business so we can enjoy it.
The ratings you will see are really closer together than I thought they would be when I started. That’s good, because all these places are comfortable, in most ways, have clean rooms and satisfying food. The difference visually is that some of the more recently remodeled rooms might sparkle a bit more than the older ones.
Ratings will be 1-5 stars with 1 being poor and 5 being great. These impressions were discussed in the car each day and, although I intended for them to be solely my view, I found there were some strong opinions that did modify my final ratings in some cases.
I hope, too, that your travels will be pleasant and you can use my observations to pick the best place for your next trip. I will also be commenting on some special topics, but if you have questions about something, ask. I know there is more I can write.
Next installment will be from DW: <b>Chapter 2: Travel Day and London!</b>
Aug 30th, 2010, 05:20 PM
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Looks so promising! Although I wish wish wish that Fodorites would call each other Just H or W or B___ or L___, the way they did in 18th C novels, instead of this everylasting D business ... sometimes it tempts me to insert refs to DxS (dead ex-spouse) or CB (cranky Brother). Ah well, Fodorism tradition triumphs ... I'll keep calm, you carry on. 
Aug 30th, 2010, 05:41 PM
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travelerjan--I totally agree, but when in Fodor do as the Fodorites do?! I have to stop and think what some of the initials mean--BF--boy or best friend or something else? Anyway, thanks to both so far for the encouragement.
<b>Chapter 2—Days 1 and 2—July 29-30—Ta, Ta, Texas and Landing in London</b>
All the clichés can kick in now—at long last/after months of planning/I can’t believe the day is really here! Since our flight wasn’t until about 6 pm, we all worked some during the day and finished preparations. DS#1 took us to the airport about 3:30. In general our flights (to DFW and then on to LHR) were unremarkable. We were a bit delayed on the first leg but had a smooth flight. In DFW we ended up meeting briefly with a colleague of DH’s stuck in the airport for about 9 hours on the way home to Germany. The flight from DFW to LHR was delayed almost an hour, as we waited on a rather large group; I guess AA felt responsible or something; I’d never been on a flight held up so long for late passengers. None of us slept much (there was a “burper” and loud talker in front of me!). DD’s veggie meals provided her with enough and were also almost GF (the same was true on the return flight).
We landed about 1:15 pm just a little late. We were through passport control in about 15-20 minutes; got luggage fairly quickly; got some cash at one of the ATM’s somewhere! The JustAirports driver was waiting at the Hertz desk as promised. Yeah! Efficiency! We left the parking garage at 2:00. I thought that was pretty fast---and we’re here!! On our almost hour-long ride we wound around lots of narrow streets to get to Tenniel Close, which is in Bayswater off Porchester Gardens near Queensway/Inverness Terrace. Tenniel Close is a very, very narrow “street,” as a close really is more like an alley. The driver had difficult time but did it safely and was most patient, taking us to the very doorstep and unloading our bags before 3pm. (£48 plus a tip for this trip)
Our host unlocked several locks and greeted us warmly. <b>#7 Tenniel Close</b> is in a block of little narrow flats; brownish brick and boxy; not attractive or “quaint” but well-maintained. We went up 2 flights of narrow stairs (of course) into a sort of suite. On the right is a big room, on the left, a big bathroom. The bedroom has three beds and a couch in a long room with windows all along one side (overlooking similar rows of flats). The remodeled bathroom has all sorts of wooden closet/cabinet space and is quite nice and huge. Staying here reminded me of being in a family member’s guest bedroom—the rooms are made up cleanly and neatly but not redecorated or fancy. Bayswater is not as upscale as Belgravia, where we stayed in 2008, but looks just as convenient to transportation, shops, restaurants, corner stores, atms, grocery store, etc.
We left before 4 for a walk. The point was to walk to ward off jet lag, find Mildred’s Restaurant for supper, and take some pics. I had a tentative route mapped out. Cloudy and low 70’s. We walked to Bayswater Tube, about 5 minutes away, along very busy Queensway and bought our 3 Oyster cards, loaded with £17 plus deposit. The short ride to Green Park was on a stuffy and full Tube—welcome to summer in the city!
We walked down Picadilly to Hatchard’s, England’s oldest bookstore, for a short look around this lovely and busy shop, full of gleaming dark wooden shelves and crammed with books, of course! Too early in trip to load ourselves with any purchases. Then we walked through Picadilly Circus, which was just as busy as pictures often depict.
I had only done minimal research for DD to find specific veggie places, but Mildred’s came highly recommended. We walked (a little further than I had imagined) to Lexington Street and found Mildred’s, a tiny restaurant in the middle of the block. DD really enjoyed it; DH, a committed carnivore but a willing dad, was ok with it! Then we headed toward Bond Street and found the Allied Statue with Roosevelt and Churchill on a bench on Old Bond Street (had to ask directions as it is really a bit north of where I thought). Our after dinner stroll continued down St. James past all those old and new shops (including oldest tobacco and oldest hatmaking shops), past St. James Palace, and along Pall Mall to Trafalgar Square. It was predictably crowded on this Friday evening. DH found some nice photo ops even with grayish skies. (This became a standard for most of the trip—gray and overcast skies not providing the prettiest of backgrounds but good photo ops found anyway.)
For a quick peek at the Thames, we then proceeded to Golden Jubilee Pedestrian Bridge, which we had not been on before. There is something about standing near the Thames that to me is so evocative of the history and might of London: <b>“Spirit of place! It is for this we travel, to surprise its subtlety; and where it is a strong and dominant angel, that place, seen once, abides entire in the memory with all its own accidents, its habits, its breath, its name.”</b>--Alice Meynell. For me all along the Thames, whether on one of the bridges or strolling the bank, there is something that makes London “abide in my memory.” I feel like I’ve arrived in London when I stand along the Thames. It was getting cooler and wind picking up but felt nice to our tired-of-the-Texas-summer-heat selves. The traffic—pedestrian, street, and river—was heavy. We caught the Tube at Embankment and came back to our rooms, where we met our hostess. So ends our first (but only a half) day in London!
<b>Chapter 2—Days 1 and 2—July 29-30—Ta, Ta, Texas and Landing in London</b>
All the clichés can kick in now—at long last/after months of planning/I can’t believe the day is really here! Since our flight wasn’t until about 6 pm, we all worked some during the day and finished preparations. DS#1 took us to the airport about 3:30. In general our flights (to DFW and then on to LHR) were unremarkable. We were a bit delayed on the first leg but had a smooth flight. In DFW we ended up meeting briefly with a colleague of DH’s stuck in the airport for about 9 hours on the way home to Germany. The flight from DFW to LHR was delayed almost an hour, as we waited on a rather large group; I guess AA felt responsible or something; I’d never been on a flight held up so long for late passengers. None of us slept much (there was a “burper” and loud talker in front of me!). DD’s veggie meals provided her with enough and were also almost GF (the same was true on the return flight).
We landed about 1:15 pm just a little late. We were through passport control in about 15-20 minutes; got luggage fairly quickly; got some cash at one of the ATM’s somewhere! The JustAirports driver was waiting at the Hertz desk as promised. Yeah! Efficiency! We left the parking garage at 2:00. I thought that was pretty fast---and we’re here!! On our almost hour-long ride we wound around lots of narrow streets to get to Tenniel Close, which is in Bayswater off Porchester Gardens near Queensway/Inverness Terrace. Tenniel Close is a very, very narrow “street,” as a close really is more like an alley. The driver had difficult time but did it safely and was most patient, taking us to the very doorstep and unloading our bags before 3pm. (£48 plus a tip for this trip)
Our host unlocked several locks and greeted us warmly. <b>#7 Tenniel Close</b> is in a block of little narrow flats; brownish brick and boxy; not attractive or “quaint” but well-maintained. We went up 2 flights of narrow stairs (of course) into a sort of suite. On the right is a big room, on the left, a big bathroom. The bedroom has three beds and a couch in a long room with windows all along one side (overlooking similar rows of flats). The remodeled bathroom has all sorts of wooden closet/cabinet space and is quite nice and huge. Staying here reminded me of being in a family member’s guest bedroom—the rooms are made up cleanly and neatly but not redecorated or fancy. Bayswater is not as upscale as Belgravia, where we stayed in 2008, but looks just as convenient to transportation, shops, restaurants, corner stores, atms, grocery store, etc.
We left before 4 for a walk. The point was to walk to ward off jet lag, find Mildred’s Restaurant for supper, and take some pics. I had a tentative route mapped out. Cloudy and low 70’s. We walked to Bayswater Tube, about 5 minutes away, along very busy Queensway and bought our 3 Oyster cards, loaded with £17 plus deposit. The short ride to Green Park was on a stuffy and full Tube—welcome to summer in the city!
We walked down Picadilly to Hatchard’s, England’s oldest bookstore, for a short look around this lovely and busy shop, full of gleaming dark wooden shelves and crammed with books, of course! Too early in trip to load ourselves with any purchases. Then we walked through Picadilly Circus, which was just as busy as pictures often depict.
I had only done minimal research for DD to find specific veggie places, but Mildred’s came highly recommended. We walked (a little further than I had imagined) to Lexington Street and found Mildred’s, a tiny restaurant in the middle of the block. DD really enjoyed it; DH, a committed carnivore but a willing dad, was ok with it! Then we headed toward Bond Street and found the Allied Statue with Roosevelt and Churchill on a bench on Old Bond Street (had to ask directions as it is really a bit north of where I thought). Our after dinner stroll continued down St. James past all those old and new shops (including oldest tobacco and oldest hatmaking shops), past St. James Palace, and along Pall Mall to Trafalgar Square. It was predictably crowded on this Friday evening. DH found some nice photo ops even with grayish skies. (This became a standard for most of the trip—gray and overcast skies not providing the prettiest of backgrounds but good photo ops found anyway.)
For a quick peek at the Thames, we then proceeded to Golden Jubilee Pedestrian Bridge, which we had not been on before. There is something about standing near the Thames that to me is so evocative of the history and might of London: <b>“Spirit of place! It is for this we travel, to surprise its subtlety; and where it is a strong and dominant angel, that place, seen once, abides entire in the memory with all its own accidents, its habits, its breath, its name.”</b>--Alice Meynell. For me all along the Thames, whether on one of the bridges or strolling the bank, there is something that makes London “abide in my memory.” I feel like I’ve arrived in London when I stand along the Thames. It was getting cooler and wind picking up but felt nice to our tired-of-the-Texas-summer-heat selves. The traffic—pedestrian, street, and river—was heavy. We caught the Tube at Embankment and came back to our rooms, where we met our hostess. So ends our first (but only a half) day in London!
Aug 30th, 2010, 05:50 PM
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<b>Luggage</b>
We traveled “heavy” with two large rollers, one medium roller and a small roller. Additionally, we all carried our personal shoulder bag or backpack. We checked the two large and the medium rollers.
This volume was a little excessive, but I wanted to be able to bring back some souvenirs. For me alone on an international trip, I usually carry one large roller and a laptop/camera backpack with a second backpack packed in the roller. On the return trip, this second backpack will be used for fragile items and carried on-board with the laptop/camera backpack. On our return, all the fragile items fit into my backpack and the other items went into the rollers as planned. We had room to spare.
We traveled “heavy” with two large rollers, one medium roller and a small roller. Additionally, we all carried our personal shoulder bag or backpack. We checked the two large and the medium rollers.
This volume was a little excessive, but I wanted to be able to bring back some souvenirs. For me alone on an international trip, I usually carry one large roller and a laptop/camera backpack with a second backpack packed in the roller. On the return trip, this second backpack will be used for fragile items and carried on-board with the laptop/camera backpack. On our return, all the fragile items fit into my backpack and the other items went into the rollers as planned. We had room to spare.
Aug 30th, 2010, 05:53 PM
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Oh I am so enjoying this and looking forward to more. We have just finalised our itinerary for 6 weeks in the UK next year and am starting the B&B bookings so really looking forward to reading about yours.
Aug 30th, 2010, 06:57 PM
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Thanks to all for your encouragement; afraid it had too many details! Maudie, hope you find some of th B&B info helpful, maybe even for specific places. As you will see, we would return to/recommend all (well, maybe not one) that we chose.
<b>Chapter 3--Day 3—July 31—The Southbank of London and St. Paul’s</b>
Our first full day in London! We slept well despite some rain and a little neighborhood noise. Breakfast as requested was waiting for us at 7:30 in the small but lovely dining area which looks out at a tiny patio garden full of hydrangea in bloom. Our first of many full English (with various permutations along the way)--fresh squeezed OJ, nice toast; beans, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage in warming dish. Dishes kept warm for us, too. And a nice full pot of great tea. We had a bit of a visit with our host; they are in their 70’s, I think; his background is in art; they have been in this home since the early 1990’s and been hosting B&B guests for about 15 years. I settled up our bill with the hostess (with cash as requested—AtHomeinLondon does accept credit card payments ahead of time, but there is a surcharge, so this year I paid in cash.)
When we left before 8:30, it was drizzling, gray, and pleasantly cool. Our first “stop” was an ATM in the wall of a Boots on the corner right across the street at the end of the close and then on to the Tube. This neighborhood really does have about all the conveniences a traveler needs. Our tube ride to Monument was much less crowded this early Saturday. We found...the Monument of course! In 2008 it had been hidden with scaffolding/coverings, so this year we admired it and took pics (but didn’t go up—saving our stair-legs). We walked a short way from there to St. Dunstan-in-the-East. I’d stumbled on the info about it in doing my research, and it sounded like a good brief photo op. It is now a lovely park set in the ruins of the church that’s been left as it was after bombing in WWII; it is covered with greenery and flowers and has plenty of benches and walkways and a fountain. No one there. Quiet oasis, I imagine, even on a busy weekday. Everything was still drippy, but it stopped raining.
Then we went across the London Bridge headed toward our first real “major” destination, Borough Market. Good morning, Thames, again. We walked straight (ha, not many streets are straight for very long in London!) down the street for a peek into the George Inn. I knew it’d be closed this morning but just wanted to set my foot on the general area of the Canterbury Pilgrims’ embarking point. Right across from the Inn is one of the entrances to Borough Market, so we entered and began our wandering around the big maze of booths. We started off at Stony Street, supposedly used in Harry Potter movies for Leaky Cauldron environs, but DD can’t see how. Hard to imagine with all the modernly dressed people, delivery vans, and taxis all around. Then we meandered around the I guess hundreds—well, dozens and dozens anyway—of stalls, seeing and smelling and even sometimes tasting cheeses and meats and sweets and produce and other products. And hundreds of people—“locals” with their shopping bags; tourists like us; families; lots of kids to enjoy watching! I would love to have bought some different cheeses and fruits but no way to store them. I found Kappacasein Cheese sandwich stall and got my very early lunch. Oh my. Beyond yummy. Cheese on sourdough; halfway through the toasting, they add leeks and grill some more. Yes, greasy and tasty! A young man was preparing stacks and stacks and stacks of them to keep ready for toasting when ordered; I guess they do a brisk business! The stand is right by an entrance into the courtyard of Southwark Cathedral, so that’s where we camped out and ate our individually purchased lunch/brunch meals. I also bought some most-excellent (and GF) brownies and an apple. DD found a veggie burger and some GF snack/breakfast bars while DH found a lamb burger. And a coke. As we ate, we enjoyed the now lovely and much brighter sky and people watching (including spotting AquaLung shuffling along and then sitting on a park [church courtyard] bench). We visited the gift shop in the Cathedral but only DH went into the church. He and I had had spent a nice visit in there before, but DD was happy with just enjoying the outside and peeking in.
Next we walked toward the Globe along the Thames walk, threading through the crowds, past the Golden Hinde replica, noting the Clink and Westchester Palace, and stopping at some steps where DD went down to touch the cold Thames at a lowish tide level. We talked about its tidal river nature and later from the other side noted how “her” beach was under water.
We went into the Tate Modern for the first time and spent about 90 minutes, DH off on a look for a suspended piano (it’s now at Barbican and we decided later not to spend the time and money to go find it this trip) and a place to sit (but he ended up covering more ground than we did actually), and DD and I took a brief look at a few things. None of us is “into” modern art in its most abstract form, so a brief visit was enough. We got some postcards, watched some ballet practice and marveled at the building. I do think the Tate is fantastic as a space and a very cool reuse of the old building. Outside we took more pics and then lots more as we mingled with the heavy crowds now on the Millennium Bridge. I love the views of and from this Bridge. Last time there was a yellow petal structure obstructing the view of St. Paul’s from the Bridge, but not this time. Lovely. The sky actually had some blue in it now.
We went into St. Paul’s and encountered our first admission queue. DH went into the Crypt Café for a coke-rest while DD and I re-visited St. Paul’s just minimally (her 2nd, my 3rd visit). We admired the dome, walked through the American chapel, and went into the crypt to sit with DH for a bit of a rest. We were tired. Then we climbed to the Golden Gallery, all 576 steps. It was quite crowded with a line and it went slowly. It wasn’t as hard as I feared but we will all be sore! The crowds here at the end of the day meant we were herded in a counted group onto the staircase from the Stone Gallery up to the Golden Gallery, onto the Gallery for the view, and then quickly (for us) herded back off. DH didn’t get his pic-taking quite out of his system. The view was amazing and skies had cleared enough so we could see far. We stopped at the Stone Gallery and spent more time a bit more leisurely but were requested to leave too soon because it was nearing closing time. We did not find the climb claustrophobic or overly strenuous even for us flat-landers, but we sure would have liked having longer (unlimited?) time once we got there.
After some discussion of what to do (we’d made it to the priorities I’d set out), we decided to get some food where we were, rest, and probably just ride back to the rooms. It was 4:45 on Saturday. Everything around St. Paul’s was closed except for pubs—and a Marks and Spencer Simply Foods. So we got £15 worth of salads and sandwiches and sat in PaterNoster Square, which had a few people, some playing ping-pong, and enjoyed the absolutely lovely late afternoon. DD and I walked to Old Bailey/Central Criminal Court and past Newgate, just to say I had, in tribute to Dickens, Rumpole and others, and to try to find a trashcan, which we never did. (I remember some helpful policeman-type Fodorite explained a couple years ago that trash can removal was anti-terrorism move.) Then we ended up just riding the Tube “home.” This time I decided we should try the Queensway stop, as it is only a little bit further from the B&B and would be one less line change, but this was a bad decision, as we ended up having to walk up 123 spiral steps because the lift was broken. Ouch. Queensway is VERY busy with tourist shops and interesting ethnic eateries and convenience stores and chain food places and specialty stores. Back in the rooms we did what became our evening routine: write in journals, download pics of the day onto her laptop and then copy them onto the external hard drive, find plugs and charge up camera batteries, and find plugs and charge up phones. Glad DH bought all those plug adaptors as we use all five almost every night. Early sleep!
<b>Chapter 3--Day 3—July 31—The Southbank of London and St. Paul’s</b>
Our first full day in London! We slept well despite some rain and a little neighborhood noise. Breakfast as requested was waiting for us at 7:30 in the small but lovely dining area which looks out at a tiny patio garden full of hydrangea in bloom. Our first of many full English (with various permutations along the way)--fresh squeezed OJ, nice toast; beans, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage in warming dish. Dishes kept warm for us, too. And a nice full pot of great tea. We had a bit of a visit with our host; they are in their 70’s, I think; his background is in art; they have been in this home since the early 1990’s and been hosting B&B guests for about 15 years. I settled up our bill with the hostess (with cash as requested—AtHomeinLondon does accept credit card payments ahead of time, but there is a surcharge, so this year I paid in cash.)
When we left before 8:30, it was drizzling, gray, and pleasantly cool. Our first “stop” was an ATM in the wall of a Boots on the corner right across the street at the end of the close and then on to the Tube. This neighborhood really does have about all the conveniences a traveler needs. Our tube ride to Monument was much less crowded this early Saturday. We found...the Monument of course! In 2008 it had been hidden with scaffolding/coverings, so this year we admired it and took pics (but didn’t go up—saving our stair-legs). We walked a short way from there to St. Dunstan-in-the-East. I’d stumbled on the info about it in doing my research, and it sounded like a good brief photo op. It is now a lovely park set in the ruins of the church that’s been left as it was after bombing in WWII; it is covered with greenery and flowers and has plenty of benches and walkways and a fountain. No one there. Quiet oasis, I imagine, even on a busy weekday. Everything was still drippy, but it stopped raining.
Then we went across the London Bridge headed toward our first real “major” destination, Borough Market. Good morning, Thames, again. We walked straight (ha, not many streets are straight for very long in London!) down the street for a peek into the George Inn. I knew it’d be closed this morning but just wanted to set my foot on the general area of the Canterbury Pilgrims’ embarking point. Right across from the Inn is one of the entrances to Borough Market, so we entered and began our wandering around the big maze of booths. We started off at Stony Street, supposedly used in Harry Potter movies for Leaky Cauldron environs, but DD can’t see how. Hard to imagine with all the modernly dressed people, delivery vans, and taxis all around. Then we meandered around the I guess hundreds—well, dozens and dozens anyway—of stalls, seeing and smelling and even sometimes tasting cheeses and meats and sweets and produce and other products. And hundreds of people—“locals” with their shopping bags; tourists like us; families; lots of kids to enjoy watching! I would love to have bought some different cheeses and fruits but no way to store them. I found Kappacasein Cheese sandwich stall and got my very early lunch. Oh my. Beyond yummy. Cheese on sourdough; halfway through the toasting, they add leeks and grill some more. Yes, greasy and tasty! A young man was preparing stacks and stacks and stacks of them to keep ready for toasting when ordered; I guess they do a brisk business! The stand is right by an entrance into the courtyard of Southwark Cathedral, so that’s where we camped out and ate our individually purchased lunch/brunch meals. I also bought some most-excellent (and GF) brownies and an apple. DD found a veggie burger and some GF snack/breakfast bars while DH found a lamb burger. And a coke. As we ate, we enjoyed the now lovely and much brighter sky and people watching (including spotting AquaLung shuffling along and then sitting on a park [church courtyard] bench). We visited the gift shop in the Cathedral but only DH went into the church. He and I had had spent a nice visit in there before, but DD was happy with just enjoying the outside and peeking in.
Next we walked toward the Globe along the Thames walk, threading through the crowds, past the Golden Hinde replica, noting the Clink and Westchester Palace, and stopping at some steps where DD went down to touch the cold Thames at a lowish tide level. We talked about its tidal river nature and later from the other side noted how “her” beach was under water.
We went into the Tate Modern for the first time and spent about 90 minutes, DH off on a look for a suspended piano (it’s now at Barbican and we decided later not to spend the time and money to go find it this trip) and a place to sit (but he ended up covering more ground than we did actually), and DD and I took a brief look at a few things. None of us is “into” modern art in its most abstract form, so a brief visit was enough. We got some postcards, watched some ballet practice and marveled at the building. I do think the Tate is fantastic as a space and a very cool reuse of the old building. Outside we took more pics and then lots more as we mingled with the heavy crowds now on the Millennium Bridge. I love the views of and from this Bridge. Last time there was a yellow petal structure obstructing the view of St. Paul’s from the Bridge, but not this time. Lovely. The sky actually had some blue in it now.
We went into St. Paul’s and encountered our first admission queue. DH went into the Crypt Café for a coke-rest while DD and I re-visited St. Paul’s just minimally (her 2nd, my 3rd visit). We admired the dome, walked through the American chapel, and went into the crypt to sit with DH for a bit of a rest. We were tired. Then we climbed to the Golden Gallery, all 576 steps. It was quite crowded with a line and it went slowly. It wasn’t as hard as I feared but we will all be sore! The crowds here at the end of the day meant we were herded in a counted group onto the staircase from the Stone Gallery up to the Golden Gallery, onto the Gallery for the view, and then quickly (for us) herded back off. DH didn’t get his pic-taking quite out of his system. The view was amazing and skies had cleared enough so we could see far. We stopped at the Stone Gallery and spent more time a bit more leisurely but were requested to leave too soon because it was nearing closing time. We did not find the climb claustrophobic or overly strenuous even for us flat-landers, but we sure would have liked having longer (unlimited?) time once we got there.
After some discussion of what to do (we’d made it to the priorities I’d set out), we decided to get some food where we were, rest, and probably just ride back to the rooms. It was 4:45 on Saturday. Everything around St. Paul’s was closed except for pubs—and a Marks and Spencer Simply Foods. So we got £15 worth of salads and sandwiches and sat in PaterNoster Square, which had a few people, some playing ping-pong, and enjoyed the absolutely lovely late afternoon. DD and I walked to Old Bailey/Central Criminal Court and past Newgate, just to say I had, in tribute to Dickens, Rumpole and others, and to try to find a trashcan, which we never did. (I remember some helpful policeman-type Fodorite explained a couple years ago that trash can removal was anti-terrorism move.) Then we ended up just riding the Tube “home.” This time I decided we should try the Queensway stop, as it is only a little bit further from the B&B and would be one less line change, but this was a bad decision, as we ended up having to walk up 123 spiral steps because the lift was broken. Ouch. Queensway is VERY busy with tourist shops and interesting ethnic eateries and convenience stores and chain food places and specialty stores. Back in the rooms we did what became our evening routine: write in journals, download pics of the day onto her laptop and then copy them onto the external hard drive, find plugs and charge up camera batteries, and find plugs and charge up phones. Glad DH bought all those plug adaptors as we use all five almost every night. Early sleep!
Aug 30th, 2010, 07:06 PM
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<b>Kit</b>
I carry a back pack almost every time I get out of the car. I have learned from experience some of the things I’ll need and the precautions I will take. Here is the get-out-of-the-car-and-tour-a-site backpack inventory:
+ LL Bean Gore-Tex jacket - I started wearing Gore-Tex soon after its introduction and would never go to the UK without it.
+ Cabela’s Gore-Tex pants - my normal uniform is a Columbia or Magellan fishing shirts over a pair of Columbia shorts. I slip the rain pants on and off if I get cold or have enough of a rain (we had both cases on this trip).
+ Zipper Plastic Bags - during my last trip to Wales, I was soaked. I had gallon-size bags for the camera gear, but my Blackberry failed, I suspect from excessive humidity (I don't think it was ever exposed to rain). This year I upped my weatherproofing with zip locks for the passport and BB.
+ Camera gear - will discuss it later
+ Water bottle(s)
+ Baseball cap - when not on my head (as in a church), it is clipped on the backpack with a large D-clip
+ Snacks, napkins, fork, etc for on-the-run eating.
+ Solo solar charger/battery for BB - I don’t use the solar function (who could in UK?), but after charging with the laptop USB or the wall power, the Solo battery will give me a couple of added bars on my BB battery.
+ Map or contextual guide
I carry a back pack almost every time I get out of the car. I have learned from experience some of the things I’ll need and the precautions I will take. Here is the get-out-of-the-car-and-tour-a-site backpack inventory:
+ LL Bean Gore-Tex jacket - I started wearing Gore-Tex soon after its introduction and would never go to the UK without it.
+ Cabela’s Gore-Tex pants - my normal uniform is a Columbia or Magellan fishing shirts over a pair of Columbia shorts. I slip the rain pants on and off if I get cold or have enough of a rain (we had both cases on this trip).
+ Zipper Plastic Bags - during my last trip to Wales, I was soaked. I had gallon-size bags for the camera gear, but my Blackberry failed, I suspect from excessive humidity (I don't think it was ever exposed to rain). This year I upped my weatherproofing with zip locks for the passport and BB.
+ Camera gear - will discuss it later
+ Water bottle(s)
+ Baseball cap - when not on my head (as in a church), it is clipped on the backpack with a large D-clip
+ Snacks, napkins, fork, etc for on-the-run eating.
+ Solo solar charger/battery for BB - I don’t use the solar function (who could in UK?), but after charging with the laptop USB or the wall power, the Solo battery will give me a couple of added bars on my BB battery.
+ Map or contextual guide
Aug 31st, 2010, 01:11 AM
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Hope we are going to see some photos soon? Looking forward to more....already memories of past trips are flooding back when you mentioned staying around Porchester Gardens,Inverness Terrace & the Bayswater tube, and more recently Borough Market!
Aug 31st, 2010, 04:02 AM
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(tod--I would love to share pics and have put some in Photobucket but can't figure out yet how to copy a link that goes to just the slide show of pics of that day--still working on figuring that out!)
<b>Chapter 4--Day 4--August 1—London Museums, an Opening Show, and the Nightlights</b>
Today we are sore and tired but all slept well. London is full of steps even if you don’t climb to the top of St. Paul’s! We appreciate the space in this loft/attic/top floor suite. The view is just of rooftops and windows of other rows of flats but interesting. The day was cloudy and gray but it never rained. After breakfast at 8 and a leisurely getting ready, we left about 9:30 and got to the British Museum a little after 10. As expected it was very crowded. But the British Museum is a world-class wonder, whether you can spend an hour or a day. We split up for a while, although DD and I went to a lot of the ancient stuff together, and met at 11:30 in the café. DH and I got sandwiches at the cafeteria and DD ate what she’d brought (she always packed nuts and fruit and got bars, hummus, chips, veggies when she could along the way). Then DH rested after seeing some Chinese stuff and cuckoo clocks while DD and I wandered separately but crossed paths often. I mostly revisited favorites like Sutton Hoo.
About 1:15 we began to walk to the British Library let us say in a leisurely manner, but we still got there about 2. We spent over an hour oohing and aahing (quietly!). Austen, Shakespeare, Carroll, Bronte, Milton, Wordsworth, Beowulf, Gutenberg, Beatles, Handel. Beyond cool. DD wished she could go into a reading room but not on Sunday. She was amazed at the core of the library—the floors of archived texts and tomes towering up. Wow. If we were pagan, this might be a graven image!
This was a “glad to have flexibility built in” moment as DH had decided he wanted to see the Tower Bridge go up again, as we had in 2008. I had investigated that months ago, but nothing was listed for this date and then I forgot about it. He used his Blackberry to Google more current info and found Bridge openings at 4:45 or 5:45. So we rode to Tower Hill, browsed souvenir shop at the Tower (and got a teabag caddy like I’d hoped, but I hadn’t scheduled a special trip here this trip—silly whim), and sat in the shadow of the Tower. Maybe this is my favorite London spot?! So glad we did come. Enjoyed the rest and people watching as we waited. Right on time, about 4:43, the traffic stopped, the Bridge went up, the ship went through, the Bridge went down, the traffic resumed. Great show!
Then we were hungry. We looked at the Wagamama but there not enough GF/vegan options to tempt DD and DH can skip noodles easily! DH got fish and chips at a little place right across from Wagamama while DD and I made it into the EAT right there just as they were closing and got several small salads, all still fresh and tasty. Had a nice view from the upstairs area with DH. We sat and enjoyed the evening for awhile as we tried to decide if and what we wanted to do on this Sunday night when most things shut and legs not wanting much strolling. DD said she might want to go into a Park after a bit, so we went back to the B&B. After a short rest she and I went on a short visit to Kensington Park, something else conveniently close to our rooms. On this walk we went to and from the Park on Queensborough Terrace and Porchester Terrace, which parallel Tenniel Close and Queensway; these are more residential tree-lined roads and made a pleasant venue for our stroll. London’s parks, her “lungs”, big and small, are amazing, and many families were enjoying the late sundown, pleasant weather, paths, playgrounds, and lawns.
About 9:30 DH got his second wind and he and I went on an adventure. He had definitely wanted to see the Thames bridges in the dark, which would be very late in early August. We headed to Tower Hill again and walked along the edge of the river so we could see the Tower Bridge all lit up. Not a lot of people out. We couldn’t walk behind the Tower next to the river like during the day but still got good pics. Then we rode the Tube to Mansion House and walked down deserted streets to the Millennium Bridge and snapped St. Paul’s. Wow. It sprinkled some but was mostly holding off. Lovely to be on the River at night. The lights, the cool breeze, the mostly empty streets, the lack of crowds—great. We heard St. Paul’s 10 pm bells. Back to the Tube and on to Westminster. (I think it was here I thought the Oyster reader screen as we touched in our cards said £1.70 left as a balance, so I topped up with £5 each at a manned window. Later a screen said £10ish for balance, so I misread something. But I knew I could always get back what was left when we left LHR –or next June when I bring some students on a tour.) We walked out of the Tube stop and there’s Big Ben and Parliament and Westminster Bridge. Awesome. M took pics until almost 11 and then we waited for the 11 “BONG” ‘s before heading to the Tube. It was still in use but much less so. On the way back up Queensway, we negotiated the still crowded sidewalks past the hookah bars, still open eateries of various sorts, and brightly lit souvenir shops. DD was already asleep when we got back to the rooms. One more London day to go!
<b>Chapter 4--Day 4--August 1—London Museums, an Opening Show, and the Nightlights</b>
Today we are sore and tired but all slept well. London is full of steps even if you don’t climb to the top of St. Paul’s! We appreciate the space in this loft/attic/top floor suite. The view is just of rooftops and windows of other rows of flats but interesting. The day was cloudy and gray but it never rained. After breakfast at 8 and a leisurely getting ready, we left about 9:30 and got to the British Museum a little after 10. As expected it was very crowded. But the British Museum is a world-class wonder, whether you can spend an hour or a day. We split up for a while, although DD and I went to a lot of the ancient stuff together, and met at 11:30 in the café. DH and I got sandwiches at the cafeteria and DD ate what she’d brought (she always packed nuts and fruit and got bars, hummus, chips, veggies when she could along the way). Then DH rested after seeing some Chinese stuff and cuckoo clocks while DD and I wandered separately but crossed paths often. I mostly revisited favorites like Sutton Hoo.
About 1:15 we began to walk to the British Library let us say in a leisurely manner, but we still got there about 2. We spent over an hour oohing and aahing (quietly!). Austen, Shakespeare, Carroll, Bronte, Milton, Wordsworth, Beowulf, Gutenberg, Beatles, Handel. Beyond cool. DD wished she could go into a reading room but not on Sunday. She was amazed at the core of the library—the floors of archived texts and tomes towering up. Wow. If we were pagan, this might be a graven image!
This was a “glad to have flexibility built in” moment as DH had decided he wanted to see the Tower Bridge go up again, as we had in 2008. I had investigated that months ago, but nothing was listed for this date and then I forgot about it. He used his Blackberry to Google more current info and found Bridge openings at 4:45 or 5:45. So we rode to Tower Hill, browsed souvenir shop at the Tower (and got a teabag caddy like I’d hoped, but I hadn’t scheduled a special trip here this trip—silly whim), and sat in the shadow of the Tower. Maybe this is my favorite London spot?! So glad we did come. Enjoyed the rest and people watching as we waited. Right on time, about 4:43, the traffic stopped, the Bridge went up, the ship went through, the Bridge went down, the traffic resumed. Great show!
Then we were hungry. We looked at the Wagamama but there not enough GF/vegan options to tempt DD and DH can skip noodles easily! DH got fish and chips at a little place right across from Wagamama while DD and I made it into the EAT right there just as they were closing and got several small salads, all still fresh and tasty. Had a nice view from the upstairs area with DH. We sat and enjoyed the evening for awhile as we tried to decide if and what we wanted to do on this Sunday night when most things shut and legs not wanting much strolling. DD said she might want to go into a Park after a bit, so we went back to the B&B. After a short rest she and I went on a short visit to Kensington Park, something else conveniently close to our rooms. On this walk we went to and from the Park on Queensborough Terrace and Porchester Terrace, which parallel Tenniel Close and Queensway; these are more residential tree-lined roads and made a pleasant venue for our stroll. London’s parks, her “lungs”, big and small, are amazing, and many families were enjoying the late sundown, pleasant weather, paths, playgrounds, and lawns.
About 9:30 DH got his second wind and he and I went on an adventure. He had definitely wanted to see the Thames bridges in the dark, which would be very late in early August. We headed to Tower Hill again and walked along the edge of the river so we could see the Tower Bridge all lit up. Not a lot of people out. We couldn’t walk behind the Tower next to the river like during the day but still got good pics. Then we rode the Tube to Mansion House and walked down deserted streets to the Millennium Bridge and snapped St. Paul’s. Wow. It sprinkled some but was mostly holding off. Lovely to be on the River at night. The lights, the cool breeze, the mostly empty streets, the lack of crowds—great. We heard St. Paul’s 10 pm bells. Back to the Tube and on to Westminster. (I think it was here I thought the Oyster reader screen as we touched in our cards said £1.70 left as a balance, so I topped up with £5 each at a manned window. Later a screen said £10ish for balance, so I misread something. But I knew I could always get back what was left when we left LHR –or next June when I bring some students on a tour.) We walked out of the Tube stop and there’s Big Ben and Parliament and Westminster Bridge. Awesome. M took pics until almost 11 and then we waited for the 11 “BONG” ‘s before heading to the Tube. It was still in use but much less so. On the way back up Queensway, we negotiated the still crowded sidewalks past the hookah bars, still open eateries of various sorts, and brightly lit souvenir shops. DD was already asleep when we got back to the rooms. One more London day to go!
Aug 31st, 2010, 04:06 AM
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<b>London</b>
We occupied the top floor of the apartment in a spacious room with three beds, couch, table and chairs overlooking the rear courtyard. Extra large separate bath overlooking the Close. The Bayswater neighborhood is very different from Belgravia, where I stayed in 2008. Queensway, just a block away, has a huge diversity of shops and restaurants, as well as a convenient tube stop. The scene I will keep as my best Bayswater memory was on Sunday night just before midnight. I had been along the Thames on a photography tour - Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s, Westminster - and noticed how early the attractions and shops closed (4:30 to 5ish - I thought this was silly during tourist season, but apparently it is a wide-spread practice to close this early throughout the week and nationwide) . Sure, there were still people on the streets, just walking. But Queensway was hustling and bustling with people still living their lives. Shops, hookah bars and eateries were still open. Even McDonald’s and Burger King, about a hundred yards apart, were still battling it out to sell that last Coke or Pepsi. I would stay here again just for the Life.
Bed: With three beds, I had a separate bed. I rested very well here. A general word about beds: I am comfortably under six feet tall, so I fit in most anything. I think it will be hard to find a king size bed; most of the rooms we stayed in were too small for one anyway. Rating: ***
Breakfast: Breakfast was always ready when we came down at 0730. We were asked what we wanted when we checked in and it was served buffet-style with orange juice and our requested black tea. The tea pot held six cups and we lingered and drank it all every day. Rating: ***
In the USA, you typically have the other house guests eating together at a common table. Since there is only one room here, we were always alone. I like jams and there were several to chose from.
Shower: The shower is a low-flow affair over a tub. I learned to adopt a sort of oomph-loompa crouch that would allow me to spring backwards when the hot water stopped, as it did when someone opened a faucet elsewhere. Still, this was better than my Belgravia experience, where, after DW took her shower, there was hot water only for half of mine. I like bar soap and we had some here. Rating: ***
We occupied the top floor of the apartment in a spacious room with three beds, couch, table and chairs overlooking the rear courtyard. Extra large separate bath overlooking the Close. The Bayswater neighborhood is very different from Belgravia, where I stayed in 2008. Queensway, just a block away, has a huge diversity of shops and restaurants, as well as a convenient tube stop. The scene I will keep as my best Bayswater memory was on Sunday night just before midnight. I had been along the Thames on a photography tour - Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s, Westminster - and noticed how early the attractions and shops closed (4:30 to 5ish - I thought this was silly during tourist season, but apparently it is a wide-spread practice to close this early throughout the week and nationwide) . Sure, there were still people on the streets, just walking. But Queensway was hustling and bustling with people still living their lives. Shops, hookah bars and eateries were still open. Even McDonald’s and Burger King, about a hundred yards apart, were still battling it out to sell that last Coke or Pepsi. I would stay here again just for the Life.
Bed: With three beds, I had a separate bed. I rested very well here. A general word about beds: I am comfortably under six feet tall, so I fit in most anything. I think it will be hard to find a king size bed; most of the rooms we stayed in were too small for one anyway. Rating: ***
Breakfast: Breakfast was always ready when we came down at 0730. We were asked what we wanted when we checked in and it was served buffet-style with orange juice and our requested black tea. The tea pot held six cups and we lingered and drank it all every day. Rating: ***
In the USA, you typically have the other house guests eating together at a common table. Since there is only one room here, we were always alone. I like jams and there were several to chose from.
Shower: The shower is a low-flow affair over a tub. I learned to adopt a sort of oomph-loompa crouch that would allow me to spring backwards when the hot water stopped, as it did when someone opened a faucet elsewhere. Still, this was better than my Belgravia experience, where, after DW took her shower, there was hot water only for half of mine. I like bar soap and we had some here. Rating: ***
Aug 31st, 2010, 04:34 AM
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Great start - looking forward the the rest. I love the tag team approach.
<i>In educational theory there is a concept referred to a “learning hooks” to describe how a first experience or lesson may be rather introductory or even superficial and is not expected to provide deep or full appreciation or understanding. However, these initial experiences provide a “hook” on which future experiences or lessons can attach and make for better comprehension. This trip was a lot about providing such “learning hooks” for future trips/reading/experiences!</i>
I love this explanation for the "suck it and see' whirlwind tour so often disparaged here on Fodors. I'm so going to use this rationale to justify my decisions to see "more of less" in my trip planning.
<i>In educational theory there is a concept referred to a “learning hooks” to describe how a first experience or lesson may be rather introductory or even superficial and is not expected to provide deep or full appreciation or understanding. However, these initial experiences provide a “hook” on which future experiences or lessons can attach and make for better comprehension. This trip was a lot about providing such “learning hooks” for future trips/reading/experiences!</i>
I love this explanation for the "suck it and see' whirlwind tour so often disparaged here on Fodors. I'm so going to use this rationale to justify my decisions to see "more of less" in my trip planning.
Aug 31st, 2010, 07:37 AM
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Texasbookworm,
I am so loving your report, including the great introduction
The more details the better to quote you. I also enjoy the tag team. Great to get two perspectives.
We had just happened upon the tower bridge lift when we left the Tower of London and really enjoyed seeing the bridge open. It was not listed on the schedule when I checked before we left but it was opened that day to let a boat through. A great highlight.
DH and I also loved the clocks and the Chinese section of the British Museum along with all the highlights we wanted to see--The Chessmen, The Sutton Hoo, the Bog Man, Parthenon Marbles etc. etc. We went twice to the British Museum in that week--once all together to see the highlights and once with just DH and I after seeing the John Soane Museum and the Strand the day DS and MIL stayed in the room when DS was sick. We spent about an hour in each place which were all near our hotel and then headed back to the room. We did not make it to the British Library this trip but look forward to going again someday to see the sites we didn't get a chance to go to and to explore Oxford and the surrounding areas.
Anyway back to your trip report--looking forward to the rest!
I am so loving your report, including the great introduction
The more details the better to quote you. I also enjoy the tag team. Great to get two perspectives.
We had just happened upon the tower bridge lift when we left the Tower of London and really enjoyed seeing the bridge open. It was not listed on the schedule when I checked before we left but it was opened that day to let a boat through. A great highlight.
DH and I also loved the clocks and the Chinese section of the British Museum along with all the highlights we wanted to see--The Chessmen, The Sutton Hoo, the Bog Man, Parthenon Marbles etc. etc. We went twice to the British Museum in that week--once all together to see the highlights and once with just DH and I after seeing the John Soane Museum and the Strand the day DS and MIL stayed in the room when DS was sick. We spent about an hour in each place which were all near our hotel and then headed back to the room. We did not make it to the British Library this trip but look forward to going again someday to see the sites we didn't get a chance to go to and to explore Oxford and the surrounding areas.
Anyway back to your trip report--looking forward to the rest!
Aug 31st, 2010, 07:45 AM
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Again, thanks to you encouragers!
<b>Chapter 5--Day 5--August 2—Westminster Abbey and Imperial War Museum</b>
After another nice breakfast, we went out into the grayish day to Westminster Abbey, getting there about opening time, and used the audio guides and enjoyed the 90 minute tour. I love all the history, especially Elizabeth and Mary’s tombs, the coronation chair (which was not on display as it’s being restored but we saw it in a room as two people were working on it), and Poets' Corner. It was very crowded, of course, but still afforded us an enjoyable morning. There is so much to say about this remarkable place—and so little space here to do so! If I had to pick the two “must-sees” in London, places to go into to tour, they would be the Tower and Westminster. I will say no more.
We took pictures outside a little and crossed the Westminster Bridge, heading to the Waterloo area to find Master’s Super Fish, a fish and chips place. I had picked very, very few specific eating places, but this was one that sounded good and would be close to where we would be. Found it. Closed. Looked out of business (later discovered in small print somewhere--not open for lunch on Monday!). ??!!! So we just (wearily!) walked over another 10 minutes to the Imperial War Museum and had food there. Soup and stew and loaded baked potato. All good. DD explored the museum alone for couple of hours while DH and I saw part of it, spending most of our time in the Holocaust exhibit area, which we thought excellently done (except for a few too-low-to–read displays). A good handling of emotion-laden-information. I especially appreciated the filmed testimonies by survivors. In the gift shop I found the WWII phrase “Keep calm and carry on” on lots of items and really liked that thought. The stress and danger of a trip does not really merit a serious comparison to the situation in Great Britain and London when that phrase was introduced, but the mindset/encouragement encapsulated in those few words do apply in any difficult situation, and so I sorta appropriated that phrase for the trip. (Except I forgot to follow the instructions sometimes! Should have worn the button I bought every day!)
We then returned to the rooms where DH fell asleep while DD and I went to Whiteley’s, the shopping mall just a little walk away. We shopped and she tried on a few things in H&M, Zara and some other store but didn’t find anything. It was still fun. We then walked over to Porchester and got food at the Waitrose and took it “home.” We love Waitrose and Marks & Spencer selections for takeaway! DH woke up hungry, so while DD stayed to rest and shower, he and I went to… Pizza Hut! Sometimes he just wants the familiar (although we never go to Pizza Huts anymore at home)! There’s a Pizza Hut on Queensway, and a very busy one it is, too. I had one slice of his pizza and my first glass of water that had ICE in it! Then we went to Kensington Park briefly and back up Queensway, stopping in several of the many souvenir shops for postcards and cheap souvenirs. Back to the rooms to complete all the charging up and picture care we do, finish repacking, and gather up needed info to have it available for the next stage of the adventure—renting a car and heading out! (And had to add a chore—pre-programming our GPS named "Sheila" with our tomorrow’s destinations so we could just start driving the next day.)
Our time here was fleeting but fabulous and not overly rushed or packed. And I’m glad we started out in London so we could get over jet lag and get oriented before we (well, DH) starting any driving.
<b>Chapter 5--Day 5--August 2—Westminster Abbey and Imperial War Museum</b>
After another nice breakfast, we went out into the grayish day to Westminster Abbey, getting there about opening time, and used the audio guides and enjoyed the 90 minute tour. I love all the history, especially Elizabeth and Mary’s tombs, the coronation chair (which was not on display as it’s being restored but we saw it in a room as two people were working on it), and Poets' Corner. It was very crowded, of course, but still afforded us an enjoyable morning. There is so much to say about this remarkable place—and so little space here to do so! If I had to pick the two “must-sees” in London, places to go into to tour, they would be the Tower and Westminster. I will say no more.
We took pictures outside a little and crossed the Westminster Bridge, heading to the Waterloo area to find Master’s Super Fish, a fish and chips place. I had picked very, very few specific eating places, but this was one that sounded good and would be close to where we would be. Found it. Closed. Looked out of business (later discovered in small print somewhere--not open for lunch on Monday!). ??!!! So we just (wearily!) walked over another 10 minutes to the Imperial War Museum and had food there. Soup and stew and loaded baked potato. All good. DD explored the museum alone for couple of hours while DH and I saw part of it, spending most of our time in the Holocaust exhibit area, which we thought excellently done (except for a few too-low-to–read displays). A good handling of emotion-laden-information. I especially appreciated the filmed testimonies by survivors. In the gift shop I found the WWII phrase “Keep calm and carry on” on lots of items and really liked that thought. The stress and danger of a trip does not really merit a serious comparison to the situation in Great Britain and London when that phrase was introduced, but the mindset/encouragement encapsulated in those few words do apply in any difficult situation, and so I sorta appropriated that phrase for the trip. (Except I forgot to follow the instructions sometimes! Should have worn the button I bought every day!)
We then returned to the rooms where DH fell asleep while DD and I went to Whiteley’s, the shopping mall just a little walk away. We shopped and she tried on a few things in H&M, Zara and some other store but didn’t find anything. It was still fun. We then walked over to Porchester and got food at the Waitrose and took it “home.” We love Waitrose and Marks & Spencer selections for takeaway! DH woke up hungry, so while DD stayed to rest and shower, he and I went to… Pizza Hut! Sometimes he just wants the familiar (although we never go to Pizza Huts anymore at home)! There’s a Pizza Hut on Queensway, and a very busy one it is, too. I had one slice of his pizza and my first glass of water that had ICE in it! Then we went to Kensington Park briefly and back up Queensway, stopping in several of the many souvenir shops for postcards and cheap souvenirs. Back to the rooms to complete all the charging up and picture care we do, finish repacking, and gather up needed info to have it available for the next stage of the adventure—renting a car and heading out! (And had to add a chore—pre-programming our GPS named "Sheila" with our tomorrow’s destinations so we could just start driving the next day.)
Our time here was fleeting but fabulous and not overly rushed or packed. And I’m glad we started out in London so we could get over jet lag and get oriented before we (well, DH) starting any driving.
