Saddest, weirdest, 'funnest', trip ever
Jul 7th, 2012, 08:11 AM
#121
Original Poster
thanks jane. I read it a few years ago. Loved it.
Hi LindaL. I'm still wading through my photos, took lots (and LOTS
) and some video. Just had my little Nikon point and shoot but the sound quality on the videos (like of the Belfry barge) is quite good.
Hi LindaL. I'm still wading through my photos, took lots (and LOTS
) and some video. Just had my little Nikon point and shoot but the sound quality on the videos (like of the Belfry barge) is quite good.
Jul 9th, 2012, 09:55 PM
#125
Original Poster
Tuesday - Joan Collins, 39 Steps
Started out this morning at TKTS. Got a wonderful seat for 39 Steps at the Criterion - 3rd row slightly stage right.
Then I dashed over to Liberty to get the VAT refund forms. The weather was pretty good so I decided to just take a long walk. Eventually ended up at Regents Park and spent some time in the rose garden which was really pretty but not totally in bloom yet. Then I hopped on the tube back to Picadilly Circus.
Today is the Jubilee Service at St Pauls, the carriage ride back to the Palace and the flyover. I briefly considered going to the Mall to try to see the carriages, but even now 2+ hours ahead of time the crowds are streaming through the area. So instead I walk up Piccadilly towards Green Park Tube station. Haven't eaten at the Wolesley in ages so I thought I'd pop in to see if I can get in for lunch.
No tables right now but the can take me at 1:30PM so I book and come back in about 45 mins. I'm just a bit early and the bar is full so I sit in the entry and read the paper. People are coming and going and I'm not really paying much attention. But I glance up . . and standing right in front of me speaking w/ the maitre d' is a 30 something man . . . and Joan freakin' Collins! She is a tiny woman and looks just like herself Gorgeous green suit and lots of jewelry. Apparently they are regulars and on a first name basis w/ everyone.
They go through to the dining rooms and about 5 mins later I'm called. I follow to my table and I'm sitting right next to Joan freakin' Collins!
My lunch was wonderful. Garlicky grilled tiger Prawns starter, Salmon w/ colcannon main, and Creme Brulee.
I waddled back to Ebury St to catch the last of the procession and the flyover on telly - was so sleepy/full I actually dozed through much of it.
Curtain was 8PM so normally I'd have a pre-theatre dinner. But w/ such a big/rich lunch I just have 1/2 of cider in a pub and wander around before heading over to the Criterion. This play is absolutely hysterical! LOVED it!
When the theatre lets out --I can just about think of food. I usually rent flats in Pimlico and often will have tapas at Goya on Lupus St on my way 'home' late at night. That would be perfect about now - tapas and sangria or maybe a Keoke Coffee. So I head to Pimlico tube station and walk up to Goya for old times sake. One of the waitresses remembers me from an earlier trip (Had rented a flat about 3 doors down so was in there almost every night)
It was nearly midnight when I rolled into the B&B . . . and I have to pack to fly out tomorrow
But my flight isn't until after 3PM so no hurry, I fall into bed.
Next: William Curley Chocolates (YUM!), Chelsea Hospital, Gordon Ramsey and home
Started out this morning at TKTS. Got a wonderful seat for 39 Steps at the Criterion - 3rd row slightly stage right.
Then I dashed over to Liberty to get the VAT refund forms. The weather was pretty good so I decided to just take a long walk. Eventually ended up at Regents Park and spent some time in the rose garden which was really pretty but not totally in bloom yet. Then I hopped on the tube back to Picadilly Circus.
Today is the Jubilee Service at St Pauls, the carriage ride back to the Palace and the flyover. I briefly considered going to the Mall to try to see the carriages, but even now 2+ hours ahead of time the crowds are streaming through the area. So instead I walk up Piccadilly towards Green Park Tube station. Haven't eaten at the Wolesley in ages so I thought I'd pop in to see if I can get in for lunch.
No tables right now but the can take me at 1:30PM so I book and come back in about 45 mins. I'm just a bit early and the bar is full so I sit in the entry and read the paper. People are coming and going and I'm not really paying much attention. But I glance up . . and standing right in front of me speaking w/ the maitre d' is a 30 something man . . . and Joan freakin' Collins! She is a tiny woman and looks just like herself
Gorgeous green suit and lots of jewelry. Apparently they are regulars and on a first name basis w/ everyone.They go through to the dining rooms and about 5 mins later I'm called. I follow to my table and I'm sitting right next to Joan freakin' Collins!
My lunch was wonderful. Garlicky grilled tiger Prawns starter, Salmon w/ colcannon main, and Creme Brulee.
I waddled back to Ebury St to catch the last of the procession and the flyover on telly - was so sleepy/full I actually dozed through much of it.
Curtain was 8PM so normally I'd have a pre-theatre dinner. But w/ such a big/rich lunch I just have 1/2 of cider in a pub and wander around before heading over to the Criterion. This play is absolutely hysterical! LOVED it!
When the theatre lets out --I can just about think of food. I usually rent flats in Pimlico and often will have tapas at Goya on Lupus St on my way 'home' late at night. That would be perfect about now - tapas and sangria or maybe a Keoke Coffee. So I head to Pimlico tube station and walk up to Goya for old times sake. One of the waitresses remembers me from an earlier trip (Had rented a flat about 3 doors down so was in there almost every night)
It was nearly midnight when I rolled into the B&B . . . and I have to pack to fly out tomorrow
But my flight isn't until after 3PM so no hurry, I fall into bed.Next: William Curley Chocolates (YUM!), Chelsea Hospital, Gordon Ramsey and home
Jul 10th, 2012, 09:53 AM
#128
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What a thorough report with much about some places I've not seen in UK. Liked your abbey and castle and all picts, too. You weathered the cold rain and the hot sun.
So Joan Collins looks like herself? ( -: I hope we can all say same! I sometimes wonder if I might look better, though. We were at Chautauqua Institute (see report) where Julie Andrews was on the program and she does look great at 77. To say nothing of Norman Lear at 90.
It must have been touching to scatter ashes of your Mom and Dad. Did you have special words or music or just quiet thoughts?
Bill in Boston
So Joan Collins looks like herself? ( -: I hope we can all say same! I sometimes wonder if I might look better, though. We were at Chautauqua Institute (see report) where Julie Andrews was on the program and she does look great at 77. To say nothing of Norman Lear at 90.
It must have been touching to scatter ashes of your Mom and Dad. Did you have special words or music or just quiet thoughts?
Bill in Boston
Jul 10th, 2012, 10:23 PM
#133
Original Poster
Thanks everybody. Its taken me longer to finish this TR than the trip
Wed. - Chelsea Hospital, William Curley Chocolates (YUM!), Gordon Ramsey and home
My flight isn't until 3:10 so I have a few hours free this morning. Up early, packed (traveling carry-on only sure does simplify things), and breakfast and I'm out the door about 09:30. It is a nice morning so I walked over to Sloane Square, down past Chelsea Hospital, to the river and looped back to Ebury Street.
And there at the very end of Ebury . . . is William Curley! Probably my favorite chocolates anywhere. OMG! This is chocolate heaven. I pick out 3 or 4 to get me through the flight and ask for them in a box. "Sorry, but nine is the minimum for a box" . . . so what the heck- I get Twelve Twelve tiny/delish works of art. (I ration myself to having one a day so I finished the last one about a week after starting this TR)
http://www.williamcurley.co.uk/engine/shop/index.html
Back to the B&B, collected my bag and head out to LHR on the tube. My return flight is BA non-stop to Seattle and then Alaska back to SMF so a lot easier than my trek over. At LHR I quickly clear security and enter the vast shopping centre that is T-5. Shopped a bit - mostly window shopping actually - and then headed to Gordon Ramsey's Plane Food. The initial reviews of this restaurant when it first opened were not good . . . but being my last/only chance to eat at a 'celebrity' restaurant this trip, what the heck?
Well, all I can say is things must have improved since those early reviews. It was really very good. Andnot expensive for airport food. Had a prawn and mussel pasta dish/wine and enjoyed every bite.
The restaurant is directly across from the VAT desk. I was behind a young Chinese woman and her sister who must have at leas 15 receipts/VAT forms. I was in for a loooong wait since the agent was insisting to physically look at each and every item listed on every receipt. Another agent came round and signaled for me to come forward. He made a cursory look at my one little receipt, stamped it and sent me on my way. Didn't ask to look at the scarf -barely spoke to me. As I left to drop the envelope in the pillar box outside Plane food, both agents were zeroed in on the girl's 5th or 6th receipt . . .
Totally uneventful flight and decent food/service (had an aisle seat on every flight over and back). At Seatac, the Alaska desk announces they are offering FC upgrades for $50. Okay - it is a 100 minute flight and WHO needs FC?? Moi Where can you get FC for 50 bucks.
Even though I fork over the $50 less than 15 mins before boarding, I get the same "Welcome Miss janisj" everyone who booked/paid for FC
Landed at 9:45PM, my Supershuttle left at 10:15 and I walked in my door twenty minutes later. . . .
Wed. - Chelsea Hospital, William Curley Chocolates (YUM!), Gordon Ramsey and home
My flight isn't until 3:10 so I have a few hours free this morning. Up early, packed (traveling carry-on only sure does simplify things), and breakfast and I'm out the door about 09:30. It is a nice morning so I walked over to Sloane Square, down past Chelsea Hospital, to the river and looped back to Ebury Street.
And there at the very end of Ebury . . . is William Curley! Probably my favorite chocolates anywhere. OMG! This is chocolate heaven. I pick out 3 or 4 to get me through the flight and ask for them in a box. "Sorry, but nine is the minimum for a box" . . . so what the heck- I get Twelve
Twelve tiny/delish works of art. (I ration myself to having one a day so I finished the last one about a week after starting this TR)http://www.williamcurley.co.uk/engine/shop/index.html
Back to the B&B, collected my bag and head out to LHR on the tube. My return flight is BA non-stop to Seattle and then Alaska back to SMF so a lot easier than my trek over. At LHR I quickly clear security and enter the vast shopping centre that is T-5. Shopped a bit - mostly window shopping actually - and then headed to Gordon Ramsey's Plane Food. The initial reviews of this restaurant when it first opened were not good . . . but being my last/only chance to eat at a 'celebrity' restaurant this trip, what the heck?
Well, all I can say is things must have improved since those early reviews. It was really very good. Andnot expensive for airport food. Had a prawn and mussel pasta dish/wine and enjoyed every bite.
The restaurant is directly across from the VAT desk. I was behind a young Chinese woman and her sister who must have at leas 15 receipts/VAT forms. I was in for a loooong wait since the agent was insisting to physically look at each and every item listed on every receipt. Another agent came round and signaled for me to come forward. He made a cursory look at my one little receipt, stamped it and sent me on my way. Didn't ask to look at the scarf -barely spoke to me. As I left to drop the envelope in the pillar box outside Plane food, both agents were zeroed in on the girl's 5th or 6th receipt . . .
Totally uneventful flight and decent food/service (had an aisle seat on every flight over and back). At Seatac, the Alaska desk announces they are offering FC upgrades for $50. Okay - it is a 100 minute flight and WHO needs FC?? Moi
Where can you get FC for 50 bucks.Even though I fork over the $50 less than 15 mins before boarding, I get the same "Welcome Miss janisj" everyone who booked/paid for FC
Landed at 9:45PM, my Supershuttle left at 10:15 and I walked in my door twenty minutes later. . . .
Last edited by Moderator1; Jan 19th, 2021 at 01:06 PM. Reason: removed broken html
Jul 11th, 2012, 06:27 AM
#135
Original Poster
Well--it was Alaska so not really 'first class'. But definitely business-ish-y. Roomy leather seats w/ tables between, canapes/small plate menu (and real silverware/china), free flowing beverages. So yes, I think it was worth the $50.
Jul 11th, 2012, 08:51 AM
#136
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As always, an interesting and fun trip report. I now have some excellent suggestions for Scotland and the North, hope to get back eventually. I watched most of the river pageant, wish I could have spotted your ship!
Making a quick trip to London in late August, The Wolseley is on my list, will try to "bag" a celeb.
Thanks again.
Making a quick trip to London in late August, The Wolseley is on my list, will try to "bag" a celeb.
Thanks again.
Jul 11th, 2012, 11:01 AM
#137
Original Poster
Ooh Ooh! forgot something . . . Walking out of William Curley . . . A guy tried to pull the Gold Ring Scam on me. I had never seen it in London (did once in Paris years ago).
It was so funny -nice looking young man walking towards me, spins on a dime (sixpence) and picks up a shiny 'gold' wide band ring and asks if it is mine - "No!" and he follows me for about 50 feet, I turn and give him the fish eye and he turns back around and heads down the street >
It was so funny -nice looking young man walking towards me, spins on a dime (sixpence) and picks up a shiny 'gold' wide band ring and asks if it is mine - "No!" and he follows me for about 50 feet, I turn and give him the fish eye and he turns back around and heads down the street >
Last edited by Moderator1; Jun 30th, 2020 at 09:47 AM. Reason: Removed broken html
