London 2013 Part 3.......

When we booked our trip to London we didn't realise that a great British event was due to take place on the Saturday, Trooping the Colour!  Of course once we realised, our sightseeing plans changed.  

We were up early for breakfast, wanting to get the first off-peak train to Green Park, the nearest tube station to where we wanted to go to watch the parade.    We arrived at Green Park station and made our way down St. James Street, towards St. James's Palace in Pall Mall.   St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces and was commissioned by Henry VIII, on the site of a former leper hospital dedicated to St. James the Less, from which the palace and its nearby park retain their names; the hospital was disbanded in 1532.

 Of course I just had to join all the tourists and have my pic taken with one of the guards.

This soldier is a member of The Grenadier Guards, you can tell by the buttons on his tunic which are a single row and a grenade on his collar.   The five regiments who take part in Trooping The Colour all have a different arrangement of buttons on their tunics, see here for others.

We made our way down Marlborough Road onto The Mall,  the road running from Buckingham Palace at its western end to Admiralty Arch and on to Trafalgar Square at its eastern end, where we found a great spot at the corner of Marlborough Road and The Mall. to watch the procession of soldiers making their way to Horse Guard's Parade for Trooping The Colour before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, in honour of her official birthday. Horse Guards Parade was formerly the site of the Palace of Whitehall's tiltyard, where tournaments (including jousting) were held in the time of  Henry VIII. It was also the scene of annual celebrations of the birthday of Queen Elizabeth I. There were lots of police, armed and unarmed, on duty on the Mall, plus Grenadier Guards, who weren't Trooping The Colour that day.

There were also mounted police on duty.

We didn't have to wait too long before the first troops appeared playing and marching down The Mall.

Then the Royals in their carriages.   First Prince Harry, Kate (Prince William's wife) and Camilla (Prince Charles' wife).

Then Prince Andrew with his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie.

Then Prince Edward with his wife Sophie and daughter Louise.

Then the Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry, made up of Life Guards and Blues and Royals, in their silver and gold breastplates and plumed helmets.

and another band

preceding The Queen's carriage.

Unfortunately you can't see The Queen but you can just see The Duke of Kent, who accompanied her because her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh, was in hospital.

Following The Queen's carriage on horseback were the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) , who is Colonel of the Welsh Guards, the Princess Royal (Princess Anne), who is Colonel of the Blues and Royals, and the Duke of Cambridge (Prince William), who is Colonel of the Irish Guards.

Then more of the Household Cavalry.

Unfortunately we couldn't go to Horse Guard's Parade and see the actual Trooping The Colour as it's tickets only, but we were so thrilled to be amongst the crowds watching the parade.  A lot of people stayed on The Mall to await the return parade but we had other things we wanted to see, so we walked back up St. James Street

 onto Piccadilly, passing The Ritz

to Green Park Station where we caught the tube to South Kensington to The Natural History Museum, where we had lunch.   The museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, the others being the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Natural History Museum

This was in the grounds

Inside the museum, can you see me?

We headed for the dinosaur exhibition, we did take some photographs but it was quite dark so they didn't turn out so well but here a couple that you can just make out.

We spent quite a long time in the museum, by which time we were really tired, so we headed back to the tube station and made our way back to the Leinster Arms, near our hotel, for a meal before retiring for the night, ready for leaving the following morning for our journey home.

I hope you've enjoyed our London Trip. 

London 2013 Part 2......

Our first full day in London dawned and after a good breakfast we made our way to the station to catch the tube for our first visit of the day, The Globe Theatre, Bankside, Southwark, on the south bank of the Thames.  We crossed the Millenium Footbridge across the Thames to get to the theatre.  Here I am on the bridge with St. Paul's in the background.

This was our first glimpse of the theatre as we crossed the Millenium Footbridge.

The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company  and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. A second Globe Theatre was built on the same site by June 1614 and closed in 1642.   A modern reconstruction of the Globe, named Shakespear's Globe, opened in 1997 approximately 750 feet (230 m) from the site of the original theatre.

The new Globe owes its rise to Sam Wanamaker who founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust to rebuild the Globe in London, and he played a central role in realizing the project, eventually raising well over ten million dollars. Sam, on his first visit to London in 1949 had sought traces of the original theatre and a was astonished to find only a blackened plaque on an unused brewery. He found this neglect inexplicable, and in 1970 launched the Shakespeare Globe Trust, later obtaining the building site and necessary permissions despite a hostile local council. He syphoned his earnings as actor and director into the project, undismayed by the scepticism of his British colleagues.
 
On the south bank of the River Thames, near where the modern recreation of Shakespeare's Globe stands today, is a plaque that reads: "In Thanksgiving for Sam Wanamaker, Actor, Director, Producer, 1919–1993, whose vision rebuilt Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Bankside in this parish".  For his work in reconstructing the Globe Theatre, Wanamaker, in July of 1993, was made an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was also honoured with the Benjamin Franklin Medal by the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of his contribution to theatre.

The Theatre is amazing inside, faithfully reproduced, as far as it can be, to the original.  Here are some photos, which really don't do it justice I have to say.

After a fabulous tour of the theatre we walked along Bankside taking in the sights.   Here's London Bridge with St Paul's in the background.

We walked a little further and came to The Anchor pub, where we had lunch.   You can see The Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe, in the background.

After lunch we walked a little further and came across The Clink Prison Museum, built on the original site of the Clink Prison.  The Prison dates back to 1144, making it one of England's oldest, if not the oldest prison.

The Clink Prison was used to control the Southbank of London known as "The Liberty of The Clink".  This area housed much of London's entertainment establishments including four theatres, bull-baiting, bear-baiting, inns and many other darker entertainments.  We didn't go in as we had other places to go.

We headed back to the Millenium footbridge and St. Paul's,

and onto Churchill'sWar Rooms, underneath the Cabinet Offices on King Charles Street, to see the wartime bunker that sheltered Churchill and his government during the Blitz.  Construction of the Cabinet War Rooms began in 1938. They became operational in August 1939, shortly before the outbreak of war in Europe. They remained in operation throughout the Second World War, before being abandoned in August 1945 after the surrender of Japan. After the war the historic value of the Cabinet War Rooms was recognised. Their preservation became the responsibility of the Ministry of Works and later the Department for the Environment, during which time very limited numbers of the public were able to visit by appointment. In the early 1980s the Imperial War Museum was asked to take over the administration of the site, and the Cabinet War Rooms were opened to the public in April 1984. The museum was reopened in 2005 following a major redevelopment, as the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms but in 2010 this was shortened to the Churchill War Rooms.

The next photo is of Churchill's bedroom in the War Rooms.

It was a fascinating tour, the whole place is huge with so many rooms dedicated to different aspects of the defence of our country. When operational, the facility's Map Room was in constant use and manned around the clock by officers of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. These officers were responsible for producing a daily intelligence summary for the King, Prime Minister and the military Chiefs of Staff.

Our next stop was The British Museum to see the new exhibition, Life & Death Pompeii and Herculaneum, but as our slot wasn't until 4.20p.m. we had a bit of time to kill.  The sun was shining and we were thirsty so guess what we did?

Yep, we sat outside a pub opposite the museum and enjoyed a pint of real ale, what else?   Before long it was time to go over to the Museum.   The Exhibition is very popular but the tours are evenly spaced so it wasn't too cramped inside.  Once inside there is a short film explaining what the artefacts on show represent.

AD 79. In just 24 hours, two cities in the Bay of Naples in southern Italy were buried by a catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.   Preserved under ash, the cities lay buried for just over 1,600 years, their rediscovery providing an unparalleled glimpse into the daily life of the Roman Empire.   From the bustling street to the intimate spaces of a Roman home, this major exhibition takes you to the heart of people’s lives in Pompeii and Herculaneum.  

Photography was not allowed in the exhibition so I have no pictures to share with you, but if you follow the link here you can see what the Museum says about it.

After the exhibition we made our way to Covent Garden to a restaurant recommended by Morning AJ, Dishoom, a Bombay Cafe, where we enjoyed a lovely meal before catching the tube back to Bayswater and our hotel, to rest our weary bones after a hard day sightseeing, in preparation for more the following day.

Join me next time for more sightseeing in London 2013 Part3.

Normal service will be resumed......

I'm interrupting my London 2013 posts to tell you that today I booked our next big holiday!   It's quite soon, September 15th, which means I can get excited about it straight away.  The map below shows the route we will be taking on the Rocky Mountain Railtour.

 

Here's our itinerary.

Day 1 London - Calgary - Banff

Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service® transports you from your front door to London’s Heathrow Airport and your scheduled Air Canada flight to Calgary. On arrival our coach transports you to Banff, set in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and our hotel the Banff International.

Day 2 Banff - Lake Louise - Banff

Today we tour the surrounds of Banff and also visit famous lake Louise. Take a stroll by the lakeside and visit the Chateau, a luxury hotel, with cafes and bars to enjoy. This is Canada’s best known lake, renowned for its beautiful setting and magical view of the Victoria Glacier. Returning to Banff and our hotel, we are free this evening to discover some of the town’s nightlife that includes a good selection of restaurants.

Day 3 Banff - Columbia - Icefield Jasper

This morning we take the Icefields Parkway from Banff National Park. This stunningly scenic road links these two great parks, and for over 140 miles takes us through jagged mountain peaks and high forested valleys, passing emerald lakes and mountain fed streams, waterfalls and rivers. The halfway point is the spectacular Columbia Icefield, one of the biggest accumulations of ice and snow south of the Artic Circle. Here we take an included Ice Explorer ride on to the surface of the Athabasca Glacier( subject to favourable weather conditions). Your journey is lead by an experienced driverguide, who shares a wealth of fascinating information about glaciers, icefields and their impact on our environment. There is also the opportunity to safely step out onto the glacier and stand on this powerful ancient ice. Turning west we enter Jasper National Park; 4,200 acres of alpine forests, natural hot springs, white – water rivers, tranquil valleys and jagged snow-capped mountains. We drive to the centre of Jasper town and our hotel for the next two nights, the Chateau Jasper.

Day 4 Jasper

Today we enjoy an unforgettable journey to Maligne Canyon and then to one of the most photographed spots in the world, the breathtaking Maligne Lake. Here we may have the opportunity for an optional cruise to Spirit Island. We return to Jasper where time is free to relax and enjoy the town. This evening we have included a dinner.

Day 5 Jasper - Kamloops

This morning we have an early start to board the Rocky Mountaineer train for what has been called the most spectacular train journey in the world. Your journey offers an exhilarating range of scenery as you pass by Mount Robson, the expansive glaciers of the Albreda Icefields and the Pyramid Falls. Travel through the snowy peaks of the Monashee Mountains and then follow the Thompson River before arriving into historic Kamloops, the gateway to the Interior of British Columbia. Your accommodation in Kamloops is arranged by Rocky Mountaineer.

Day 6 Kamloops - Vancouver

Our second day aboard the Rocky Mountaineer and another exciting journey of stunning vistas awaits us. You will see dramatic changes in scenery, from the desert- like environment of the interior, through winding river canyons and forests surrounded by peaks of the Coast and Cascade Mountains, to the lush green fields of the Fraser River Valley. Highlights include the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River and the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon. As the end of our journey draws near, the skyline of Vancouver is soon in sight. On arrival our coach awaits to transfer us to our hotel, the Coast Coal Harbour.

Day 7 Vancouver

This morning we have arranged a short orientation tour of Vancouver. After this you are free to explore at your leisure or join our optional excursion to Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge. In quaint Gastown you will find many interesting shops, cafés and restaurants. Chinatown is well worth a visit to experience the bustle of this always exciting area of the city.

Day 8 Vancouver - Victoria

This morning we drive to Tsawwassen, to take the ferry through the glorious Gulf Islands region with towering Douglas Fir trees climbing the hills on all sides to Swartz Bay. We continue to the world famous Butchart Gardens, reclaimed from a limestone quarry in 1904 and now a riot of colour and fragrance covering over 30 acres. These beautiful gardens have long been one of Vancouver Island’s premier attractions and include Rose, Japanese, and Italian gardens. Later this afternoon we continue to the Victoria, provincial capital of British Columbia and our hotel the Executive House Hotel.

Day 9 Victoria

Today is free for you to enjoy and explore Victoria and its many attractions, shops and perhaps some of its colonial heritage, such as the Legislative Building and the Empress Hotel for afternoon tea. The evening offers a chance to sample the range of fine restaurants around the harbour.

Day 10 Victoria - Vancouver - London

This morning we leave Victoria behind and drive to Nanaimo, where we take the spectacular ferry crossing through the Strait of Georgia to Horseshoe Bay. There may be some time for last minute shopping in Vancouver before transferring to the airport, for your Air Canada scheduled flight to London Heathrow.

Day 11 London

Arrival at London Heathrow Airport where our staff will greet and transfer you to Titan transport for the journey home.


The tour company we have booked with, Titan, pick us up from our front door to take us to the airport and on our return they collect us from the airport and return us to our front door.  We have booked The Gold Leaf Service for the Rocky Mountaineer, for that extra comfort and luxury, you can see the details here.

We have read numerous reviews, which are all really good, especially the ones about Gold Leaf Service.   It's an expensive trip but it is one that MWM particularly wants to do (you know how much he loves trains) and as it's his 65th birthday this year I let him choose - aren't I kind?

So now we are waiting for all the paperwork, oh and we are waiting for our renewed passports, our passports were valid until February 2014 but as we have to have six months on them to travel we had to renew them.

If any of you have actually done this trip I'd love to hear your thoughts on it and if you happen to live in any of the places we will be visiting maybe we could meet up.   Any tips on what the weather may be like and what clothes would be suitable to take with us would be appreciated.

I'm excited!

London 2013 Part 1........

We had a fabulous time in London last weekend!   We travelled down by train from Manchester First Class for the 2 hour 12 minute journey to Euston Station.

We got a taxi from Euston Station to our hotel (The Caring Hotel) in Bayswater, our base for three nights, where we quickly unpacked.    After getting settled in we walked the short way to the nearest tube station (Queensway) to catch the tube to Oxford Circus to have a walk around and find our destination for that evening.  On the way to the tube on Leinster Gardens, just round the corner from our hotel, we noticed a terrace of houses that seemed a bit odd.

It's maybe hard to tell from the photos but on number 23 and 24 the windows and doors are blanked out, this is because they are literally just a facade.   When the underground railway route of the line between Paddington and Bayswater (opened in 1868) it necessitated the demolition of 23 and 24 Leinster Gardens, situated on a long, upmarket terrace of five story houses, and it was decided to build a 5ft-thick facade which matched the houses either side of the break, hence the facades.  You can read more about them and see photographs of the backs here.



When we got to the city centre the first place of interest we found was

and some Hare Krishna devotees dancing and chanting.

Our next stop was St. James' Tavern for some liquid refreshment, we didn't want to eat as we had already booked dinner at a restaurant but the food they were serving looked really good and very popular.

We finished our drinks and made our way to Grace Bar at 6 p.m. for a pre-theatre dinner, which we had booked as part of a package which included tickets to see Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theatre.   Our two course meal was delicious, I had a starter and a main and MWM had a main and a dessert - you can tell who has the sweet tooth. 

 Inside Grace Bar

We thought we had got a really good deal on the tickets for the show and the pre-theatre meal at £44 each, though the seats for the show were 'up in the gods'.  However when we arrived at the theatre they were offering upgrades on our tickets for £10 each to seats in the stalls, which we jumped at and ended up with the best seats in the house which should have cost £84 each!

 The stage at Prince Edward Theatre from where we were sitting.

 I can honestly say the show was F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.!  The actor playing Frankie Valli sounded exactly like the man himself, the scene changes were effortless and amazing and the whole cast were superb!   If the show ever comes to Manchester we would definitely go to see it again, even MWM, who went to see the show for my benefit said he would like to see it again, it was that good.

Once the show had finished we had to catch the tube back to Bayswater but we called in a little pub not far from our hotel (The Leinster Arms)  for a nightcap, before retiring for the night.

Join me next time for sightseeing in London 2013 Part 2.

Signs....

 Sign  over a Gynecologist's Office:  "Dr.  Jones, at your cervix." 

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   In a  Podiatrist's office: "Time  wounds all heels."  

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 In  a Vets waiting room:  "Be  back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"  

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In  a Restaurant window:  "Don't  stand there and be hungry; come on in and get  fed up." 

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In  the front yard of a Funeral Home:  "Drive  carefully. We'll wait."  

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And  don't forget the sign at a  RADIATOR  SHOP: "Best  place in town to take a leak." 

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Sign  on the back of yet another 
Septic  Tank Truck: "Caution  - This Truck is full of Political  Promises"  

On a  Septic Tank Truck: Yesterday's  Meals on Wheels 

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On  a Plumber's  truck:  "We  repair what your husband fixed."  

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 On  another Plumber's truck:  "Don't  sleep with a drip. Call your plumber."  

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On  a Church's Bill board:  "7  days without God makes one weak."

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At  a Tyre Store  "Invite  us to your next blowout."  

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On  an Electrician's truck:  "Let  us remove your shorts."

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In  a Non-smoking Area:  "If  we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and  take appropriate action.."  

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 On  a Maternity Room door:  "Push.  Push. Push." 

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At  an Optometrist's Office:  "If  you don't see what you're looking for, you've  come to the right place."  

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  On a  Taxidermist's window:  "We  really know our stuff." 

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 On  a Fence: "Salesmen  welcome! Dog food is expensive!"

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 At  a Car Dealership: "The  best way to get back on your feet - miss a car  payment." 

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 Outside  a Car Exhaust Store:  "No  appointment necessary. We hear you  coming." 

Off to London to see The Queen.....

We're off on our trip to London today, back on Sunday.  We have so many things planned starting with the theatre tonight to seeThe Jersey Boys.  We will be taking lots of photos whilst sightseeing of cours and  I will tell you all about what we do and see in the coming weeks.   We found out it's Trouping The Colour on Saturday, which we didn't realise when we booked the trip, so Saturday morning will find us with the throngs on The Mall and hopefully we will see the Queen!

See you soon.

Friday 55 Flash Fiction #218 Urgent.....

Jumping in the car he sped off.

Time was of the essence, Helen needed him.

He'd always been a careful driver but urgency made him reckless.

Oblivious of the red light, he heard the siren.

"Have you been drinking Sir?  Breathe into the machine please".

He'd forgotten about his liquid lunch, until the policeman spoke.

Friday 55 Flash Fiction is brought to you by G-man (Mr Knowitall). The idea is you write a story in exactly 55 words. If you want to take part pop over and let G-man know when you've posted your 55.

Change of plan......

We really wanted to see the new British Museum Exhibition: Life and death in Pompeii and Herculaneum, so we booked a trip to London for June, Friday to Sunday, which included transport and two nights B&B in the Hilton Hotel on Canary Wharf, then got online and booked tickets to see the exhibiton on the Friday afternoon that we arrive in London.  

Imagine how disappointed we were last Monday to receive a letter from the coach company saying due to lack of interest they were having to cancel the trip!    As we had already booked tickets for the exhibition we decided to arrange transport and accommodation ourselves.    MWM checked online and found First Class  return rail tickets on the Thursday for £76 each, which will include lunch and drinky poos on the way down, and I found a small hotel in Bayswater, with great customer reviews, offering B&B at a reasonable rate, so for approx £150 more than the original trip we have an extra day in London travelling First Class.    

We also wanted to see The Jersey Boys at Prince Edward Theatre whilst we we're in London and I looked for tickets for the Saturday evening; the cheapest tickets I could find were in the Grand Circle and priced at £48 each,  but as we we're now going a day earlier I looked for tickets for the Thursday evening and found a great deal - two Grand Circle seats including a two course meal at a nearby restaurant, Grace Bar, for £45 each! 

Besides seeing the British Museum exhibition we also have plans to do a tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre,  see St Paul's Cathedral, a trip up The Shard (maybe) and, if weather permits, we may also visit Kew Gardens.   

Everything organised now, we just need the weather to be kind to us, keep your fingers crossed for 13th - 16th June 2013 please. 

Friday 55 Flash Fiction #217 Moving again...

I don't want to move again.

Every flaming year you insist I move.

I like it here, I'm comfortable and I've done well, leave me be!

Only a couple of months ago you said I was 'blooming'!

"You'll do much better over there by the greenhouse next year" 

said the gardener to the rose bush. 

Friday 55 Flash Fiction is brought to you by G-man (Mr Knowitall). The idea is you write a story in exactly 55 words. If you want to take part pop over and let G-man know when you've posted your 55.

Ponderisms.....

These, received in an email, made me ponder.....

I used to eat a lot of natural foods, until I learned that most people die from natural causes.


There are two kinds of pedestrians – the quick and the dead.


Life is sexually transmitted.


Healthy is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
 
The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
 
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
 
Have you noticed since everyone has a cell phone these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?
 
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
 
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
 
How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
 
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze these dangly things and drink whatever comes out'? Hmmmmm, How about eggs ? . . .
 
If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?
 
Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?
 
If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?


Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?


 
Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?
 
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

Friday 55 Flash Fiction #216 Hiding Place......

"I'll hide them in the plantpots" she thought "they will be safe in there."

She quickly planted the first one, carefully covering it with the soil

Repeating the sequence she secreted a second, third and fourth in different pots.

"Now I just have to remember where I've hidden them when winter arrives" thought the squirrel.

Friday 55 Flash Fiction is brought to you by G-man (Mr Knowitall). The idea is you write a story in exactly 55 words. If you want to take part pop over and let G-man know when you've posted your 55.