VACATION ~ LONDON ~ PART FOURTEEN

(click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Thursday June 30, 2011

Britain Museum & Covent Gardens

Mark had the day off and since he hadn't really been to places like I had it was suggested that he would like the Britain Museum. We didn't get there early in the day because we had to switch from Gatwick airport Marriott to Heathrow Marriott for our flight out on Friday. Wow we did change hotels often and it's a lot of work. We were lucky that Phil was staying on in England and rented a car the night before when they came in from Scotland. Mark said that what he saw of Scotland that day was absolutely beautiful and they was able to have some free time to drive along the coast. Anyway Phil had the car so he was nice enough to drive us to the hotel at Heathrow which saved us a lot of time and money.

So we were able to check in early, it was around noon, and got to our room and it smelled horrible from smoke that wasn't going to go away any time soon. It was like 20 smokers just had a party in our room.So we called for a room change, took our bags outside in the hallway and waited for the porter to bring the new key. So we are standing there and about six rooms down a maid was cleaning a room. We had watched several people go by hoping they were bringing our key but it wasn't happening.

So this man who we thought was maybe the guy, he actually had something in his hand that looked like another key holder, had stopped to talk to the maid. They were speaking a foreign language and he stood there for at least 10 minutes talking. It felt like a lot more but when you are waiting you think it's forever! We kind of wondered if he was the guy. Well he was and boy did Mark lay into him. It's not like we were in the room where we couldn't see him, he could see us in the hallway! Mark asked him who comes first and isn't it always about the customer. He apologized but we didn't give in. He was definitely in the wrong here. So he takes our bags and tries to help us to our next room being extra nice. Mark said should I tip him and I said "ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! "

So we took the shuttle to the airport and did the Underground today which took us to Russell Court where walked over the the Britain Museum. Lots of construction going on around there so we actually had to walk further then normal :( They had two special exhibits going on that didn't interest Mark so we didn't buy entries into them. The museum itself was free. Before we got there we ate at the cutest little place called Munchkins. I had my last fish 'n chips for the trip. Also, maybe because of the strikes that were going on Thursday in the UK, they had other floors closed so we could only do the main floor. We did see things that we had never seen before so it was well worth our time. Mark loved it.

Mark was really impressed with the hieroglyphics, they had rooms of them.

I was fascinated with these headless statues.

So we left the museum and headed back towards Russell Square when it started to drizzle a little bit. We sat on a park bench under huge trees for awhile. Then we decided to start up again and it started to rain more so we went into a little eating area in the park that was so charming and had coffee, hot chocolate along with some pastries. It was a nice break.

Then we went back to the Piccadilly Underground station and got on the train getting off two stops later at Covent Place. That was so much fun. The whole area was shops and places to eat. It was filled with people. It was a very interesting place and some areas were kind of hippie like. That was actually the area of the main Neil's Yard Remedies store. Mark wasn't thrilled with the shopping but he managed to find a shirt at Fat Face. I mentioned shopping at one in Worcester. You should be able to find them on the internet. It was the first time I had ever seen a Crocs store and I was thrilled to find a Penguin store. It's one of my sons favorite brands to wear.

We stopped and had a nice cold beer before we headed back to the Underground to take us back to the airport, so we could get the shuttle to the hotel and get ourselves ready to leave for home on Friday. The train was so crowded with people we actually had to stand for awhile. We were on the Underground Piccadilly line that ends at Cockfosters and I couldn't help but giggle. Every stop the voice would say this train ends at Cockfosters and Mind the Gap! I am really glad we went there and checked it out!

So we headed back to the airport to get the shuttle to the hotel and it was maybe after 8pm. We went up to the lounge that Mark gets into (Marriott Club) to get some tidbits and wine. Well it was pretty low on snacks and no wine was out. The Club Lounge was really beautiful. I had never been in on before and I was impressed. Then a woman came in and got more wine out so we had some wine. I was actually hungry so we ended up going down in eat in the restaurant and I had some wonderful risotto while Mark had some rib eye steak.

I knew I had to get my bag ready for morning. Mark insisted that I try to get all the souvenirs into my suitcase. I was perfectly willing to carry them onto the plane being that our bags were within 4 pounds of what we were allowed. We put all dirty laundry in Marks bag and filled mine with some clean items, toiletries and gifts. So when we got to the airport were able to check the bags and had to move things around because they were too heavy. I knew I needed to just leave it as I had it and carry it on. I did that for our flight to Italy and it worked out well. So basically we ended up carrying most of the items anyway so I wasted a bunch of time packing the stuff into my bag when it was already arranged nicely in a carry-on bag!

So we were at the airport early and I have never seen anything like this terminal with duty free shopping everywhere. If I had know this I would have just done my shopping there. Actually that is not true because actually buying it at Harrods is different then buying it at the airport!

So finally they opened up our gate and we headed over to get on the plane. As it turned out we were delayed on the ground for almost 1 hour and the flight going home is longer then the flight heading there because of the wind currents. We ended up being on the plane for 12 hours. I watched 4 movies and was up walking around a lot. I just couldn't stand sitting that long which reminded me why I wouldn't make that trip often yet I would love to go back.

I am thankful I was able to go on this trip. It was a trip of a lifetime for me and I would go back in an instance. I am now a World Traveler! This is me before we left for the airport. That's my scarf I bought in Italy.

VACATION ~ LONDON ~ PART THIRTEEN

(click on the pictures to enlarge them)

London - Gatwick Airport Marriott
Tuesday evening June 28, 2011

We got on the shuttle at the airport which took us to a Marriott Courtyard. We got settled in, went downstairs to have a drink and wait for Phil and Ally. We had a nice dinner with them and it was an enjoyable evening. Mark was getting up early on Wednesday to fly to Scotland for the day and I was heading to Westminster Abbey. Ally was kind enough to slip informtion under my door to help me find my way around on Wednesday.

Planes Trains and Automobile - Wednesday
Westminster Abbey & Buckingham Palace 6-29-11

Okay, it's more like shuttle, train and taxi. I took the shuttle to the airport, got on the train to Victorian Station and then took a cab to Westminster Abbey. It was wonderful, I think I even sat in the chair that the Queen sat in. (well actually I checked and it was a nicer chair that she had but it was in the same location) There is so much history there and so many people buried there. It was surreal to think that I walked where Diana's body laid and walked up the steps that Kate & William walked up in April. I was beyond thrilled to be there. So I toured around for a few hours. It's really old and a little bit creepy. Then I went to see the College Garden which was something in my London guidebook that they list under hidden treasures. Luckily Wednesday was a day it was open for visitors to see. I also ate a sandwich while I was there and had a nice view of a center grassy area. There were no pictures allowed inside so I was really good and didn't take any. You will see in the first picture a door panel at the top, that was were I went in.

That is Big Ben, Parliament and the school next to the Abbey.

Then I shopped and guess what I found? The simulated Princess Diana engagement ring so I bought it of course along with several other things today. (I had looked so hard for that ring but hadn't found one the first week in London. I was never able to get the engagement tea towel) I will do a post later with all my treasures. Then I headed over to Buckingham Palace. I had been there earlier in the trip but I heard that Kate's dress was on display. Well it wasn't but it will be in July :( I did the tour of the carriages this time which I enjoyed. There was a special party going on at the Palace tonight and it was fun seeing the people going in. Lots of hats and pretty dresses.

Funny story here. It was close to closing time and they had a group of people they were training. To see the carriages you had to go through security, purse x-rayed and have a body scan. I was the only one going through so I had a big audience. She asked me if I had anything else on me and being the honest person that I am I said yes. I told her I had a money pouch around my waist so they all got to watch me take that off which was tucked into my pants and drop it to the floor from my waist! (would recommend one of those thin pouches. Every important item like passport, credit cards and extra cash was in it)

I then headed towards the Victoria Train Station and ended up walking all the way there. My feet do hurt today and are still swollen. I stopped and had a cappuccino with a scone at the station and put my legs up for awhile. Stopped to pick up something I saw for Amber. She is always in search of a great face wash that is natural, organic and not animal tested. The company is Neal's Yard Remedies and they have been in business for 30 years. You can buy it in the states through a rep which I haven't checked out yet. So I headed for the express train back to the airport, got on my shuttle back to the hotel and I am here in bed resting my legs.

Mark was off to Scotland this morning and gets in around 9:00pm which it almost is now. We ended up having dinner with Phil and Ally which was very nice.Tomorrow he is off and we may go to the Tate Britain Museum which means it will be shuttle, train and taxi again! I can see planes fly by about every 10 minutes from the room, it's so cool and absolutely no noise! Well I am exhausted. Goodnight.

Mark brought me a seashell from Scotland.

THIS WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DAYS BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO SEE WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

Guess what, there is only one more day left before we leave on Friday!

VACATION ~ LONDON ~ PART FOUR

(Please remember to click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Wednesday June 15, 2011 and Thursday June 16, 2011

Wednesday - London to Worcester

I didn't sleep well. I can tell you that since we left home Friday the 10th I have had little sleep. Never slept on the plane. Next night I think I got about 4 hours, next night about 6 and last night about 4 again. I don't know how I am able to do all that I have done the last few days on so little sleep. It's mainly about the beds.

We got up and ready to leave. Phil went to get a rental card, picked us up and we did the two hour drive to Worcester. What beautiful countryside we saw. Rolling fields with sheep, just what you would expect. Actually there was one sheep with one sleeping next to it leaning over with it's head in the fluffy fur of the other sheep. It was an aww moment. Saw lots of cows too. Living in California for so many years you forget how the cows lived in Illinois and Wisconsin. They may say that California cow are happy but really they are not in my opinion. Got checked into this quaint hotel called the Diglis House Hotel and the guys took off to the office for a meeting.

I am not really good at doing somethings and couldn't get myself hooked up with internet. I kind of got tears in my eyes. That I am sure came from exhaustion. So I went out for a walk. We are right on the waterfront but I am going to do that tomorrow and also head to the Cathedral. What I need to do is laundry and find the laundromat. I walked over the the famous Museum of Worcester Porcelain. I didn't do the tour, which I should have, so I just shopped. They no longer make the porcelain, the economy closed them down a few years ago. That is just so sad. I really wasn't going to buy anything because I told myself that I would not bring breakable items home. I did however break that rule and got Amber an small plate.

I decided to sit and get my notes down from yesterday, along with some from today. I will be going to their charming restaurant to eat. I think I will spend the evening reading. Not much on TV and I need an evening of quiet. Mark had a dinner out with his office.

So this was my delicious dinner.

Thursday June 16, 2011 - Walk around Worcester, UK

So Mark and Phil dropped me off at a shopping area in the town of Worcester where we are staying. I shopped for 4 hours. Didn't by a lot of things but found some things for the kids. Lots to carry home! Had a great little sandwich for lunch. Took lots of pictures of the little shops and Church's. Oh and at the little candy shop I bought Flying Saucers. Do you remember those? I almost bought some at Harrods but didn't think I could take them home. Then I saw several little packages but I figured they would get crushed. So I ended up finding some in town today and they are in a plastic container that is pretty light. Just maybe I might have to go to the P.O. in France and ship our treasures home. Check out White Stuff and Fat Face online. Two really awesome stores where I found some gifts for the kids.

Worcester is know for the Cathedral. I never did get inside but I walked around it and got down to the River Severn walk which took me back to the Diglis Hotel. Stopped and had a glass of white wine. The day started out cool and rainy but it turned into a lovely day. I loved all the brickwork on the walk and took pictures of swans, the Worcester Bridge and the people in the water rowing. I am sure there is a name for it but I don't know off hand. I haven't had any internet access. Got onto my email with Mark's computer for a short time yesterday.

Some things that caught my attention and needed a closer look.

A little bird came and visited with me as I sat on a bench.

So I wanted to do laundry today. I thought Mark and Phil could drop me off and I would just walk back or find a taxi. Mark insisted that we do it at the hotel. Before we came here, maybe six week ago I told Mark that maybe I should/could do laundry at Phil's parents house. Mark said absolutely not, that would be terrible. So now all he is saying is that Phil thinks you should do laundry at his parents house. I said no since Mark put the hex on that weeks ago and I pointed that out to him today. So anyway we had maybe two loads of laundry to be done. Take a guess what it cost? 100 pounds! Now I know we are not paying for that but that's just stupid. That is like $160. in US money. I must admit it was nice walking into the room and having all your clean clothes laid out on the bed! I know in Paris I am going to the laundromat that is 1/2 a mile away from the hotel.

Here is a mixture of things. The bags from the two stores I mentioned. A For Let sign, I love how they say certain things. The painted ceiling moulding in the bar area where they painted the ivy. Some sidewalk art, the Worcester Porcelain Museum, wine on tap, the bar and a delicious dessert we had while we waited for Phil to pick us up on Friday morning. See the coin? Ali, Phil's friend, works at a coin mint shop and was able to get me the engagement coin. I was thrilled and so happy to have it.


Tonight we are going out to dinner and will be meeting Phil's parents. They have lived in Worcester since Phil was 2, I believe he is in his 40's now. His mother brought me a card welcoming us to Worcester. I will have to get a picture of it to show you. You open it up and the whole front and back is a beautiful painting of the town. Then tomorrow we travel to Paris. I should get my second stamp. The stamp I may not get is Italy because we are driving over the boarder but I am certainly going to ask!

After dinner, which was a lot of fun and delicious Chinese food, we went to a very old bridge where a war was found many, many years ago. That's all I know.



So 14 more days to go!

VACATION ~ LONDON ~ PART THREE

(Please remember to click on the pictures to see them larger)

Tuesday June 14, 2011

Win some, lose some:

I was going to take a Bus Tour today but I thought I would pick it up later in the day. I decided to start out at Kensington Palace so I got myself a taxi. I told him I want to get as close to Kensington as I can. I know the tours can drop you off blocks away. So he took me to Kensington but tried to get in a side gate. He said "I'm trying to get this lady closer" and the guard looked at me like "who the heck is she" and told him to go to another gate. Then we came up to another closed area, not even a gate that you could see through. A guard came over and opened the gate and he let us through. So he dropped me off at the back of the Palace. There was a small gate, he said the police will open it for you and took off. So I went over to the three policeman and they said they can't open the gate.

I walked over to the small gate and rang the button. A woman came on and I told her that my taxi driver dropped me off here and left. She said did you want to tour the palace, I said yes and she opened the electronic gate and let me in. That's how my day started!

I realize now that somehow that was meant to be because as I started walking towards the palace I heard a helicopter and it landed in a clearing near that gate I came through. It was a royal helicopter. (No I Didn't See Anyone) Many people came over to watch. The police told us no pictures. Then the woman from the gate speaker told him that we can take pictures. So a woman walked up to the helicopter, the pilots got out and put on their suit jackets, they talked for a little while. About 10 minutes later a small car came out and drove right up to helicopter door and whoever it was got on to the helicopter. We could not see the person but is as very exciting. I call this a win.

So I went over and did what was called The Enchanted Tour, something new to Kensington Palace. It really wasn't that great but I thought I would at least be able to walk into some rooms that maybe Princess Diana had walked into. This tour would be cute if you had young children because you have to play a game guessing who stayed in which rooms! Normally you would enter the front gate and go on a tour of some rooms and Princess Diana's dresses. There is scaffolding up and there was a gate in front of the gate. I managed to take some pictures but was a bit disappointed. The Palace is now closed for renovations because William and Kate will be living there soon. I will call this one a lose.

Then I went to find the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. Well let me tell you that I walked for what felt like 10 miles but it was probably just a couple. This walk was in Hyde Park. Well wouldn't you know that the fountain was closed this week for maintenance. Another loss for me! I took some pictures of some flowers around the area. In doing this I also missed the Serpentine Fountain which I really wanted to see :( Walked around a little more then headed over to were I saw some cars and buses and thought I would then get onto The Big Bus Tour and head over to the Tower of London. (this is where I come upon the most beautiful wild flower patch I have ever seen.) Well I wasn't near any of that so I walked hoping to find a stop somewhere. I did see the Royal Albert Hall. After awhile I walked back to an area where I had seen taxi's. It took a very long time but I finally got one.

So I asked him to take me to the Marble Arch because I know that we caught a tour bus there on Sunday. Well he couldn't drop me off right there so I was a few blocks away! I saw a money changer place and needed to exchange some money, needed some cash for the taxi later that evening to a hotel near Heathrow airport. (see earlier in the day I was checked out of the Marriott and I had them hold my luggage and a car was being arranged for me later in the evening) So I went to change some money and it was $1.99 for each pound. That mean my $100 bill became approximately $50. I also tried another one that I saw that was $1.70 American for each pound which was better but still not great but I need the pounds. When I went shopping on Monday at Harrods I spent something like 94 pounds which I thought wasn't that bad for all I bought but really it was $154. US!

So I went over to get the tour, the guy asked me what I wanted to see and I told him the Tower of London. He said because of the distance (across town) and with their stops I wouldn't get there in time for any tours. He suggested I take the underground. I said no but he said it's really easy and he gave me exact directions. Well I did it! OMG you have to walk down a hundred of stairs. (actually one woman counted them and said it was 123) Then I saw people going up on escalators so I thought I would be okay. So I got on, after several stops I was to get off and get on another line. It was a long walk and more stairs, this time up but I did it and made it to Tower Hill. Well the worst thing was that it was stairs up, no escalator. I knew I wouldn't be taking it back. I was totally exhausted from my day and couldn't do that again.

So I got there bought my ticket and saw the Crown Jewels. I didn't do much else because it's all up hill and upstairs. Then I went out and got some pictures of Tower Bridge. I had seen it the other day but with the rain we didn't get to stop and couldn't take any pictures through the wet bus windows. Got myself some quick fish and chips because I was hungry. I had seen some taxi's by Starbucks to I went over and got one. At this point it didn't matter to me the cost. It was 28 pounds to where I was going. Do the math!

There were some wire animals on display that had placed around the area. During 2011 an exhibition was hosted at the Tower with fine wire sculptures by Kendra Haste. I thought they were cool.

Got back to the hotel and had a glass of wine as they got my luggage and waited for the car to the airport hotel. (this was a 45 pound ride)I think I was there by 8pm, took a bath, put my pajamas on and Mark got in around 10pm. We actually got some food and wine from room service.

A few miscellaneous pictures from London.

Five down 16 more days to go!

VACATION ~ LONDON ~ PART TWO

(Please remember to click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Monday June 13, 2011

Today the 13th is rainy and cold again. Mark went to Finland today. I am running late. Will skip the tour until tomorrow when it should be 72/sunny. Today I believe I will grab a taxi to Harrods to shop. I am pretty tired today. Yesterday was a real workout and my feet are still swollen! (funny how I thought my feet were swollen yet they were nothing like when we were in Italy)

Took a taxi ride to Harrods. Had a very nice man. He even showed me the street where the picture for the album cover for Abbey Road by the Beatles was taken. Had fun walking around Harrods, took several pictures. Bought some cute gifts for the family, mainly gifts with Harrods on them. The markets in Harrods are beautiful.

Had a delightful lunch. The pasta of the day was Mac & cheese. Had a cool lemonade drink. Then I had a cafe latte and scones. OMG they were delicious. I couldn't get enough of that clotted cream. There was a memorial there for Princess Diana and Doti Fayed.

Harrods is unbelievable.

Then I crossed the street to get some pictures. Bought some post cards and stamps! Tomorrow I am heading to a bus tour. Hope to see the Tower of London and do the tour of the crown jewels. Also want to visit the Princess Diana memorial in Hyde Park. Hope to get to Kensington Palace and maybe see some of Diana's dresses on display. This has been a blast. I love being able to see what it's all about and finally visit the place where Princess Diana lived her life, I admired her so much. Hope I can enjoy Paris this way. This has been amazing. So different from the states!

Since this is a smaller post and couldn't include Tuesday because it's wordy, I decided to show you the basic itinerary of our trip. Click to enlarge it.

Thanks for stopping over, 17 more days to go!


Today is one of my best friends birthdays. It's Amy over at Keeping up with the Schultz Family. Head on over to wish her a happy birthday and meet her new baby boy Tyler John who was born last Thursday.

VACATION ~ LONDON ~ PART ONE

(Please remember to click on the pictures to make them larger)

Friday June 10th, Saturday June 11th and Sunday June 12th

Day One (which turned into day two after a 10 hour flight)

Los Angeles LAX to LHR London Heathrow

So these are the notes I typed out each night or the next morning. I was going to make changes but then I thought I should leave them as I wrote them and only add things in that I forget or didn't have the information on when I wrote these notes.

We were picked up by a limo at our house to take us to LAX airport. They picked Phil up first and then came and got us. (company uses this service) We had plenty of time when we got to the airport. We were actually very early because Phil had a flight an hour before ours. We all sat down and had a nice meal before our flights. Something I wasn't told in advance, because Mark knew how I would react, and he was right, that we both had center seats and not together! Well it turned out okay, they were able to get us an isle and center together. Sometimes I wonder why it even matters. Mark puts in his headphones and falls asleep, getting angry if I try to talk so I may as well sit alone!

Flight was very good and very long. I could not fall asleep. I got up a lot and walked around. I do of course love the little individual screens with the movies. So arriving in London I was obviously pretty exhausted. Never did the passport things before so I was going a little slower then Mark who is a frequent flyer and has little patience with me. I am use to being dropped off at our Ontario, CA airport, walking through the door and basically dropping off the luggage, landing in Tampa, getting my bag and walking right out the door to my dad who is waiting for me.

Well the walk from the plane to luggage was pretty long and the walk with the luggage was forever in my opinion. Sorry, I am a bit overweight and have COPD. (we learned quickly the next time to get one of those carts!) Now even if I was a perfect weight this would still be very challenging for me! Mark was kinda sort of, in not the nicest way saying to me, you should have known that you couldn't have handled this and stayed home. Yep, that made me feel awesome, NOT! I just figured we were both a little testy and let it go.

Needless to say we are in a new country, don't really know our way around and are a little grumpy from the plane. We were told by Phil, a UK born man who now works in CA with Mark, that he suggests the Express Train to Paddington Station and then maybe a taxi. That's what we did and it turned out okay. Let's just say I was excited, amazed and extremely overwhelmed and wondered how I was going to get around being totally lost in a big city. But I told myself to just push myself. See the hardest thing at that point was the fact that on Tuesday I have to check out of the hotel near Regents Park and get to the airport hotel because Mark will be flying in late that night and the next morning we head to Worcester. I wasn't sure I could do it alone. I didn't over pack but luggage can be heavy for me. So here I am tonight in the hotel not sleeping again.

Pushing myself to the limit, keeping up with Mark pays havoc on my lungs. We decided to go out from the hotel for a walk and grab some dinner. Well with swollen ankles and being up for well over 24 hours it wasn't that easy for me. We walked over to Primrose Park but when I saw it was hilly I just sat for awhile and Mark continued up the hill to look over at Regents park. We ended up at a cute little place called The Primrose and had a meal. Mark had a mushroom soup the was super thick and delicious, then he had olive mashed potatoes with fish. I had a delicious pizza and a lemon crepe for dessert. Then we came back to the hotel and had a glass of wine in the bar area. I took a quick shower and it was late enough that we could fall asleep for the next day. I did that for about 1 hour and here I am typing, praying to God to help me to feel well tomorrow.

Passed a church on our walk and of course the cute mailbox. I am in love with the chimneys. As Mark walked to see the top of the hill I took my first picture of the skies of London. I know that some of you reading this remember the cloth cords from years past. I was surprised to see one on the iron. We were at a Marriott. Didn't get a picture of Mark's dinner or my dessert. I do that often, I get so excited to eat!

I have lungs that are burning, I'm all aching with chills. So I turned the air warmer, put on some socks and snuggled up in bed after taking some medication. Well then after about an hour I was all hot! I feel pretty good right now as I type this. I think it's 1:30am and I need to sleep. We are doing a Bus Tour tomorrow with Phil and a female friend of his named Ali. Okay I'm going to head to dreamland now.......that's the plan! I'm thinking that maybe I just need a good poop!

Day three: Sunday

So I never really got any sleep again. About 3 hours and boy did we have a full day today. Unfortunately it was windy, rainy and cold but we did The Original Bus Tour with Phil and Ali. It was awesome to see all the wonderful landmarks of London. Did a short stop at an art museum.

Yes that first picture is from the window of the tour bus. We obviously couldn't sit on top. The weather did clear a little bit for some pictures. That was The National Gallery we went to but we mainly went in to see the Sunflowers by Van Gogh. I always look when I go into a museum for the signs about the use of a camera. I didn't see any so I took the picture and then I got my hand slapped by a museum person :) The living wall is something that you see around London in different areas. This was outside of the museum. That ship in a bottle was outside the museum too. The giant horse head was over near the Marble Arch in London and it's awesome. As I went around this area a few times on the bus and with a taxi driver I did see a statue of a giant hand holding a VW. I was never able to get a picture of it.

Being such a miserable day, we were cold and wet, we didn't get off the bus very often. Hope to do the tour again so I can get off and see a few other things up close and personal like I saw Buckingham Palace. It was surreal, I loved it. The day we were there was the day after the queens birthday celebration. It would have been fun to see that. Also since we left the palace is now open for tours since she is on vacation. Also Kate's wedding dress is now on display to. I did have some fun shopping in the gift shop.

We went to a pub, had some beers and I had my very first London fish & chips. I also fell in love with that vinegar and salt stuff you sprinkle on it. Yummy. You can see a picture of what is called London Eye which I would have loved to have gone on , The Jelly Baby statue, the Marble Arch at Hyde Park and St. Paul's Cathedral where Princess Diana was married. I never did have a chance to go back there. So now I have something to see the next time!!

We started out with breakfast at the hotel, had that afternoon snack and ended with a great dinner at a small quaint place where I had salmon. The hotel gave us a map with several places listed on the back. We grabbed a taxi and went to the first place we decided on and it was closed. We grabbed another taxi and went to the next place which was also closed.

Third times a charm. We went to the next place called La Collina which was so charming. We sat right by a fireplace in what you would think was the living room of a home years ago. Only had about six tables and I had the feeling that they hadn't been open long. Their description said "Italian restaurant that offers a brilliant menu, charming service, a garden and a kitchen you can watch in action from the table downstairs." We never went downstairs but there was a spiral staircase going down where they brought the food up from. Even though it was a cold/rainy day it was also a wonderful day.

Okay, only 18 more days to go!

THE MAIN PLAYERS

Thought it was time to share a few picture, up close and personal to give you a taste of whats coming. I have been working approximately 5 hours each day making collages of my photos so I can share as many as possible with you. I think I have made 39 already and I'm not done!

So today I am giving you basically the main players and my other posts will be all the good stuff in between and there is a lot of that! I'm afraid you are going to get tired of my vacation posts. It's been time consuming because when you have similar photos from both cameras you have to hop back and forth to pick the best ones to use. Like I have mentioned before, I am thankful I typed out notes each night which will give you each and every detail. I have to take those notes from my netbook copy them and get them into the post. Good thing I have time on my hands!

Buckingham Palace - I was here twice

The World Famous Harrods

Kensington Palace

Tower of LondonWorcester Cathedral on the River Severn
We spent 2 nights in Worcester, UK

Notre Dame

Museum D'Orsay

Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower

The War Museum
Musee de l'Armee and Hotel des Invalides

Hard Rock Cafe Paris

Unbelievable shopping!

Montmartre - Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Paris

The Louvre

The Palace at Versailles

Evening boat ride on the Seine River to see the Eiffel Tower

The drive from Paris France to Turin Italy

Pizza in Italy (you know we couldn't pass pizza up)

Westminster Abbey
The 1902 State Landau most recently used on April 29, 2011.
The top folds down and I saw this on my Mews tour when I revisited
Buckingham Palace.

The British Museum

One thing I want to share with you, I am not a sponge and I do not retain information well and I am not a history buff. I did study my spiral guide books that I bought at AAA to find out what I wanted to see in London and Paris but that's about as far as it went. I have been crazy about London ever since Princess Diana married Prince Charles in 1981. When it comes to Paris I really only knew that I wanted to see the Eiffel Tower. So if there is something that I mentioned seeing when I do my posts and I haven't provided any information or history about it please feel free to Google it!



There is a new post over at Debby's Tree and I am picking up most of this years ornaments up tomorrow. I can't believe it is already ornament debut at Hallmark!