Day Five: On the Undergound and More!

Matt and wife Camille on the London underground.

I've ended this day with some aches and a bit of a fever but it was another marvelous day in London.

Even though we had the freedom to go off on our own we enjoy each other's company so much most of us decided to explore together.

We took the underground to the art district for some shopping and sightseeing. Then it was off to Piccadilly Circus and some gawking.

After lunch we took in Easter evensong at Westminster Abbey. My goodness is this a high church. Great thing though was once we walked out I spotted a hog jacket and some new friends for NLR and Conway who watch Channel 4 and were hoping to run into our party...and no, we didn't call the Hogs inside the Abbey.

Our final stop before a great Italian diner was the London eye. This is now the top tourist attraction in London and its easy to see why. Incredible views.

Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow since we're heading to Windsor Castle and hopefully Kensington Palace. Pray for me. 

And Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!

Location of the opening shot in the movie classic "My Fair Lady."

The Park Place hotel where Matt and his tour group have been staying.

Day Four: Bath & Stonehenge

Hey guys, what a trip so far! 

Today was a big day. We left at 8:15 and just returned home at 8:48, but boy was it worth it.

First, you must know that all the talk about those English breakfasts being nothing more than hard rolls and tea is definitely not true at the Park Place Hotel. Even though much to Camille's chagrin they don't serve Diet Coke :(

On the 2-hour ride to Bath we were able to see lots of signs of the Olympics coming to town. Their two big concerns were building the venues and having enough room. They feel they've accomplished those goals...now we'll see if the infrastructure is able to handle the crowd. Our guide, Peter, who is phenomenal-by the way- says he'll be leaving town for the month.

The city of Bath was established by the Romans in the first century AD. You read right...it's 2,000 years old!! This abbey was where they crowned their first king in 1000 AD. Notice Jacob's ladder in the columns.

 The big draw in this upscale town though are the baths. After the Romans left, the Avon River over time, deposited sediment and after a few centuries the baths were nothing more than piles of dirt atop which the Brits eventually built their city.

However, about 100 plus years ago or when workers were installing heating pipes, a man fell through the ground and into a pit which turned out to be the ruins of the baths. What you see now was once underground! And the baths and the drains were still working...incredible. This is now a must see location.

At the end of the tour we did get to taste the water which, by the look on Camille's face, didn't taste too good.
 
From there it was on to Stonehenge. What an amazing place. This site is even older than the baths! It's an incredible bit of engineering these were built in the first place but that they're still standing today is just phenomenal.

I've seen hundreds of pictures of this over the years but to see it in person...it's just breathtaking, especially in the drizzly English rain!

Tomorrow is Easter. I pray you each have a wonderful day celebrating this most holy of days. We will be heading to a couple of churches tomorrow and continue enjoying this beautiful town.  Before I go, let me say how great this Holiday Vacation tour has been. First class all they way. It is truly the vacation of a lifetime.

Day Three - More!

Camille and Kristie at the Olympic clock at Trafalgar Square and me with my awesome new London lid and some chips at The Clarence- a 300-year-old British pub.

Day Three: Tower of London & More!

What a busy day three! This city is bustling getting ready for two major events. You know all about the Olympics in July but before that, in June, Great Britain will celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, that is, the 60th anniversary of the ascension of Queen Elizabeth to the throne! That is a big deal here.

This will be only the second time in this nation's history a monarch has reigned more than 60 years. The first being Queen Victoria.

As for the Olympics, we didn't have much opportunity to see the venues but one thing you will notice is all the construction. Everything is being repaired or cleaned. Take a look at the statue of Prince Albert. That thing is gold-leafed and colorful and just a month or two ago it was gray and drab. Our guide also tells us that everything is being converted to apartments and hotel rooms. Local residents are also leasing their flats for $2,000 a week! Or they could erect tents in their yards and lease those for $80 a day...a tent!

Today we had the opportunity to tour the Tower of London, which looks nice but from what I understand if you were invited to the Tower of London back in the day that meant you were going to lose your head.

After tea and scones, which is English for crumbly biscuit, we took a river tour which was awesome on this beautiful day. That tall pyramid behind Camille is the shard of glass (locals call it). When finished it will be the tallest building in Europe.

Kristie enjoying tea and scones.

There is just too much history in this city and there's no way we can see it all but Lord we tried. We also tried tea time at Harrod's. Brother is this place nice...and expensive! I got a little nervous when Camille was checking out the $2,000 Pradas.

Tonight we'll be on our own to check out the local flavor, then to tomorrow it's off to Bath and Stonehenge. Can't wait!

One more thing...well two actually.

These Brits are very superstitious when it comes to ravens. They say there has to be at least six ravens at the Tower of London or the city will fall.

Well, during the height of WWII the caretaker phoned Winston Churchill and told him there was only one raven left! Churchill immediately dispatched a crew to Scotland where they rounded up the necessary birds and brought them back, and London was saved.

As for that sign that says "way out"? They don't use exit here...all the signs say way in or way out. Don't know why I found that interesting.

Oh, Greg, Mallory, Wendy and crew...I gotcha some good stuff already!

First Dinner in London

Celebration "we made it through the first day" dinner at restaurant Joel.

 

 

Hampton Court Tour

I am exhausted after the 8 hour flight. Didn't sleep much but the holiday vacation guys know what they're doing. To beat the jet lag we tour right when we get off the plane...then sleep tonight and will be ready for the day tomorrow.

Our guide is Peter, a former actor who lived and taught theater back in the 70s at the University of Alabama. He's hysterical...and knowledgeable.

We went straight to Hampton Court, the home of Henry VIII.

This family was a little...um...insatiable? Is that the kind way to say it? The castle is beautiful and the flowers and garden amazing...and so is my bride!

I also want you to notice the traffic. They're doing a great deal of work on the roads to prepare for the Olympics so the traffic now is horrendous, but our bus driver is awesome!
Dinner tonight then a LONG night's sleep!

Arrival in London (Thursday, April 5)

We made it!! 

Now it's the long line through customs then off to Hampton court.

None of us slept too well on the plane but we're too excited to be tired.

I guarantee we'll feel it later today.