Day 11-So Long England (Sept. 26)

I've never been on a vacation(as an adult anyway) that lasted more than a week. There was definitely a part of me that was ready to be home in familiar surroundings and sleep in my own bed. However, there was another part of me that could have easily spent another month in the UK. It was my dream trip and it was amazing but now it was coming to an end. 

I had noticed, while in the Tube station a couple of days prior, that there was the possibility of a strike on some of the Tube lines, including the one that we need to take to get back to Heathrow. I'm so glad I had noticed , because it gave us the time to make alternate plans for getting back to the airport. There are three Tube/train options, from the cheapest and slowest to the most expensive and fastest. We had taken the slowest to get to London, but because of the strike, we took the next one up on the way back (as it wasn't affected by the strike). 

We said our last goodbyes to Paddington Station and headed back to Heathrow at 6:00am.  

We made it to the airport in plenty of time, which is really good, because we experienced something new on this trip through security called, Secondary Security Screening. Eric made it through fine, but for some reason (they say it's "random", Austin and I both got picked for the screening. And because he was flying with us, Eric got pulled back to do it too. Poor Eric!! They opened our bags and had us take everything out, swabbed our shoes and wanded everything. No fun, especially when your bag is packed like a puzzle to begin with!!

From now on, I will always look for the dreaded four SSSS on my boarding pass and hope that it's not there.

We finally hopped on our plane and settled in for the long plane ride back home. 

Up, Up and Away

So long England, until we meet again!

We made it back to the Salt Lake City airport and I have to say...I wasn't impressed with the way they handled our international flight. We had to catch a connecting flight back to Portland, but first we had to get through customs. The line for customs wasn't too bad, but then we got dumped out on the other side of security and had to wait in line again. If I recall, we had less than an hour to catch our flight and the time was ticking away. There was a LONG line at security and only one TSA agent working. Many of the people in line were stressing about catching their connections. 

Once through security, we ran across the airport only to find that our plane was long gone. Fortunately they were able to book us on a flight 2 hours later. I grumbled a bit at the counter (obviously telling them that it wasn't their fault, but that Delta should give enough time to make it to your flight) and the guy behind the counter said we've been telling them that for a long time, as this happens all the time. Later, after we got back, I sent a polite email to Delta letting them know my frustration and they offered to give all three of us $50 in Delta $$. So while it doesn't change the problem, I appreciate that they had good customer server after the fact. 

We eventually made it back to Portland and then had a 2 1/2 drive back home. We were tired!! It felt really good to sleep in our own bed that night!

I definitely hope to visit the UK again someday. Next time, we will spend time in the North, around York and probably also Edinburgh, Scotland. I came away with an even greater love for England and highly recommend that you go for a visit if you get a chance!

Day 10-Hyde Park, Harrods, Soho District, Covent Garden, British Museum and Westminster Abbey (Sept. 25)

After full days at the Tower and Hampton Court, you might think that we took it easy on our last full day in England. But you would be wrong, oh so wrong. Only one day left and still so much I wanted to see. As I mentioned before, Eric and Austin were along for the ride, so I pretty much mapped out our day and as long as we made periodic stops at pubs, they were game for wherever I wanted to take them. 

While Jennifer and Chris headed off to the next part of their adventure, Paris,
we started off our morning getting some breakfast at nearby Mimo's Cafe. Eric and Austin had to try the traditional full English breakfast and I got a mushroom omelette. In case you didn't know, a traditional full English breakfast typically includes bacon and/or sausage, eggs, baked beans, tomato and toast. It a lot of food and meant to tide you over for several hours. That's good, because we were in for a lot of walking!

Full English Breakfast

Our hotel was located just a few blocks away from Hyde Park, so we decided to forgo public transportation and take a walk through the park. This park is largest of the four Royal Parks that surround Kensington and Buckingham Palace. 

Aerial photo of the park from Google

The park is about 350 acres (huge) and we could have easily spent all day exploring. However, as there was so much else to see, we just took the walk across the park and headed towards the area south of the park known as Knightsbridge. 

As we exited the park, we heard some very loud music and saw horses coming up the street. We ran across the street in order to get some good pics and video. It's not everyday that you see British soldiers on horseback marching by!!

City Block in Knightsbridge

The area of Knightsbridge is a very high end residential and retail center. My main reason for wanting to go there was to see the Harrod's department store. On our way to the store, one particular shop caught Eric and Austin's eye...a McLaren dealership.!

You can look, but you can't touch these beauties, as the starting price of a McClaren is about $200,000. Sadly, Eric wouldn't buy me the red one to take home :(

Now on to Harrods...not only is it the largest department store in Europe, occupying 5 acres, with 330 departments and 1.1 million square feet, but it even has its own postal code! To say that this store is impressive would be an understatement. It is decorated throughout in an Egyptian theme.  We spent some time wandering from floor to floor, checking out the displays and amazing merchandise and then headed onward to our next stop, Crumbs and Doilies cupcake shop in Soho. 

A couple of years ago I started watching a YouTuber named "Cupcake Jemma". She owns a bakery in Soho called "Crumbs and Doilies". I love her videos and she has really inspired me to expand my baking skills, including making some awesome cupcakes. I knew that a visit to London would include a visit to her shop. 

The walk from Harrods to the shop was about 1.7 miles. The area of Soho is near the West End of London and is know as a fashion and entertainment district (and I mean all sorts of entertainment is present as the sex shops abound). The area is a mix of restaurants, cafes, bakeries, shops and all sorts of interesting looking people. It was actually quite a fun place to walk around.

Crumbs and Doilies is a little shop, tucked down an alleyway with several other food shops. We popped in, grabbed a treat and a copy of her cookbook and headed out for a walk to our next stop (as I said, we packed a lot into this day). 

Decisions, decisions!

I went for the ooey, gooey, chocolate brownie, pretzel caramel thing and it was delicious!

Looking in the window of a bakery in Soho

A mere 1 mile away was the British Museum, so off we went on another walk through downtown London. Every since I first read my first book by Elizabeth Peters, Crocodile on the Sandbank, I have wanted to go to the British Museum to check out the Egyptian artifacts. 

The museum is very large and one could definitely spend a day or two looking around, but for sake of time, we stuck to the Egyptian floor and then a quick trip downstairs to see the Rosetta Stone. 

The museum is home to the world's largest collection of Egyptian antiquities (over 100,000 pieces). It was truly a privilege and a really incredible experience to see some of this collection, including Cleopatra's mummy.  

Last but not least on our tour through the museum was a look at the Rosetta Stone. No, it's not just a company that wants to teach you Spanish, but the real Rosetta Stone was found in 1799 and is inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in Memphis Egypt in 196 BC. Due to the three versions, the stone ended up being the key to unlocking the mystery of Egyptian hieroglyphs. 

Rosetta Stone

Next stop on the walking tour, Covent Garden. Its another district in Central London, home to a variety of arts and entertainment, including the Royal Opera House. There are lots of little shops and restaurants and it is also home to the London Underground Museum. 

By this time, we were getting a bit hungry, so we went on the search for some lunch. We walked by a little pizza shop that smelled wonderful. It's called Franco Manca and they have several locations around London. The place was packed and super noisy but the food was delicious!! Some of the best pizza I've ever had. 

Amazing lunch at Franco Manca

With our bellies full, we headed out and about around Covent Garden for a while and then set our sights on Trafalgar Square and the government area of London. 

Trafalgar Square is a public square in the area that was once known as Charring Cross. It was built as a remembrance of the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars in 1805. At the center of the square is Nelson's Column which is guarded by four lion statues. They day we were there, they were doing some construction work and it was very noisy with jackhammering. We stayed long enough to snap some pictures and headed towards Parliament. 

We definitely could tell that we were entering into the government area of the city, as we saw a lot more security and barriers were placed in front of many of the buildings. We headed in the direction of Westminster, taking a look at the beautiful buildings and history along the way. 

Corner of Downing and Whitehall-near the home of the Prime Minister

Parliament

 The walk to Westminster took us alongside the Thames River, past the London Eye and Big Ben. Sadly, Big Ben was undergoing refurbishment and it was covered by scaffolding. I guess I will get to see it on my next visit :)

I spy the London Eye across the River Thames

Big Ben all covered up

There really is a pub on every corner

Our last stop of the day was to Westminster Abbey. I had read online that they had discounted tickets for a visit in the afternoon. When we arrived, everything was locked up and people were told that it was closed for the day. However, I found a docent outside and asked them and they told me that it would be closed for a half and hour and then re-open for the cheaper tickets. Yay!! I would have been terrible disappointed to have missed out on seeing this amazing cathedral with so much rich history. 

Unfortunately, they do not allow any photography inside Westminster Abbey, but there are millions of pictures of it online, Westminster Abbey pics. It's been the place of coronation, weddings and burial of so many royals.

 Kings and Queens of England have been coronated here since William the Conqueror in 1066. There have been 16 royal weddings and more than 3,300 people are buried here, including 16 monarchs, 8 prime ministers, poets, actors, scientists and military leaders. It's definitely worth a visit. 

After an exhausting but amazing day, we headed back to our room to pack for the trip home. 

Day 9 (part 2)- Oxford Street, Selfridges and Mayfair Chippy (Sept. 24th)

I became fascinated with Oxford Street when I watched a documentary about Harry Gordon Selfridge. I later watched the series on PBS "Mr. Selfridge". 

Harry was an American-British man who founded the department store bearing his name. He led the store for 20 years and became very respected in retail industry and also very rich. When he opened his store, the Oxford area was quite unpopular for a retail store. Nowadays, Oxford Street is Europe's busiest shopping street and much of the credit can be given to Harry Selfridge. He was known for forward thinking and really shook up the retail world in London. He promoted the crazy idea that ladies might like to shop for pleasure rather that out of necessity. His store was elegant, his staff helpful and goods were easily accessible to customers. He promoted his store with unique advertising and revolutionized the idea of window displays. Today, many stores carry on his ideas for marketing and salesmanship, using his phrases, "Only______ shopping days until Christmas" and "The customer is always right" (this phrase is credited to him or to Marshall Field).

Enough about the man though, let's talk about the store. It was massive! I spent several years working in a large department store with four levels and Selfridges makes that store look tiny. This store is the 2nd largest store in the UK (we will be visiting the 1st largest in the next blog post). 

Front entrance of Selfridges

We left Austin mesmerized in the electronics department (which took up most of the lower level) and took a tour around the store. The displays were amazing, and it was staggering to see how merchandise this store has. So many choices! I can see how it would break the bank to spend too much time in this store. Thankfully, we weren't too tempted as we didn't have much room in our backpacks for souvenirs. Well, Eric might have been a little tempted in the Gin department :)

That's a lot of Gin!

Champagne anyone?

Window display

There was even a huge candy department with cases of delicious looking macarons and other delectable treats. By this time, Jen and Chris had caught back up with us and we decided to try a few macarons. 

So delicious!

After tracking down Austin (still wandering around the electronics department), we parted ways with Jen and Chris again as they had eaten dinner and were ready to head back to their room for some R&R. Eric, Austin and I left the store and headed down Oxford Street in search of something to eat. 

It was getting a dark out and we had no idea what was in the area so we were using Google to help find a good place to eat. As we were walking along, I happened to spot a sign for the Mayfair Chippy and it said it was just a short walk down a side street. I recognized the name from some of my planning as to being one of the top places to get fish and chips!! YAY! So of course, that ended our Google search as we headed to the Chippy. 

It was a very cozy place but there were a few empty tables so we headed inside and asked for a table. The person behind the counter said "Do you have a reservation"? Uh, no :(  Apparently lots of others did, but all was not lost as she asked if we would be alright sitting at a counter by the window. But of course, for real London fish and chips, you betcha!!

Austin decided to order Scotch Eggs. I would not usually eat Scotch Eggs because the only meat that I eat is seafood, but since I had never tried them and, well, we're in London, I decided to have a bite. Delicious!! I might need to learn to make these for Eric and the boys.  

And then on to the Fish and Chips! Now mind you, we live on the Oregon Coast. We have eaten a lot of fish and chips...but these were the best fish and chips we've ever had. We had haddock and cod and both were amazing! The perfect amount of batter, crispy and not greasy, oh so good!!

I would highly recommend to anyone traveling to London and has the time to make a reservation for dinner at the Mayfair Chippy. 

After our long day at the Tower. Selfridges and Oxford Street, it was time to head back to the room and rest up for our last day in London. Since we were too far to walk back to the room, we decided to catch the bus. Austin suggested we ride up on the second level. Good call, Austin!

Taking a ride on the Double Decker bus!

Day 9 (part 1)- Tower of London and Tower Bridge (Sept. 24th)

In planning and dreaming about a trip to London, I have to say that the thing I was most excited about was a chance to see the historic Tower of London and Tower Bridge. In my opinion, there is no building that is as rich in history and significance in England as this iconic Tower. To say that I was excited when I spotted it out of the window of the plane would be a great understandment!

Squeals of excitement coming from inside the plane as the Tower is spotted!

After William the Conqueror became King of England in 1066 after the Battle of Hastings, he set about to build a mighty stone fortress in the center of London. His tower was to be patterned after the fortresses in his homeland of Normandy and nothing like this tower had ever been seen before in all of England. While most of the work of building the tower was done by Englishmen, William also brought in masons from Normandy. This first building (known today as the White Tower) was not only a fortress, but also a residence for the King or his representative. It contained a great hall, a residence chamber and a chapel.

The Tower as a whole has been used as a fortress, prison, residence, royal mint, housed a royal menagerie, execution site and home for the Crown Jewels. 

Since it had been a week since my first sighting of the Tower before I was able to visit, I was definitely bursting with excitement and anticipation. My sister was equally excited and I am sure that we were driving the guys crazy!

We hoped on the Tube and headed to our stop, the Tube station at Tower Hill. It was a gorgeous, sunny morning ( no, it doesn't always rain in London). 

After we came out of the Tube station and rounded a few corners, we got our first look at this massive, impressive fortress. 

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I love to read historical fiction and nonfiction books about English history. So many of the books I have read over the years include references (and sometimes whole storylines) about the Tower of London. I have seen pictures of the Tower and tried to imagine what it must look like. I think one of the amazing things about taking a trip like this is to be able to see things with my own eyes that I have only read about and imagined. Now, everytime I read a story that mentions the Tower, I am able to picture myself standing there in the very spot. 

It was a bit of a walk up from the Tube station to the top of Tower Hill, but we were treated to an amazing view of the Tower as we approached in the entrance. 

Sisters at the Tower!

The Tower attracts over three million visitors a year. Thankfully on the day we visited, it wasn't too terribly busy. We already had our tickets (as part of the Royal Historical Palaces pass, which I highly recommend) so we breezed on through the gate and headed to our first stop, the Crown Jewels.

In planning for our trip, I had read that the best place to start is at the Jewels, as later in the day, the line can get a bit long. Good call! 

For more than 600 years, the collection of Crown Jewels, ceremonial items and other regalia have been stored and protected at the Tower. Over 30 million people have passed through this hall looking at this collection, some say they are possibly the most visited objects in the world. And make no mistake, they take the protection of these jewels very seriously, as noted by the guards with automatic weapons strategically placed around the area. 

Of course, everything is kept behind glass and no photos allowed, so I am including a few photos that I found online. 

Sovereign's Sceptre and Rod

Coronation Robe of Queen Elizabeth II

St. Edward's Crown

If you have an opportunity to visit the Tower, this exhibit is a must see, and make sure to put it at the top of the list for the day. 

Our next stop was the White Tower, the main, inner building in the midst of some 12 acres of Tower Hill. This building was named the White Tower after being whitewashed at the direction of King Henry III in the 13th century. Standing at nearly 90 feet high, this tower was seen for miles and was a great demonstration of the power of William the Conqueror and the Normans. This tower was originally built with Caen stone from France, although most of it was replaced in the 17th and 18th centuries. 

On the second floor of the tower is the Chapel of St. John. This is one of the finest displays of Norman architecture left in England. It was commissioned by William, but he did not live to see it's completion, and it was first used by his son, William II. 

St. John's Chapel

The White Tower was sometimes used as a prison. Some of the notable prisoners include, John the Good (King of France), Charles, Duke of Orleans, Richard II (who signed his abdication in the White Tower).

Two of the most famous occupants (prisoners) of the White Tower, were known as the Princes of the Tower. Two bodies were found under a set of stairs  in 1674 in the White Tower and were interned at Westminster Abbey. You can learn more about this fascinating story here Princes in the Tower

Window of the White Tower where Prince Edward and Prince Richard were seen

Staircase where bones of two bodies were found

Also housed in the White Tower is a very fine collection of Royal Armouries. This includes the armour of Henry VIII, Charles I and James II, also known as  Line of Kings.

                                                    

As a Royal Palace, the Tower of London needs be guarded, and who better to guard this magnificent place than the Queen's own Yeoman Warders. Since the time of Tudors, these men and now women, also known as Beefeaters, have had the privilege of being the protectors of the Tower. They were originally part of the monarch's personal bodyguard, and Henry VIII decided that the Tower should be protected by them. 

Make no mistake, these men and women are much more than just tour guides (although a Yeoman Warder tour at the Tower is a must do). Each one must be between 40 and 55 years old upon appointment, must have at least 22 year's service in the British military and have reached the rank of Warrant Officer with the long service and good conduct medal. My sister and I were completely "fan girls" when it came to meeting the warders. Lots of eye rolling happening from Eric, Chris and Austin, LOL.

Our Yeoman Warder Tour

One of the more infamous places at the Tower is an entrance at water level built by Edward I to provide a water gate entrance for the royal family. Originally known as "Water Gate", it became known by the more sinister title "Traitor's Gate", sometime around 1544. The name came about because more and more, the gate was commonly used as the entrance whereby prisoners were brought into the Tower. Some notable people to enter by this gate are Sir Thomas More, Queen Elizabeth (before she was queen) and possibly Queen Anne Boleyn. See a short video here Traitor's Gate tour

Traitor's Gate

While touring the Tower, you might notice that you are being watched by a beady set of eyes. Never fear, they probably belong to one of the resident ravens of the Tower. There are always at least six resident captive ravens living at the Tower. Legend has it that if the ravens of the Tower are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it. 

In my opinion, the most sacred places at the Tower are the Tower Green and the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula (which sit adjacent to Tower Green). While many executions have taken place upon the grounds of the Tower, it was only those of nobility that were executed on Tower Green, away from the eyes of the crowds of spectators. Among those executed, were three queens, Lady Jane Grey, my ancestor, Queen Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Other noble executions included those of Margaret, Countess of Salisbury (the last of the Plantagenet Dynasty) and Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford. Today, a beautiful memorial stands at the site. The chapel that sits next to Tower Green is best know as the burial place of many of these famous prisoners. My sister and I couldn't help but feel a bit emotional as we stood at the final resting place of our famous ancestor.  

We spent a fair amount of time wandering around the expanse of the Tower grounds and then headed out for a walk across Tower Bridge. 

Tower Bridge is a major landmark in London. It is a combination of bascule and suspension bridge that spans the River Thames alongside the Tower of London. The bridge was officially opened in 1894 and was built to be complementary in style to the neighboring Tower. 

I can't believe how lucky we were to have such amazing weather during our visit to the Tower and Tower Bridge. We were able to take some spectacular photos!

All smiles at Tower Bridge

Once we finished up at Tower Bridge, Jen and Chris headed off in search of a particular vegan restaurant and we headed towards Oxford Street. 

More of that adventure in the next blog :)