Tag Archives: tower of london

From Tower of London to Aladdin

Saturday, Sept 17, 2016 – Day 4 of London

<–Previously, we were shaken, not stirred

So we were able to relax that previous night and have a bit of a sleep-in although not too much on the next day, as we had a private tour to the Tower of London with Context Tours at 9:30am. We did go back to Starbucks in the morning for a quick bite and happily there wasn’t any rain going on but there was still a lot of cool (60s) temps and cloudy skies. For us, that was quite okay as we just didn’t need anymore of the sweltering heat we’d been getting those first few days.

After finishing up breakfast and going back for a potty break, we finally started heading out and almost a bit behind schedule as I finally checked the route to get to the meeting point at Tower Hill Station and realized it would take 30 minutes to get there! Gotten very used to getting to where we needed to quickly and easily from our SoHo location, that’s for sure. Happily, we trotted over to the Tottenham Court Road station and got on over to Tower Hill pretty quickly, beating the guide.

We met our charming guide Ruth at the large sundial outside the station and that was where we began our personal tour of English history and its relation to the history found within the Tower. The sundial actually has a great summation of London history around the ring of it, so she introduced us to many of the high points, which are many, including William the Conqueror, the construction of the Tower that scared the Anglo-Saxons, the plague, the great fire, the wars, etc. By the end of the tour, we both had a newfound respect for what London has managed to survive and endure for the last 2000 years since its establishment by the Romans.

The tour took us from that sundial over to the site of the execution site where many of the beheadings occurred, and we also got some of the stories about notable ones, especially the nightmarish ones like the Duke of Monmouth. UGH. His execution took at least 8 attempts due to a dull blade and an inexperienced executioner. OOF.

Private Tour of the Tower of London

We then entered the tower and went to the Crown Jewels, which are just staggering. The 2 biggest diamonds are found there, one in the scepter, one in the crown. They’re glorious, along with the other enormous jewels found there.

The White Tower interior and now armory museum was our next stop, learning a lot about Henry VIII while also seeing the wonderful displays of armor for both man and horse. Also saw 2 off-duty (?) British Royal Guards wandering around on their break or something…heeyyyy. Got to also see one of the only preserved Norman cathedrals left in Europe that hadn’t been converted to a Gothic style. On the top floor, saw some of the torture devices that had been in place during those days, including foul things to stop “gossips”. Awful.

Outside, we were on the Tower Green and saw the site where the relatively few Royal Executions would take place, including those of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard occurred (two of Henry VIII’s wives), Lady Jane Grey, and one fucking nightmarish one that required the axeman to chase the woman around the courtyard and attack her with an axe. It’s said there are ghosts there. No shit. We also saw the home of the Ravens, official birds of the Tower. There are always 6. It’s kind of awesome.

Finally on the outside of the Tower near the River, we looked at the Traitor’s Gate as well as the new skyline of London before saying goodbye to Ruth. She was a wonderful guide and delightfully full of knowledge. Before leaving, we had told her our plans to head to the Tate Modern, so she recommended that we visit the Borough Market, which was on the way fortunately.

Walking the Thames

We walked across Tower Bridge first to get to the South Bank of the river, then walked along the river bank towards the boring London Bridge, which is where you know you’re near the Market. It’s a great, big outdoor market with lots of stalls for meat, produce, alcohol, oils, etc. Very crazy on a Saturday afternoon, but fun to see. We found a restaurant, Elliot’s, right outside the market. Very hipster and pretty expensive (one beer cost 10 pounds here while at the pub the other night, it was under 10 pounds for 2 beers….so yeah), but it was still good. They served burgers with patties that were delicious, but obviously made of multiple cuts of meat mushed together. Regardless, it was quite delicious and much needed as a break.

We left our lunch place and walked back up towards the riverbank, past the Clink museum and the Archer pub, as well as the new Shakespeare’s Globe theater (saw it from the outside only), and on towards the Millennium Bridge, which is right outside the Tate Modern.

Being that it was a Saturday afternoon, it was pretty damn crowded at the museum. It was okay and understandable, so we did end up only exploring about 2 of the floors. I’m happy to have made it there finally as I’ve not made it there in any of my previous London vacations. There are a great variety of modern artists there, including a whole room of Rothko (these were those he had been commissioned to make for Seagram’s Four Seasons restaurant and reneged at the last minute – they were wonderful and RED); a few Mondrians (including those that looked a lot like what I expect him to look like); some Dali; and quite a few others. Larry & I were both tired from our morning tour though, and had enough. Note: the museum is not the most well-designed or welcoming. It’s actually kind of brutalist.. The exterior is terribly foreboding, and the interior is really not that much better. An interesting discovery, that’s for sure.

Happily, a latte at the museum cafe woke us up a bit, but we were done with the museum after our hour or so there. it’s one of those things you probably should spend a lot of time at, but that’s not what we had, nor the energy to do. I also tried to open a door at the cafe that had instructions on how to open it but was politely told not to open that door since it was cold outside by one of the staff. Of course I then see many others use and open that door. So we went out that way in proud defiance! Viva la France!!!

The way we took back to our hotel included crossing the Millennium Bridge (a pedestrian bridge that can be absolutely mobbed by people), seeing a happy anniversary party boat cross underneath playing the best wedding reception songs (including Dancing Queen!), before heading towards St. Paul’s Cathedral and it’s accompanying St. Paul’s tube station. It was then back to Tottenham Court Road station for us!

We then strolled back from the tube station through SoHo Park and a crazy amount of pigeons nearly killing us back to the hotel, where we just chilled for the next few hours as we were tired! It was actually very nice to do that. I don’t even really remember what we did to pass the time, but it was necessary. I think Larry took a bit of a disco nap.

Taking in the West End

But we weren’t done for the day though, as up next was a show in the West End, “Aladdin”!!!!!!

We headed over there a bit early, or so we thought, in order to collect our tickets, but yeah, even 40 minutes ahead of time, the theater was mobbed with people. We got our tickets, grabbed a drink, and enjoyed some time before the doors opened and we got our seats in the “Stalls” section, aka the Orchestra. We were a few rows back in Row U, but it was an amazing view nonetheless. The theater was absolutely packed. Aladdin, the Disney musical, only arrived in the West End back in June, so this is still a hot show, and rightly so. While waiting for the show to start, I realized that this was also the theater where Mamma Mia! Was playing when I saw it back in 2002. Crazy, right?

As for the musical? It’s absolutely phenomenal. I’ll give it to the actor who plays Aladdin – he has his work cut out for him to not be completely overshadowed by the performer who plays Genie. But he did amazingly, as did everyone. What was interesting was to see the inclusions made as it’s not an exact remake of the animated feature. First, Abu the monkey, Jasmine’s tiger, and Iago the Parrot are gone, replaced by actual human characters. Abu by 3 actual friends, the tiger by 3 attendants, and Iago by a guy. It’s pretty clever and not distracting. Aladdin’s 3 friends are awesome additions and the new songs are very good. The Genie though….just incredible. It’s the same actor who originated the rule in Broadway, and YAY! He’s amazing and has natural charisma for days. The show stopping number, by far, is “Friend Like Me” – oh my god, it’s just fantastic and my poor words don’t stand a chance doing it justice. The sets are sensational and do justice to the Cave of Wonders. After Act I was done, I immediately went out to the lobby and bought a program as it was just that good. Anyway, if you haven’t seen Aladdin, please do. It’s endlessly entertaining and reminds you why the movie was such a great success.

After the show, which was crazy as there’s quite a bit happening directly outside the theater in that part of the West End, we went to Ippudo in London. Larry was very excited and unfortunately got a bit disappointed as we got there around 10 and it closes at 11. That means there’s a lot not available, including alcohol (at least at first, happily they still got us drinks), appetizers (no gyoza for us!). Oh well, the ramen was pretty good, although I think I like Silver Lake Ramen better. Sometimes even Sapporo in Glendale is pretty good! I think I like thicker noodles better.

Honeymoon Picture Pages:

Day 1: London

(2014 Note:  These pages are transfers from my original site so I can better view the many pictures I have from that trip and so it’s searchable within WordPress Search.  Here’s a link to the original page!)

Day1

Before we jump right into Day 1, I have a little secret to tell you. There was actually a Day BEFORE Day 1, which was the day we spent traveling to London from Denver International Airport. It takes quite a bit of time to go overseas, as anyone who has crossed the Atlantic can attest to (don’t you love how it sounds like we’re taking an ocean voyage or something?).

But anyways, on Monday, 26 March, Jeff, Susan and I embarked upon this awesome adventure herewith known as the London Paris 2007 Escapade….or you can just say we went to Europe. However you call it, we went on this trip initially to accompany Jeff as he was going to re-enlist one of his best friends out at Normandy in France. Well, from the time that plan came into being and when we got on a plane, the plan changed dramatically. At first, we had a very (VERY) ambitious travel schedule, with us first hitting London for a few days, then flying to Paris for a night, a train overnighter to Bayeux/Normandy, then back to Paris for a few more days, and THEN flying to Rome for about two days. It would have been ridiculously crazy. So, the first change was that when we finally actually sat down to plan the finances and itinerary, it quickly became apparent that we were trying to do too much. Rome was dropped. Italy in itself is its own trip, and to try to rush London and Paris in order to accommodate Rome is doing us a disservice. A few weeks before we went on the trip, we then found out that Jeff’s friend, Brian, was going to be unable to be reenlisted at the beaches of Normandy due to bureaucratic policies and an unwillingness to waiver it. So that part of the trip was dropped as well – so it became the London-Paris 2007 Escapade! Which ultimately worked out great, as you’ll see we were quite able to fill the time in with LOTS of sightseeing, laughter, fun, and good times.

So now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the trip journal!

day0_header

So on Monday the 26th, we drove up to Denver International and began the epic journey flying to London Gatwick (didn’t go through Heathrow this time). Our flight left at around 2pm, which got us to Cincinnati. There was an hour layover there before we then flew direct to London for about 7 hours. I had bought some Anti-JetLag pills (all natural, of course!) and so I used those. Amazingly, I was able to sleep pretty decently. That flight was not full at all, so we were all able to spread out and get our own row, if we so desired. I was able to move from the central seating section to my own row by a window, which was awesome. Dreamgirls was the only movie that I stayed up to watch, and then it was sleepy-sleep time. As you’ll see below, we eventually arrived at Gatwick, with it being sunny and surprisingly warm (~50-60s! Sweet).

March 26, 2007: Denver to Cincinnati to London Gatwick

26-Mar-2007 18:25, EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY KODAK CX7430 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA, 2.7, 5.6mm, 0.017 sec
Me and my suitcase were ready to go!
Me and my suitcase were ready to go!08-Mar-2010 08:43, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 141
08-Mar-2010 10:27, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.005 sec
 
Catherine was parked at CC2.  A good thing to remember when coming back.
Catherine was parked at CC2. A good thing to remember when coming back.08-Mar-2010 11:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.003 sec
Me and Jeff patiently waiting at the long term parking shuttle stop
Me and Jeff patiently waiting at the long term parking shuttle stop08-Mar-2010 11:37, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.008 sec
Reflected in Jeff's glasses
Reflected in Jeff's glasses08-Mar-2010 11:41, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 4.9, 23.1mm, 0.002 sec
 
08-Mar-2010 11:59, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
08-Mar-2010 13:59, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
Me at Denver, ready to go!
Me at Denver, ready to go!08-Mar-2010 13:59, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
 
Susan and I in a patented self-shot picture
Susan and I in a patented self-shot picture08-Mar-2010 14:13, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.01 sec
Adding Jeff to the mix
Adding Jeff to the mix08-Mar-2010 14:13, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 122
There's my view out the window on the flight from Cincinnati to London
There's my view out the window on the flight from Cincinnati to London08-Mar-2010 17:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 141
 
View from my row on the plane to London
View from my row on the plane to London08-Mar-2010 01:32, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 800
 

day1_arrival

And 7 hours later, we were there! I had a fair amount of sleep (not exactly a lot, but a lot more than Jeff or Susan I learned) but still it is exhausting to fly that much. We got to England right at the beginning of the morning, so there really wasn’t much in the way of time to recuperate – once we got to our hotel and settled a little, it was time to go see London!

We took the Gatwick Express train from Gatwick Airport into downtown London at Victoria Station. From there we took our first of MANY Underground/Tube trips around the city over towards Paddington Station, which is sorta near where our hotel was. We stayed at the London Guards Hotel in the Bayswater/Kensington Park area, and for the price, we got a great deal with our triple room and a nice, quiet location. But I jump ahead, as it was kind of an early adventure just finding the Hotel. While we did have a few maps from Venere.com and the hotel website on how to get to the hotel, the maps that they provide are highly stylized and don’t exactly leave in all the little streets and such. So about a half-hour walk ensued from the Paddington Tube Station as we walked around the area. In hindsight, I think walking around like that gave us a little bit better of an idea of our environs, as well as letting us walk by a much closer Tube stop (Lancaster Gate) to our hotel. I know that at that point, Susan has said that she was getting annoyed, but we made it!

We arrived at the hotel around 11am or so, and understandably they said our room wasn’t ready yet. So we prepared to leave our luggage there and get ready to find something to eat until we could come back when it would be ready. While we were splayed out on the reception area’s couches, the heavenly voice of the desk clerk piped up to let us know our room just became available. Thank God. While I wasn’t as bad off for sleep as Jeff or Susan, I certainly wanted to take a shower to get refreshed. So we spent some time getting cleaned up and THEN embarked out into London. Our first goal was to find the ITT (Information, Tickets and Tours) office – which we knew the location of but really not where it was. So we made it out to the Oxford Circus area where it was supposed to be – this is a pretty busy area of town with lots of businessfolk and tourists – I think it may be a 5th Avenue of sorts. As we got to the location where it was supposed to be, our confusion was self-evident, as a friendly Brit informed us that the Navy Building no longer was inhabited; which also meant the ITT office was not there. Damn. Funny enough though, we were right near the American Embassy, so we headed over to check it out. It was a proposal to see if we could actually go inside and ‘check-in’, but as we rounded the building to the entrance, we saw the ridiculous line to get in. I don’t know what they all wanted, but I certainly didn’t feel the need to check in anymore. So it was definitely time for food, and we went to the closest pub we had walked by, which turned out to be pretty damn cool. It was very gothic inside and the bathroom in the basement was hidden behind a fake bookcase. Cool. After that much-needed pub stop (got authentic English fish and chips…and peas. Not sure who came up with that melding of foods.) we then went on to the Baker St area (I dug deep in my mind to try to remember where the Bus Tour was when I came here in ’02 – and I was amazingly right) to find the Big Red Bus Tour – ended up finding the Original Bus Tour instead, but honestly, it’s six in one hand, half a dozen in the other.

March 27, 2007: Getting into London; finding our hotel; eating at our first pub

On our way to England
On our way to England08-Mar-2010 01:32, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.005 sec
Gatwick Airport's innards
Gatwick Airport's innards08-Mar-2010 02:14, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.002 sec
Everyone was a bit jet-lagged
Everyone was a bit jet-lagged08-Mar-2010 02:14, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.013 sec
 
08-Mar-2010 02:14, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.013 sec
08-Mar-2010 02:40, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 400
08-Mar-2010 03:02, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
 
Jeff and Susan at Victoria Station
Jeff and Susan at Victoria Station08-Mar-2010 03:26, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.013 sec
Susan and me amid the hustle and bustle at Victoria Station
Susan and me amid the hustle and bustle at Victoria Station08-Mar-2010 03:27, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.01 sec
Victoria Station - craziness
Victoria Station - craziness08-Mar-2010 03:27, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.01 sec
 
Looking outside Victoria Station
Looking outside Victoria Station08-Mar-2010 03:28, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.01 sec
Double decker buses!
Double decker buses!08-Mar-2010 03:29, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.005 sec
08-Mar-2010 03:36, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
 
08-Mar-2010 03:36, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 141
08-Mar-2010 03:36, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 800
08-Mar-2010 03:38, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 3.5, 12.523mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800
 

day1_touring

Now if you’ve been reading this site for a long time, and by long, I mean since 2002, you’ll probably have seen these pics before. They’re obviously not exactly the same, but I did the exact same thing my first day in London when I got here back in ’02. I must say though that it is a great way to see the city and to get an overview of just where everything is. Plus, you get a chance to just sit back and take everything in without having to worry about which Tube stop to go to or how hurt your aching feet are.

Anyways, we jumped on the Original Bus Tour at the Baker St area, which is right next to Madame Tussauds wax museum. Again, I didn’t go to it as it costs nearly $50 to go to and the line to get in is ridiculous. For wax people? I’ll pass, thanks. The bus tour from this point winds its way around central London, taking you by Regent Street (a very fancy and hoity-toity shopping street) and many of the more esteemed playhouses first. You then head over through Picadilly Circus (London’s Times Square) and over to Trafalgar Square (where they built the monument to Wellington who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo – it’s also got those really crazy-big lions and a ton of freakin’ birds on the ground). Then you head over to Parliament and Big Ben in the Westminster area, cross the Thames and drive by the London Eye, see St. Paul’s Cathedral, and then drive over to the Tower Bridge area, drive over Tower Bridge (such a cool bridge), pass the Tower of London, and then head through the business part of London and finally over to the Embankment area and back near Westminster. We got off the bus at this point as it was getting late and we wanted to go on the ‘free’ river cruise that comes with your bus fare. If you continue on the bus, you eventually drive by Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St James Palace, and Kensington Park, among other things.

It was recommended to us that you could use your bus fare as a means of getting around London – and while that’s a decent idea, in practice I think it would try your patience, as at every stop, it seemed there were tons of people getting on and off. And with it seeming to be France’s week to send all its bratty children to England, it took FOREVER sometimes for the bus to leave a stop. I’d much rather take the Tube, and Jeff and Susan readily agreed with that sentiment as well.

The Thames circular cruise is another great and relaxing way to see the parts of London from the Thames perspective. You get to see Parliament from a dramatic angle, and with the sun heading down, it was a beautiful way to see those buildings illuminated with the golden sun. You then turn around continue up the Thames past the London Eye and then under all the many bridges that cross the River. With the weather we had, it was pretty perfect timing as it was very comfortable being out on the river at that time. You go under Tower Bridge and then head back to where you started. Our river guide was a great guide, and unexpected, as he said that normally the tour is automated. But he had one of those amazingly cool British accents so it made the excursion very nice. Unfortunately, he mentioned and pointed out to us that there was a Coat of Arms place that contains all the Coat of Arms from the world. He also implied that one could visit this place – and perhaps get your own coat of arms? At that time Jeff knew he had a mission – that mission was to find that place. More on that much much later. On the boat ride, we passed many of the river restaurants contained in ships, and we saw the Queen Mary one and decided that would be a good place to walk to for dinner afterwards.

Picture Note: Jeff, Susan and I took MANY pictures. Combined, there were nearly 1000. Because I am not a masochist, I am not putting up every..single..picture. Mainly I’m putting those up that contain pictures of us or good pics of scenery and landmarks. But not every single one. I do have a limit to my patience and I think so do you. So consider what you see on these pages those that I thought were the best. Some more may go up in a few months if I feel they deserve inclusion. (2014 Note: Since it’s much easier to use Shashin and Picasa together, I’m putting up pretty much all my pictures; even those of Jeff and Susan together, which at the time I did this site, things were a lot more delicate)

March 27, 2007: Taking the Original Bus Tour and the River Thames Circular Cruise

Susan and Jeff on the top of the double decker bus
Susan and Jeff on the top of the double decker bus08-Mar-2010 07:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.002 sec
View of Madame Tussaud's as we waited to depart
View of Madame Tussaud's as we waited to depart08-Mar-2010 07:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.006 sec
Keeping it real, yo
Keeping it real, yo08-Mar-2010 07:59, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.008 sec
 
A great pic of the 3 of us
A great pic of the 3 of us27-Mar-2007 03:41, EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY KODAK CX7430 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA, 5.6, 5.6mm, 0.004 sec
27-Mar-2007 04:13, EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY KODAK CX7430 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA, 5.6, 5.6mm, 0.003 sec
08-Mar-2010 08:07, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.002 sec
 
08-Mar-2010 08:10, SONY DSC-W100, 5.6, 7.9mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 125
08-Mar-2010 08:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.004 sec
08-Mar-2010 08:11, SONY DSC-W100, 5.6, 7.9mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 125
 
08-Mar-2010 08:11, SONY DSC-W100, 5.6, 7.9mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 125
Near Picadilly Circus
Near Picadilly Circus08-Mar-2010 08:14, SONY DSC-W100, 5.6, 7.9mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 125
08-Mar-2010 08:18, SONY DSC-W100, 5.6, 7.9mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 125
 
The big boards at Picadilly Circus
The big boards at Picadilly Circus08-Mar-2010 08:13, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.005 sec
08-Mar-2010 08:20, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.006 sec
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square08-Mar-2010 08:22, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.005 sec
 

day1_eye

To conclude this VERY busy sightseeing day, we wandered over to the Queen Mary for a great dinner, and then we walked back over to the London Eye area, crossing the Thames and strolling up to the London Eye, as it’s not a visit to London without taking this breathtaking ride. It wasn’t very crowded by this time of the evening, but unfortunately we did find that there were, alas, more masses of schoolkids there. I think these were English, but still, more kids. My only hope was that we wouldn’t be trapped in one of the Eye’s pods with them, as that is a LONG time to be subjected to that. Of course, what happens? In line, we are surrounded by legions of schoolchildren. What we didn’t know at that time was that these kids had been grouped together into groups of 25, which is the max each pod is supposed to carry. So us being right in between these groups meant that as we stepped into the pod, that was it – the school kids had to wait for the next one. Hallelujah. And even more cool – we had our OWN DAMN POD. That is not something that happens very often. So we totally got lucky in that regards. And our timing was pretty cool – it was hitting maximum twilight time and all the pretty lights of the city were on or coming on. London truly is a beautiful city at night, and the pictures below confirm that. After a very enjoyable time aboard the Eye, we finally headed back to the hotel – the long way…as once we got out of the Lancaster Gate tube station (which only has an elevator up and down to the tracks – no stairs), we looked for the hotel we’d have to go to tomorrow for our Day trip, and after finding that, I thought I knew where I was walking to. Nope. Shortcuts and me are bad news. But we found our way and eventually got back, and promptly passed the hell out. Which was a common theme for most of the trip!

March 27, 2007: London Eye Awesomeness

Crossing the Thames by Charing Cross
Crossing the Thames by Charing Cross08-Mar-2010 12:05, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.008 sec
Parliament in the background
Parliament in the background08-Mar-2010 12:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 4.0, 15.599mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 400
Strolling towards the London Eye
Strolling towards the London Eye08-Mar-2010 12:12, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 3.2, 9.028mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 400
 
KD's Blue Trees?
KD's Blue Trees?08-Mar-2010 12:15, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 400
Looking at the Eye's loading station
Looking at the Eye's loading station08-Mar-2010 12:32, SONY DSC-W100, 2.8, 7.9mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 200
08-Mar-2010 12:31, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 800
 
Me and Jeff - in our pod!
Me and Jeff - in our pod!08-Mar-2010 12:31, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800
Looking at our neighbors ahead of us
Looking at our neighbors ahead of us08-Mar-2010 12:32, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 644
08-Mar-2010 12:32, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 542
 
There's the amazingly stylish Charing Cross train station
There's the amazingly stylish Charing Cross train station08-Mar-2010 12:34, SONY DSC-W100, 5.2, 23.7mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 400
08-Mar-2010 12:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 630
Me and Susan in our pod
Me and Susan in our pod08-Mar-2010 12:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 800
 
08-Mar-2010 12:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 800
08-Mar-2010 12:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 4.0, 15.599mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 800
Looking up
Looking up08-Mar-2010 12:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 800
 

Day 3: More London + Flying to Paris

(2014 Note:  These pages are transfers from my original site so I can better view the many pictures I have from that trip and so it’s searchable within WordPress Search. Here’s a link to the original page!)

Day3Compared to our London arrival and then the day-long English countryside trip from Day 2, this day actually was going to be low stress. Sorta. As the day progressed, and as you’ll read below, this day proved to be one of the more stressful days we actually had during the trip. But first things first!

day3_abbey

We had to check out of the great London Guards Hotel (while expensive, it’s actually a fair amount for being able to stay in London) this morning because tonight, we were taking a late evening flight from London Luton Airport over to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. So after getting ourselves up and ready for today’s last London excursions, we left our luggage at the hotel and then headed out to see some of the essential London sights. First up today was taking the tube over to the Westminster part of town and then of course, going to see Westminster Abbey! I actually did NOT see the Abbey during my last trip here – go figure. But since Westminster Abbey played such a prominent part in the DaVinci Code, Jeff and I had to see it. Plus for me, after having read a few of the biographies of the Tudor family, especially those focused on Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Mary I, and King Henry VIII, well, I HAD to see their tombs.

Unfortunately, you can’t take pictures inside Westminster Abbey. Figures. Every other church or cathedral it seems you can, but this one…NOOOOOOO! So here’s a link to the Wikipedia entry for Westminster Abbey – hopefully there’s some pictures from inside the Abbey. But well worth it was having Rick Steves’ book on London, as it has many self-guided tours within it, including one for the Abbey. We got to see the tomb of Elizabeth and Mary (the irony is that Elizabeth is buried ON TOP of Mary – and these two DESPISED each other; Mary actually almost had Elizabeth executed because Elizabeth was Protestant and Mary was Catholic; and if you know your English history, those two religions really didn’t get along back then); the tombs of many very famous authors, actors, artists, and scientists; the processional aisle where the new monarch assumes the throne; it’s truly an amazing place to visit. And with all the history it’s witnessed, you truly feel it all around you. I can’t believe I missed it the first trip here!

Afterwards, when we exited the Abbey, it started to rain, which is not an unsurprising event in London. And the fact that was really the first time it did that is quite remarkable! We were too late to make it to the Changing of the Guard in front of Buckingham Palace, and as we needed to get going by around 4pm on our van to Luton Airport, we made the choice to hit up visiting the Tower of London next! So off we went on the Tube to the Tower Hill Underground station. The story continues below…

March 29, 2007: Departing London Guards and Visiting Westminster Abbey

Movin' Out!
Movin' Out!29-Mar-2007 07:51, EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY KODAK CX7430 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA, 2.7, 5.6mm, 0.017 sec
Jeff gets ready
Jeff gets ready29-Mar-2007 07:51, EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY KODAK CX7430 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA, 2.7, 5.6mm, 0.017 sec
Someone doesn't look happy
Someone doesn't look happy29-Mar-2007 09:42, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
 
Susan's ready!
Susan's ready!29-Mar-2007 09:42, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
The side (main) entrance to Westminster Abbey
The side (main) entrance to Westminster Abbey29-Mar-2007 10:43, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 283
Here's the side chapel to Westminster Abbey
Here's the side chapel to Westminster Abbey29-Mar-2007 10:43, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec
 
Me and Jeff
Me and Jeff29-Mar-2007 10:44, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
Jeff and Susan
Jeff and Susan29-Mar-2007 10:44, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
Very ready to go inside! Notice: NO LINE!!! That's a shock.
Very ready to go inside! Notice: NO LINE!!! That's a shock.29-Mar-2007 08:43, EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY KODAK CX7430 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA, 2.7, 5.6mm, 0.017 sec
 
29-Mar-2007 12:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.013 sec
Jeff at the front of the church (also the Exit)
Jeff at the front of the church (also the Exit)29-Mar-2007 12:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.01 sec
There's me, buttoning up. It was cold!
There's me, buttoning up. It was cold!29-Mar-2007 12:05, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.008 sec
 

day3_tower

The infamous English Prison from the Middle Ages. Royal dynasties were toppled and wives were ‘divorced’ here. Heirs to the throne were imprisoned and killed here. The tragedy of the Lady Jane Grey occurred here (she was Queen for about 13 days – not by her ambition but by treacherous family members – and the unforgiving Queen Mary, aka Bloody Mary, eventually had her executed for treason). Yes, this place, just like Westminster Abbey, is literal history.

So of course before you go immerse yourself in history, you have to eat! So we ate at one of the nearby cafes first and then headed in. Again there was no line – it may have been because of the weather, but I certainly wasn’t complaining. We timed it right too, as we joined right up with a group being led by one of the world-famous Beefeaters! They’re an extremely lively group and they live in the Tower of London. Their job is primarily ceremonial now, mainly in order to preserve the Tower and take visitors around the grounds. They also guard the royals’ residence in the Tower (not that it’s used, but again, ceremonial) and of course ceremonially protect the Royal Crown Jewels. Anyways, during the tour with our Beefeater (you would probably recognize their uniform – it’s that Scottish bright-red outfit that can be seen on Beefeater Vodka bottles!), we were taken around to all the infamous sites in the Tower, including the Traitors Gate, the Bloody Tower, and the Castle Green. Here’s another Wikipedia Link to the Tower of London, so you can see even more information on this amazing place. The tour is anything but boring, with the Beefeaters obviously schooled in dramatic storytelling – so when any of you get the chance to go to London and the Tower, make sure to take the tour. You will love it.

After the tour is over, you are then free to walk around the premises. One thing that HAS to be visited is the home of the Crown Jewels – you can see that basically these Jewels are housed in a giant walk-in safe. And awesomely, there was again very minimal lines so we were able to walk right in to the viewing platforms. Basically the jewels are enclosed in glass on a long rectangular island; there are then two moving walkways on each side of the island that shuffle you past the jewels. You are free to go back to the beginning of the walkway if you want to catch the other side of the jewels; I did that this time because it truly is amazing to see some of these diamonds – the Star of Africa (I think I got that right – hopefully that’s not the name of that jewel from the movie Titanic) is 550 CARATS! Good God.

We then walked into the White Tower, which is the castle within the Tower of London. It’s now an Armory museum – and while that would have been cool to visit at any other time, unfortunately during this visit, we were fortunate enough to again find literally ALL the French schoolchildren in the world. I kid you not, France Had to have exported them all here for the week. Because as I recall now, I don’t remember seeing any children at all in Paris when we got there! So it was quite annoying to be walking around when all of a sudden you got overwhelmed by shrieking, annoying schoolchildren, talking in French! with French accents!!!! Needless to say, that sucked.

Anyways, here are our pics from the Tower of London. Not too many, unfortunately. It was a dreary day but I got a couple good ones. You can’t take pics inside the Crown Jewels location, so that sucks!

March 29, 2007: The Tower of London

Our Beefeater at the beginning of the tour
Our Beefeater at the beginning of the tour29-Mar-2007 07:00, SONY DSC-W100, 2.8, 7.9mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 125
29-Mar-2007 14:56, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 228
A cool shot inside the Tower's Armory
A cool shot inside the Tower's Armory29-Mar-2007 14:56, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800
 
Here's the White Tower (also the Armory museum)
Here's the White Tower (also the Armory museum)29-Mar-2007 15:18, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.002 sec
The Tower Green (alleged royal executions occurred here!)
The Tower Green (alleged royal executions occurred here!)29-Mar-2007 15:18, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.002 sec
Looking towards the Tower Bridge - definitely close to each other
Looking towards the Tower Bridge - definitely close to each other29-Mar-2007 15:18, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.01 sec
 
Susan and Jeff nervous at the Traitor's Gate
Susan and Jeff nervous at the Traitor's Gate29-Mar-2007 15:20, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 107
Me, loving the Tower
Me, loving the Tower29-Mar-2007 15:27, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.002 sec
29-Mar-2007 15:28, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.002 sec
 
Susan and Jeff ready for Paris?
Susan and Jeff ready for Paris?29-Mar-2007 15:28, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.003 sec
 

day3_depart

Our flight to Paris was to leave from Luton Airport sometime between 7 and 8 pm – and based on our research before coming to Europe, we found that there was a regular shuttle bus, run by EasyJet (who we were flying with to Paris), that takes you from near the Baker St area of London (close to the Madame Taussaud’s area) to Luton – that’s about an hour drive, yet from what we had been hearing, there was large amounts of construction going on in the outer London highways, especially in the Luton direction. So while the objective was to get on a van near the 4:00pm timeframe so we’d get to Luton Airport around 5 or 6….well, that didn’t quite happen. First, getting back from the Tower of London to our hotel to get our luggage and then to get to the Baker St area takes a bit of time. Not a huge amount, but certainly it takes more time than you hope it does. We got to the bus station around 4:45pm – and didn’t prepay for a fare, so it was possible that if the van got full with pre-purchased fares, we’d have to wait. Oh yeah, another snag in the journey: Susan’s name on her passport did NOT match the name on the tickets. We discovered this snafu when we were flying out of Denver – amazingly, the awesome ticket agent there helped us out, but as you may be aware, in this heightened security world we live in, you just can’t change names on tickets that easy. So in Denver, we got lucky (I like to think it was my very conversational and charismatic handling of the ticket agent there – she totally loved me). In Europe, we didn’t. Jeff had been trying during these days in London to get in touch with EasyJet, but the phone systems there were weird – you can’t be on hold for more than 15 minutes or so. It cuts you off. So we were unsuccessful in changing her tickets those first few days. And now it was crunch time, as we were now ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT. While waiting for the EasyJet van, my nerves started getting antsy about even getting to the airport; fortunately when the van did get there (after my initial shock at realizing that it was just a van had wore off), there was only a few pre-payers and there was enough room for all 3 of us. So Stress #1 was done. Back to Stress #2: Susan’s Last Name Strikes Back. We had an hour or so of driving until we reached the airport – Jeff had his cell phone. GO! And Jeff made his call and finally got in touch with the EasyJet ticket office. They were okay with changing the name on the tickets…but for a cost. The initial cost of the ticket equated to about $140/each – the cost to change the name on the ticket became what the cost of the ticket would cost if you bought it TODAY + a name change fee – this came to around $500 MORE. Ridiculous. But it was paid, and Susan now had a ticket.

So we got to Luton Airport and processed in at the EasyJet counter – it’s like Southwest, and since we were there about an hour before departure (read: LATE!), we were put in the last boarding group. Fine, whatever, we’re gonna be in Paris one way or the other tonight. We’ll arrive in Paris around 10:00 Paris time (+1 hour London Time), have enough time to get on an RER train (their suburban commuter trains) into the city before the trains stop running at 11pm and get rested up for the next awesome leg: PARIS!!!!!!

 

…………………………….<sound of brakes screeching!>………………………………………………….

 

HOLD UP! Huh? Wha’? What’s going on here? Oh, you mean things didn’t go exactly as planned? You mean we had to test out having a positive attitude while travelling? Yes, that’s EXACTLY what is going on here.

So we’re literally waiting in the Boarding Group C line at the departure gate…oh wait, I forgot another funny story at Luton before I continue! So we’re going through the security checkpoint, right? I went through first, no big deal. Susan comes a short while after me, as I had jumped to another line. But Jeff doesn’t show up, and he was right behind Susan. So me and Susan are just hanging out, excitedly talking about something or an other. We finally see Jeff coming, about 10-15 minutes later. He lets us know that indeed security works here – he was stopped because he had been trying to bring two daggers with him in his carry-on luggage! Rewind just a bit – earlier that day at the Tower of London gift shop, he had bought a pewter coat of arms with two real crossed mini-swords that you could remove. Very cool. But also weapons. And yes, Jeff was trying to bring them on the plane. Not maliciously obviously, but just obliviously. It was awesome. He ended up losing the daggers and entertaining the security staff because they literally could not believe those were in his bag!

But back to waiting at the Departure Gate – about 20 minutes before departure, the gate staff start exchanging nervous, annoyed conversations. Turns out that EasyJet had a BAD day with their jets, and many of them are broken. Including the jet that was to arrive for us that we’d get on for Paris. We’re instructed to go back to the departure lounge and wait for the electronic marquees to tell us more. So we all go back, grudgingly. And everyone is staring at the signs, whether you’re at the cafe or the bar or just sitting in the chairs. And we wait. and wait some more. About an hour and a half goes by and all of a sudden our flight DISAPPEARS off the marquee. Doesn’t say cancelled. Doesn’t say delayed. Just gone! I decide to go walking back to the gate we had been at originally to talk to anyone/someone. A few others had the same idea, and we talk to one of the gate agents who says that the flight isn’t cancelled – so don’t worry – but they’ll post more information on the screen as soon as they have it. So back to the departure lounge where everyone is now aware of the fact that our flight was eliminated – and this girl and I tell everyone what we heard. Over at the EasyJet counter, there’s no information to be found there either, but we’re told that we will get a drink voucher! woo hoo! So another hour and a half is spent waiting, and watching other delayed flights get gates and sadly, not ours. Eventually it gets past 11pm Paris time so that means the train into Paris option is gone. Then I start to worry – will our hotel reservation get cancelled because we didn’t show up on Check-In day? So we try to find a phone number for our hotel – and there ISN’T one! At least not one found easily. We asked friends back home (literally who were at work at the time) to search the Internet for it – nothing. We called directory assistance – nothing except a fax number. So Stress #4 showed up (with Stress #3 being are we even going to Fly to Paris tonight?). Finally, FINALLY, our flight shows up on the signs at around 11:30 pm and we all high-tail it to the gate, where amazingly, we actually get on the jet and take off!

It’s only an hour flight or so to get to Paris – and on the way in we saw the Eiffel Tower do its sparkle thing (you’ll see more of that in the following pages) and realized, WOO HOO, we’re in Paris! Like I said, the train option was now gone, so after processing through customs, we got in the long taxi line, which didn’t really take that long after all. And 45 minutes or so later, through driving rain, our taxi driver dropped us off at a hotel in Paris! It was now about 2:30 in the morning so as we try to open the door, we discover it’s locked. Fortunately the concierge lets us in and after his hellos, says that all his rooms are full and questions if we had reservations. Stress #4 was realized – our room was gone. We showed our reservation print out to the concierge and he starts laughing – we were at the wrong hotel. Fortunately, it was the same hotel chain, just the wrong branch. And our branch was just a block away! So we straggle over to the REAL hotel and check in – our room was ready for us and waiting! And after exclaiming how cool our room was, it was time to go to sleep! It had truly been a LONG day!

March 29/30, 2007: Leaving London via Luton Airport and Going to Paris!

Me and Jeff in our tube journey to get our stuff
Me and Jeff in our tube journey to get our stuff29-Mar-2007 10:26, EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY KODAK CX7430 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA, 2.7, 5.6mm, 0.017 sec
Non-stressed me - stress would come later
Non-stressed me - stress would come later29-Mar-2007 13:41, EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY KODAK CX7430 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA, 2.7, 5.6mm, 0.017 sec
Susan and Jeff in the van to Luton - notice Jeff's happy face
Susan and Jeff in the van to Luton - notice Jeff's happy face29-Mar-2007 17:32, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 100
 
There's me and Susan - ready for Paris, yo!
There's me and Susan - ready for Paris, yo!29-Mar-2007 17:32, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 141
The Evil Sign of Doom - our flight, EZY2461, with the blue status still. It hadn't disappeared yet.
The Evil Sign of Doom - our flight, EZY2461, with the blue status still. It hadn't disappeared yet.29-Mar-2007 20:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 4.9, 23.1mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 141
29-Mar-2007 20:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 4.9, 23.1mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 800
 
The table of desperation - a muffin was all I had for dinner that night
The table of desperation - a muffin was all I had for dinner that night29-Mar-2007 20:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 200
Frustrated Jeff
Frustrated Jeff29-Mar-2007 20:06, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 200
Ferocious Susan!
Ferocious Susan!29-Mar-2007 20:06, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 200
 
Calmer Susan
Calmer Susan29-Mar-2007 20:06, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 200
Jeff eats his dinner too
Jeff eats his dinner too29-Mar-2007 20:06, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 200
And there's our room in Paris
And there's our room in Paris30-Mar-2007 01:38, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800
 
Jeff welcomes you! Stay tuned for more pics in the next page
Jeff welcomes you! Stay tuned for more pics in the next page30-Mar-2007 01:38, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800