York is charming

Last night Howard was getting ready to climb into bed when he exclaimed, “they didn't make the bed”. I explained, that the bed was indeed made, just the European way. They use a fitted bottom sheet, but then just a filled duvet for the covering. They don’t use a sheet in between the fitted sheet and the duvet. It just seems funny. When we talked about this with the innkeepers, who are from South Africa, they told us that in the stores the sheet sets are sold with a bottom sheet, duvet covering, and pillow cases. They also found it odd.

We decided to explore York city today. Our first stop was the National Railway Museum. This is their equivalent of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. We ended up spending about two and a half hours. It is a history of the British Rail system with all sorts of historical trains. Some of these are even royal trains and coaches from Queen Victoria right up through the current Queen Elizabeth II. The museum also houses a locomotive turntable. They had a couple of “Explainers” go through the process and demonstrate how they move the large locomotives around.

During the WWII the railway jobs which men usually did were taken over by women since the men went off to war. Much like the Rosie the Riveter women in our own country, these women were eventually replaced by the returning men. I imagine that in Britain, as in America, the women were feeling very much displaced. I firmly believe that this was the original start of the Women’s Movement. Women had found out that they could do jobs just as well as men. Many women were no longer satisfied with staying at home. They found out that they had brains and could do any job that they set their minds to.

After leaving the museum, we wandered the inner city - the Shambles and Snickelways of the streets. Round and round we went, sometimes passing the same shops a number of times as we tried to find our way through the darling cobbled streets. Eventually we stopped for a very late lunch and early dinner at a very famous tea room called Bettys.

I have wanted to have at least one High Tea in England. It seemed that today was to be that day. We stood in a short queue. We passed on being seated immediately downstairs. We were waiting for a table by the windows. It was too pretty a day not to enjoy our tea and people watch at the same time. Finally, we were seated at a table by the windows along the busy cobbled street. The waitresses were all dressed in long black skirts, black nylons, flats, long sleeved eyelet white blouses with high buttoned necks and long white aprons. Unlike many of the restaurants we have eaten at during the last two weeks, these waitresses were all English. The other waitresses seem to have come from Eastern European countries. We had asked the innkeepers about why there were so few English servers. It seems that the English are not willing to take the very low paying waitress type jobs. They can stay at home and get more money from the government and their version of welfare. The girls who come from Poland etc, are more than willing to work for the English wages as the conversion to their money is greater when they send their pay back home.

I digress, back to the tea we had at Bettys. First, came the silverware – two forks and three knives. A few minutes later, the waitress brought us a tray with two pots – a large one with the tea, and a smaller one with hot water. Howard had his black, I had mine with sugar and milk.

Next, came the food on two separate three tired servers The top plate held sandwiches, smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise, roast ham, and cucumber & cream cheese. Two of the sandwiches were on one server and the other two were on the other server. The second plate, on each server, held a Sultana scone, and pots of Yorkshire clotted cream and strawberry preserves. The third plate held the desserts. On the one server were a Raspberry Fruit Cheesecake and a piece of Fruitcake. On the other server were a Chocolate Mousse and a Yorkshire Curd Tart. All in all, a lot of food. We took our time and eventually finished it all - except for the fruit cake that is. Howard said we should take the fruitcake home with us for the Fruit Cake toss which Manitou Springs holds in January each year. Finally, stuffed to our gills, we left. Needless to say, we didn’t eat any dinner tonight.

We have just been taking it easy tonight, watching a bit of television. They had a program on about Elizabeth I. The same woman who starred in the movie Calendar Girls (the blond one who couldn’t bake worth a darn) played Elizabeth I. I understand she is going to play Elizabeth II in an upcoming movie. She was great in what we saw on the telly. I can’t wait to see how she plays this new role.

That’s it from what is tonight rainy York. T&T

We are back in England!

We left Dublin this morning for a short flight to Manchester. We picked up a car and drove to York. Driving the Motorways in England is interesting. I believe that the speed limit here is 70 mph. I was going around 85 mph and people were passing me. My kind of driving.

We are staying in a charming B&B just outside of city center. The proprietors are transplants from South Africa. We find that B&B stories remain the same; no matter where the location might be.

Since it had been a week since we did laundry, we found the nearest laundromat. After completing this chore, we took the bus into the city center and found the York Minster. The York Minster and Cathedral is an Anglican Gothic Church, built over a Norman Roman Catholic Church, built over a Roman fort. The current structure was built during midlevel times. The building is dramatic and breathtaking.

The entire center of York lies within the old Roman walls. Today cars are not allowed in during the day. It not contains not only the Minster, but many shambles (narrow streets). These shambles contain many trendy shops, pubs and restaurants. We are looking forward to exploring the entire area tomorrow.

Since we really hadn’t eaten much all day we located an interesting pub called the Punch Bowl – which had a no smoking section. It was as quaint as the area. I was able to have bangers and mash. The had a intriguing desert called chocolate puddle pudding. Lynda had to have it. The pudding was some sort of chocolate doughnut looking cake, filled with some sort of filling and topped with hot chocolate sauce. It was really quite good.

That all for tonite, its time for a spot of tea.

More of Ireland

Off to Blarney Castle near Cork - Sunday

We have found that we can only plan on seeing one tourist sight a day without getting overwhelmed. We drove East on the N22 from Killarney towards the city of Cork. We were on a fairly nice roadway, not too narrow lanes and traffic moved right along. All was great until we had to turn off on a rural road to go to Blarney Castle. Talk about a narrow and twisting road. Howard is gaining more confidence driving on the “other side of the road” but still slows down to almost a stop as large lorries (trucks) approach from the opposite direction. They go so fast on these dinky roads. What makes it interesting is that on the rural roads, there are not any road markings to separate the different lanes of traffic.

We managed to reach Blarney Castle in one piece. It is in a beautiful setting, with lush grounds. It is in the center of the town and everything else has grown up around it. Of course there were numerous tour busses which had already arrived ahead of us, even with our early start from Killarney. The castle steps (all 127 of them) again were very steep and narrow. They went up circular fashion about 5 levels with little rooms off the stairwell. We finally reached the roof. The view was breath taking. Of course, there was a queue (line) to kiss the Blarney Stone. As we approached the stone, you have to remove your glasses, hats, and secure things in your pockets. You then sit on the ledge and a gentlemen guides you as you lean backwards over the ledge to kiss the stone underneath. It is an awkward position. There is a person standing above you to take your picture (which of course they will sell to you along with an official certificate saying that you had kissed the stone). We took our own pictures of each other and passed on getting the certificate. Of course you would only know who we were by our jacket color as you can’t se our heads.

Having kissed the stone, we made our way down and went for a walk around the castle grounds. The vegetation is very lush. They have some most unusual Yew Trees with branches that twist around each other as they grow. Also, there are some Rhubarb looking plants that have the largest leaves I have ever seen. We left the castle grounds but not until I had bought my magnet at the gift shop.

Getting through Cork (a larger town to drive through than any we had been in so far) was interesting. The map which the Avis car rental company gave us doesn’t help in the cities. It gets you from one city to the other but isn’t detailed enough to get you through the cities. Mostly we use spiral navigation. We know the general direction we want to go and try to keep our eyes open for the correct road signs. Of course, they don’t always put them in obvious places. In addition, if you end up behind a large van you don’t always see the signs in time to make the appropriate turn.

We managed to exit Cork and continued our drive to the charming seaside town of Tramore. We stayed at a charming Town & Country Home (large B&B) on top of the cliffs overlooking the town. We have found that most houses with any amount of space have built sun rooms on to the existing structures. It provides a natural gathering place and adds light to otherwise dim interiors. The one thing that tickled my funny bone was the Palm Trees they had placed in the front yard. I just don’t associate Palm Trees with Ireland. They seemed a bit out of place. We rested a bit, and talked to one of the other guests who lived in Australia. He was a nice gentleman who was taking his 82 year old mum on tour of Ireland. She wanted to see where her father lived as a boy before he had immigrated to Australia. The fellow looked to be a bit frazzled from the whole experience of driving and dealing with an older parent. Just one more reason to do your traveling early while you are healthy enough to really enjoy your trip. I’m glad we are taking this trip now and not waiting until we are truly retired (and old).

Onwards to Dublin - Monday

We drove the short distance from the B&B to the city of Waterford and the Waterford Crystal factory. What a great tour. They take you right into the factory where the workers are actually making the glass. We stood no more than 5 – 10 feet away. Each piece is hand blown or crafted. That’s what makes it so expensive. What amazed us was that most of the people taking the hot molten material from the oven and working with it blowing or molding, didn’t use any eye protection. Also, there was no protective barrier between us and the workers. You wouldn’t be allowed the same types of freedom in the US. Someone would be bound to sue for something or other.

Each piece is also hand etched or ground into shape. Again, we were no more than 5 feet from a worker who was using a grinding wheel to etch the glass. I didn’t see any of the workers using eye protection here either. Also, most did not bother with the protective ear gear. They have about 1100 workers in the plant. It takes about 15 years for a new worker to move himself up through the ranks to become a master craftsman.

The tour ends of course in their showroom. You can view the wonderful pieces close up and buy anything you like. Naturally, we needed to make sure that Waterford stayed in business. We left an appropriate amount of money to ensure that our shipping charges were included free of charge. It’s the least they could do.

The route from Waterford to Dublin goes through the center of the country. It was a main lorry route. Unlike I-40 back home, this is not usually a divided dual carriage way. It is mostly a two lane road with lane markings for a change. There are long stretches of curving road some with very narrow lanes with hedges on both sides. Naturally, there were the roundabouts that would suddenly appear as some intersection approached. Sometimes, the lanes would broaden and you would have a wide hard shoulder on the side. The lorries would pull over driving half in the shoulder and half in the lane. This allowed you to pass them going half in your lane and half over the center line into the oncoming traffic lane. Now, if an oncoming car appears – not to worry – you just continue on and the oncoming car will move over onto his hard shoulder as you go round. It’s all very civilized. No horns blaring or shaking of fists or rude words. All of a sudden you go from barreling along the road and a sign appears that tells you the road is going to narrow even more. You immediately have to slow down because you will be entering a village. However, the roads are not straight through the village. They twist and turn. Of course, there is two way traffic as well as cars parked along the sides of the road (half on the road and half on the sidewalk). You still have the large lorries going in both directions, just even less space for everyone to move within.

As we approached Dublin, we finally encountered a motorway (our divided highways). It moved smartly along although it was sometimes hard to see if you were behind a large lorry. In addition, their slow lane is on the left and you also exit left. It is a bit disconcerting at times. We finally managed to find the main outer ring motorway and traveled along finally reaching the off ramp we needed to take. This was the first really big city that Howard had to drive in. To say that it was a challenge was an understatement. The detailed map, which I had printed off, was hard to read. In addition, they placed the names of the streets on the sides of buildings that were far away from the lane you had to drive in. Therefore, before long, we were well past where I knew we needed to turn. We finally stopped by a delivery truck and asked for directions. I will say, that the Irish people have been very helpful to the dumb Americans who always are getting lost. After being pointed in the right direction and given a few landmarks to watch out for, we set off again. Finally, we found the B&B we had reserved for the next two nights. Of the four B&B’s we have stayed at so far, this one is at the bottom of the list. The room is the small, and doesn’t have much room to move around the bed. Whilst (please note the English version of the word while), the bathrooms in most of the other B&B’s have not been large, this one is tiny. The other bathrooms were big enough for one, but could not accommodate two people at the same time. The bathroom in this B&B barely accommodates one person. If you take away the tiny shower cubical, the rest of the bathroom is about the size of something you would find on an airliner.

Let’s talk about bathroom amenities for a minute. So far, only one lodging property has had washcloths. They have all had some sort of soap for the sink and another for the shower. Here in Dublin, you have to take the pump bottle into the shower. Let me also mention the set of mismatched towels. While this place is very small and may be lacking in amenities, it is clean.

In general, the food here is good. Last night we went to a lovely pub. The Guinness was great (as usual) and the food was good. We probably will go back there tonight.

Link to pictures in case you didn't get my e-mail.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8QZN2TloxbMUi

The Irish Experience Parts 2 & 3

The Irish Experience - Friday

Today was a good day for driving. Howard didn’t hit any curbs or run me into the ditch. The roadway in most cases had larger lanes. Occasionally, he had to pass a tractor or a truck piled high with hay. This meant he had to go into the oncoming traffic lane to pass. We’re still here so I guess he did okay driving.

We stopped at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park for a few hours. The 14th century castle has been rebuilt and restored. It was very interesting climbing up to the second and third stories. The stairs are very narrow circular stairs. Only one person could go up or down at a time. I don’t know how the woman of that time period would have managed with their full large skirts.

The Folk Park was delightful. A look back in time as to how the villagers lived and worked. The houses were original, just not necessarily from this property. Most were removed from other areas in Ireland and reassembled here to represent village life (one was relocated from the Shannon airport runway).

Leaving Buratty Castle, we headed down the road toward Limmerick. We drove passed numerous Dalmatian Cows (black & white varieties). We were supposed to take the N20/21 to Killarney, but somehow we missed the turnoff and ended up in the city center. Using spiral navigation and a bit of luck, we finally managed to get ourselves pointed in the right direction. Once we reached the town of Killarney again, it was hit and miss until we finally found the tourist office. The kindly lady pointed us in the direction of our B&B. We were going the right way, but would never have made the proper turns without a little help.

We decided that once we parked the car at the B&B it would be just as easy to walk 5 minutes back to the city center. We found a nifty pub called Murphy’s (a typical Irish name). Howard had a pint of Guinness and I had Bailey’s Irish Cream. I had a dish called Chicken Bap. This turned out to be a grilled chicken breast on an open faced hamburger bun. Howard had Sheppard’s Pie. In our favorite “Pub” back home, Phantom Canyon Brewery, the Sheppard’s Pie is filled with chunks of Lamb. In Ireland, the Sheppard’s Pie is filled with ground meat (of some variety were not sure what). Overall, dinner was nice. There were some American’s seated at the table next to us. We traded stories of where we had been and where we were going. It seems that we have been doing that a lot both here and in England.

The County of Kerry (where Killarney is situated) is in the All Ireland Finals for “Football” (Soccer to us Americans). Everywhere you go, you see green and yellow checkered flags. On the Telly (television) it showed one avid fan that had decked her house out in the green & yellow colors. She colored her car, and had flags flying everywhere. She was even going to color her hair for the big day (tomorrow Sunday). A farmer got into the act and painted his various barnyard animals with these same green & yellow colors. It's kind of like the crazy Bronco fans in Colorado.

It’s a good day for a bus tour – Saturday

It’s gray and threatening to rain. We decided it would be a good day to take a bus tour around the Ring of Kerry. We had been told not to try and make this drive ourselves as the roads are very narrow. Large buses are everywhere and not easy to go around. The bad thing was that it started raining, rather hard. At times it was difficult to see out the bus windows. At places where we normally would have gotten off the bus and taken a look around, the rain and wind made conditions uncomfortable. There were some brave souls who ventured out at each stop, but most of us stayed put. I went to the front of the bus and took pictures from the door or out the driver’s window between swishes of the wiper blades.

It turns out that one of the reasons that everything is such a vibrant green color is that the country gets between 35 & 60 inches of rain per year. They definitely don’t have drought conditions over here. At one of our first stops, Howard forced himself to have an Irish Coffee to ward off the chill. I wasn’t cold – of course I had on a short sleeve travel tee and long sleeve jacket blouse (the crushable knit stuff), a long sleeve over blouse, my heavy shawl, and finally my down coat with hood. I had corduroy pants and warm socks & shoes. I take layering to heart.

One of the little towns we stopped at had houses that each were painted a different color. The driver didn’t say why, just that they were. Many of the houses in the country side are still roofed with thatch. They used to use hay, but now they use reeds (which are gathered along the river banks). The driver said that these roofs last about 25 years before they need to be replaced. Wish I could say the same for roof tiles in America.

Howard pulled one of my tricks during the bus tour. He fell asleep on the bus as we were going through the countryside. The sway of the coach, the rain, and the green scenery all lulled him to sleep. I really enjoyed looking out the window of the bus at the variety of lush growth. What really blew my mind were the hedges of fuchsia. Not little bushes mind you, but tall hedges over 6 feet in height. What they don’t have are very tall mountains. The bus driver seemed to be impressed with the fact that we were going to be going over some very high peaks as we went from one side of the peninsula to the other. High to him was 3,000 feet. Obviously, he has never been to Colorado where we grow fourteeners.

We are going to dinner and will visit the local Internet Café to post this blog. I have uploaded the pictures we took from the camera to the computer. Now I need to name them and then I’ll add a link to find them to my next blog entry.

Cheers to yah – It’s find for us to find a pub. Howard needs a Guinness or maybe it will be a Murphy’s this time.

Yes, Ireland is very Green

Checking in at Heathrow airport wasn’t bad as long as you weren’t flying on British Air. Their lines were unbelievable. Fortunately, we were flying on Aer Lingus. Because we got to the airport very early (7:30am), they could only give us our boarding passes, not take our luggage. They told us to come back at 9:00 and just use the fast track line to turn in our luggage. Like good little soldiers, we followed directions. At the appointed time, we approached the counter where a dour looking gentleman asked for our documents and took the luggage. We were expecting an extra charge for weight since we knew that both our pieces were over the allowed limit. However, he seemed uninterested and just passed us along.

Breathing a sigh of relief, we journeyed forth to the security checkpoint. In America, the security is very tight, not only do you have to take your computers out of their carry case to go through the conveyer belt, but every little metal piece sets off a buzzer. I was expecting my shoes to set the thing off as it had all week in the museums. Not a peep. It wasn’t set off by Howard’s belt buckle either. The two officers were just standing around looking bored. I was expecting one of the carry-ons to bear inspecting since it had multiple electrical devices inside. Again, not a peep. We breezed right through and then started our long walk to the flight gate. They had 90 gates – guess which one our plane took off from. We walked and walked and walked some more through tube like metal tunnels that seemed to snake across the airport until we finally reached the gate. While we waited for our flight, Howard started another book and I sat working on a Sudoku Puzzle (it’s the latest rage in puzzles and I’ve gotten hooked).

Our flight to Ireland was uneventful. The plane was similar to Southwest – no frills. It is a good thing it was a short flight and that neither of us is very tall. The seats were very narrow and the leg room non existent. If you wanted food service, you could buy a muffin for 1 euro, coffee for 2 euro, or a sandwich for about 5 euro. Convert that to dollars (figure another third more) and you can see why we passed on buying any food on board. As we approached Ireland from the air, you are impressed by how green the land is. The skies were cloudy by no rain, thank goodness. The airport is very, very old. You debark by walking down the stairs from the plane just like in the olden days. Makes you wonder what they do if someone is in a wheelchair.

After much waiting at the baggage counter, our bags finally came out. I think that they were probably the first ones on the plane, so of course they had to be the last ones off. Customs was a joke. There were 2 lines you could choose from. Nothing to declare and something to declare. You picked one, and just walked through. No one stopped you or looked through your luggage. Again, they just looked bored.

We rented the car, taking out the full insurance – just in case mind you. We chose a compact car since the fuel charge over here is very high and we wanted to get the best gas mileage we could. Howard is doing the driving, and I am navigating. We started out and Howard promptly went over the curb at the first roundabout. I kept reminding him to stay left as we went through the various interchanges. Also, I had to keep reminding him to move to the center more. He has a tendency to let the car drift to the left and I feel like I am going to smash into the wall at any moment. It is a most unusual experience both as a driver and as a passenger driving on the “other” side of the road (they get testy over here if you complain about driving on the “wrong” side of the road).

We made it to our first B&B which is a little ways out of town, but in a lovely setting. They have show horses in the pasture, a lovely garden area, and a lake, all in their back yard. We had reserved a king size bed. Well, their kings are our queens. To get one of our kings you have to request a super king. Fortunately, we have gotten somewhat used to sleeping in a queen while we have been doing our interim innkeeping assignments.

After getting some directions, off we went to our first Irish tourist attraction – the Cliffs of Mohr. The roads are most interesting – translated that means narrow – and the signage is limited. London, was a snap compared to navigating in Ireland. We had to turn round a few times as we flew past the places we were to turn. Instead of having left hand turn lanes, you have to get used to right hand turn lanes. The natural inclination is to want to go into the right lane, you have to keep reminding yourself to stay left. Howard managed to get us through the roundabouts in pretty good fashion – he only went over 2 more curbs the rest of the day.

The scenery is breath taking. Everything is soooooo green since they get lots of rain. So far, we have had clouds, but the rain has held off. The other thing you see are lots of low stone fences. They criss cross the land everywhere. You would think that the horses would step right over them or the cows and sheep jump the couple of feet to get to greener grass. However, that doesn’t appear to happen. We were driving along, when suddenly we spotted what looked to be golfers on the most un-American looking golf course imaginable. All we could think of was our friend Al saying “give me a break” as he looked at the undulating hills of what to me looked like a mogul ski run. On our way back from the Cliffs, we stopped to take some pictures.

The Cliffs of Mohr are free for all to look at and quite beautiful in a rugged sort of way. Unfortunately, the Not the car park lot is not free. You need to pay 4 euro upon exiting. Of course, there is the required gift shop for tourists to help support the local economy.

This morning, Howard went in to take his shower. Well he attempted to take his shower. Here is his version of his adventure: There was a sign on the door stating that you must first pull the hanging rope cord coming down from the ceiling before turning on the shower. So, following instructions – pulled the cord. I stepped into the shower cubicle, slid the door closed and turned on the wall hanging device. There was one dial that said off, low and high. There was another dial that appeared to be for water temperature. I turned the dial to high and waited to get hot water. There was no hot water! After about five minutes of trying to get hot water – I gave up. I got dressed. Found the owner and explained my dilemma. She informed me that I needed to pull the cold harder. I went back to the room and tried again. Success at last. I’ll know for the next time.

Breakfast this morning was the typical Irish breakfast. Fried egg, European bacon, sausage, grilled tomato, Irish soda bread, and toast. That came after the starters of juice, fruit, cereal and granola. We passed on the starters. Somehow I don’t think we will need to eat again until dinner.

It’s rain right no. But a little rain never stopped us.

I think we saw everything

This is the Tuesday and Wednesday update.

Since the Changing of the Guards happens on even days, we made sure we were planted ourselves in front of Buckingham Palace in time to view the spectical. I think every other tourist was also there. The gurads marched in with appropriate marching music from the regimental band. Next came the horses guards. After much ceremonial marching back and forth everything stopped for a while. The band next set up music stands and they started a rendition of Broadway Show Music. By this time we decided we had enough.

During a two month summer period, the Queen is not in residence in Buckingham Palace. This being the case, the State Rooms are open to the public. We couldn’t miss this. After a through searching of our personal bags (and or course paying a requisite entry fee) we started on the tour. The Palace is beyond belief. Each room is spectacular and grand. The art, which is everywhere, is gorgeous. This tour was worth the add on to the itinerary. Of course, there was a gift shop at the end of the tour where you were encouraged to spend more money.

Next, we were off to Westminster Abbey. The Abbey is one huge indoor cemetery, within a church. By this time we were so tired that all was somewhat lost. But, we were there. We skipped the gift shop.

We headed back to the hoted and decided we needed to do some laundry. It has been a long time since Lynda and I have used a Laundromat. I think at that time it used to run about 25 cents per load. Here a load cost 2.60 pounds (about $5.25 per load). Drying is a bargin - only 20p for four minutes (about 10 cents per minute). About 2 pounds later all was generally done. Times have certainly changed.

This is our final day in London. The time has gone by fast. Today we started with the British Museum. This museum dates ancient history - from the Egyptians to the Greeks and Romans. It also covers early civilizations of the British Isles. The museum covers about fifteen acres. We didn't even try to see it all. We spent about three hours here and said - enough is enough.

We were not too far from Covant Gardens. This was a collection of open air and regular shops. It was very interesting, but we did not spend too much time here.

In the book The Di Vinci Code a scene takes place in Temple Church. This church houses burial plots of Crusader Knights (Knights Templar). After much wandering around we were able to find this hidden church. It dates to the 13th century. I am glad we found it.

My sister insisted that we go to Fortnum & Mason for a high tea. Well, we took the tube to Piccadilly Circus and found the place. Fortnum & Mason has every expensive food item you can find. We made it up to the fourth floor to the tea room. After looking at the price of 22 pounds per person for tea, we decided that this might be a tad expensive - even for London prices.

We finally returned to our hotel and collapsed; and are now packing for the next leg of our trip - Ireland. While I have been writing this blog, Lynda has given the Trouser Press a try. She said she still prefers a good old ironing board.

Cheers,

T&T

We didn't walk until we dropped today.

Today Lynda and I decided that we needed to "try" and save our aching feet. We jumped on the tube and took it to Kew - a very upscale suburb on the outskirts of London. This is also the site of the Royal Botanical Gardens. The Gardens are the site of a Chihuly art glass exhibit. Since we had seen his work in Colorado Springs, seeing his work again was a must. His works were in three massive buildings, set among the vegetation of various climate zones. There was also an exhibit floating in a large pond. This park covers over 350 acres. We decided that we did not need to cover each area on foot. They had a tram that circled the park and allowed you to get off a various stops and get back on when the tram returned to the area. Our feet said thanks.

After or visit to Kew we decided to take the return train to the tube stop for Harrods. Lynda had forgotten some thin socks for her flats. Well, she felt that $16.00 for a pair of socks was slightly out of the question. We did though enjoy seeing the variety of items in the food court. Harrods knows how make all other prices in London seem cheap.

Tonight we went to the theater and saw a new Andrew Lloyd Weber musical - Woman in White. The musical and staging we amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Cheers T&T

So How Many Miles Was That We Traveled?

We were going to take it easier today. So, we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum which wasn't that far away. We even took the tube to cut down walking too much. That's a laugh. The building is 4 stories tall and I would say it is about two to three blocks long and at least one block wide. We covered all four floors. When I complained that my feet were hurting, the guard laughed. He said that was a common complaint from visitors. What most people don't realize is that if you walk the whole museum that is about 7 plus miles. Howard said it felt like we did 10 miles.

However, we did have one very exciting moment when we were viewing the modern exhibit. They had some examples of modern silver and low and behold - there was our silver ice bucket in all its glory. It had the name of the designer and the company who made it and the dates that it was produced from. We have been trying to get a value from the Christophe Silver, but it isn't in their catalogue any more and they couldn't identify it. Now that we have some verification of who the designer was maybe we will finally find out what the current value is. This was purchased by Howard's parents on their trip to Europe shortly after we got married 40 yrs. ago. Both of us were giddy the rest of the afternoon.

After we finished the V&A, we decided that it didn't look too far to visit Kensington Palace. Wrong. The map streets may not look far apart, but let me tell you, we must have put on another 2 - 3 miles walking to and through the park to get to the Palace. At one point, there was this round pond with lots of lawn chairs just sitting there. My feet were tired and the setting was so pretty, I sat down and Howard took a picture. That wasn't a problem. However, when Howard sat down so he could rest his tired bones, a man came over and said that we had to pay to sit in the chairs. He had an official collection box, strapped to his waist. We decided that the chairs weren't that comfy. The Palace is in a wonderful setting and we really enjoyed the state rooms and dress collections.

By the time we got back to the hotel, I couldn't face going out again to eat. I was just too done in and could hardly walk. So, Howard picked up a bottle of wine, with a screw cap no less, and we bought some stuff for a cold dinner in our room. Now I must admit, the last time we got a bottle of wine with a screw cap was back in the late 1980's in Paris. That was a very big mistake. The wine wasn't fit to pour down the toilet. Fortunately, times have changed. The new technology is moving away from corks and turning to screw caps. So, this wine was pretty good.

As I leave you tonight, I am feeling much better. A little nap, dinner, a wonderful hot bath and a couple of Aleve did wonders for my feet.

Cheers,

T&T

What to do on a sunny day?

Clear skies, and a breezy day - the perfect time to go to Notting Hill and the Portobello Market. It was an unbelievable crush of humanity with a load of over priced merchandise. However, it was interesting to walk through. So many different types of people with so many different accents. There was everything thing from antique silver to tacky tee shirts and fresh fish. We enjoyed people watching and seeing the collection of "stuff". After walking the entire length (a couple of miles) we hopped on a tube and went across the city to the Houses of Parliament & Big Ben.

This weekend, there was a special tour of the Parliament chambers. Our guide from the Pub walk told us about the special days. We were glad that we took her advice. The chambers are a sight to see. The gold gilding and art is spectacular. However, we couldn't sit down of any of the chairs that are regularly used by the House of Lords & House of Commons. They are very particular on who sits on the various benches or chairs and our rear ends didn't qualify. Also, while the house of Lords has over 400 members and the House of Commons has over 600 members, neither chamber has enough seats for all of its members. So, if you come late, you were out of luck.

The House of commons is the only group that really has any power to make or enact laws. Howard asked why even have the House of Lords especially since the House of Commons can ignore any of the suggestions from the House of Lords. The answer was - it's tradition. The MP's in the House of Commons always vote with their party. It is frowned upon to break with the party line. I think our system is much better. Of course, you wouldn't convince the British of that. All things aside, the building, art, and furnishings are really a sight to see.

We left Parliament square and found Churchill's underground War Room and bunker. This was fascinating. It is a wonderful collection of memorabilia. We spent a couple of hours here. Finally went on a walk about toward Covant Garden. We had heard of a special Belgium restaurant that specialized in muscles. Howard was excited since our ability to get good seafood is limited. We wandered around, and around and somehow, lost the address of the restaurant. Internet cafe's to the rescue. Looked it up again on the Internet and finally managed to find the restaurant. Great meal - a liter pail with over 60 muscles sitting in a tasty broth. I even ate some which is really saying something as I normally shy away from the things. Ended up walking some more and ran across the Covant Gardens market square. Things were closing up, but it is definitely a place we will have to revisit.

We finally made it back to the hotel and once again collapsed. Our feet don't feel like they belong to us. I think we both are starting to develop shin splints.

We have come to a couple of conclusions about the British. They love steps. The go up and they go down and just when you think you are finished, they start up again. They are found going up and down in official buildings, museums, undergrounds, shops and around every corner it seemed. Not just a few steps, but large flights of stairs. The other thing is that every little museum or special area has a gift shop attached to it.

Cheers,
T&T

We arrived across the Pond !

It would have been cheaper in the long run, if we had taken a limo from CS to Denver. The plan was for us to rent a car and drive to Denver. The cost would have been much less than the limo. Unfortunately, on the way over to get the car, Howard got a speeding ticket. So, if you add up the cost of the car, gas, and then the speeding ticket, the Limo would have won hands down.

On the plus side, when we got to the British Air Terminal, the service was over the moon, even with us taking off 45 minutes late. It was very nice being able to wait in the lounge drinking wine and nibbling on cheese and mini sandwiches. By the time we finally got our dinner on the plane, I had lost my appetite (it was 10pm). All I really wanted to do was try and sleep. However, don't believe that a picture says a thousand words. There are lovely pictures on the British Air site of their wonderful sleeper seats. What the pictures don't tell you is that the seats are built for size 2 models. The seats may let you face your partner thus making it easier for conversation. However, they are not built for anyone who is more than 100 pounds.

Now I am of slight build, but even I found the seats cramped. They do level out flat, however, you have these hard sides confining you. So, if you try to adjust your sleeping position at all, you bump yourself and wake up. I managed to sleep a bit, Howard had no trouble at all as long as he slept on his back. The seat wouldn't allow him to turn on his side with any amount of comfort.

The other problem with the seats was that they are not built for someone who is 5'3". Yes, I had more leg room. Unfortunately, the foot rest was a bit far from the end of my foot. I peaked through the curtain while we were in flight, and the people just two rows back from where our seats were did not look overly comfortable. I guess I shouldn't complain.

So, on our return flight home, unless Howard can talk us into an upgrade, we are back with the rest of the normal world in the upscale versiion of Coach.

In any case, we arrived in London safe and sound. The weather was not the best. I think we brought the rain with us as it rained the whole way up on our drive from CS to Denver.

Remember what I said about pictures not being worth much - Well, we are staying at Barkston Gardens. On the Internet, it shows a lovely park with the Hotel in the background. Unfortunately, it is a private park for the locals who live around there. It is totally gated off and you need a key to gain access. The hotel guests do not qualify. It is a businessman's hotel. Nothing fancy. It is old, but the room is clean and it is quiet.

We are close to the Tube Station at Earls Court. So, our first day, we ventured forth to get the lay of the land and stretch our legs a bit. The stations are neat, and efficient. We have had no trouble using our Travel Cards. We haven't even got lost.

Last night we went to the Theatre to see The Produers. We took a taxi since we didn't want to deal with trying to find the tube station in the dark in an area we were unfamiliar with. They drive like maniacs here. I just closed my eyes, wore my seatbelt and prayed. We arrived at the theatre district in one piece. We found a very small Italian cafe close by the theatre (5 tables inside and 3 outside) where we had dinner. It was nice to just walk across the street after our meal and walk in the doors of the theatre. We had geared ourselves to having to really listen to the actors speaking. Well, I think the cast was totally American (makes sense since it is about Broadway) so we had no problems at all. However, I don't know about the ladies sitting next to us who were from Jersey (an English island off the French coast). They weren't laughing at the jokes like we were.

We did manage to stay awake (I only nodded off a couple of times during the first act). During intermission, they sold Ice Cream cups just like they do at the baseball or foot ball games. While they didn't go up and down the aisles, they did set up a little table right in the aisle by the orchestra pit. Howard only muttered a little bit when they charged his 5 pounds (almost $10) for an Ice Cream cup and a bottle of water. When I commented to the ladies seated next to us that you wouldn't find this at American Theatre, they were shocked. Apparently, this has been common practice for years and years.

I think every theatre in London must let out at the same time. We had a devil of a time flagging down a taxi especially so, since it was raining again. We walked away from the theatre for a few blocks, and finally managed to flag one down. (I had better luck than Howard did). We fell into bed, exhausted and ready to sleep. I don't know if the room is just real quiet, or if we were too tied to care, but we both slept through the night.

Today, we walked, and walked, and walked some more. Now, we all know what Subway's are right? Wrong - in England, Subways are the pedestrian underpasses which get you from one side of a very busy street or bridge to the other side. The first time that someone told me to walk down the street and take the subway across the way I wasn't quite sure what they were refering to. Finally came to a sign that said Pedestrian subway and figured it out.

Also, if you are a disabled person in a wheelchair, there is not any way for you to see many of the older attractions. We went to the Tower of London and must have climbed up and down 20 staircases that were round spirals, very narrow. My legs are never going to be the same. It is amazing to me that the British haven't raised the roof over equal oportunity for the disabled. However, it is not only the buildings, the "subways" do not have ramps either. It's up and down, and down and up all over the city.

We had a lovely time at the Tower and finally left to wander our way over to the Tate Moderm Museum of Art. We got directions, got lost a bit, and stumbled upon this wonderful outdoor food market down by the river. The smells were a delight, and interesting things to nibble on along the way. We finally found the museum after asking for directions a few more times. Now, I am not a fan of art museums, but Howard was really keen on seeing this one. So in we went. I still have to say, that modern art leaves me cold. I finally sat down because my feet were killing me and let Howard finish on his own. I had a lovely conversation with a couple who had also stopped for a "foot rest ". Overall, I have not found the British people to be at all reserved. The ones we have talked to have been very open and friendly - very ready to offer suggestions on what to see in our travels around the country.

We fially caught the tube back to the hotel very late in the afternoon. We were only going to stop into the local grocery for something sweet to tide us over. However, once we got inside we decided to have a cold dinner. The market (Marks & Spencer) is something in between a full grocery store and a mimi mart. It seems to cater to people who are shopping for dinner that night. They have a lot of prepackaged ready to go meals that are either cold fare or something you heat up. This is not our typical TV dinner. They have regular items but in more limited quantity. You could cook a full meal if you wanted to, just is so much easier to have it already done for you. However, I must say that their raw meat section that seemed to cater to one or two servings. Everything was beautifuly packaged. They even have spoons and forks at the checkout stand. Checking out was also a bit different. You stood in the que and the next available cashier called out when they were available. No fighting to find the shortest line to stand in.

We got back to the hotel, took our shoes off and finally sat down to a lovely inexpensive cold dinner. We rested for a bit and I watched a bit of the Telli (it's no wonder they shorten the name, it would not qualify for what we call television here in the US). Either the programs were for kids, or the news (and lousy newscasters at that). Howard caught 40 winks until it was time for us to go again.

Decided to take one of the original London walks after dark. We were to meet our guide at one of the tube stations and then go on a Pub walk. We got to the station early and found others waiting for the walk - most all were Americans, only one couple was British. We had a wonderful time walking through South Kensington. The townhouses are something else, so are the prices. A typical high end London townhouse would cost "Buckets" - American translation 5 million pounds. That's right, 10 million of our green bucks for a very old (1880's - 1900's)but beautiful attached townhouse with neighbors on both sides and at least 3 stories and a basement. Now this does come with a key to one of the private gardens I told you about earlier. However, there are no parking spaces or garages for a car, if you even bothered to own one. I guess when you are that rich you would just call for a limo if you really needed a car.

We had a lovely time, lots of laughs, enjoyable company, and a pint to boot.

Cheers,

T&T in London