Today we got up and headed to Clapham Junction by bus to catch the train to Hampton Court Palace. The train was easy to take and only took a half an hour. From the station we were able to walk across the river to the very imposing Hampton Court Palace. Our London Pass got us in free again and we were able to walk right up through the gate to the Base Court to get an audio tour. The palace was originally built by Cardinal Wosley for himself but he "gave" it to Henry VIII.
We started in Henry VIII's Kitchens which was fascinating! There were plates and pots out filled with (fake) food of the time to give you an idea how it all worked. Several actors were dressed in period clothing and that explained the process of the daily cooking. There was even a large fire going on which they put a hunk of meat on a spit and invited children to come up and turn it.
We continued into the wine cellars and then into Henry VIII's apartments. It was amazing to see the carved wood panels with Tudor Roses, huge tapestries and painted ceilings. During this part of the tour our audio guide was a "page" of the time and it was all around the day 6th wedding day of Henry VIII's to Katherine Parr. It was an interesting portrayal of the monarch, who is usually painted as a tyrant. There were great portraits of all the important Tudors and we had access to the Chapel Royal as well. The Chapel has a gorgeous blue ceiling that seems not to have aged at all. It was very surreal to be in there and think that Henry VIII's and potentially all six of his wives could have attended mass there!
We stopped for lunch and walked out of the main palace past the rose garden to the Tiltyard Cafe. As always with museum food it was expensive but pretty good. We tucked in fairly well and afterwards headed back into the Palace. We went into a nice exhibit about young Henry VIII's that detailed the change in his relationships with his first wife Katherine of Aragon and Cardinal Wolsey. These changes were symbolized by three large wood high backed chairs; one chair representing each of the three. In the beginning of the tour the chairs for the Queen and the Cardinal were directly behind and to the side of the kind showing their support of him. By the end of the tour, the Cardinal's chair was off set as he fell out of favor (and was eventually locked up) and Katherine's chair was beginning to be distant as well. It was an interesting way to portray it all.
From there we continued into the apartments of William and Mary who originally wanted to demolish the whole Palace but couldn't afford it so they just made additions. Some of the original Tudor areas were converted and they took several cost-saving shortcuts. We continued into the Georgian rooms (the time period of George II) and finally came out into a cloister near the back of the palace. We walked out into the gardens which are expansive and beautiful. Several are carefully manicured in the old style; courtiers of the time would have walked around the gardens much of the day.
We visited the gift shop for postcards and then headed back to the train station. It was an easy ride back to our area. We got back to John & Maggie's and had a chance to unload before catching some dinner. John was out at Snape so it was just the three of us for dinner. We decided to use a coupon and go to Pizza Express so we walked towards Wandsworth's main street. The pizza was okay, just very sparse. We only saw our waitress once and Mike had to actually go up to request the bill. There was a very loud drunken party in the back that kept singing "Happy Birthday," "He's a jolly good fellow," and something else we couldn't recognize. Mike ended up leaving a 60 p tip or something because it was so bad. But we headed back to the house and back to bed after another long day.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Friday - Thames River Cruise & Greenwich
We woke up Friday but got a slow start because Bree wasn't feeling well. It was probably all the stairs on Thursday. We took off on the 87 to Westminster Abbey & Parliament Square again to take our River Thames cruise. Our London Pass got us a "Red River Rover" pass that let us get on and off the City Cruise boat tours as often as wanted. We took the tour from the Westminster pier across the river to the London Eye dock and then headed eastish on the Thames. One of the crew members gave us a commentary as we went along pointing out important pubs and historic landmarks. It was a great way to see the river and all of the buildings that came up right to it. We got out at the Tower of London pier to go to the Tower Bridge Exhibit.
We had to walk across part of the bridge to get to the exhibit on one of the towers and again got in free with our London Pass. The exhibit takes you up by lift through one of the towers and then you walk across the pedestrian walkway and back the other way. There were several short animations that showed the building of the bridge and various alternative designs that didn't make it. As you walked along the pedestrian walkway you are above the bridge and you can see much of London. The walkway is lined with plaques discussing: wildlife of London, a labeled panorama of your view, a history of bridges including some well known ones from around the world, details about the design submital process and changes to the winning design, how the bridge works and hows its changed.
From there we went down the tower, across the bridge and down below the other tower before walking to the Engine Room of Tower Bridge. The Engine Room has two rooms, each with the old Victorian-era motors that originally opened the bridge with steam. One room is still but the second is actually in motion. That was really interesting to see even though the motor was running slowly. Since Bree was hungry (again) we stopped by a Pizza Express and split a small pizza.
We headed out of the bridge and back to the pier to get on the boat and continue the way we came down the Thames River. We took the cruise to the end, Greenwich and the old Royal Naval College. Its is absolutely striking! It was designed by Christopher Wren in two parts specifically so that the Queen's House could see through the buildings to the water. We got off the boat and wandered about the grounds a little bit. The Royal Naval College moved out awhile ago so the site is shared by the University of Greenwich and the local school of music.
We found a great restaurant for a snack, the Old Brewery which is actually new but on the site of an old brewery of the 18th century. They brew Meantime Beer which is actually quite funny because Greenwich is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian. Mike had a pint and said it was good. We split a large hamburger and chips before heading on.
We walked off into the rest of the college and headed towards the Royal Observatory to try to find the Prime Meridian. We had seen the time ball from the cruise, which rises and falls precisely at 1 o'clock. We had some trouble finding the prime meridian as it was shown on the map as going right through the park we were in in the back of the grounds and yet we couldn't see anything. Mike managed to find it near a statue of General James Wolfe and had a great view of Greenwich. He did find the Prime Meridian line but it was apparently only a few feet long.
From there we were heading back to the boat. As we got on we thought we were the last ones but people kept running in for the next 15 minutes. Every time the crew member on the pier went to close the gate someone would come running down the pier. We set off back the way we had come on the Thames; we heard some of the same commentary but much of it was different. As we stopped at the Tower of London pier we called Maggie to give her a heads up we were on our way back. We had dinner reservations with John and Maggie at 8:15pm and hoped to shower before going out. As soon as we were off the phone with her we started complaining that the stop was taking an unusually long time. Then the Captain came up and told us "The boat is broke! You have to get off and wait for another boat!" So as we got off we called Maggie again and asked for suggestions on the best way back given the fact that it was rush hour. She suggested the tube from the Tower of London to Victoria, then the train to Clapham Junction and then a bus to Wandsworth.
We set out with that plan in mind only to be met with horrible congestion in the tube. We hit the Westminster station first and preferred the airy buses to the stuffier tube so we headed up to catch the 87 in the reverse of the way we had come this morning. When we got out of the station we were met with a crowd of people; more than the tourists we had seen in the morning. We quickly saw that there were metropolitan police working on crowd and traffic control as part of the street was blocked off. We were trying to find our stop around the square and finally gave up. We walked a few blocks to a bus stop behind the House of Parliament that we knew would take us back. As we passed in front of the House of Parliament, we saw that there was actually a protest going on. The protesters that have been living in Parliament Square seemed to have spilled over into the street, laying down and playing hacky sack in the street. It didn't seem like it was unruly but the traffic jam it created was getting bad.
As we were standing at our stop we realized that everyone else at our stop had walked away. We also realized that the bus that would come to that stop would have to pass right through the block street; which is what everyone else realized before us. So we started walking off away from the square hoping to find a bus stop for one of the buses that would take us back to Wandsworth that wasn't blocked by the protest. We walked for awhile; trying different directions and realizing that nothing was going to connect to Wandsworth from this far off. We finally found on that would go to Clapham Junction or Vauxhall, major intersections for buses, so we could change to Wandsworth. It took some time but we finally got back to Wandsworth around 7:20pm. Maggie rang us just as we were walking up. We were rinsed, changed and fancy in the time it took her to go fill up the car with petrol.
We drove to Chelsea, through some heavy traffic, and pulled up at the Chelsea Arts Club just at 8:15pm. The entire outside of the building was covered in paintings of classic circus acts, like the bearded lady, fire eaters, acrobats, etc. John is a member of the Club and was already inside. We had to get buzzed in and check the book that he had signed us in to meet him for dinner. The entire inside was decorated as well with large curtains and statues, lights, penants and display cases all in circus theme. Apparently they were having a ball the next day as a fundraiser and do everything to the extreme. We found John and grabbed some drinks before heading into the dining area. It was quite posh and the meal was really good. Bree had pork and Mike had pike. We bought dinner for John and Maggie as a thank you for letting us stay with them for so long and feeding us every night. It was the least we could do.
We sleepily headed back home and tumbled into bed, again.
We had to walk across part of the bridge to get to the exhibit on one of the towers and again got in free with our London Pass. The exhibit takes you up by lift through one of the towers and then you walk across the pedestrian walkway and back the other way. There were several short animations that showed the building of the bridge and various alternative designs that didn't make it. As you walked along the pedestrian walkway you are above the bridge and you can see much of London. The walkway is lined with plaques discussing: wildlife of London, a labeled panorama of your view, a history of bridges including some well known ones from around the world, details about the design submital process and changes to the winning design, how the bridge works and hows its changed.
From there we went down the tower, across the bridge and down below the other tower before walking to the Engine Room of Tower Bridge. The Engine Room has two rooms, each with the old Victorian-era motors that originally opened the bridge with steam. One room is still but the second is actually in motion. That was really interesting to see even though the motor was running slowly. Since Bree was hungry (again) we stopped by a Pizza Express and split a small pizza.
We headed out of the bridge and back to the pier to get on the boat and continue the way we came down the Thames River. We took the cruise to the end, Greenwich and the old Royal Naval College. Its is absolutely striking! It was designed by Christopher Wren in two parts specifically so that the Queen's House could see through the buildings to the water. We got off the boat and wandered about the grounds a little bit. The Royal Naval College moved out awhile ago so the site is shared by the University of Greenwich and the local school of music.
We found a great restaurant for a snack, the Old Brewery which is actually new but on the site of an old brewery of the 18th century. They brew Meantime Beer which is actually quite funny because Greenwich is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian. Mike had a pint and said it was good. We split a large hamburger and chips before heading on.
We walked off into the rest of the college and headed towards the Royal Observatory to try to find the Prime Meridian. We had seen the time ball from the cruise, which rises and falls precisely at 1 o'clock. We had some trouble finding the prime meridian as it was shown on the map as going right through the park we were in in the back of the grounds and yet we couldn't see anything. Mike managed to find it near a statue of General James Wolfe and had a great view of Greenwich. He did find the Prime Meridian line but it was apparently only a few feet long.
From there we were heading back to the boat. As we got on we thought we were the last ones but people kept running in for the next 15 minutes. Every time the crew member on the pier went to close the gate someone would come running down the pier. We set off back the way we had come on the Thames; we heard some of the same commentary but much of it was different. As we stopped at the Tower of London pier we called Maggie to give her a heads up we were on our way back. We had dinner reservations with John and Maggie at 8:15pm and hoped to shower before going out. As soon as we were off the phone with her we started complaining that the stop was taking an unusually long time. Then the Captain came up and told us "The boat is broke! You have to get off and wait for another boat!" So as we got off we called Maggie again and asked for suggestions on the best way back given the fact that it was rush hour. She suggested the tube from the Tower of London to Victoria, then the train to Clapham Junction and then a bus to Wandsworth.
We set out with that plan in mind only to be met with horrible congestion in the tube. We hit the Westminster station first and preferred the airy buses to the stuffier tube so we headed up to catch the 87 in the reverse of the way we had come this morning. When we got out of the station we were met with a crowd of people; more than the tourists we had seen in the morning. We quickly saw that there were metropolitan police working on crowd and traffic control as part of the street was blocked off. We were trying to find our stop around the square and finally gave up. We walked a few blocks to a bus stop behind the House of Parliament that we knew would take us back. As we passed in front of the House of Parliament, we saw that there was actually a protest going on. The protesters that have been living in Parliament Square seemed to have spilled over into the street, laying down and playing hacky sack in the street. It didn't seem like it was unruly but the traffic jam it created was getting bad.
As we were standing at our stop we realized that everyone else at our stop had walked away. We also realized that the bus that would come to that stop would have to pass right through the block street; which is what everyone else realized before us. So we started walking off away from the square hoping to find a bus stop for one of the buses that would take us back to Wandsworth that wasn't blocked by the protest. We walked for awhile; trying different directions and realizing that nothing was going to connect to Wandsworth from this far off. We finally found on that would go to Clapham Junction or Vauxhall, major intersections for buses, so we could change to Wandsworth. It took some time but we finally got back to Wandsworth around 7:20pm. Maggie rang us just as we were walking up. We were rinsed, changed and fancy in the time it took her to go fill up the car with petrol.
We drove to Chelsea, through some heavy traffic, and pulled up at the Chelsea Arts Club just at 8:15pm. The entire outside of the building was covered in paintings of classic circus acts, like the bearded lady, fire eaters, acrobats, etc. John is a member of the Club and was already inside. We had to get buzzed in and check the book that he had signed us in to meet him for dinner. The entire inside was decorated as well with large curtains and statues, lights, penants and display cases all in circus theme. Apparently they were having a ball the next day as a fundraiser and do everything to the extreme. We found John and grabbed some drinks before heading into the dining area. It was quite posh and the meal was really good. Bree had pork and Mike had pike. We bought dinner for John and Maggie as a thank you for letting us stay with them for so long and feeding us every night. It was the least we could do.
We sleepily headed back home and tumbled into bed, again.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Thursday - the day of stairs!
Today we got up and headed out early to pick up our London Pass, which is a multiday pass that gets you into tons of attractions! We'd done it before in Seattle and its such a great deal! We had to go pick it up near Piccadilly Circus so we took the 87 out to Traflager Square so Mike could see that and walked a short ways to Piccadilly Circus. We found the place, got our passes, little guidebooks and headed to the nearest Tube station to head to St. Paul's Cathedral.
Of course on our way to St. Paul's Cathedral Bree was hungry again so we had to grab a bite before going in. The Cathedral is most impressive, with the highest dome next to the Vatican. It is a little disappointing that you can't take pictures inside but its meant to keep the interior preserved. We walked along the ground floor which has several tombs and memorials similar to Westminster Abbey. We walked under the large central dome, considered Christoper Wren's masterpiece when he rebuilt the Cathedral after the 1666 fire. There has been a church on that site for a long time but this most recent one is breathtaking. From there we walked down into the crypt and saw more tombs and memorials to such famous English people as Lord Nelson, Christopher Wren himself and Florence Nightengale. Also down in the crypt was a fabulous projector display in a side room. It was new since Bree had been four years ago and had projectors aimed at each wall to provide an almost 360 degree image that changed in front of you. It started with a moving timeline of the church's history, moving left to right around the room. Then an animation of some of the construction and surrounding area. Finally it took you inside the church and slowly up into the dome itself. It was almost dizzying seeing the domb in all directions around you. Bree was doing ok until the image titled up so that it started at the first (Whispering) gallery and then peered up to the next (Stone) gallery. It finally wooshed through the small stone stairs we would later climb to take you up to the final (Golden) gallery and panned the entire view of London. It was a fabulous exhibit! While not the same, the Virtual Tour available on their website gives you some idea of the grandeur.
We walked back up to the ground floor and around the back of the low altar through the choir benches and to the other side of the church. There we found the entrance to the dome, which you can climb up to in several levels:
- Whispering Gallery (30 m & 257 steps)
- Stone Gallery (53 m & 376 steps)
- Golden Gallery (85 m & 528 steps)
We got up to the Whispering Gallery pretty easily but Bree was tired. The gallery is so named because as a large dome, a whisper can reflect to a listener on the other side of the dome. There were several school groups of noisy boys that we tried to beat to the next level. We walked up to the Stone Gallery which was harder. Unlike the large steps up to the first level, the stairs to the Stone Gallery are the original maintenance stairs and are fairly narrow. Several places you have to walk down a small corridor to get to the next set. By the time we were done with this set Bree was fairly winded. But the view from the Stone Gallery is beautiful and is a full panorama of London. Bree decided to sit while Mike continued up to the next level, the Golden Gallery; Bree had been up before.The view from the Golden Gallery is even more impressive as you are high enough above the dome that you can see more of the church itself.
After Mike came back down from the Golden Gallery we climbed all the way down to the ground floor. Even though it is easier to get down, you end up a little dizzy because you have to look down the whole time to keep your feet on the small steps. Since its a spiral staircase, you don't quite walk straight when you get down. We headed out of St. Paul's and around the backside to see the new pedestrian square. While we were there Mike saw a London Police car which is a lot different than the ones back home as they are completely covered in a reflective checkerboard pattern. We were going to wait til the policemen that were getting out moved so we weren't rude but were surprised that they had automatic weapons; especially since normal police on a walking beat, called bobbies, don't carry guns. So we let them go without taking a picture as they obviously seemed busy.
We started walking towards the Monument and then opted to take the tube. The Monument was built by Christopher Wren as a tribute to the victims of the 1666 fire. Its 202 feet tall which is the same distance from the Monument's location to the start of the fire. You can climb to the top, which Bree hadn't done before, so despite the recent trek to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral we decided to do it. Bree was again quite tired by the end of it. But the view was nice and we got a certificate when we got back down that said we had done it.
After we huffed and puffed our way back down, we stopped at a little deli near the Monument for lunch. It was called Mamma & Mia and it was delicious! Bree had a cheesey vegetable pasta dish and Mike had a warm chicken Italian sandwich. As we were eating we could look out onto the square in front of the Monument which is surrounded by office buildings. There was a homeless guy talking to himself, and yelling at everyone else, roaming about the square for awhile. The poor Monument workers tried to come out and tell him to move on. He didn't like that very much and they ended up calling the police on him. Eventually a Bobbie came up and Mike noticed that there were two more bicycle cops coming up and blocking the other exits. As soon as the Bobbie got there, the man was quiet and was talking to him very fervently. The Bobbie was able to walk him away quietly and the other two bicycle policeman wandered off the other way.
From the square we headed back to the tube and took it over to the Tower of London. Bree loves the Tower of London and was excited to share it with Mike. It is such an impressive site and was quite busy. We walked through the medieval section first which had been redone since Bree was last there. There were some nice videos throughout that explained certain time periods and great set-ups that explained aspects of the remains and what its used for. From there we walked along the East Wall Walk so that we could walk along the wall and see the exhibits on the guards and their defense. There was some construction on the White Tower so we had to walk around in order to get to where the crown jewels are kept. The crown jewels are amazingly brilliant and include some of the largest stones in the world including the Cullinan diamond.
From there we continued into the White Tower, which had a great exhibit called Fit For A King. The exhibit had armour from Henry VIII, his son Edward I, and various other nobility. The suit of armour for Henry VIII later in his life was absolutely huge! There were lots of examples of armour across several dynasties and examples of weapons throughout the years. The White Tower was very cool but it had many levels so there were more spiral stairs. It is the oldest part of the Tower, which has gone through many many revisions.
On the way out we stopped through Bloody Tower and the Dungeon exhibit to see some exhibits on the darker side of the Tower's history. There was a nice monument to all the nobility that had been executed on site, including Anne Boleyn, Jane Grey, Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn. We hit the gift shop for post cards - the best way to get the pictures you can't get on your own. From there we got back on the tube, then to the bus to get back to John & Maggie's.
We had a lovely dinner at home and Ollie stopped by for a few minutes to tuck in as well. It was an "easy night" for Maggie of leftovers and cleaning out the fridge which was all delicious. We ate until we were past full before going to bed.
Of course on our way to St. Paul's Cathedral Bree was hungry again so we had to grab a bite before going in. The Cathedral is most impressive, with the highest dome next to the Vatican. It is a little disappointing that you can't take pictures inside but its meant to keep the interior preserved. We walked along the ground floor which has several tombs and memorials similar to Westminster Abbey. We walked under the large central dome, considered Christoper Wren's masterpiece when he rebuilt the Cathedral after the 1666 fire. There has been a church on that site for a long time but this most recent one is breathtaking. From there we walked down into the crypt and saw more tombs and memorials to such famous English people as Lord Nelson, Christopher Wren himself and Florence Nightengale. Also down in the crypt was a fabulous projector display in a side room. It was new since Bree had been four years ago and had projectors aimed at each wall to provide an almost 360 degree image that changed in front of you. It started with a moving timeline of the church's history, moving left to right around the room. Then an animation of some of the construction and surrounding area. Finally it took you inside the church and slowly up into the dome itself. It was almost dizzying seeing the domb in all directions around you. Bree was doing ok until the image titled up so that it started at the first (Whispering) gallery and then peered up to the next (Stone) gallery. It finally wooshed through the small stone stairs we would later climb to take you up to the final (Golden) gallery and panned the entire view of London. It was a fabulous exhibit! While not the same, the Virtual Tour available on their website gives you some idea of the grandeur.
We walked back up to the ground floor and around the back of the low altar through the choir benches and to the other side of the church. There we found the entrance to the dome, which you can climb up to in several levels:
- Whispering Gallery (30 m & 257 steps)
- Stone Gallery (53 m & 376 steps)
- Golden Gallery (85 m & 528 steps)
We got up to the Whispering Gallery pretty easily but Bree was tired. The gallery is so named because as a large dome, a whisper can reflect to a listener on the other side of the dome. There were several school groups of noisy boys that we tried to beat to the next level. We walked up to the Stone Gallery which was harder. Unlike the large steps up to the first level, the stairs to the Stone Gallery are the original maintenance stairs and are fairly narrow. Several places you have to walk down a small corridor to get to the next set. By the time we were done with this set Bree was fairly winded. But the view from the Stone Gallery is beautiful and is a full panorama of London. Bree decided to sit while Mike continued up to the next level, the Golden Gallery; Bree had been up before.The view from the Golden Gallery is even more impressive as you are high enough above the dome that you can see more of the church itself.
After Mike came back down from the Golden Gallery we climbed all the way down to the ground floor. Even though it is easier to get down, you end up a little dizzy because you have to look down the whole time to keep your feet on the small steps. Since its a spiral staircase, you don't quite walk straight when you get down. We headed out of St. Paul's and around the backside to see the new pedestrian square. While we were there Mike saw a London Police car which is a lot different than the ones back home as they are completely covered in a reflective checkerboard pattern. We were going to wait til the policemen that were getting out moved so we weren't rude but were surprised that they had automatic weapons; especially since normal police on a walking beat, called bobbies, don't carry guns. So we let them go without taking a picture as they obviously seemed busy.
We started walking towards the Monument and then opted to take the tube. The Monument was built by Christopher Wren as a tribute to the victims of the 1666 fire. Its 202 feet tall which is the same distance from the Monument's location to the start of the fire. You can climb to the top, which Bree hadn't done before, so despite the recent trek to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral we decided to do it. Bree was again quite tired by the end of it. But the view was nice and we got a certificate when we got back down that said we had done it.
After we huffed and puffed our way back down, we stopped at a little deli near the Monument for lunch. It was called Mamma & Mia and it was delicious! Bree had a cheesey vegetable pasta dish and Mike had a warm chicken Italian sandwich. As we were eating we could look out onto the square in front of the Monument which is surrounded by office buildings. There was a homeless guy talking to himself, and yelling at everyone else, roaming about the square for awhile. The poor Monument workers tried to come out and tell him to move on. He didn't like that very much and they ended up calling the police on him. Eventually a Bobbie came up and Mike noticed that there were two more bicycle cops coming up and blocking the other exits. As soon as the Bobbie got there, the man was quiet and was talking to him very fervently. The Bobbie was able to walk him away quietly and the other two bicycle policeman wandered off the other way.
From the square we headed back to the tube and took it over to the Tower of London. Bree loves the Tower of London and was excited to share it with Mike. It is such an impressive site and was quite busy. We walked through the medieval section first which had been redone since Bree was last there. There were some nice videos throughout that explained certain time periods and great set-ups that explained aspects of the remains and what its used for. From there we walked along the East Wall Walk so that we could walk along the wall and see the exhibits on the guards and their defense. There was some construction on the White Tower so we had to walk around in order to get to where the crown jewels are kept. The crown jewels are amazingly brilliant and include some of the largest stones in the world including the Cullinan diamond.
From there we continued into the White Tower, which had a great exhibit called Fit For A King. The exhibit had armour from Henry VIII, his son Edward I, and various other nobility. The suit of armour for Henry VIII later in his life was absolutely huge! There were lots of examples of armour across several dynasties and examples of weapons throughout the years. The White Tower was very cool but it had many levels so there were more spiral stairs. It is the oldest part of the Tower, which has gone through many many revisions.
On the way out we stopped through Bloody Tower and the Dungeon exhibit to see some exhibits on the darker side of the Tower's history. There was a nice monument to all the nobility that had been executed on site, including Anne Boleyn, Jane Grey, Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn. We hit the gift shop for post cards - the best way to get the pictures you can't get on your own. From there we got back on the tube, then to the bus to get back to John & Maggie's.
We had a lovely dinner at home and Ollie stopped by for a few minutes to tuck in as well. It was an "easy night" for Maggie of leftovers and cleaning out the fridge which was all delicious. We ate until we were past full before going to bed.
Wednesday - Suffolk to London
We tried to have a lazy morning since we were catching a midday train but we ended up waking up around 8am. We got dressed and packed up most of our stuff; we had to rearrange a bit since we had acquired a shopping bag in Southwold. We went downstairs to breakfast and had a nice table for two set up. We each had another full English breakfast but are finding the rich morning food weighs us down. After breakfast we went up so Bree could digest a bit and to finish packing.
We wanted to get to the train station in plenty of time so we settled the bill and headed to the train station. The station is one block over and one block up for our inn so it took all of five minutes. We had 45 minutes to sit and wait for the train by then. The train was nice because we were early enough in the route that we could get a seat and keep it the whole way to London Liverpool Street. Unfortunately by the time we got to London the train was quite full. As is usual with London trains, tubes and buses, it got hot and stuffy.
When we got off the train we both enjoyed a little fresh air before continuing on. Which was apparently just long enough for our Southwold shopping bag to call it quits. So we had to each take hold of everything we could and try to walk, less than gracefully, through the crowded turnstiles and into the crowded Liverpool station. It took a little while to find a reusable bag big enough in one of the station shops but then we headed out with renewed vigor. That is, until we tried to find our bus stop. We dutifully followed the bus station signs but couldn't find it. We restored to asking at information and the nice woman working there had a book I would give my right arm for; it listed each bus stop as a destination and had a chart to find which number would take you there from which starting point. Turns out we couldn't find our stop because it was outside of the station, down a block and across the street.
As soon as we found our stop, we were on our bus in about five minutes headed back to John Maggie's. We rolled in in the evening and even though we didn't do anything that day but travel we were exhausted. Maggie asked Mike to go to her daughter's Jo's house to help with some gardening and Bree had a chance to nap. Jo is in the States with her husband's family; Bree has actually never met Jo as she has been away and in the States every time Bree is here!
We relaxed, had a fabulous dinner by Maggie again and watched some cricket before heading to bed.
We wanted to get to the train station in plenty of time so we settled the bill and headed to the train station. The station is one block over and one block up for our inn so it took all of five minutes. We had 45 minutes to sit and wait for the train by then. The train was nice because we were early enough in the route that we could get a seat and keep it the whole way to London Liverpool Street. Unfortunately by the time we got to London the train was quite full. As is usual with London trains, tubes and buses, it got hot and stuffy.
When we got off the train we both enjoyed a little fresh air before continuing on. Which was apparently just long enough for our Southwold shopping bag to call it quits. So we had to each take hold of everything we could and try to walk, less than gracefully, through the crowded turnstiles and into the crowded Liverpool station. It took a little while to find a reusable bag big enough in one of the station shops but then we headed out with renewed vigor. That is, until we tried to find our bus stop. We dutifully followed the bus station signs but couldn't find it. We restored to asking at information and the nice woman working there had a book I would give my right arm for; it listed each bus stop as a destination and had a chart to find which number would take you there from which starting point. Turns out we couldn't find our stop because it was outside of the station, down a block and across the street.
As soon as we found our stop, we were on our bus in about five minutes headed back to John Maggie's. We rolled in in the evening and even though we didn't do anything that day but travel we were exhausted. Maggie asked Mike to go to her daughter's Jo's house to help with some gardening and Bree had a chance to nap. Jo is in the States with her husband's family; Bree has actually never met Jo as she has been away and in the States every time Bree is here!
We relaxed, had a fabulous dinner by Maggie again and watched some cricket before heading to bed.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tuesday - Norfolk to Suffolk
Tuesday we woke up and were quite surprised to hear rain! We joked it was because we had bought Mike some shorts. We were worried we would be stuck in the rain without our sweatshirts. It was so sunny we had left them all in London!
We had breakfast as Jon popped in to work a little. Mike and I had peanut butter toast which is their dogs favorite. Brody had his head on Bree's lap and Tigger went from Mike to Bree and back again. When we were done we gave them each a little bit and they were quite pleased with us. After Jon got back we all piled in the car and headed for a long walk with the dogs. Sarah takes them for an hour to and hour and a half walk everyday as both breeds need lots of exercise. We went near the river and went for a little more than an hour. Tigger stays on leash because as a Saluki, if he were to run he may not come back as he would never tire! Brody was able to be off leash at a certain point but likes to walk behind because he "knows his place in the pack." The countryside was beautiful and we saw boats on the river and foals and horses in the fields. On the way back we stopped for some lattes (still water for Bree) before heading back to the house.
We gathered are stuff and said goodbye to Sarah, the dogs and the cats and Jon drove us down in Saxmundham. We were able to drop our stuff at our inn, the White Hart, before grabbing some lunch. We decided to go to the Bell Hotel down the street a little bit for lunch as Jon had been there before to vouch for it. Apparently lunch business was slow in town and so they offered what they called a "Market Lunch" which was two courses for 7.50 and three for 10.50. We all opted for that and had different combinations of the three courses: potted shrimp with spinach, lamb and fruit & sorbet. It was absolutely delicious! Very posh but very affordable. After lunch we said goodbye to Jon and got ready to meet Rosemary.
Rosemary came and found us and we set off to tour Suffolk a little bit. We went to nearby Snape, where John & Maggie's second home is, to see the Maltings. Many maltings in the area have been shut down and become derelict. These, however, have been made into residential flats, posh shops & cafes, galleries and a music ampitheater. It sits on the edge of marshland that is protected so there were also walking trails around on boardwalks above the marsh.
From there we went to Framlingham to see the Castle and St. Michael's church. The castle is a different shape than we'd seen (a traditional square keep) and there was a walking path along the earthworks around the castle. There is a beautiful organ there, one of only a handful that survived Cromwell's destruction during the Reformation. Rosemary told us that Tom had played on that before.
After we toured with Rosemary she dropped us back off to get ready for dinner and go pick up her two youngest. On our way back from Framlingham it started to sprinkle and by the time she actually dropped us near the hotel it was an all out downpour! We grabbed some snacks from the Waitrose behind our hotel and snacked a bit while we waited. Rosemary picked us up with Jamie and William in the car and we headed to meet Tom who had ridden his bike at the Eel's Foot. Tim would meet us there after he got off of work. We grabbed a few pints (still water for Bree) and went out to the garden so the boys could play. William had managed to break his arm a few weeks ago on a trampoline and was still in a plaster. He broke his elbow so he's had to be very careful with it and have it in a sling as well.
When the kitchen opened we went in to order at the bar and grab a seat. Tim soon joined us and we all had a chance to visit. Jamie is doing well with his drama and acting and even got a voice over job for a local museum. William had partaken in "Tudor Day" at his school and everyone had had to dress up in costume and even bring a tankard for drinking. Tom is in his gap year and will be going to the Manchester's Royal College of Music in September. He's been busy writing compositions and commissions and enjoying himself. Tim's job is in a busy spot but seems to be well. The boys liked hearing about Mike's police stories and the fact that he carries a gun. We all had dinner and Mike's Cannelloni was still bubbling as it was served! After dinner we sat around and talked more as Jamie and William went running off to play. They found some chickens next door they were tempting with grass and a football to play with and a break in the trees that provided a good echo. Every once in awhile they would call Tom out to play with them and he would go like a god big brother. After dinner, and some ice cream for the youngest, we went outside to walk around a little more. Mike played goalie for the boys a little.
We said our goodbyes to Tim and Tom as they biked home in bright reflective vests and Rosemary drove us back. We were so full when we got back that we plan to crawl right in bed and go to sleep!
We had breakfast as Jon popped in to work a little. Mike and I had peanut butter toast which is their dogs favorite. Brody had his head on Bree's lap and Tigger went from Mike to Bree and back again. When we were done we gave them each a little bit and they were quite pleased with us. After Jon got back we all piled in the car and headed for a long walk with the dogs. Sarah takes them for an hour to and hour and a half walk everyday as both breeds need lots of exercise. We went near the river and went for a little more than an hour. Tigger stays on leash because as a Saluki, if he were to run he may not come back as he would never tire! Brody was able to be off leash at a certain point but likes to walk behind because he "knows his place in the pack." The countryside was beautiful and we saw boats on the river and foals and horses in the fields. On the way back we stopped for some lattes (still water for Bree) before heading back to the house.
We gathered are stuff and said goodbye to Sarah, the dogs and the cats and Jon drove us down in Saxmundham. We were able to drop our stuff at our inn, the White Hart, before grabbing some lunch. We decided to go to the Bell Hotel down the street a little bit for lunch as Jon had been there before to vouch for it. Apparently lunch business was slow in town and so they offered what they called a "Market Lunch" which was two courses for 7.50 and three for 10.50. We all opted for that and had different combinations of the three courses: potted shrimp with spinach, lamb and fruit & sorbet. It was absolutely delicious! Very posh but very affordable. After lunch we said goodbye to Jon and got ready to meet Rosemary.
Rosemary came and found us and we set off to tour Suffolk a little bit. We went to nearby Snape, where John & Maggie's second home is, to see the Maltings. Many maltings in the area have been shut down and become derelict. These, however, have been made into residential flats, posh shops & cafes, galleries and a music ampitheater. It sits on the edge of marshland that is protected so there were also walking trails around on boardwalks above the marsh.
From there we went to Framlingham to see the Castle and St. Michael's church. The castle is a different shape than we'd seen (a traditional square keep) and there was a walking path along the earthworks around the castle. There is a beautiful organ there, one of only a handful that survived Cromwell's destruction during the Reformation. Rosemary told us that Tom had played on that before.
After we toured with Rosemary she dropped us back off to get ready for dinner and go pick up her two youngest. On our way back from Framlingham it started to sprinkle and by the time she actually dropped us near the hotel it was an all out downpour! We grabbed some snacks from the Waitrose behind our hotel and snacked a bit while we waited. Rosemary picked us up with Jamie and William in the car and we headed to meet Tom who had ridden his bike at the Eel's Foot. Tim would meet us there after he got off of work. We grabbed a few pints (still water for Bree) and went out to the garden so the boys could play. William had managed to break his arm a few weeks ago on a trampoline and was still in a plaster. He broke his elbow so he's had to be very careful with it and have it in a sling as well.
When the kitchen opened we went in to order at the bar and grab a seat. Tim soon joined us and we all had a chance to visit. Jamie is doing well with his drama and acting and even got a voice over job for a local museum. William had partaken in "Tudor Day" at his school and everyone had had to dress up in costume and even bring a tankard for drinking. Tom is in his gap year and will be going to the Manchester's Royal College of Music in September. He's been busy writing compositions and commissions and enjoying himself. Tim's job is in a busy spot but seems to be well. The boys liked hearing about Mike's police stories and the fact that he carries a gun. We all had dinner and Mike's Cannelloni was still bubbling as it was served! After dinner we sat around and talked more as Jamie and William went running off to play. They found some chickens next door they were tempting with grass and a football to play with and a break in the trees that provided a good echo. Every once in awhile they would call Tom out to play with them and he would go like a god big brother. After dinner, and some ice cream for the youngest, we went outside to walk around a little more. Mike played goalie for the boys a little.
We said our goodbyes to Tim and Tom as they biked home in bright reflective vests and Rosemary drove us back. We were so full when we got back that we plan to crawl right in bed and go to sleep!
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