Our Final Day

Saturday, October 25, 2008

This is our final day. We got up and packed and our taxi arrived at 10:30 to take us to the airport. We had a flight at 1pm. I wish we could have spent more time with Tatiana and family but will treasure any amount of time we did spend with them. Tatiana, Carlos, Pilar, Carlitos and Rai, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting us come stay with you. I can only hope that one day I can return the favor. Besito Grande!!!


Mike, Pilar, Carlos, Tatiana, Carlitos and Rai


Rai, Tatiana, Me, Carlitos and Carlos

London

Friday, October 24, 2008

We went to bed late and now we are up early. Again we are out of the flat by 7 am before anyone is up. And just like the day before we took the train to London Victoria and met up with our tour group. We have a busy tour scheduled!

We started by driving through the city and saw Belgravia, a district of central London in the City of Westminster where the rich and famous of England live including Margaret Thatcher. We saw Trafalgar Square with the statue of Lord Nelson and the lions surrounding it, Downing Street, the official London residence of the British Prime Minister and we also saw the original Hard Rock Cafe. It was just a blur as we only drove by it.


Statue of Lord Nelson


One of the lions surrounding the statue

We stopped at Westminster Abbey. The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London. It is the traditional place of coronation ( since 1066) and burial site for English and later British monarchs. Behind the abbey, at least from our point of view, was Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. Big Ben is actually the name of the main bell in the tower, but now in common use for the bell, clock and tower.


Big Ben with the London Eye behind it.


Us in front of Big Ben


In front of Westminster Abbey


Mike in front of the abbey

We then went to the Household Cavalry Museum. The Household Cavalry Museum is a living museum in the heart of Horse Guards, Whitehall, London. There we saw unique “behind-the-scenes” look at the work that goes into the ceremonial and operational role of the Household Cavalry Regiment. Mike was even able to try on the hat and vest.


Mike in front of the Household Cavalry Museum


One of the guards standing post in front of museum


Mike trying on the hat and vest.

Then it was off to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards. Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British Monarch. The Changing of the Guards takes place in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. Amazing how many people are there to watch this event that happens everyday.


In front of Buckingham Palace waiting for the changing of the guards


Changing of the guards.


More Changing of the guards


In front of Buckingham Palace

After Buckingham Palace we went to Covent Gardens. Here we had lunch and did some shopping and walking around. Covent Garden is a district in London. Dominated by shopping, street performers and entertainment facilities and contains an entrance to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. This was a major source of fruit and vegetables in London at one time and later during the 18th century was a well-known red light district. This was a fun place to see. Lots of street performers!


A street performer we saw


Mike kept pointing to this shop and I though he wanted me to go in and buy something but what he actually was pointing at was the maniquin on the left is not a maniquin but a real person.


In front of Covent Gardens

We stopped at St. Paul's Cathedral. One of London's greatest buildings with its Dome standing proud on the skyline. The present building, completed in 1708, replaced the medieval Cathedral destroyed in the Great Fire of London. The Royal Family holds most of their important marriages, christenings and funerals at Westminster Abbey, but St Paul's was used for the marriage of Charles and Diana. We took a tour inside but we were not allowed to photograph it. I can tell you that it was gorgeous and big!


Front of St. Paul's Cathedral


Another view of St. Paul's


Backside of St. Paul's


Another view of the Dome at St. Paul's


Statue of young lover's behind St. Paul's

Then we went to see the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels. We really enjoyed seeing this. During its 1000-year history this impressive fortress has been a royal palace, prison, mint and zoo. It has seen three Queens of England beheaded, and the torture of numerous prisoners, stretched on the rack and crushed in the Scavenger's Daughter. Some notable executions are William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings (1483), Anne Boleyn (1536), Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1541). Catherine Howard (1542), Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (1542), Lady Jane Grey (1554), Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1601). We also saw the Bloody Tower, Traitors' Gate, the Royal Chapel and the White Tower, built by King William the Conqueror in 1078. And of course this would not be complete without seeing the famous Crown Jewels including the dazzling Cullinan diamonds and the exquisite Koh-i-Noor. Unfortunately we were not allowed to photograph the Crown Jewels.


Outside of the Tower of London


Crown Jewels in Jewel House behind Mike


Inside the Tower of London



Mike is sitting on the site (which is now a trash can) where the beheading's took place


A monument to those who where executed. If you look closer you can see Ann Boleyn's and other's name inscribed on it.


Me with a Beefeater

After the Tower of London we took a cruise on the River Thames. We saw spectacular views of Tower Bridge, London Bridge, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, and Shakespeare's Globe theater. It was a bit nippy on the cruise.


View of Tower Bridge on our way to the cruise down River Thames


Another view of Tower Bridge.


Just about to board the boat for the cruise


Going under London Bridge


The Shakespeare Globe Theater


London Eye and Big Ben


London Eye behind me


Houses of Parliament and Big Ben behind us

Finally we ended our tour by taking a flight on the London Eye. It was a 30 minute flight and amazing views of London. Mike marveled at the engineering feat. From a distance you can't tell its moving because it is slow moving. We really enjoyed this ride and would recommend it as a 'can't miss'. One of the things we noticed of the views were all the cranes in the city. I guess London is doing a lot of prepping for the summer Olympics in 2012. That would be an interesting time to visit!


Closer look at the London Eye


The River Thames from The London Eye


Amazing view


Having fun on our flight


Spectacular views


Waterloo Train Station - Largest in London


Mike loved the engineering of the London Eye

Once we were done with the London Eye, we went to the Waterloo train station (largest in London) and made our way to HARRODS!!!!! My turn to truly marvel at this amazing feat! I just want to know why don't we have this store in the USA. On the other hand maybe that's not such a great idea for me at least. Harrods is the largest department store in the world. I wish we could have had more time. This store would take at least a week to walk through it's entirety. It has over 330 departments. We only had about 2 hours before it closed. Everything you can imagine is in it. We had heard about the champagne and oyster bar and that was our first stop. We ordered a dozen oysters and had a glass of Sancerre with it. Delicious!!! Then it was off to see as much as we could within the store. I won't say what but Mike, my amazing and wonderful husband bought me a beautiful gift. Thank you my sweet Angel! You truly do spoil me. I am very happy in this store!


Arriving at Harrods


Happiness

The store closed on us and we had to head back to the flat. Oh my aching feet! Even had a blister. We did lots of walking. Once we arrived, Carlos, Tatiana's husband had arrived. It was great to see him. His mother, Pilar, had made this amazing dinner called Chupe de Centolla (King Crab Pie). Carlos opened up a few bottles of some amazing wine. Dinner was spectacular. It was awesome to catch up with them. Unfortunately, this is our last night there. Not enough time! Guess we will have to come back one day. Pilar, Carlos and Tatiana - Thank you for the wonderful dinner!!!


Chupe de Centolla


Me with Tatiana


Carlos and his mother Pilar

Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and the Roman Baths

Thursday, October 23, 2008

We had booked a tour that will take us to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and the Roman Baths. We had to meet up with the tour in London. We were up and out of the flat by 7AM, before anyone was up. We walked to the train station, took the train and ended up at Victoria Station. London Victoria is a major London Underground and Coach station in the City of Westminster. It is the second busiest railway terminus in London after Waterloo. As soon as we walked into the station, I recognized it. I had never been there before but had seen it in a movie or something. We walked about a block to our meeting place and boarded the bus. Our first stop - Windsor Castle.



Mike at London Victoria Station.

Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, is the home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Located in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation. The castle's floor area is approximately 484,000 square feet. That's a lot of square footage! We saw the magnificent State Apartments, furnished with some of the finest works of art and still used for State occasions. We saw St George's Chapel, where the tombs of many Kings and Queens lie, notably Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour and the Queen Mary's Dolls House, the most famous dolls house in the world. Then we were lucky enough to catch the changing of the guards. Next stop - Stonehenge.

Various views of Windsor Palace:












In the State Apartment was Queen Mary's Dolls' House. Queen Mary's Dolls' House is a magnificent dollhouse built in the early 1920s, completed in 1924, for Queen Mary, the wife of King George V. It was made to a scale of 1:12 (one inch to the foot) and is over three feet tall. The carpets, curtains and furnishings are all copies of the real thing, and even the light fittings are working. The bathrooms are fully plumbed that includes a flushable toilet and miniature lavatory paper. Even the bottles in the wine cellar were filled with the appropriate wines and spirits, and the wheels of motor vehicles are properly spoked. It was impressive. Unfortunately they do not allow you to take photos but did manage to sneak in a couple with no flash.


One of the few photos I was able to snap of the Dolls House


St George's Chapel :





Changing of the guards at Windsor Castle:




Before we arrived to Stonehenge we stopped at at the Stonehenge Inn on Stonehenge Road for lunch. We had a traditional English meal of Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.





It is believed that 5,000 years ago these 40 ton rocks were dragged to the lonely windy plain of Salisbury Hill, and their secrets continue to tantalize and intrigue scholars and visitors to this day. Some say that Stonehenge was a religious temple, others that it was an astronomical clock, or a Bronze Age burial ground. No one really knows. When Stonehenge became open to the public it was possible to walk amongst and even climb on the stones. This ended in 1977 when the stones were roped off as a result of serious erosion. Visitors are no longer permitted to touch the stones, but merely walk around the monument from a short distance. We were extremely lucky with the weather. Although cold and windy, it did not rain and we could enjoy the spectacular view. At one point, we just stopped taking photos and just soaked in the moment. This was one of our highlights of the trip.









After our visit to Stonehenge we went to Bath to see the Roman Baths. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England, situated 99 miles west of London. The city was founded, among surrounding hills, in the valley of the River Avon around Naturally-occurring hot springs where the Romans built baths and a temple, giving it the name Aquae Sulis ('the waters of Sulis'). Edgar was crowned king of England at Bath Abbey in 973. Later, it became popular as a spa resort during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone. The city became a World Heritage Site in 1987, and has a variety of theaters, museums, and other cultural and sporting venues, which have helped to make it a major center for tourism. Jane Austen made her home in Bath between 1801 to 1806. Bath is a place I really wished we could have spent more time in. It has many spas and would have loved to had a spa day here. Maybe one day in the future.

Bath Abbey


Views inside the Roman Baths:










We had a long drive back to London. We arrived around 8PM. We were dropped off right by the
Apollo Victoria Theatre in London's Westend where "Wicked" is now playing. Unfortunately for us, the show started around 7:30 and we were too late. Otherwise we probably would have gone. Guess we'll just have to catch that one in San Francisco. We decided to stop at a pub called 'The Shakespeare' and have dinner there. We had fish and chips and a delicious bottle of Rioja. Then it was back to Victoria Station to catch the train back to Richmond. When we arrived at Tatiana's it must have been close to 11PM. The kids were asleep and Pilar and Tatiana were up. We chatted a bit and then all of us went to bed.

What an amazing day!


Pub where we had dinner


View of Apollo Theatre from our table


Fish and Chips we ordered for dinner


Bottle of Rioja we had