Hello Travel Fans,
My apologies for the lack of travel posts since Tahiti. I am currently on sabbatical from work for 6 months, so I have some travel planned and hope to keep up better with my blog.
Today, I'd like to talk about London, UK.
3 weeks ago an opportunity came up for me to travel to London. Since I am not currently working, I thought "Why Not?" this is the most spontaneous overseas trip I have ever taken. It was planned in 13 days!
First off, I lucked out that I live in San Diego. British Airways has 1 flight each day that flies non-stop from SD to London. It is an overnight flight, 10 hours. Oh so nice that you don't have to change planes somewhere on the east coast and have a layover.
A word on BA: nice, efficient flight crew, clean plane, good selection of entertainment. I enjoyed my flight with British Airways.
On to London. I arrived in London on Wednesday and went straight to my hotel, at the Marriott Hotel Maida Vale. As most of you know & in the interest of full disclosure, I work for Marriott, and this was where there was availability to use my Marriott Benefits. It was a great location and close to the tube - which is all important for getting around the city. (more on this later).
Thursday, April 16
One of the reasons for this trip, was to see Paul Simon & Sting in Concert together on Thursday night. I met up with a friend, Steve , who lives in the UK and we decided to take it easy on Thursday so we would be quite refreshed and ready for the concert which was at the 'O2' arena.
We took the tube to Westminster and walked and took pictures. Here are a few that need little explanation. Westminster Abby, Big Ben, the famous guards.
Then it was on to Trafalgar Square
Going down the Mall we saw the last of the changing of the guards with the Royal Band Marching back to quarters
A walk around Buckingham Palace and the beautiful gardens, then a stroll through St. James Park
We ended up in SoHo for lunch where I was fascinated by the outdoor lighting in the area we sat to eat.
Back to the hotel for a little nap then off to the concert which was fantastic, and the O2 was very easy to get to by tube. Easy in & out! They have several places to eat right inside the venue, before you get to the arena, so that is where we grabbed our dinner (or Tea as they call dinner in the UK)
Friday, April 17th, it was off for another 'walk-about'. Today ended up being 'Memorial Day' as we saw the Princess Diana Memorial as well as the Albert Memorial. If you've never read about Queen Victoria & Albert, I recommend reading a bit of that history before going. It is a great love story and when he died, Queen Victoria honored him with Albert Hall & the Albert Memorial.
Here is a little piece about the memorial from the Royal Parks Website.
This unique Memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales was opened by Her Majesty The Queen on 6th July 2004.
Of course no trip to London is complete without at least taking a tour of Harrods.
It is amazing! I've really never seen anything like it. There is a memorial here to Princess Diana & Dodi as his father owns Harrods. Also took a quick spin through Harvey Nicks (much like Harrods) nothing affordable for me there, but a really cool store. It's fascinating to me that all the department stores have huge food areas in them. And I mean HUGE -- especially Harrods! You can get anything to eat for any meal in there! Amazing!
We spent the evening in Camden Town, doing a bit of a Pub crawl. I was fascinated by the Pub Signs, so there are a few pictures included here of the cool signs, they are a bit of art work. You can buy small copies of the Pub signs in Leister Square. Camden Town is worth the trip.
Saturday, April 18th - we took the tube to Covent Garden. Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between Charing Cross Road and Drury Lane. Very easy to get there on the Tube. I loved this area! There are buskers, musicians and all manner of interesting people. There are stores & street markets. The Jubilee Market is where all the handcrafted goods are from Jewelry to fine handmade purses, clothing, flowers, food stalls, etc.
We were lucky that the Pearly Kings & Queens Society where in Covent Garden when we were there. They are a charity organization that has been around since 1875. To learn more about them www.pearlysociety.co.uk
Along with having some sort of act, the 'Buskers' have to have great personalities, quick wits and the ability to make the audience get involved and laugh. This guy was great!
After the juggling, he then laid down on a bed of nails, had a bed of nails put on his chest, then had the volunteer stand on him. It was pretty amazing. He was talking and joking with the audience the entire time. Once he finished his act, he ran through the audience with his hat collecting money and you could see the nail marks all over his chest & back. He was fun to watch. Tip - we watched from the balcony of the Punch & Judy Pub. Great place... thanks to Steve we were right up there before most anyone else. Grab a beverage and enjoy the show. Tip the performers that you enjoy -- this is how they make their living
After a day in Covent Garden, it was back to the hotel for a little nap, then back out on the town looking for a good spot for Tea aka Dinner!
We had a lovely dinner in a local upscale pub before calling it a day.
Sunday, April 19 - We took the Tube to Leicester Square. Here local artist display their work for purchase on the fence surrounding the Park. After a small purchase we then strolled through Hyde Park and spent the day enjoying the unusually sunny and dry weather before my friend Steve had to travel back to Kingston Upon Hull - a 3 1/2 train ride.
Monday - Friday morning I was adventuring on my own in London -- that will be the next blog entry! And it was and adventure!!
Safe Travels,
Susan
My apologies for the lack of travel posts since Tahiti. I am currently on sabbatical from work for 6 months, so I have some travel planned and hope to keep up better with my blog.
Today, I'd like to talk about London, UK.
3 weeks ago an opportunity came up for me to travel to London. Since I am not currently working, I thought "Why Not?" this is the most spontaneous overseas trip I have ever taken. It was planned in 13 days!
First off, I lucked out that I live in San Diego. British Airways has 1 flight each day that flies non-stop from SD to London. It is an overnight flight, 10 hours. Oh so nice that you don't have to change planes somewhere on the east coast and have a layover.
A word on BA: nice, efficient flight crew, clean plane, good selection of entertainment. I enjoyed my flight with British Airways.
On to London. I arrived in London on Wednesday and went straight to my hotel, at the Marriott Hotel Maida Vale. As most of you know & in the interest of full disclosure, I work for Marriott, and this was where there was availability to use my Marriott Benefits. It was a great location and close to the tube - which is all important for getting around the city. (more on this later).
Thursday, April 16
One of the reasons for this trip, was to see Paul Simon & Sting in Concert together on Thursday night. I met up with a friend, Steve , who lives in the UK and we decided to take it easy on Thursday so we would be quite refreshed and ready for the concert which was at the 'O2' arena.
We took the tube to Westminster and walked and took pictures. Here are a few that need little explanation. Westminster Abby, Big Ben, the famous guards.
 |
| Steve says ' I think the tube is this way..' |
Then it was on to Trafalgar Square
 |
| The Lions at Trafalgar Square are a favorite photo op. |
Going down the Mall we saw the last of the changing of the guards with the Royal Band Marching back to quarters
A walk around Buckingham Palace and the beautiful gardens, then a stroll through St. James Park
We ended up in SoHo for lunch where I was fascinated by the outdoor lighting in the area we sat to eat.
Back to the hotel for a little nap then off to the concert which was fantastic, and the O2 was very easy to get to by tube. Easy in & out! They have several places to eat right inside the venue, before you get to the arena, so that is where we grabbed our dinner (or Tea as they call dinner in the UK)Friday, April 17th, it was off for another 'walk-about'. Today ended up being 'Memorial Day' as we saw the Princess Diana Memorial as well as the Albert Memorial. If you've never read about Queen Victoria & Albert, I recommend reading a bit of that history before going. It is a great love story and when he died, Queen Victoria honored him with Albert Hall & the Albert Memorial.
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| Albert Hall |
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| Me & my handsome guide in front of the Albert Memorial |
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| The Albert Memorial |
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| Memorial for the WWII Bombers of the RAF |
The Memorial to Princess Diana is actual a beautiful water feature that goes in a circle and makes lovely sounds. It is surrounded by a large park where children can play. In this photo you can see children walking in the water. It really is quite peaceful and calming. Some people do not think that this memorial is enough of a tribute, but for myself, I thought it was absolutely lovely.
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| The water feature is a large circle and the water ebbs & flows making beautiful music |
This unique Memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales was opened by Her Majesty The Queen on 6th July 2004.
It contains 545 pieces of Cornish granite - each shaped by the latest computer-controlled machinery and pieced together using traditional skills.
The design aims to reflect Diana's life, water flows from the highest point in two directions as it cascades, swirls and bubbles before meeting in a calm pool at the bottom. The water is constantly being refreshed and is drawn from London's water table.
The Memorial also symbolizes Diana's quality and openness. There are three bridges where you can cross the water and go right to the heart of the fountain.  |
| I loved the beauty of the Park area surrounding the Diana memorial. |
Of course no trip to London is complete without at least taking a tour of Harrods.
We spent the evening in Camden Town, doing a bit of a Pub crawl. I was fascinated by the Pub Signs, so there are a few pictures included here of the cool signs, they are a bit of art work. You can buy small copies of the Pub signs in Leister Square. Camden Town is worth the trip.
 |
| You see all kinds of strange stuff in Camden Town! |
Saturday, April 18th - we took the tube to Covent Garden. Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between Charing Cross Road and Drury Lane. Very easy to get there on the Tube. I loved this area! There are buskers, musicians and all manner of interesting people. There are stores & street markets. The Jubilee Market is where all the handcrafted goods are from Jewelry to fine handmade purses, clothing, flowers, food stalls, etc.
We were lucky that the Pearly Kings & Queens Society where in Covent Garden when we were there. They are a charity organization that has been around since 1875. To learn more about them www.pearlysociety.co.uk
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| Me with the Pearly's - picture by Steve |
This guy was hysterical. He started out fully dressed in a 3 piece suite, then striped down to what you see in the picture. He first juggled knives over the volunteer on the ground.
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| The view of the Garden from the balcony at the Royal Opera House |
After a day in Covent Garden, it was back to the hotel for a little nap, then back out on the town looking for a good spot for Tea aka Dinner!
We had a lovely dinner in a local upscale pub before calling it a day.
Sunday, April 19 - We took the Tube to Leicester Square. Here local artist display their work for purchase on the fence surrounding the Park. After a small purchase we then strolled through Hyde Park and spent the day enjoying the unusually sunny and dry weather before my friend Steve had to travel back to Kingston Upon Hull - a 3 1/2 train ride.
Monday - Friday morning I was adventuring on my own in London -- that will be the next blog entry! And it was and adventure!!
Safe Travels,
Susan
