We flew back to Atlanta on Tuesday, Oct 27. Shelly left to go back to work yesterday, so we have the place to ourselves. We woke up about 08:30 and had leftover Chinese for breakfast, from last night's dinner, and had a leisurely morning packing. We arranged for the AZ car to pick us up at 11:45 AM. Our flight is at 15:00 out of Heathrow airport terminal 4. This will give us plenty of time to get to the airport, navigate security and do some duty free shopping and then head to the Delta Sky Team lounge and relax before the flight.
Being in international business class we had priority checkin and security lines, and everything went as planned and we picked up some scotch in the duty free and had about 30 minutes to relax in the lounge before boarding began. Pat searched for some sunscreen but she was unable to find what she was looking for. The European sunscreens have different ingredients.
The Delta flight 0031 was great. We found our seats in 3A and 3B and settled in. The crew were very attentive and addressed us by name. The food on this flight was much better than the food on the Virgin Atlantic flight, and it kept coming. It got to a point where we were turning down food. It seemed like they were feeding us none stop. They served a French Bordeaux which was fabulous.
The flight seemed to take a long time, over 8 hours I believe. Mark read the entire Demystifying the Bombe (Bletchley Park) book, some parts twice, and also watched the Minions movie. Pat did some reading as well "Do androids dream of electric sheep" and she listened to Eva Cassidy. We both also took about a 30 minute nap at one point.
International customs and border patrol in Atlanta has been updated since the last time we came through two years ago. We were one of the first off of the plane, and the customs area is now self help machines. You scan your passport and answer a few questions, then it takes a picture of you. When completed it prints a receipt and you take that to a customs officer. He asked a few more questions and that was it. Off to luggage collection which is now right around the corner. When we got to the carousel our luggage was just coming out. We picked up our luggage and on to the next stop, the agriculture inspection station. Nothing at all happened here, other than a man collected our receipts from earlier. Out the door and Maggie was there waiting on us. :-) The entire off boarding process hardly took any time at all.
We got home and Sherlock and Watson were waiting for us in our home. Brian and Ria had gone out to play trivia and they put the dogs into our home so they would be there when we got home. They stopped by after trivia and visited for a while.
We unpacked and put most things away. We got to bed about 11:30, or about 3:30 AM London time. There is a 4 hour difference right now as London changed a few days ago, but the USA does not change until this weekend.
We woke up this morning about 8:30, so we got a good 9 hours of sleep. We both feel good and not tired. It is MUCH BETTER to fly across the pond in the daytime instead of at night. At night you really do not get much sleep and then the entire next day when you arrive is just a wasted day because you are so tired. Flying back in the day uses the entire day, but the next day you are fine. Either way you lose a whole day in travel, but if possible I am definitely going to try to fly over to Europe in the daytime next time instead of over night.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Monday, October 26, 2015
Monday - October 26 - Parliament
Today we went to the Parliament to see the House of Commons in action. The session started at 14:30 and the queue started at 13:30. We slept late and took an AZ car service to the train station and got our day travel passes including train travel and London transports.
We arrived at the Waterloo station with time to stop and have lunch. We had lunch on the second level in the same cafe where we had a snack with Shelly yesterday.
After lunch we made our way over to the Parliament and found the entrance. We were at the front portion of the line. They opened the line at 13:30 and let us into the visitors area. We showed our Cards of Introduction from the US Embassy and they said we did not need the normal visitor cards. Once inside we went through Westminster Hall and then into the entry hall. For the House of Commons they were lining people up on a bench against one wall. He asked to see our card and we showed him the embassy cards and we were told to sit on the other side of the hall, across from everyone else. We had our own short line :-) Other people tried to get in it, they were told no. Some of the looks like, "Why do you not have to queue"?
When it came time for the Speaker of the House of Commons to come through he came over and told us we could go in first and get a good spot to watch the Speaker walk through the chambers. It is called the Speaker Procession. Two people walk in front of the Speaker in high step, one carrying the Mace. Three people follow the Speaker. Once the Speaker passes an archway they let people start entering the visitors area. We had to check our bags and phones but keep our coats. Once into the visitors area we found a good seat and sat down to watch. The session was already started. The visitors seating is on the second floor overlooking the chamber below. There is a glass protective wall to keep visitors from throwing items onto the chamber below. Sound is provided by a speaker system.
The visitors crowd was enough to fill about half of the visitors gallery, with many being children of all ages, mostly high school I would say. That was really cool, it would be great if we could do this in the US!
For the first 60 minutes we listened to the opening questions about the education system. The members of the opposition and the ruling government were asking questions to Nicky Morgan, the "Madam Secretary of State for Education" and other government officials. It was very interesting to see how the process worked, and how the Speaker acknowledged each person who wanted to speak. Questions and comments were civil, and compliments were thrown about graciously, but when someone would severely criticize another, the barbs were quick to come back in the other direction, along with some laughing at times.
The Speaker closed the arguments after the scheduled one hour and they started the Urgent Questions. There were two Urgent questions today.
The first urgent question began about 15:30 and was concerning the arrest of three people during a recent peaceful protest when a Chinese official was in town. The members of Parliament were asking Mike Penning, the "Minster of State for policing, crime and criminal justice and victims" why were the people arrested. Their phones were seized, and their homes were searched while they were in jail. Also their computers and laptops and computer equipment were seized from their homes. The people had apparently done nothing illegal. One, a Chinese dissident, who had been an organizer of Tiananmen Square protest, was only holding up two A4 size cards stating a protest of some sort. The other two people, both London citizens, were holding up a Tibetan flag. The Minister would not comment with any specifics, stating it is an open police investigation and the politicians should stay out of it, and they should wait and let the investigation complete and then they would have their answers. This went on for some time, and at one point the Minister stated to the Speaker that he suggested this questioning should end. The Speaker told him that the MPs (Members of Parliament) have a right to ask these questions, and they are sound questions of good judgement, and this will go on for some time. The Minister obliged and the questions continued, with little more information coming from the Minister. After 30 minutes the Speaker halted the questions.
The second urgent question began about 16:00 and had to do with a data breach and the theft of personal information from a company called "TalkTalk". Apparently this is the third time in three years. The MPs were asking the Ministers about what is the government doing to make companies responsible for protecting data, is the data required to be encrypted, what has the government done to help companies to prevent data theft, and other similar questions. This went on for some time.
We left about 16:20 as the questions were still going on.
It was great to see Parliament in action, and we really enjoyed it. Looking into the governmental process of another country is very enlightening. We could learn some things from this open process!
Next we went to find Pat a pair of skinny jeans, like the pair she picked up in Ireland. We went to Debenhams at Bond Street tube station and after trying on several pairs she found two pair she liked. Yes!
Then we went on to dinner. Pat had the great idea to go to the Chinese restaurant we went to two years ago when we visited London, Kam Fung, on Red Lion street by the Holborn tube station. On the way there we stopped into the Red Lion Pub and had a beer. We had also stopped here two years ago. It is a very tiny pub on the corner of Red Lion and Holborn street. Then we walked up Red Lion to Kam Fung. The food was as good as last time, and we recognized one of the waitresses. We had the wonderful hot and sour soup with the white rice cake crackers, and pot sticker dumplings. For entrees we had Kung Pao Chicken and Chili Crispy beef. Wonderful!
We found our way back to Waterloo and took the train home. We gave Shelly a call on Skype and spoke for a while. She made it to her hotel with a little excitement caused by some train outages this morning.
We have had a fantastic week in London and we are very grateful to Shelly for letting us stay with her and her spending her time with us while she was in town. We leave tomorrow, Tuesday, to head home. The city seems to be really good for Pat as she just as fast as the rest of the people in the tubes and train stations. I had to keep up!
We arrived at the Waterloo station with time to stop and have lunch. We had lunch on the second level in the same cafe where we had a snack with Shelly yesterday.
After lunch we made our way over to the Parliament and found the entrance. We were at the front portion of the line. They opened the line at 13:30 and let us into the visitors area. We showed our Cards of Introduction from the US Embassy and they said we did not need the normal visitor cards. Once inside we went through Westminster Hall and then into the entry hall. For the House of Commons they were lining people up on a bench against one wall. He asked to see our card and we showed him the embassy cards and we were told to sit on the other side of the hall, across from everyone else. We had our own short line :-) Other people tried to get in it, they were told no. Some of the looks like, "Why do you not have to queue"?
When it came time for the Speaker of the House of Commons to come through he came over and told us we could go in first and get a good spot to watch the Speaker walk through the chambers. It is called the Speaker Procession. Two people walk in front of the Speaker in high step, one carrying the Mace. Three people follow the Speaker. Once the Speaker passes an archway they let people start entering the visitors area. We had to check our bags and phones but keep our coats. Once into the visitors area we found a good seat and sat down to watch. The session was already started. The visitors seating is on the second floor overlooking the chamber below. There is a glass protective wall to keep visitors from throwing items onto the chamber below. Sound is provided by a speaker system.
The visitors crowd was enough to fill about half of the visitors gallery, with many being children of all ages, mostly high school I would say. That was really cool, it would be great if we could do this in the US!
For the first 60 minutes we listened to the opening questions about the education system. The members of the opposition and the ruling government were asking questions to Nicky Morgan, the "Madam Secretary of State for Education" and other government officials. It was very interesting to see how the process worked, and how the Speaker acknowledged each person who wanted to speak. Questions and comments were civil, and compliments were thrown about graciously, but when someone would severely criticize another, the barbs were quick to come back in the other direction, along with some laughing at times.
The Speaker closed the arguments after the scheduled one hour and they started the Urgent Questions. There were two Urgent questions today.
The first urgent question began about 15:30 and was concerning the arrest of three people during a recent peaceful protest when a Chinese official was in town. The members of Parliament were asking Mike Penning, the "Minster of State for policing, crime and criminal justice and victims" why were the people arrested. Their phones were seized, and their homes were searched while they were in jail. Also their computers and laptops and computer equipment were seized from their homes. The people had apparently done nothing illegal. One, a Chinese dissident, who had been an organizer of Tiananmen Square protest, was only holding up two A4 size cards stating a protest of some sort. The other two people, both London citizens, were holding up a Tibetan flag. The Minister would not comment with any specifics, stating it is an open police investigation and the politicians should stay out of it, and they should wait and let the investigation complete and then they would have their answers. This went on for some time, and at one point the Minister stated to the Speaker that he suggested this questioning should end. The Speaker told him that the MPs (Members of Parliament) have a right to ask these questions, and they are sound questions of good judgement, and this will go on for some time. The Minister obliged and the questions continued, with little more information coming from the Minister. After 30 minutes the Speaker halted the questions.
The second urgent question began about 16:00 and had to do with a data breach and the theft of personal information from a company called "TalkTalk". Apparently this is the third time in three years. The MPs were asking the Ministers about what is the government doing to make companies responsible for protecting data, is the data required to be encrypted, what has the government done to help companies to prevent data theft, and other similar questions. This went on for some time.
We left about 16:20 as the questions were still going on.
It was great to see Parliament in action, and we really enjoyed it. Looking into the governmental process of another country is very enlightening. We could learn some things from this open process!
Next we went to find Pat a pair of skinny jeans, like the pair she picked up in Ireland. We went to Debenhams at Bond Street tube station and after trying on several pairs she found two pair she liked. Yes!
Then we went on to dinner. Pat had the great idea to go to the Chinese restaurant we went to two years ago when we visited London, Kam Fung, on Red Lion street by the Holborn tube station. On the way there we stopped into the Red Lion Pub and had a beer. We had also stopped here two years ago. It is a very tiny pub on the corner of Red Lion and Holborn street. Then we walked up Red Lion to Kam Fung. The food was as good as last time, and we recognized one of the waitresses. We had the wonderful hot and sour soup with the white rice cake crackers, and pot sticker dumplings. For entrees we had Kung Pao Chicken and Chili Crispy beef. Wonderful!
We found our way back to Waterloo and took the train home. We gave Shelly a call on Skype and spoke for a while. She made it to her hotel with a little excitement caused by some train outages this morning.
We have had a fantastic week in London and we are very grateful to Shelly for letting us stay with her and her spending her time with us while she was in town. We leave tomorrow, Tuesday, to head home. The city seems to be really good for Pat as she just as fast as the rest of the people in the tubes and train stations. I had to keep up!
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Sunday - Oct 25 - Bletchley Park
Today, Sunday Oct 25 Shelly went with us to Bletchley Park.
Last night we figured out the best way for us to get there, and since we missed the direct trains that run Monday through Saturday, oh well - BUST! We went ahead with plans and slept to a decent hour (9am!) and had a leisure morning. Since when is daylight savings time here in the UK? The time went back one hour here last night, we didn't even know until this morning. Shelly said it changes here a few weeks before it changes in the US.
Anyway, caught the trip to Bletchley and it seemed like a slow boat to China. My data plan sort of whittled down to nothing :O , holy crap!
It was a two hour trip each way, with 2 train changes. It made for a long day.
Woking -> Clapham Junction -> Watford Junction -> Bletchley and the opposite returning.
As we had time we would stop for tea and a quick snack in the stations.
Everything went fine with the two train changes each way, no issues.
Bletchley Park is a beautiful place and not far from the station so off we went. Fascinating museum that focuses on all the people that worked there, with what it seemed to be a gauze veil between Turing and the rest.
They have in existence a reconstructed Bombe machine. A gentleman gave a lecture and example of how the enigma machine works, and how the Bombe works, and how it was designed to decode the enigma.
After he finished speaking he introduced Ruth Bourne, who is one of the wren's that worked on the Bombe. She told us of how they functioned and how a days work would go down. It was very interesting and quite a treat to have one of our seniors that actually worked there speak of her experiences. She said they did not know what they were actually doing, other than 'we are breaking german codes'. Her task was to run a test code through the Bombe and see if any 'stops' are found. When found they would collect various data and send it over to another hut, and restart the machine looking for other possible combinations, because sometimes a random combination would be found by accident which was not the real code.
It was interesting that the Bombe did not actually do the complete decoding. It decoded it so far, and then another machine called the 'checker' was used, and it also took some brute force by mathematicians to finish it up.
We picked up several books at the gift shop. One of them 'Bletchley Park - Demystifying the Bombe' by Dermot Turing, nephew of Alan Turing, tells how the Bombe machine works in pretty good detail, in laymen's terms.
We traveled home and picked up some dinner at a M&S in the Clapham Junction station. Then onto the train to get to Woking. This train was full with people coming back from the NFL football game in London. It is actually held at the Wembley stadium northwest of London. They had seen the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars. We squeezed into a seat and entered in the conversations. It was a lot of fun and the people we very entertaining. They told us how BIG the BFL is her in London. They said 80,000 people attend the games, and it sells out very quickly.
Back at Shelly's and Shelly hooked up her Apple TV so we could watch some shows on Netflix. She hot not seen Gotham, so we watched the first episode and she really enjoyed it. It is one of our favorite shows.
We that is about it for today.
Tomorrow we are going to see parliament in action!...
Last night we figured out the best way for us to get there, and since we missed the direct trains that run Monday through Saturday, oh well - BUST! We went ahead with plans and slept to a decent hour (9am!) and had a leisure morning. Since when is daylight savings time here in the UK? The time went back one hour here last night, we didn't even know until this morning. Shelly said it changes here a few weeks before it changes in the US.
Anyway, caught the trip to Bletchley and it seemed like a slow boat to China. My data plan sort of whittled down to nothing :O , holy crap!
It was a two hour trip each way, with 2 train changes. It made for a long day.
Woking -> Clapham Junction -> Watford Junction -> Bletchley and the opposite returning.
As we had time we would stop for tea and a quick snack in the stations.
Everything went fine with the two train changes each way, no issues.
Bletchley Park is a beautiful place and not far from the station so off we went. Fascinating museum that focuses on all the people that worked there, with what it seemed to be a gauze veil between Turing and the rest.
They have in existence a reconstructed Bombe machine. A gentleman gave a lecture and example of how the enigma machine works, and how the Bombe works, and how it was designed to decode the enigma.
After he finished speaking he introduced Ruth Bourne, who is one of the wren's that worked on the Bombe. She told us of how they functioned and how a days work would go down. It was very interesting and quite a treat to have one of our seniors that actually worked there speak of her experiences. She said they did not know what they were actually doing, other than 'we are breaking german codes'. Her task was to run a test code through the Bombe and see if any 'stops' are found. When found they would collect various data and send it over to another hut, and restart the machine looking for other possible combinations, because sometimes a random combination would be found by accident which was not the real code.
It was interesting that the Bombe did not actually do the complete decoding. It decoded it so far, and then another machine called the 'checker' was used, and it also took some brute force by mathematicians to finish it up.
We picked up several books at the gift shop. One of them 'Bletchley Park - Demystifying the Bombe' by Dermot Turing, nephew of Alan Turing, tells how the Bombe machine works in pretty good detail, in laymen's terms.
We traveled home and picked up some dinner at a M&S in the Clapham Junction station. Then onto the train to get to Woking. This train was full with people coming back from the NFL football game in London. It is actually held at the Wembley stadium northwest of London. They had seen the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars. We squeezed into a seat and entered in the conversations. It was a lot of fun and the people we very entertaining. They told us how BIG the BFL is her in London. They said 80,000 people attend the games, and it sells out very quickly.
Back at Shelly's and Shelly hooked up her Apple TV so we could watch some shows on Netflix. She hot not seen Gotham, so we watched the first episode and she really enjoyed it. It is one of our favorite shows.
We that is about it for today.
Tomorrow we are going to see parliament in action!...
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Saturday, Oct 24 - V & A museum
Slept in late till 10:00 since we were up so lat last night.
Raining and cool (low 50's) this morning.
Met Shelly at the Woking train station at 12:30. She was getting her hair done this morning.
Went to the V & A museum. Toured the exhibits for a while and then went to eat lunch The cafe was so full we could not find a seat. We left and went onto the streets and found a restaurant area about a block away. Again, all of the restaurants were full, but we found one with a table outside and we had a nice ciabatta sandwich.
At the museum we paid to see the special exhibit "Shoes: Pleasure and Pain". It as an extensive exhibit covering hundreds of years of shoes, and Pat and Shelly really enjoyed it.
Also there was an exhibit on clothing from the aristocrats of London and Pat saw some gowns from Heather X who she was hoping to see.
There is also a room with Raphael cartoon paintings. These are full size paintings on paper, with charcoal outlines and then painted in, and then mounted on to canvas. They were models for the full size tapestries which hang in the lower level of the Vatican's sistine chapel.
Afterward we made our way back to the Waterloo station and we stopped and relaxed and had a drink. Pat and Shelly and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and I had an Bierre Moretti.
We talked and laughed and had a great time catching up.
Then we caught a train back to Woking and Shelly had been communication with her friend Chris.
She met us at Lotino's restaurant in Woking. We went there the other night and it was great. We all had very nice dinner and some wine, and we talked and laughed a lot. After dinner Chris drove us back to Shelly's place.
Raining and cool (low 50's) this morning.
Met Shelly at the Woking train station at 12:30. She was getting her hair done this morning.
Went to the V & A museum. Toured the exhibits for a while and then went to eat lunch The cafe was so full we could not find a seat. We left and went onto the streets and found a restaurant area about a block away. Again, all of the restaurants were full, but we found one with a table outside and we had a nice ciabatta sandwich.
At the museum we paid to see the special exhibit "Shoes: Pleasure and Pain". It as an extensive exhibit covering hundreds of years of shoes, and Pat and Shelly really enjoyed it.
Also there was an exhibit on clothing from the aristocrats of London and Pat saw some gowns from Heather X who she was hoping to see.
There is also a room with Raphael cartoon paintings. These are full size paintings on paper, with charcoal outlines and then painted in, and then mounted on to canvas. They were models for the full size tapestries which hang in the lower level of the Vatican's sistine chapel.
Afterward we made our way back to the Waterloo station and we stopped and relaxed and had a drink. Pat and Shelly and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and I had an Bierre Moretti.
We talked and laughed and had a great time catching up.
Then we caught a train back to Woking and Shelly had been communication with her friend Chris.
She met us at Lotino's restaurant in Woking. We went there the other night and it was great. We all had very nice dinner and some wine, and we talked and laughed a lot. After dinner Chris drove us back to Shelly's place.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Friday, Oct 23 - Greenwich and 'The Book of Mormon'
Today is Friday Oct 23. We did a few chores this morning before heading off into London. Mark walked to the grocery store and picked up a few things while Pat did a load of laundry. We had the laundry our onto the rack to dry, because the dryer steams the clothes, and we headed off to the train station. We called AZ taxi this morning to take us to the station. Too much walking lately :-)
Tea, shower and bed. It is now 01:14 Saturday morning. zzzzzz
We left the house about 11:20 and at the Woking station we got our Day Travelcard for the day, including rail with return for Woking <-> Waterloo and all transit in London.
We are off to meet up with Carmilla at Greenwich. At Waterloo we exited the train and then picked up the Waterloo & City Tube line to take us to the Bank station. At Bank we switched over to the DLR line to take us to Greenwich.
We got off at the Island Gardens stop about 13:00 so we could take in the scenic view, as recommended by Rick Steves, and then take the pedestrian tunnel under the Thymes over to Greenwich. The tunnel was built in 1902, and it was a fascinating feeling to walk under the river. The tunnel was quite long as the Thymes is wide here, and the tunnel slopes downward, then levels off for a while, then slopes up again. Going into the tunnel we walked down the 86 steps of the spiral staircase into the tunnel instead of taking the lift. On the way up the other end we took the lift :-)
The tunnel emerges right at the Cutty Sark. We checked out the Cutty Sark from the exterior but we decided to not pay to go inside, as we had just been on the Victory yesterday, and we were waiting to meet up with Carmilla. About 13:30 Carmilla arrived and we talked and walked about Greenwich. We headed up to the observatory first at the top of the hill.
The Royal Observatory at Greenwich is a very interesting place. We both took our pictures straddling the Prime Meridian (0 degrees latitude) with one foot in each hemisphere. There were great exhibits of the telescopes and scientific equipment which the Astronomer Royals used over the centuries. The observatory was founded in 1675 by King Charles II of the purpose of improving navigation by more accurately charting the night sky. We also visited the camera obscura which is like a precursor of the camera. It is a low tech device which projects a live image from Greenwich onto a flat disk. You enter a small room and close the double set of dark curtains behind you. As your eyes adjust, the image slowly appears on the flat disk in the middle of the small room. We also toured the Flamsteed house where observers lived and it contains an exhibit on the "Longitude problem" and how it was solved, and also are displayed all four of the John Harrison's sea clocks. The fourth clock is the most accurate time piece and is said to be one of the most important inventions of human history.
Before leaving the observatory we took in the scenic view of the Thymes and London for a few photo-ops.
It was not 3:15 so we headed down the hill to go to the National Maritime Museum. Carmilla needed to eat something so she went on to Godard restaurant on the main street and we went into the museum. The main point if interest in this museum is the exhibit on Lord Nelson. We were just on his ship Victory where he was killed yesterday, and today we are at his exhibit. The main item if interest is the uniform, socks and trousers he was wearing when he was shot and killed at Trafalgar. You can clearly see the bullet hole in the left front shoulder. Seeing his blood stained socks was a little troubling and really brought the story home.
After the museum we decided to get something to eat as well, so we found Carmilla and the three os us went to the Meridian The Old Brewery. This is a microbrew with some great beers, and of course we had to have the fish & chips :-) I finally had a great beer in London!
After eating we left to go the show. Carmilla bought us tickets for "The Book of Mormon' show at the Prince of Wales Theatre. We took the DLR to the Heron Quays station to pick up the Jubilee tube. Although the train signs said the Jubilee is there, it is actually at the Canary Wharf station which is about a block away. We found it no problem and took it to Waterloo (there again today) and there we picked up the Northern Line up to the Leicester Square station. We exited there into a mayhem of people. It is Friday night and this is the place Londoners hang out. The streets were full of people. We had time so we walked over to Piccadilly Circus. This is the theater district and activity is everywhere. The crowds were consistent all the way, and everyone was having a good time.
It was time for the show at 7:30 so we headed over to the theatre. The theater was nice and the show was good. Some funny parts and some serious parts, but overall we thought it was a fine show.
The show lasted until about 22:00 and afterwards Carmilla walked us back to the Leicester Square station through the crowds and we said our goodbyes. We took the Northern Line tube back to Waterloo and there picked up the train back to Woking. The 28 minute ride seemed to take two hours as I was so tired. At the station we picked up a Taxi to bring us back to Shelly's flat. We arrive home about 23:00.
Shelly is home now. She had left to go out of town for work on Wednesday morning and she came back tonight, Friday night. She had only been home a short while when we came in.
Tea, shower and bed. It is now 01:14 Saturday morning. zzzzzz
Wednesday, Oct 21 - Embassy - Westminster Abbey - London Eye
We were up at about 08:00 today, rain and drizzle in the forecast for today, but I like it!
Yesterday had no rain and tomorrow is forecast to be free of rain, but we will see! It is cool today, about 55 degrees. I dressed in Levi's and a brown cashmere sweater with brown boots. Mark wore Levi's and a green flannel shirt. We ate breakfast and then called AZ cars. Aman picked us up and off to train station - 5 Pounds. Got our ticket for today covering train and tube.
We are off to the US Embassy to pick up our cards of introduction so we can go and sit in with Parliament on Monday before we leave. Then off to Westminster Abbey.
The trees here are all in full color, quite pretty, the weather cool. I like it very much.
Last night (Tuesday) we had a wonderful dinner with Shelly at the Maybury pub. I had lamb shank which was tasty but tough - not cooked long enough. Mark had fish and chips. I had 2 beers, more than in the last two months!
We took a fast train from Woking into the Waterloo station, non stop. I like it :)
We decided to go to the US Embassy first so we picked up the Jubilee tube and took it to Bond street and walked to the Embassy in the light rain. We found the South pavilion entrance and after a few minutes of confusion by the guard, we had our cards. They never actually let us inside the embassy. We stood next to armed guards with machine guns while we waited for our cards. They were very nice and we spoke with them a little.
We decided to go to Westminster Abbey first today, 2 stops back down the Jubilee line. No lines today, I assume due to the rain. Rain jackets and umbrellas worked great for us :-)
We used the Network rail card 2-for-1 entry ticket along with our rail ticket to get entry. We toured Westminster on our own for about 1 hour using the audio guide and map. At 14:00 there was a guided tour so we went back to the front to pick that up. It lasted about 1 ½ hours and took us into places not open to the regular tour. The tour was great and the guide did a wonderful job and had a great sense of humor.
After the tour we stopped into the cafe and had cream of celeriac soup, bread, hot tea and lemon cake. Leaving the cafe the rain has stopped now. It is about 16:00 now so we did not have time to go to the Victoria and Albert museum. So instead we went for a stroll across Westminster bridge and took some photo op shots, a must for this bridge :-)
Seeing the London Eye there we decided to go ahead and go onto the Eye today. Again no lines :-)
We had a car with only 5 other people. The sights were amazing even for a grey day. We used the National rail 2-for-1 entry ticket for the Eye also.
It was now about 17:30 so we decided to head back to Woking. Waterloo station is very close so we walked that way. We took what looked like a direct road and ended up walking through a graffiti lined tunnel under the Waterloo station tracks. There were three guys in the tunnel adding to their artwork. There was even a lounge in there called "The Vault".
Made it to the station and found the first train where Woking was the first stop. Leaving in 9 minutes, perfect timing! We found track 8 and boarded and found seats. Just in time because the car filled up with people and left exactly on time at 17:48.
Back at the Woking station we lookup up one of the recommended restaurants from Shelly, "Latino" a great Italian place. Google maps showed us it was just around the corner from the station so off we went. Wonderful Italian food! We had a great bottle of Barbera, some olives, Insulate Capri, spaghetti carbonara and spaghetti bolognese. For dessert tiramisu and creme brulle with raspberry and decaf cappuccino and Limoncello. he brought us 2 more drinks of Limoncello on the house.
We picked up a taxi at the station and headed back to Shelly's. 20:30 and home, what a great day in London!
Yesterday had no rain and tomorrow is forecast to be free of rain, but we will see! It is cool today, about 55 degrees. I dressed in Levi's and a brown cashmere sweater with brown boots. Mark wore Levi's and a green flannel shirt. We ate breakfast and then called AZ cars. Aman picked us up and off to train station - 5 Pounds. Got our ticket for today covering train and tube.
We are off to the US Embassy to pick up our cards of introduction so we can go and sit in with Parliament on Monday before we leave. Then off to Westminster Abbey.
The trees here are all in full color, quite pretty, the weather cool. I like it very much.
Last night (Tuesday) we had a wonderful dinner with Shelly at the Maybury pub. I had lamb shank which was tasty but tough - not cooked long enough. Mark had fish and chips. I had 2 beers, more than in the last two months!
We took a fast train from Woking into the Waterloo station, non stop. I like it :)
We decided to go to the US Embassy first so we picked up the Jubilee tube and took it to Bond street and walked to the Embassy in the light rain. We found the South pavilion entrance and after a few minutes of confusion by the guard, we had our cards. They never actually let us inside the embassy. We stood next to armed guards with machine guns while we waited for our cards. They were very nice and we spoke with them a little.
We decided to go to Westminster Abbey first today, 2 stops back down the Jubilee line. No lines today, I assume due to the rain. Rain jackets and umbrellas worked great for us :-)
We used the Network rail card 2-for-1 entry ticket along with our rail ticket to get entry. We toured Westminster on our own for about 1 hour using the audio guide and map. At 14:00 there was a guided tour so we went back to the front to pick that up. It lasted about 1 ½ hours and took us into places not open to the regular tour. The tour was great and the guide did a wonderful job and had a great sense of humor.
After the tour we stopped into the cafe and had cream of celeriac soup, bread, hot tea and lemon cake. Leaving the cafe the rain has stopped now. It is about 16:00 now so we did not have time to go to the Victoria and Albert museum. So instead we went for a stroll across Westminster bridge and took some photo op shots, a must for this bridge :-)
Seeing the London Eye there we decided to go ahead and go onto the Eye today. Again no lines :-)
We had a car with only 5 other people. The sights were amazing even for a grey day. We used the National rail 2-for-1 entry ticket for the Eye also.
It was now about 17:30 so we decided to head back to Woking. Waterloo station is very close so we walked that way. We took what looked like a direct road and ended up walking through a graffiti lined tunnel under the Waterloo station tracks. There were three guys in the tunnel adding to their artwork. There was even a lounge in there called "The Vault".
Made it to the station and found the first train where Woking was the first stop. Leaving in 9 minutes, perfect timing! We found track 8 and boarded and found seats. Just in time because the car filled up with people and left exactly on time at 17:48.
Back at the Woking station we lookup up one of the recommended restaurants from Shelly, "Latino" a great Italian place. Google maps showed us it was just around the corner from the station so off we went. Wonderful Italian food! We had a great bottle of Barbera, some olives, Insulate Capri, spaghetti carbonara and spaghetti bolognese. For dessert tiramisu and creme brulle with raspberry and decaf cappuccino and Limoncello. he brought us 2 more drinks of Limoncello on the house.
We picked up a taxi at the station and headed back to Shelly's. 20:30 and home, what a great day in London!
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Thursday, Oct 22 - Portsmouth and Southampton
Today we were up at 07:30 because we have planned a road, or rather, train trip southwest from Woking to Portsmouth Harbor and then to Southhampton.
We started the day at the Woking train station ticket counter for our travels today. The gentleman at the counter was very helpful and he arranged all of our tickets for the day at one stop. (Woking -> Portsmouth, Portsmouth -> Southampton, and Southhampton to Woking). We were using our 2 Together rail card, and also there was a promotion on the last leg, so on the last leg it was cheaper to sell us a round trip ticket than to buy single tickets.
So with tickets in hand and only minutes to spare we jumped onto the train on platform 5. The trouble was it was not the correct train. Our train was due to leave at 9:55 and it was only about 9:50. It turned out OK. The train we were on headed towards Portsmouth, and stopped a few stations down the line. I had also asked another elderly couple if this train is going to Portsmouth, and they told me no. But the train behind it would be. I was also looking at the National Rail website and knew the other train was right behind us. So we exited the train at the last stop, found out the next train would be on platform 1, and we made our way over to platform 1 in time for the train to come in and we climbed aboard. So, off to Portsmouth...
We were going to Portsmouth Harbor to see the HMS Victory, Admiral Lord Nelson's ship in which we won the battle of Trafalgar. The station in Portsmouth is nothing special, and the walk from the station to the HMS Victory was nothing spectacular. The 'Hard' dockyards are old and show their age. We made our way to the Victory and it was quite impressive for a 250 year old ship. You get to tour most of the ship on your own, and there are helpful guides always ready to share their knowledge with you. The ship has 3 decks of guns, and it is very interesting to tour the ship and see how different sections of the ship served different functions. The Victory is undergoing a refurbishment and it will take another 12 years before it is complete. It is being restored to the same condition it was during the battle at Trafalgar. We also saw the spot where Lord Nelson was mortally wounded, and the location where he died and later pickled in a Brandy cask for his trip home. Ewwww. What a way to go!
You could spend an entire day here at the harbor visiting the other ships and attractions. But we came from one ship, and we want to get onto Southampton. After touring the Victory on the way back to the station, using our National rails app on the phone, we knew we had a few minutes before the train so we stopped into the Gunwharf Quay retail center next to the station. Pat found a Radley outlet store where everything has a Scottie on it, and they were having a sale (Of course :). So we picked up a purse, wallet and journal book.
Onto Southhampton on the 13:23 train and the ride was uneventful. We arrived in Southhampton and using the maps application on our phone made our way to the Titanic Engineers Memorial in Andrews park and then on to the Sea City Museum. They were only around the corner from the station. The memorial is quite large and impressive, with a winged angle in the center holding two wreaths. The names of the engineers who remained at their stations during the sinking are on the memorial. We took lots of pictures and some closeups too.
We made our way to the Sea City Museum and the Titanic exhibit. We have been to many Titanic exhibits over the years and this one was quite good, and the fact that it is in Southampton makes it very special. Over two thirds of the crew on the Titanic were from Southhampton, and this town has a historic naval history. One interesting exhibit is a Titanic ship's steering wheel and telegraph and a digital screen in front of you, stretching across about 7 or 8 displays going left to right. It shows the solent in front of you and the shore lines and other features. You are given audio instructions and it tells you how to control the speed and direction of the ship. Your objective is to steer the ship through the narrow solent passage without running into another ship or buoy or running aground. Pat steered the ship and did a great job, and completed the course. The machine told her that she must have nautical blood in her :-) LOL
Another interesting exhibit is a reproduction of the Inquiry courtroom where the hearings into the loss of the Titanic took place. There is a narration playing speaking the words of those questioned.
After the museum we were both tired and we headed back to take the 16:30 train back to Woking. Upon arrival we looked up one of the suggested restaurants which Shell recommended, Bill's. It is English fare and pretty good. Pat had a buttermilk chicken sandwich and I had the duck pie, and we each had a beer or two.
A Taxi ride home from the station and we are home by 19:30.
Tired and ready to rest and have another fun day tomorrow.
We started the day at the Woking train station ticket counter for our travels today. The gentleman at the counter was very helpful and he arranged all of our tickets for the day at one stop. (Woking -> Portsmouth, Portsmouth -> Southampton, and Southhampton to Woking). We were using our 2 Together rail card, and also there was a promotion on the last leg, so on the last leg it was cheaper to sell us a round trip ticket than to buy single tickets.
So with tickets in hand and only minutes to spare we jumped onto the train on platform 5. The trouble was it was not the correct train. Our train was due to leave at 9:55 and it was only about 9:50. It turned out OK. The train we were on headed towards Portsmouth, and stopped a few stations down the line. I had also asked another elderly couple if this train is going to Portsmouth, and they told me no. But the train behind it would be. I was also looking at the National Rail website and knew the other train was right behind us. So we exited the train at the last stop, found out the next train would be on platform 1, and we made our way over to platform 1 in time for the train to come in and we climbed aboard. So, off to Portsmouth...
We were going to Portsmouth Harbor to see the HMS Victory, Admiral Lord Nelson's ship in which we won the battle of Trafalgar. The station in Portsmouth is nothing special, and the walk from the station to the HMS Victory was nothing spectacular. The 'Hard' dockyards are old and show their age. We made our way to the Victory and it was quite impressive for a 250 year old ship. You get to tour most of the ship on your own, and there are helpful guides always ready to share their knowledge with you. The ship has 3 decks of guns, and it is very interesting to tour the ship and see how different sections of the ship served different functions. The Victory is undergoing a refurbishment and it will take another 12 years before it is complete. It is being restored to the same condition it was during the battle at Trafalgar. We also saw the spot where Lord Nelson was mortally wounded, and the location where he died and later pickled in a Brandy cask for his trip home. Ewwww. What a way to go!
You could spend an entire day here at the harbor visiting the other ships and attractions. But we came from one ship, and we want to get onto Southampton. After touring the Victory on the way back to the station, using our National rails app on the phone, we knew we had a few minutes before the train so we stopped into the Gunwharf Quay retail center next to the station. Pat found a Radley outlet store where everything has a Scottie on it, and they were having a sale (Of course :). So we picked up a purse, wallet and journal book.
Onto Southhampton on the 13:23 train and the ride was uneventful. We arrived in Southhampton and using the maps application on our phone made our way to the Titanic Engineers Memorial in Andrews park and then on to the Sea City Museum. They were only around the corner from the station. The memorial is quite large and impressive, with a winged angle in the center holding two wreaths. The names of the engineers who remained at their stations during the sinking are on the memorial. We took lots of pictures and some closeups too.
We made our way to the Sea City Museum and the Titanic exhibit. We have been to many Titanic exhibits over the years and this one was quite good, and the fact that it is in Southampton makes it very special. Over two thirds of the crew on the Titanic were from Southhampton, and this town has a historic naval history. One interesting exhibit is a Titanic ship's steering wheel and telegraph and a digital screen in front of you, stretching across about 7 or 8 displays going left to right. It shows the solent in front of you and the shore lines and other features. You are given audio instructions and it tells you how to control the speed and direction of the ship. Your objective is to steer the ship through the narrow solent passage without running into another ship or buoy or running aground. Pat steered the ship and did a great job, and completed the course. The machine told her that she must have nautical blood in her :-) LOL
Another interesting exhibit is a reproduction of the Inquiry courtroom where the hearings into the loss of the Titanic took place. There is a narration playing speaking the words of those questioned.
After the museum we were both tired and we headed back to take the 16:30 train back to Woking. Upon arrival we looked up one of the suggested restaurants which Shell recommended, Bill's. It is English fare and pretty good. Pat had a buttermilk chicken sandwich and I had the duck pie, and we each had a beer or two.
A Taxi ride home from the station and we are home by 19:30.
Tired and ready to rest and have another fun day tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
#Wehavearrived
We arrived in London at 09:40 this morning (10/20/2015) earlier than scheduled! Our flight on Virgin Airlines was wonderful, the upper class is highly recommended. Mark's dinner was better than mine so definitely pick the chicken over the filet always!
Our A-Z car was waiting for us, the only thing that could be better was to have him holding a sign "Galackowitz", YES I AM :)
We took a nap and are up for dinner, so we will be walking into Woking this evening.
I always try and do something at one of the towers whichever city we are in, but we experienced #walkietalkiedisappointment !!! No reservations available until November, the pictures of the sky garden looked wonderful so we settled on having lunch at Hutong in the Shard.
Off to do things, so will check in later.
Our A-Z car was waiting for us, the only thing that could be better was to have him holding a sign "Galackowitz", YES I AM :)
We took a nap and are up for dinner, so we will be walking into Woking this evening.
I always try and do something at one of the towers whichever city we are in, but we experienced #walkietalkiedisappointment !!! No reservations available until November, the pictures of the sky garden looked wonderful so we settled on having lunch at Hutong in the Shard.
Off to do things, so will check in later.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
October 18 - Preparing for the Trip
Preparing for our vacation! #WohlinLondon2015
Excited and anxious at the same time. Traveling abroad is always exciting!
We have been packing today and completing last minute items.
Took the #2Scots to the dog park today and played ball. They were protesting the suitcases being pulled out. They know when we are about to travel.
We waterproofed some jackets and shoes to prepare for the wet London weather.
My diabetes has been acting up today. My BG has been spiking and diving all day. I guess it is the excitement of preparing for the trip.
So my BG has gone low, then spiked up after a date with Nutella :) #Bloodsugarproblemsnutella Yes, I know it's not the best thing for insulin reactions but it does satisfy a need. Time to finish packing and other preparations. Must make sure I have all my supplies for the week. Not looking forward to the security detail at the airport #mypumpisstainlessteel and it will not go through the scanner or the metal detector without setting off the sirens and whistles. #diabetesjustpatmedownnoproblem .
Excited and anxious at the same time. Traveling abroad is always exciting!
We have been packing today and completing last minute items.
Took the #2Scots to the dog park today and played ball. They were protesting the suitcases being pulled out. They know when we are about to travel.
We waterproofed some jackets and shoes to prepare for the wet London weather.
My diabetes has been acting up today. My BG has been spiking and diving all day. I guess it is the excitement of preparing for the trip.
So my BG has gone low, then spiked up after a date with Nutella :) #Bloodsugarproblemsnutella Yes, I know it's not the best thing for insulin reactions but it does satisfy a need. Time to finish packing and other preparations. Must make sure I have all my supplies for the week. Not looking forward to the security detail at the airport #mypumpisstainlessteel and it will not go through the scanner or the metal detector without setting off the sirens and whistles. #diabetesjustpatmedownnoproblem .
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