Checking in from London!

M

marilynfl

Moderator
Okay, this has been a crazy trip so far, but you guys added tremendously with your suggestions. We're in London now (my computer has been locked up for a week) but I wanted to give a brief summary and several words of thanks.

I was in Bath/Warminster for 2 weeks for proof of delivery and we passed confirmation with the MOD. Yay! Of course, this week Prince Andrew said--in large, black 72 pt font on the front page of the newspaper--"The MOD is useless!" (for not ordering armour-plated vehicles to protect British soldiers. Admittedly, he didn't realize a journalist was in the crowd.)

Larry flew in last Thursday and we began vacationing:

Friday: Bath

Saturday: Train/bus to Hay-on-Wye in Wales, an itty, bitty tiny town with 40 bookstores in a beautiful valley.

Sunday: Bath

Monday: Train to Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge

Tuesday: Train to London to drop off luggage than on to York

Wednesday: York and its amazing cathedral (called a Minster). Climbed the 275 steps to the top of its tower and thought my heart would burst through my chest ala "Alien". I live by a lighthouse that has 267 steps and have climbed that several times. But the lighthouse has landings ever 50 steps and this tower had ONE! However, once I got to the top and sucked in enough oxygen to see straight, the view was gorgeous (see link).

Thursday: Train to Cambridge and walked about town.

Friday: Read with my very own eyes handwritten letters from Sir Isaac Newton, Lord Byron, Faraday (for the EE geek in me) and A.A Milne's "Winnie the Pooh" at the Wren library in Trinity College. Punted down the Cam River in the rain (well, it is England) and then we took the train to London. (Note: It is insane to try and do Cambridge in one day. Learn from our mistake.)

Here's a quick note of thanks:

joanie: forever and ever for suggesting York and the Shambles.

FloriSandy: BritRail. We bought a 15 day pass before leaving USA and have been using it almost daily.

Sandra: for suggesting Marylebone. We love strolling down Marylebone High Street and the multiple Tube stations have come in handy. We're staying at the Landmark and I am quite possibly the ONLY guest in the history of this hotel to speak with the manager about being charged an additional fee for Internet access. (She reduced the fee to a minimal charge so I'm happier now as it was a Matter of Principle. For these prices, they should give free organ transplants.)

rhoward: Fortnum and Mason for a great afternoon tea.

aajay: King's Cross Station. We had to run and change track to make our train to York and we left on Track 4--which is Track 9 3/4! Cheap thrills.

I know there are more thanks due...I'll crashing a bit now.

Still to do:

London Eye

Tate Museum and Gauguin

Buckingham Palace

Globe Theater

St. Paul's Cathedral and Evensong

Westminster Cathedral

Millineum Bridge

Charring Cross Road

Oxford (Tolkien and Bodleian Library (Hogwart's library)

Hampton Court

Cabinet War Rooms (Thanks, Richard)

later....

PS: The Olympics are coming here in 2012 so EVERYTHING is covered with scaffolding and plastic. I don't think I've got one photo that doesn't include scaffolding.

http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=York%20minster%20tower&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

 
Mar! A big wave to you over the pond!! I'm so glad you were able

to see the countryside and bop around on the trains. Aren't they fun?

I see there are palm trees in your hotel's courtyard. HA! They really went all out for your arrival... Her Marjesty indeed!

Cheerio and have fun!!

 
I loved it there too. I stayed at the Dean Court Hotel right across from

York Minster and remember chatting with the bartenders about the US presidential election. I made my absentee ballot before leaving states. I got to see the results at the bar TV in the wee hours of the morning.

I loved York too but only spent two nights there on a travel business trip (Best Western Hotels in England and Wales).

Amanda, did you get to see the National Railroad Museum there? Very cool place and I saw Queen Victoria's rail car and her saloon. I want a royal train set to go around my Christmas tree!

http://www.nrm.org.uk/

http://www.nrm.org.uk/globalmedia/NRM_CT_937401_2.png

 
Good stuff!

Glad you're having a nice time - the Landmark is my all-time favourite hotel in London - as you walk out the back door and face Marylebone Station, look right toward Baker Street, the large building you see above the station is where we used to live, the windows above the ledge, right on the corner of Baker Street and Marylebone Road.... it's called Chiltern Court, we spent more than 10 years in that building!

When you're walking on Marylebone High Street towards Oxford Street, look left as you pass Marylebone Lane and there is the Cordon Bleu, were I went to school... one of the best fish & chip shops at the Golden Hind just across the street.

And don't miss the food halls at Selfridges right down the street. And St Christopher's Place is very cute also -

For a quick bite locally you can stop in at Zizzi just off Baker Street on Paddington Street, across form the movie theater

Enjoy the rest of your time there!

 
I don't know how we missed the National Railway Museum. DH is a HUGE rail fan.

I'll put it on the list for our next visit. (Hopefully in a year or two!)

 
Boy, you are fitting in so much.........fantastic......

punting on the river even. YESSSSS...please walk along the embankment from the Eye...East I think and go up to the restuarant in the Tate Modern JUST for the view...it costs nothing....and then across the M bridge to St Pauls......etc. Eat at Stimpsons...a bit like the shambles....
Enjoy....

 
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