Day Two: Thames Cruise, Tower of London, War Museum
Tuesday, 25 August 2015
London - a Whirlwind!
We had been looking forward to our time in London, particularly Isaac and Alex and it didn't disappoint. As with all big cities, it's hard to keep up the pace for very long. We spenr long days touring the city and its sights and arrived back at our flat each evening tired, hungry and craving some down time. The next morning we would get up and do it all again.
A highlight was a visit from Celine who flew in from Germany to spend the first couple of days with us.
Day 1: Met Celine at Victoria Station. It was a cool, cloudy day so we toured the city via the Hop on/Hop off bus. We checked out the area around Buckingham Palace and made a visit to Harrods before heading back to our digs in Earlsfield and dinner at the Italian restaurant around the corner.
Day 2: Boat cruise along the Thames to the Tower of London. The boys and I toured the Tower while Murray and Celine toured some of the city on foot. The afternoon was spent shopping and visiting the Imperial War Museum. I'll let you figure out who did which activity. We tried to get on the London Eye but realized we needed to validate our tickets and it was too late. Once back, we did Indian takeaway. Yumm!!
Day 3: We took the train, tube, train and shuttle out to Warner Brothers Studio to do the Harry Potter tour. Although this is a highly commercial activity, I enjoyed it thoroughly. From the moment the screen went up after the introductory video to reveal the gates to Hogwarts, to the sets, props, and huge model of Hogwarts school, I was engaged and amazed at the creativity and attention to detail that went into making the movies over a span of 10 years. This took up the majority of the day and once back into Central London we found a good lunch and then did some shopping. We were able to validate our tickets for the London Eye and had a great ride and view of the city. It was a fine end to Alex's last day in London and on our trip. Back to Earlsfield for an early night . We were all exhausted!
Day 4: Alex and I headed out on the Tube to Heathrow, Ben took several trains to Bletchley Park, Murray and Isaac went to Ripley's Believe It or Not. Once back into London I headed over to the Natural Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum while the boys went back to the Imperial War Museum. We had plans to go out to Greenwich rhat afternon but after meeting up over drinks in the pub we all realized we'd had enough. We had a fantastic Korean BBQ dinner in Earlsfield and packed up for our next move to Scotland.
I'll post the photos separately by day so it's not overwhelming.
A highlight was a visit from Celine who flew in from Germany to spend the first couple of days with us.
Day 1: Met Celine at Victoria Station. It was a cool, cloudy day so we toured the city via the Hop on/Hop off bus. We checked out the area around Buckingham Palace and made a visit to Harrods before heading back to our digs in Earlsfield and dinner at the Italian restaurant around the corner.
Day 2: Boat cruise along the Thames to the Tower of London. The boys and I toured the Tower while Murray and Celine toured some of the city on foot. The afternoon was spent shopping and visiting the Imperial War Museum. I'll let you figure out who did which activity. We tried to get on the London Eye but realized we needed to validate our tickets and it was too late. Once back, we did Indian takeaway. Yumm!!
Day 3: We took the train, tube, train and shuttle out to Warner Brothers Studio to do the Harry Potter tour. Although this is a highly commercial activity, I enjoyed it thoroughly. From the moment the screen went up after the introductory video to reveal the gates to Hogwarts, to the sets, props, and huge model of Hogwarts school, I was engaged and amazed at the creativity and attention to detail that went into making the movies over a span of 10 years. This took up the majority of the day and once back into Central London we found a good lunch and then did some shopping. We were able to validate our tickets for the London Eye and had a great ride and view of the city. It was a fine end to Alex's last day in London and on our trip. Back to Earlsfield for an early night . We were all exhausted!
Day 4: Alex and I headed out on the Tube to Heathrow, Ben took several trains to Bletchley Park, Murray and Isaac went to Ripley's Believe It or Not. Once back into London I headed over to the Natural Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum while the boys went back to the Imperial War Museum. We had plans to go out to Greenwich rhat afternon but after meeting up over drinks in the pub we all realized we'd had enough. We had a fantastic Korean BBQ dinner in Earlsfield and packed up for our next move to Scotland.
I'll post the photos separately by day so it's not overwhelming.
Monday, 24 August 2015
Axbridge and Environs
After 4 nights in Bournemouth, we moved to Axbridge where we had secured an 18th century cottage in the heart of town. What a great spot to come and go from! The cottage was next door to a local pub and a block away from the old medieval village square. We also had the local reservoir in close range for a lovely walk. From there we did some exploring . . .
On our first day, we dropped Isaac and Alex off to tour a big car car museum; they were in their element. Meanwhile, Murray, Ben and I continued on to Glastonbury to climb the Tor ((hill). We had stopped in to Glastonbury the day before, on our way to Axbridge but it was a cool, wet day. Not great for climbing. This day was bright and clear, a great day to see the view from the Tor! On the way back to Axbridge, Ben noticed a sign for the Fleet Air museum so all 3 boys spent some time touring that before going back to our digs.
Our next day was spent touring Bath, home of the ancient Roman baths and our friends Heather and son Benjamin. We took part in a 2 hour free tour that provided commentary on the history and architecture of the city. It was a fascinating tour and provided a great deal of information that helped us to appreciate what we were seeing. The rest of the day was spent with Heather and Benjamin, touring town, visiting a Fashion museum and hanging out in a pub to catch the Man City vs. Chelsea football match. We just made it back to Axbridge in time to have Sunday Roast at our pub next door.
The first photos below cover some of our touring from Bournemouth: the gorgeous 7 mile beach, Salisbury and its Cathedral, the Bovington Tank Museum.
After that are photos from Axbridge and the area around.
Next up . . . London!
On our first day, we dropped Isaac and Alex off to tour a big car car museum; they were in their element. Meanwhile, Murray, Ben and I continued on to Glastonbury to climb the Tor ((hill). We had stopped in to Glastonbury the day before, on our way to Axbridge but it was a cool, wet day. Not great for climbing. This day was bright and clear, a great day to see the view from the Tor! On the way back to Axbridge, Ben noticed a sign for the Fleet Air museum so all 3 boys spent some time touring that before going back to our digs.
Our next day was spent touring Bath, home of the ancient Roman baths and our friends Heather and son Benjamin. We took part in a 2 hour free tour that provided commentary on the history and architecture of the city. It was a fascinating tour and provided a great deal of information that helped us to appreciate what we were seeing. The rest of the day was spent with Heather and Benjamin, touring town, visiting a Fashion museum and hanging out in a pub to catch the Man City vs. Chelsea football match. We just made it back to Axbridge in time to have Sunday Roast at our pub next door.
The first photos below cover some of our touring from Bournemouth: the gorgeous 7 mile beach, Salisbury and its Cathedral, the Bovington Tank Museum.
After that are photos from Axbridge and the area around.
Next up . . . London!
Friday, 21 August 2015
Too busy to post!
To those of you who have been following this blog, I apologize for the lack of posts. Our last place in Axbridge didn't have WiFi and since we've been in London it's been too hectic a pace to keep up with posting. We move on to York tomorrow and then Scotland on Sunday where we're hoping to have some time to catch our breath. London is intense! Check back in a couple of days for an update!
Thursday, 13 August 2015
Past and Present
Yesterday was an important day . . . really, it was the impetus for taking this trip to England. After Dad died, two years ago, it became important for me to visit his birthplace and to share that with Isaac. I want him to know his roots and understand where his heritage lies. That was the reason we chose to stay in Bournemouth; it's the city nearest Christchurch which is where my Dad's family lived before emigrating to Canada in 1951. This pilgrimage of sorts, is also one of the reasons that Alex, my cousin's son, has made the trip with us. His grandpa and my Dad were brothers, so both branches of the family tree are represented in this journey.
With help from my uncle Frank, Dad's brother, we had addresses and photos of the 2 homes they lived in while they were kids. The original home at 22 Bargates is on a commercial street and houses Autism Wessex, an organization that provides education, respite services, social care and advocacy for people affected by autism. We were able to go inside and look around the entry area which would have been the original lounge complete with interior stained glass windows. The house is now considered a heritage site.
The second home at 38 Maundeville Crescent is in a residential area with homes all along the street that share an identical exterior. There's a lovely green common space that runs behind the crescent and includes a beautiful little creek at one end . It's been great to see both these homes and to feel so connected to Dad while being here. I'm so thankful too, that Isaac and Alex had the opportunity to see where their grandpas grew up.
Bournemouth
We left France on Monday and sailed by ferry across the English Channel to Poole. Fortunately, we had a 3 hour stopover on Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. What a beautiful spot, and although part of the Commonwealth are not part of England. Guerney was a delightful mix of French and English cultures in architecture and cuisine. They even have their own currency!
We spent Tuesday getting to know the city of Bournemouth and securing our rental car. The beach in Bournemouth runs for 7 miles and is soft golden sand all the way along. There are wonderful beach huts for hire where you will find 4 beach chairs, and a gas ring to make a pot of tea. Although the days have been overcast and a little drizzly, the air is warm and so is the ocean.
The first few photos are of Guernsey Island and the remainder are the area right around where we're staying in Bournemouth. Unfortunately, this blog site doesn't allow me to label individual photos with a caption.
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We spent Tuesday getting to know the city of Bournemouth and securing our rental car. The beach in Bournemouth runs for 7 miles and is soft golden sand all the way along. There are wonderful beach huts for hire where you will find 4 beach chairs, and a gas ring to make a pot of tea. Although the days have been overcast and a little drizzly, the air is warm and so is the ocean.
The first few photos are of Guernsey Island and the remainder are the area right around where we're staying in Bournemouth. Unfortunately, this blog site doesn't allow me to label individual photos with a caption.
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