London: So much to do, so little time...

As a thriving tourist destination, there are enough attractions in London to spend two weeks sightseeing and exploring. But sometimes as a traveler you have to make the most of only two days. With one day wrapped up in London we had a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time. I like to think we met the challenge by completing the following in 24 hours: see a musical, St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, London Christmas Market, Royal College of Music, Natural History Museum, and dinner in an English Pub. Impressive right?!

Many thanks to Garnet who took the initiative and booked tickets to see the musical Jersey Boys in London's Prince Edward Theatre. Jersey Boys is a fabulously entertaining and upbeat musical that follows the story of the 1960s band The Four Seasons whose famous songs include "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don't Cry." Lead singer Frankie Valli also had the hit "Can't take my eyes off you." The cast was incredible, especially the actor who sang incredibly high for the role of Frankie. Attending a musical also meant we could walk around the Soho district at night when the streets are bustling and neon lights shining. It's worth a visit just to tour around to see all the theatre signs.

Ran across this gem on our way to Jersey Boys... I would have LOVED to see this as well.

Some of the must-sees in London include famous cathedrals so Garnet and I started with massive St Paul's. I had visited the church as a teenager and it was a funny to look up at its big front steps and remember sitting there once before. I also remembered the amazing view from the Golden Gallery at the very top of the cathedral dome. You can look down the Thames towards the London Eye and even spy Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Satisfactorily, the view had not changed much in the past eight years; disappointingly, neither had the grueling 528 steps of spiraling staircase which have to be climbed to reach the view. I suppose it was a good way to work off all that holiday eating! Our trek to the top also included the Whispering Gallery where you can whisper through the wall to someone across the dome. The cathedral crypt holds the tombs of famous military leaders Lord Nelson and Lord Wellington, St Paul's architect Sir Christopher Wren, Sir Alexander Fleming who discovered penicillin, and composer Sir Arthur Sullivan (from Gilbert and Sullivan).

I spy the London Eye...

Westminster Abbey was even more spectacular than on my last visit for two specific reasons: (1) After further schooling I had a new appreciation for the people buried in the Abbey, and (2) I kept imagining the Royal Wedding of William and Kate occurring at the spot where I was standing. I expect the majority of you just rolled your eyes at reason two, so let me discuss point one. The most exciting find for me at Westminster was Poet's Corner, where countless English writers are laid to rest including Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Robert Browning, Geoffrey Chaucer, John Dryden, and Lord Tennyson. Composer George Friedrich Handel also lays here and there are several memorials to other authors and poets. As expected the Abbey includes several Royal ancestors, but on a visit look especially for scientists Sir Isaac Newton and surprisingly Charles Darwin, as well as the Unknown Warrior's grave from World War One. At one end of the Abbey there is also a small plaque acknowledging that Oliver Cromwell occupied the spot from 1958-1661. His stay was a short because after the Monarchy returned to power his body was exhumed so that he could be posthumously executed. His severed head was then artistically displayed on a pole outside for the public to see for over twenty years.

After Westminster, we met up again with my friends Geordie and Christine to take a walking tour. This adventure can be mostly explained with pictures, but I will throw in some captions for clarification.

 From Trafalgar Square you can spot this modest gate to the mile long driveway of Buckingham Palace.

 Not the best picture, but proof we were at Buckingham Palace. The Union Jack was flying so that means the Queen was sadly not in residence.

London's Christmas Market, located in Hyde Park, was much more like a carnival. Its amusement park rides and rows upon rows of vendor stalls made it the largest we'd seen.

We couldn't help but stop and try these tasty marzipan treats!

 This memorial statue on the edge of Hyde Park commemorates Prince Albert who founded the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal College of Music.

 Garnet and I pretending to be students at the Royal of College of Music. Since Geordie is a real student we were granted to an after-hours tour of the facilities.

 One of the gorgeous theatres within the Royal College of Music.

The Royal Albert Hall, which can be considered the U.K. equivalent of Carnegie Hall. Performing in this venue is a big deal.

 We made the briefest stop in the Natural History Museum because we arrived 15 minutes before closing, but this is a place you could spend an entire day. The entrance hall alone, pictured above, is jaw-dropping. As Geordie said, it seems like a real-life version of Hogwarts from Harry Potter.

We looked into the Museum Treasure showcase which included an original copy of Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species, as well as a moon rock, Dodo skeleton, and the Iguanodon teeth that marked the discovery of the dinosaurs.

Our real reason for visiting the museum was to explore the rock and mineral exhibit on Garnet's behalf. I do not know much about rocks, but I do know that it was an impressive geological display from all over the world. I drooled a bit over the replica of the largest nugget of gold ever discovered. The special vault at the back of the exhibit even had rocks from space. In the right picture, the smudge at the bottom of the vial is actually microscopic diamonds made from star dust. The display informed us that "These are the oldest things you will ever see. They formed in the dust of dying stars billions of years ago, before our solar system existed."

To end our day we relaxed for a pint in a pub called The Red Lion and Pineapple. Many thanks to Geordie and Christine for generously accommodating our busy tourist schedule. Our short time in London was not short on wonderful memories!

One more post should wrap up my travel stories.

Cheers,

Shannon

New Years Eve in London

We arrived in London the evening of Sunday, December 30^th.  Finding the Travel Joy Hostel where we were staying was no hassle because of the very helpful tourist maps located on street corners.  The hostel was situated along the River Thames which meant that we began the next day with a scenic walk along the riverfront. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating; it was a gloomy day with an ominous wind that pushed us towards Westminster and Big Ben.

While I had been in London once before Garnet had not, so we planned to visit as many prominent tourist attractions as we could in two days. Our first stop was to the infamous Tower of London to learn about its former royal residents, executions, murders and torture. As a way to set the mood, the weather decided to turn for the worse as we entered the grounds. It began to rain, and rain...

 

I, armed with my umbrella, and Garnet, who refused to use my umbrella, decided to join one of the tour groups to make the most of our Tower experience. These groups are led by the castle guard, called Beef Eaters, who really do have an outstanding amount of knowledge and skill for dramatic delivery. I was surprised to learn that they live on site! Talk about dedication to your career. Our tour included the scaffold sight where important prisoners were executed over the centuries. While countless unfortunates met their doom at public executions on nearby Tower Hill, only seven individuals were executed inside the walls. These people included Henry VIII’s wives Anne Boleyn and Kathryn Howard, plus the 16 year old Queen of nine days Lady Jane Grey.

At the center of the Tower is the previous royal palace, the White Tower. Nowadays it houses a museum which educates visitors on previous monarchs, the royal armoury and royal mint. Other attractions at the Tower included the Chapel Royal of St Peter and Vincula, Traitor’s Gate where prisoners entered the Tower, Beauchamp Tower with its prisoner graffiti, and the Bloody Tower where two young princes were murdered. Normally no visit to the Tower of London is complete without seeing the Crown Jewels, but given the pouring rain and a massive queue of tourists we decided to head to a drier locale.

 Traitor's Gate

 A neat dragon sculpture created from elements of industries housed within the White Tower.

The execution block on display in the White Tower.

We were wet and tired by the time we reached my friends Geordie and Christine’s house in the suburbs of London. They were kind enough to open their home to us, despite our come-and-go schedule. We had hardly arrived before we needed to head back towards the city center to bring in the New Year.

New Years in London is a logistical nightmare. Imagine over 100,000 people standing all within a handful of city blocks. Imagine these people all trying to return home at once. Let me put this in perspective. It took 45 minutes walking and riding the underground to get from Geordie and Christine’s home to the Trafalgar Square. It took Garnet and I two hours and 45 minutes to get back. This adventurous evening required much standing in pushy, crammed queues and significant searching for open underground stations (the closest stations were closed as safety precautions).  Honestly though, I suppose it could have been worse. What matters is that Garnet and I got back safely and now we have a good story to tell.

The upside of New Years in London is the amazing amount of excitement and energy perceptible in the air of downtown. It was invigorating to be surrounded by hordes of people all anticipating a good night and fresh start. It was impossible not to break out into a big smile as you counted down 10...9...8... As we reached midnight fireworks were set off along the Thames. Sadly, we could not see the explosions past the tall buildings of Trafalgar Square. The images were broadcast over big screens, but I wanted to see the real thing so we shifted in the crowd until we could see a tiny teaser over one building corner.  This is the best I could do for pictures. 

 If I were to return to London for New Year’s celebrations I would make sure that I went early to find a seat along the waterfront to see the fireworks. I would also be more prepared mentally for the crowded environment. If you can afford the outrageously inflated prices of downtown accommodation then it is best to stay within walking distance. Or perhaps the best option is to settle into a cozy pub with friends and watch the festivities on a television. Regardless, Garnet and I are both glad we experienced the real thing.

Today we had snow flurries in Ireland! Hope you are staying warm this February.

Shannon

An English Christmas

Arrival in the United Kingdom was a refreshing change because it meant relaxing and sharing the Christmas cheer with extended relatives. May I also mention that this conveniently meant free homemade meals and warm comfy beds. I was pleased to see vegetables again on my place after my travels through the land of meat and potatoes. 

Our first visit was to Brixton in South Devon to visit the Oates family. I had met Tom, the son of the family, over the summer when he had traveled to Canada to work on Cornell Farms. It was great to see him again and to meet his parents and sisters. The Oates live near the sea and we were granted some lovely views on a walk along the coast.

 Walking towards Brixton.

You can see in the pictures that it was a green Christmas in the United Kingdom. It was also incredibly wet because heavy rains had caused flooding conditions in the area. The day we arrived in the UK, trains to South Devon were actually disrupted by the floods so we were lucky to have been picked up by the Oates. 

The Oates were kind enough to offer a quick stop at Windsor Castle on the way to Brixton, one of the Royal family’s many homes. The Castle is an attractive palace with lovely, well-kept grounds. We visited on a Sunday, which meant that St. George’s Chapel was unfortunately closed. It is one of the highlights of the grounds since it was extensively renovated after a fire in 1992.  Instead we toured Queen Mary’s doll house collection and the impressive staterooms. After seeing much stonework and marble in continental palaces, I was surprised to find that artistic woodworking dominated the Windsor interior.  Clearly the Royal family lives in style, but I found it hard to imagine the Queen waltzing the halls since it was milling with tourists at the time.

Christmas dinner in Britain was very close to the Canadian version. There were the additions of red cabbage and bread sauce, plus the potatoes were roasted not mashed. Dessert was a delicious selection of Chocolate Roulade and Christmas pudding with brandy butter. We celebrated with Christmas crackers and warmed port with lemon. 

The weather cleared on Christmas day so we were able to take a walk around the “Barbican” or harbourfront area of Plymouth. Here, cobblestone streets weave up to an old military barracks which sits atop a hill to provide strategic views of the sea. Nearby there is a ferris-wheel for even higher sightseeing and a red-white striped lighthouse which once provided the backdrop for a Beatles photograph. An important landmark along this stretch is the Mayflower Steps. In 1620 pilgrims bound for North America boarded the ship, Mayflower, from this spot to head towards a new beginning.

 The Mayflower Steps

Later in the week we made an excursion to the Eden Project, a series of biomes which mimic the climate conditions of other areas around the world. It was built as an educational project in 2000 to revitalize a disused quarry and now holds two massive bubble-like domes showcasing Mediterranean and tropical rainforest climates. There is also an ice rink in the winter and an exhibition building called The Core. The biomes look alien-like from the outside and you do seem to enter a different world once inside. My favourite was the rainforest biome which held a variety of plants including banana, coffee, cocoa, vanilla, pineapple, rubber and bamboo. There is no need for winter coats in this place; you can climb to a plateau at the top of the biome where it is a humid 34° Celsius!

 In the Mediterranean.

 From the top of the Rainforest.

After leaving the Oates family we stayed one evening with Rick and Jo Turner outside of Exeter. It was fabulous to see their 16^th century home with its charming (yet wonky) plaster walls and slanted floors. In Exeter itself we got to tour the Cathedral, but I would like to share instead our experience at the Turner’s business, The Big Sheep.  This award-winning agricultural attraction has everything to offer from sheepdog trials to waterparks, combat zones, train rides, sheep races and a brewery. Around the farm I found this furry face and a pig ride (pulled by pink tractor). The picture at the bottom is of the children play-area. Do you see the grey wall between the two slides? Shockingly, it is also a slide which I begrudgingly went down after both Rick led the way. Truth be told, I did find it fun. Check out The Big Sheep at www.thebigsheep.co.uk.

There is one last bit I would like to share about Devon. On our drive back from The Big Sheep, Rick took us to the most unusual pub located in the countryside near Sourton. The pub is called the Highwayman and has been ornately decorated to appear like something from a fairytale. You enter through the door of a stagecoach into a series of rooms crammed with character, including one which mimics a ship’s cabin and a somewhat creepy shrine to road-killed animals. It is the most remarkable pub I’ve been in; the type of place where you would notice something different every time you visit. 

The ship's cabin.

Next, Garnet and I were off to London for one of the more memorable experiences of our trip: New Years in London’s city centre! I’ll share that tale next time.

Happy February!

Shannon

Wearing out shoes in Prague

We spent our last few days on continental Europe in the historical city of Prague, Czech Republic. When traveling by train, we witnessed the change from the white marble lines of Austrian architecture to the yellowed walls and dusty red roofing tiles of Bohemia. I was relieved to find that most people spoke large amounts of English in Prague; an effort I think that one-language travelers like myself do not appreciate enough.

Tourism plays an important role in Prague's dynamics; souvenir shops line the streets and apparently the city has a reputation that rivals Amsterdam for its hopping night-life. Maps and brochures in the hostel pointed to the nearest burlesque shows, pub crawls and night clubs. Although the party atmosphere is infectious, we did not spend any time in the clubs. We did attempt to go on a beer tour, but it was cancelled after we were the only people to show. We also tried to catch some live music, but the bar did not open till 10pm and we had arrived too early. At least we tried!

Prague is a city in which we did a lot of walking... to the point where we had to buy Garnet a new pair of shoes because he had developed a hole in one. Walking was a nice way to see the contrasts of Prague, such as the differences between its Old Town and New Town. It is amusing for a Canadian to consider Prague's "New" Town, which dates to the 14th century! Not many of the original buildings remain, but even the newer architecture is still old by North American standards. One of the main features in the New Town is the long, narrow Wenceslas Square. At night it is beautiful, with its statue of St Wencelas standing sentinel in front of the National Museum.

At the center of the Old Town is the Old Town Square, which happened to be just around the corner from Hostel Homer where we were staying. To my pleasure, the square was filled with a Czech Christmas market. In comparison to German markets there seemed to be less sweets, but a greater selection of hot foods. Here's a look at the square:

Above is the astrology tower, the main attraction in the Old Town Square. The detail on the right shows the dials on the side of the tower. If you look carefully you can see a small skeleton to the right of the upper dial. At certain times the skeleton will pull a rope to start the bell ringing which is then answered by a trumpeter at the top of the tower.

 

Here are pictures of the square depicting the Gothic style Tyn Church which was originally built by the Hussites, but taken over by the Roman Catholics. Interestingly, if you examine the church spires you will see that they are not symmetrical. This intentional difference represents masculine and feminine dimensions. Also, legend has it that this church inspired Walt Disney's palace. Understandable considering how gorgeous it is lit up at night.

Below are some of the goodies we discovered at the Christmas market. The cylindrical pastry is the traditional Trdelnik, a delicious roasted dough rolled in sugar. Mmmm...

An important landmark in Prague is Charles Bridge, a walking bridge which stretches across the Vltava River. The bridge was lined with street vendors and a few die-hard jazz musicians despite a bit of rain. When it was built in the 14th century is was the main access to Prague Castle from the Old Town. We learned more about how it was constructed at the Charles Bridge Museum. In the below picture, the Bridge is in the foreground, and the tall spires on the hill behind belong to the cathedral in Prague Castle.

Prague Castle was one of the highlights of our time in the city. Visitors can opt for a short or long tour, and since we were hard-core tourists we committed to the long tour which basically gives you access to everything on the grounds. At the center of the complex is St Vitus Cathedral, an example of Gothic architecture which soars above the city skyline. Many other attractions surround the Cathedral including the Old Royal Palace where you can visit throne rooms and great halls, the street entitled Golden Lane which originally housed soldiers but was used by civilians into the 1900s, St George's Basilica/Convent, the Rosenberg Palace which became an unmarried noble woman's school, the Powder Tower showcasing the Castle Guard, and the Picture Gallery exhibiting the Castle's works of art.

Here are pictures to help me explain:

The main entrance to the palace.

It was quite a challenge to take a picture of the Castle Guard because many goofy male tourists wished to pose with them (luckily Garnet was not one!). I imagine it would not be easy to keep a serious face.

 St Vitus inside and out.

 Restored ceiling in the Rosenberg palace.

A replica of Saint Wenceslas's impressive crown in the Old Royal Palace. Wenceslas was the Duke of Bohemia from 921 to 935. He was apparently a just leader, but was nevertheless assassinated by his brother. His death only fueled his popularity until he became considered the patron saint of the Czech Republic.

The great hall in the Old Royal Palace.

Despite the mediocre weather, the Palace still provided remarkable views of the city.

 

Beyond Palace grounds, another very worthwhile area to visit is the Old Jewish district. Located here is an Old Jewish cemetery which was used for over 300 years beginning in the 15th century. The cemetery is relatively small, but holds countless burials because there are multiple layers of tombs. Sadly it was closed when we visited, but I stole this picture through a small gate. It's an incredible sight. 

Prague was a memorable city and a nice way to end our travels around the continent. As of December 23rd, we boarded a plane to the United Kingdom to spend Christmas with relatives. I still have many stories to share about the trip so stay tuned for more. 

In other news, it has been brought to my attention that readers have had some difficulty commenting on my blogs. If you click the "no comments" button a dialogue box will appear where you can type a message. If this method does not work please let me know through other means and I'll see if I can figure out what will work.

Cheers!

Shannon