Oxford University

We decided to leave London a day early to visit our friend Marty, who is attending Oxford.  This will be our first time meeting a friend on one of these EU trips.  It will be nice to have a tour guide!

But before we left the city, I attempted to again visit the Natural Science Museum.  That Wooly Mammoth again alluded me, because within ten minutes of its opening, the line was over an hour just to get inside.  We ventured down the block to the Science Museum and enjoyed a few displays there for a bit.  Then off to jump on a train at the famous Paddington station to Oxford!  (Yes, the children's bear books are of the same relation)

Oxford is a pretty large town, which is not like what they show on tv.  We got to Oxford as soon as Marty's classes were over and he is so on his game he found us at the train station. If you ever have the chance to see this University with a student, take it.  The College system here is very different and hard to explain.  A lot of odd British traditions stem from this University, so it was interesting to hear those stories.  Marty has his own small apartment and each College has their own local bar. It was very cool to tour some of the Colleges (apparently Harry Potter was partially filmed here) and hang out with Marty.  Props for Marty being a great host/tour guide!!!  John now we should come visit you!

The Oxford "Bridge of Sighs"

Just a normal dining hall for Oxford students:

We are now taking the bus from Oxford to Heathrow and should be home soon enough to give D a hug!!

London-Day 6-Pubs and walks

When I knew we coming to London, I got excited because I knew it was near Stonehenge.  This was on my original top ten bucket list for Europe!  However, tour companies do not run tours in February.   Also, it isn't really possible to go inside of Stonehenge at this time of year.  So needless to say, we did not rent a car and venture out for the slight prospect of only seeing the outside from a distance.

Instead we slept in and did what we do best--wandered around.  I smashed up three Rick Steves city walks and the city's pub tour.  It required a lot of walking and missing turns, but after you have stopped at a few pubs it doesn't seem too bad.  We started near Covent Gardens, which is an old market and the streets around house the city's theater (theatre?) district.  From here we went back to the Thames & went to the Embankment bridge for photos.  We are grateful our friends travel, as this was a recommendation from Amber.  Sadly, this was our first day with a lot of rain so the pictures were not our best.   From here we meandered through the river gardens to the Somerset House.  This house was important for the British naval fleet, but was closed for Fashion Week!  

After this, we merged the City (old part) and edge of Westminster neighborhoods walks.  The British Queen is still required to get permission from the Mayor to cross from Westminster into the City...and there's a statue to commentate this odd rule.  There were so many great stops, including St. Bride's Church which inspired the Wedding Cake and vaccinations!   

But we had so much fun visiting the touristy pubs.  Here were some of our faves:  The Old Bank (yes it's an old bank),  the Cheshire Cat (where everyone from Lord Alfred Tennyson, Dickens and Johnson wrote), and BlackFriars (a restored 1600s pub).  We love the local pubs here, but the British aren't nearly as friendly as the Irish or Italians.

It was great to wander around such a city.  We walked where so many historic people have walked before us, including Caesar and Churchill.  I'll leave you with this picture of the view from behind St. Paul's from a shopping mall:

London-Day 5-Food & Sights

An aggressive four days will get you though all of London's must see sights.  With day five, we had time to explore the much less frequently seen sights.  As I knew Jordan was growing restless of the same city, I knew I needed to entertain him.  We ventured out across the Thames, into the suburbs.  Our first stop included a touristy area named Gabriel's Wharf, where I stopped at a foodie's dream area and tried a true British pie.  I tried one with sweet potatoes, chicken, and curry spice.  I did like this Pieminister place.  

After this, we did go to a beautiful park and the Imperial War Museum. This museum had artifacts from WWI until now.  We were both impressed by the style of the museum and the museum artifacts.  I did not know the European citizens of Hong Kong were in a very harsh internment camp, which I learned from the most beautiful quilted diary a nurse kept.  Also, the officers of Britain kept the original flag in the prison camp and in 1945 marched back to put up this flag as victory ensued.   Every war museum I visit further instills in me how grateful I am for being born into this generation & Jordan not joining the military.

After this, we went across part of the city to another borough.  As we crossed Mayfair, the window shopping was the best in the world! We eventually found Sotheby's and got to enjoy their exhibits.  Yes, this famous auction house is available to the public.  

After I dragged Jordan to more art, I realized I had to get him to a good eatery; and London has the original Hard Rock.

As any one who frequents this blog knows we love Hard Rock.  It provides a standard menu & good drinks.  The Hard Rock franchise started at this locale, on the famous Park Lane.  It was given a three month lease because no one thought the idea of American burgers would create a special place.  The food, the drugs (shhhh), the stage for performers and the crazy two owners were a perfect recipe for success in the 1970s.  In 1979, Eric Clapton gave his guitar to reserve a stool at the busy bar;  within a week, Pete Townsend gave a guitar to reserve a better stool.  They continued to one up each other until the late 1980s.  Also,  the restaurant bought famous memorabilia from other acts to further their collection.  --but again, we enjoy the American food!

We were done for the day, so we enjoyed the local pub of Crown and Rose which has been used by the RAF (Royal Air Force), Oliver Cromwell, and many others.  We had to kill time before the Jack the Ripper tour with some local drinks.  We ventured to Tower Hill to take the almost two hour Jack the Ripper Tour.  It was good, but the Whitechapel series delivers better facts.  (Or the Wilmington, NC bar tour...per the Hornacks.). I did enjoy seeing the places of the murders, as gruesome as it was.   We enjoyed a Beefeater tour guide, so he was crazy.

After that, we left the scary area to go home! 

London Commentary

At this point in the trip, I (Lauren) like to comment in general about the place we have visited.  As many of you know, we named our son Dublin.  If it was a girl,  I really wanted to name her London.  And these British children are too cute with their accents and funny words!

London has not disappointed, but the sense of adventure is not here.   London feels all too familiar.  Between our ties to the British and our understanding of the EU in general, nothing has surprised us.  Of course, needing a break from our lives, it has delivered as a vacation. 

Right now, London is a buzz with their "cult" classic soap opera, East Enders.  It's a BBC classic & they are arriving on the multi-year conclusion of Who Shot Lucy. This is similar celebration to Who Shot JR in Dallas!  Even I am becoming caught up in this craziness and last night we saw the conclusion! (Please refer to a Swiss post from 2012)

Last random thoughts on London:  many statues (beats Paris, could rival Venice but not per square foot), the Wifi is good, and it truly lives up the melting pot rep.  It beats NYC because more African and Middle Eastern countries are represented.  This is truly the easiest and best public transportation system in the world and my feet thank you for that!

All and all, we are actually enjoying London as a tourist vacation.  Sadly, we can't call this an adventure.....yet.

London Day 4 : Westminster

When you think of London, you think of Westminster.  That's even the name of the tube (subway) stop.  I had gotten tickets for a 9am tour of Parliament.  When we stepped off the tube, we met Big Ben (Elizabeth).  

The security check was intense for the Parliament tour, but we truly got an insider's view. We were spoiled by our amazing tour guide, Mary, who spent two hours going through the Queen's rooms, House of Lords & House of Commons.  The three areas were of vast difference in ornament and decoration.  Also, we started our tour in Westminster Hall.  This was the original site of the English government, from 1000s.

After that extensive tour, we deserved a local pub lunch.  I finally tried the traditional fish and chips.  

Next up we leisurely toured Westminster Abbey. Again, if you are my friend, you know this where Kate Middleton was married.  (Factoid: During Kate's procession, she stepped aside to not step on the grave of the Unknown Soldier.). Also, this is where all royal coronations are held.   It was very ornate and many royals/famous people are buried here.  One thing you do not see on tv is that people live here too and they have these amazing apartments with big green spaces.

Finally we got to the Churchill War Rooms.  Of course, this was for Jordan.  These rooms were the underground central nerve center in WWII for the British, including Winston Churchill.  Jordan smiled and took lots of pictures, so clearly he enjoyed it!  Even I was amazed to learn how many people sacrificed years of their lives completely housed underground to run the war.   The Map Room, which charted the war's location of all troops, was truly amazing. Below is the Military Chiefs of Staff Room. 

Next we got a bit turned around and ran into the Horse Guard Parade at their 4pm change.  Odd ceremony, but enjoyed seeing the decorated guards and horses.

We finally got our directions straight and quickly peeked at 10 Dowing Street, the Prime Minister's address.  Most of London has wowed me, but this did not.   I'll take the White House any day.

I couldn't leave this area without seeing St. James Palace and Buckingham Palace.  At this time of year, because the Queen resides in this area, the best you can do is visit the outside.  It was beautiful though! 

We finally finished our busy day back at the Paddington area with real Italian food (we had to order in Italian from the menu)! And then I finally found a pub my favorite drink, Stongbow.

We are truly liking London and are finally complete with my aggressive tourist agenda!  

-Lauren

 

Antiquities and Sherlock; London Day 3

This day was going to be devoted mostly to “Lauren” activities, so we started off bright and early at the British Library.  They have quite a collection here, including original papers and writings from the likes of Shakespeare and the Beatles.  The library also has the Kings Collection on display; a massive collection of classic works presented to the library by George II when he inherited it from his father who collected it all.  Most importantly, the British Library also holds one of the four original Magna Carta documents.  Unfortunately it was out for the huge celebration going on this summer for the 800th anniversary of the signing.  Luckily they did have a reproduction and plenty of other original documents.

  Next, we headed to the British Museum which is quite a site.  It isn’t quite as massive as the Louvre but it is still massive.  They also have their own collection of very unique things; including mummies, the Lindow Man, and the Rosetta Stone.  With so much to see I won’t describe everything but seeing the Rosetta Stone in person is a rare experience.  































  After a long morning of touring antiquities, we were in the mood for something a little lighter and most importantly with drinks.  Lauren had found a little place nearby called Bubbledogs so we headed there.  This place is exactly what it sounds like; hot dogs and champagne.  We  enjoyed a really good lunch, some drinks, and a little chat with the owner.  













  Full and rested up a bit, we hopped back on the tube headed for one of Lauren's favorite things; Sherlock Holmes.  Getting off the tube at Baker Street it was pretty clear we were in the right place.  We then headed to the Sherlock Holmes museum and enjoyed some classic London weather as the rain really set in.  The museum was very cute, but I was sad to see some people there who seemed to think they were seeing the actual former home of a real person.  Oh well, at least Lauren enjoyed it.  After that we headed to a Sherlock themed pub to end our day.






















 Unfortunately, as we strolled around we ended up at Trafalgar Square, just in front of the British National Gallery at about 5:20; plenty of time to pop in.  Lauren loves the Water Lilly series and they have a few so we went in and took a look.  When we exited the rain had picked up a bit and it had gotten fairly dark but we got our first glimpse of Big Ben (I know that isn't it's real name, yes) and it was quite a site.  No picture, the camera didn't like the rain and the distance but we could see it lit up and just behind the statue of Lord Nelson from our perspective. 























  Lastly, we headed back towards our hotel at Paddington and (after a little searching) found a pub frequented by locals.  We were hoping to talk to some but we ended up drinking with some very fun Scottish guys instead.  A great end to a long day.

-Jordan

London Day Two

Any day in London where it promises not to rain, you have to
get out and about in this town.  In one week, my self-imposed deadline arrives so I wanted to enjoy a day in London
that I had dreamed about for so long. 

The theme of the day was Queen Victoria, the longest reigning monarch of the British Empire.  Queen Victoria never saw the sun set on the British Empire and was married to the true love of her life, Prince Albert.   My mother named me after this British Royal and after today I am even more honored to have her name.

We started at the Marble Arch, which is an entrance to Hyde Park.  We raced to Speaker’s Corner, the
famous spot where anyone can say anything without penalty.  On this early Sunday morning with fog, no one
wanted to speak apperently.  We sighed a bit, but decided to walk through the park. 

This park is very flat and was created around Serpentine lake.  We enjoyed watching the locals use the park for exercise, dogs off “leads,” and children running around aimlessly.  On our way, we passed by the Serpentine Art
Galleries.  These Galleries were a favorite of Princess Diana and she was one of the main patrons.  The first gallery exhibited works of a German
artist who invented a certain type of exhibition art which uses light and mirrors to reflect art and movement. 
Both of us found we could enjoy this exhibit.  The second exhibit was so bad, I couldn’t go past the first room.  Again, let go of the modern art Britain. 

As we crossed the road into Kensington Park, I got excited for what was to come next.  At the end of the park, was the Prince Albert monument.  This was Queen Victoria’s husband so this monument was large and evoked all corners of the British Empire. It combined British history with Roman, as the Romans conquered England first. You have to see it:

Across from the statue is the Royal Albert concert hall.  People dream of playing in this place.

Next we walked a few blocks down Exhibition Road to the cluster of museums.   I wanted to visit the British Natural History Museum, but the line was over one hour just to enter the museum.  Hopefully later in the week I can visit to the world’s first/best stuffed Wooly Mammoth!  To avoid the lines, we went across the street to the Victoria and Albert Museum.  This
museum was impressive; it can’t quite rival the Louvre, but the collections are certainly amazing.  The museum has
everything from fashion dresses, to sculpture, to European and Asian Artifacts.   We saw so many great artists and finally got to see one of Leonardo’s sketch notebooks in person.  I couldn’t help but reference Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as small wings devoted to each artist’s (turtle?) works was in the European floors.   Also, we saw many artifacts from BC and 100-500 AD.   This was
impressive and I could not help but to stare. However, we learned from Egyptian tombs – money cannot buy you class or fashion sense…please note the sock has only one split, as it was worn with sandals.   

The Queen  & King also commissioned replicas of famous statues and these are placed in one four story room.   This was truly unique and I even caught Jordan staring. 

After all of that history, we needed to eat at a local pub.  During lunch, to ensure Jordan could enjoy some London history, I found Sir Winston Churchill’s old residence’s address.   He lived a block away from Kensington Park, so after some searching we found his old house.  We had to walk through a few of the most expensive housing blocks in the world, most were used by embassies or consultants.  These houses left me speechless.  This walk should be on every one’s tourist map of London.

After that adventure, we quickly ran back to the park to go to Kensington Palace.  I’m sure if you are reading my blog, you are aware this is where Kate Middleton resides.  The Palace allows you in the original part of the Palace for four exhibits.  The first shows you the original part of the Palace, which was a house Queen Mary &
Prince William bought (From Magna Carta fame). 
The second show the next family
and there expensive addition.  The last
shows the life of Queen Victoria.  The
fourth was a special exhibition of dresses worn by Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret (her sister) and Princess Diana. 
It was great!  The Palace was a bit small, but still neat to imagine the royalty that lived there. 

The next stop was the Orangery Tea Room, which is part of Kensington Palace.  So many royals and famous people have had afternoon tea here, I had to try it.  As I have never had afternoon tea, I was giddy. The tea service was amazing, as well as the champagne they paired with it.  I’m not sure I will be enjoying afternoon tea
again, but this one time was perfect as I sat and watched the locals play in the park. 

We quickly ran to another double decker bus, and went straight to Harrods’s.   As we approached this store, I wanted to snap my fingers and have my mom be with me.   (This also happened yesterday when I took ten minutes to stare at the royal crowns.) 
The store was quite overwhelming, but it did have every brand you could imagine for every type of everything in the world. 

We ended the night on a street with all local restaurants, off of Bond Street.   We will probably visit again, as it was hard to even choose one place to eat.   It made me appreciate London as a true
melting pot. 

I am so tired, so I’m watching the BBC and laughing at these funny British words.   I cannot wait for tomorrow, as we are visiting the British Library and lots of Sherlock places!   (I promise Jordan will get to enjoy a day soon…….)

-Lauren