Today begins the first leg of our 3-week European trip, with multiple stops in England and France. We have been planning this trip for a long time and have developed a complex and overly ambitious detailed itinerary.
In England, we planned to visit the following cities:
On Saturday, May 22, 2010, we departed from San Francisco aboard Virgin Airlines VS020, a direct flight to London's Heathrow Airport, landing in London at 11:05am local time the next day. The flight was long and tedious, but we managed it without complications.
May 23, 2010
After getting our bags out and passing through customs, we took a taxi to our hotel, Premier Inn on Belvedere Road in downtown London.
We checked into our tiny room, dropped off our bags, and decided to walk around. This location is perfect - right in the heart of London - with the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey nearby.
Right next to us was the London Eye (Giant Ferris Wheel). We decided to get lunch at the nearby Italian Restaurant - Cucina - and then ride the London Eye.
Alex had a delicious pizza, and Inna had some pizza and fries. The food was served quickly and was of reasonable quality.
After finishing lunch, we headed for the London Eye. The line to get tickets was not long, and we were quickly whisked away to the top.
According to Wikipedia:
The view of London from the top of the London Eye is spectacular, and we enjoyed seeing London on a warm spring day.
After the ride, we decided to cool off by eating some ice cream (as it was scorching) in the park by the London Eye.
Nearby, we had a nice view of the nearby London Aquarium but did not go in.
Near our hotel, the London Eye's massive superstructure gave a modern feel to London.
As it was warm out, we decided to take the river cruise along the River Thames. We saw many beautiful, famous London landmarks, including St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Globe Theater, Golden Hinde Replica, HMS Belfast, Tower of London, and many others. The following photos and Wikipedia articles illustrate these landmarks:
The boat tour turned around, and we were back near the London Eye. Big Ben and the House of Parliament can be seen nearby, and I took a few photos:
May 24, 2010
We explored Kensington Gardens, one of London's 8 royal parks, in the morning. We enjoyed a wonderful stroll through the park and enjoyed the many fountains, ponds, and gardens.
At the far end of Kensington Gardens in the Albert Memorial.
Nearby, across the street, is the Royal Albert Hall, where many music concerts take place.
There were a bunch of rollerbladers doing tricks and jumps. Here is a short video of their stunts:
We turned back and headed back to Kensington Gardens.
After Kensington Gardens, Inna visited the Victoria and Albert Museum while Alex and I explored London's Science Museum.
Inna loved the Victoria and Albert Museum and would have liked to spend more time there. I only got glimpses of various statues and enjoyed most of what I saw.
London's Science Museum was fantastic as well. I didn't realize how vast it is and how many valuable objects (trains, airplanes, cars, clocks, computers) it contains.
May 27, 2010
After visiting the Science Museum, Inna and I met at the Victoria and Albert Museum and decided to check out Harrod's Department Store. Harrod's is an upscale department store similar to Neiman Marcus in the U.S.
While there, we had lunch in one of the many shops and I left my camera there. After Harrod's, we stopped by a nearby restaurant when I realized it was missing. I went back to Harrod's and was thankfully able to recover it. It was still there at the bench where I sat! I did not want to lose the camera or all of the beautiful photos.
We had our dinner at Da Scalzo Bakery near Harrod's,
After dinner, we returned to our hotel and walked around night-time London. Big Ben was well-lit, and all of London looks wonderful at night.
In England, we planned to visit the following cities:
- London (with side trips to Kew Gardens, Leeds Castle, Windsor Castle)
- Cambridge
- Cotswolds (Chipping Campden, Bourton-on-the-Water)
- Bath (with stops in Stourhead Gardens)
- Portsmouth
From Portsmouth, we would take a ferry to Honfleur, France, where we would continue our journey with stops in the following cities:
- Honfleur
- Giverny
- Mont-Sainte-Michel
- Chenonceau
- Chambord
- Lyons
- Cannes
- Nice
Since we visited Paris last year, we decided to bypass it altogether. From Nice, we would fly back to London and take the transatlantic flight back to San Francisco.
On Saturday, May 22, 2010, we departed from San Francisco aboard Virgin Airlines VS020, a direct flight to London's Heathrow Airport, landing in London at 11:05am local time the next day. The flight was long and tedious, but we managed it without complications.
May 23, 2010
After getting our bags out and passing through customs, we took a taxi to our hotel, Premier Inn on Belvedere Road in downtown London.
We checked into our tiny room, dropped off our bags, and decided to walk around. This location is perfect - right in the heart of London - with the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey nearby.
Right next to us was the London Eye (Giant Ferris Wheel). We decided to get lunch at the nearby Italian Restaurant - Cucina - and then ride the London Eye.
Alex had a delicious pizza, and Inna had some pizza and fries. The food was served quickly and was of reasonable quality.
After finishing lunch, we headed for the London Eye. The line to get tickets was not long, and we were quickly whisked away to the top.
According to Wikipedia:
The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames in London, England. The entire structure is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft).It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually.[5] When erected in 1999 it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until surpassed first by the 160 m (520 ft) Star of Nanchang in 2006 and then the 165 m (541 ft) Singapore Flyer in 2008. Supported by an A-frame on one side only, unlike the taller Nanchang and Singapore wheels, the Eye is described by its operators as "the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel".[6] It offered the highest public viewing point in the city[citation needed] until it was superseded by the 245-metre (804 ft)[7] observation deck on the 72nd floor of The Shard, which opened to the public on 1 February 2013.[8]
The view of London from the top of the London Eye is spectacular, and we enjoyed seeing London on a warm spring day.
After the ride, we decided to cool off by eating some ice cream (as it was scorching) in the park by the London Eye.
Nearby, we had a nice view of the nearby London Aquarium but did not go in.
Near our hotel, the London Eye's massive superstructure gave a modern feel to London.
As it was warm out, we decided to take the river cruise along the River Thames. We saw many beautiful, famous London landmarks, including St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Globe Theater, Golden Hinde Replica, HMS Belfast, Tower of London, and many others. The following photos and Wikipedia articles illustrate these landmarks:
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604.[2] St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother church of the Diocese of London. The present church dating from the late 17th century was built to an English Baroque design of Sir Christopher Wren, as part of a major rebuilding program which took place in the city after the Great Fire of London, and was completed within his lifetime.[3]The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London, with its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, dominating the skyline for 300 years.[4] At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1962, and its dome is also among the highest in the world. In terms of area, St Paul's is the second largest church building in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral.
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613.[4] A second Globe Theatre was built on the same site by June 1614 and closed in 1642.[5]A modern reconstruction of the Globe, named "Shakespeare's Globe", opened in 1997 approximately 750 feet (230 m) from the site of the original theatre.[6]
The Golden Hind or Hinde was an English galleon best known for its circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580, captained by Sir Francis Drake. She was originally known as the Pelican, but was renamed by Drake mid-voyage in 1578, as he prepared to enter the Strait of Magellan, calling it the Golden Hind to compliment his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose armorial crest was a golden 'hind' (a female deer). Hatton was one of the principal sponsors of Drake's world voyage.
HMS Belfast is a museum ship, originally a Royal Navy light cruiser, permanently moored in London on the River Thames and operated by the Imperial War Museum.Construction of Belfast, the first Royal Navy ship to be named after the capital city of Northern Ireland and one of ten Town-class cruisers, began in December 1936. She was launched on St Patrick's Day, 17 March 1938. Commissioned in early August 1939 shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War,Belfast was initially part of the British naval blockade against Germany. In November 1939 Belfast struck a German mine and spent more than two years undergoing extensive repairs. Returning to action in November 1942 with improved firepower, radar equipment and armour, Belfast was the largest and arguably most powerful cruiser in the Royal Navy at the time. Belfast saw action escorting Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union during 1943, and in December 1943 played an important role in the Battle of North Cape, assisting in the destruction of the German warship Scharnhorst. In June 1944 Belfast took part in Operation Overlord supporting the Normandy landings. In June 1945 Belfast was redeployed to the Far East to join the British Pacific Fleet, arriving shortly before the end of the Second World War. Belfast saw further combat action in 1950–52 during the Korean War and underwent an extensive modernisation between 1956 and 1959. A number of further overseas commissions followed before Belfast entered reserve in 1963.
Tower Bridge (built 1886–1894) is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name. Contrary to popular belief, the song "London Bridge is Falling Down" has nothing to do with Tower Bridge. They are completely different bridges.[1] It has become an iconic symbol of London.
The bridge consists of two towers tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways, designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for the Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee. Originally it was painted a mid greenish-blue colour.[2]
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England, United Kingdom. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the square mile of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site.
The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of theCrown Jewels of the United Kingdom. From the early 14th century until the reign of Charles II, a procession would be led from the Tower to Westminster Abbey on the coronation of a monarch. In the absence of the monarch, the Constable of the Tower is in charge of the castle. This was a powerful and trusted position in the medieval period. In the late 15th century the castle was the prison of the Princes in the Tower. Under the Tudors, the Tower became used less as a royal residence, and despite attempts to refortify and repair the castle its defences lagged behind developments to deal with artillery.
The boat tour turned around, and we were back near the London Eye. Big Ben and the House of Parliament can be seen nearby, and I took a few photos:
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London,[1] and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower,[2] officially named the Elizabeth Tower, as well. Elizabeth Tower holds the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world and is the third-tallest free-standing clock tower.[3] It celebrated its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009,[4] during which celebratory events took place.[5][6] The tower was completed in 1858 and has become one of the most prominent symbols of both London and England, often in the establishing shot of films set in the city.
May 24, 2010
We explored Kensington Gardens, one of London's 8 royal parks, in the morning. We enjoyed a wonderful stroll through the park and enjoyed the many fountains, ponds, and gardens.
At the far end of Kensington Gardens in the Albert Memorial.
Nearby, across the street, is the Royal Albert Hall, where many music concerts take place.
There were a bunch of rollerbladers doing tricks and jumps. Here is a short video of their stunts:
We turned back and headed back to Kensington Gardens.
After Kensington Gardens, Inna visited the Victoria and Albert Museum while Alex and I explored London's Science Museum.
Inna loved the Victoria and Albert Museum and would have liked to spend more time there. I only got glimpses of various statues and enjoyed most of what I saw.
London's Science Museum was fantastic as well. I didn't realize how vast it is and how many valuable objects (trains, airplanes, cars, clocks, computers) it contains.
May 27, 2010
After visiting the Science Museum, Inna and I met at the Victoria and Albert Museum and decided to check out Harrod's Department Store. Harrod's is an upscale department store similar to Neiman Marcus in the U.S.
While there, we had lunch in one of the many shops and I left my camera there. After Harrod's, we stopped by a nearby restaurant when I realized it was missing. I went back to Harrod's and was thankfully able to recover it. It was still there at the bench where I sat! I did not want to lose the camera or all of the beautiful photos.
We had our dinner at Da Scalzo Bakery near Harrod's,
After dinner, we returned to our hotel and walked around night-time London. Big Ben was well-lit, and all of London looks wonderful at night.
May 28, 2010
In the morning, we decided to visit Westminster Abbey. We went inside the Abbey but were not allowed to take pictures. It is beautiful inside, and all the most prominent scientists and kings are buried here. The remains of Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and many others are here.
After exploring and learning more about Westminster Abbey, we headed to Hampstead Heath Park, located in the Northwest of London.
Hampstead Heath had some lovely children's playgrounds, and Alex decided to try out all the exciting obstacles (that he had not seen in the U.S.)
Here is a short video of Alex's climbing adventures:
In the morning, we decided to visit Westminster Abbey. We went inside the Abbey but were not allowed to take pictures. It is beautiful inside, and all the most prominent scientists and kings are buried here. The remains of Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and many others are here.
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still (and currently) monarchs of the Commonwealth realms. The abbey is a Royal Peculiar and briefly held the status of a cathedral from 1540 to 1550.
After exploring and learning more about Westminster Abbey, we headed to Hampstead Heath Park, located in the Northwest of London.
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering 320 hectares. This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London Clay.By the time we got to Hampstead Heath, it was already lunchtime, so we decided to try a nearby restaurant. We had terrific sandwiches and the best scones we have ever had, without afternoon English breakfast tea.
Here is a short video of Alex's climbing adventures:
We explored the large park a bit more.
Alex decided to try climbing a few trees.
Exiting Hampstead Heath Park, we found ourselves in a charming neighborhood with beautiful houses.
As it was a bit early for dinner, we explored the various shops in Hampstead Heath. Inna made dinner reservations in Villa Bianca at 7:00pm, so we went to eat there. Villa Bianca had terrific food, and the setting was very nice. Most Londoners eat much later than 7:00 pm, as we were the first people in the door.
As this was our last day in London (we would be heading to Cambridge the next day), we stayed out late, exploring night-time London.
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