London 2007

A Week In (and Around) London

Hello and welcome to the Fall 2007 installment of James and Julie travel the world. For this adventure we needed our passports (no we didn't go to Canada, eh) from September 22nd through the 29th. This particular excursion across the pond took us to see London, England and surrounding areas. This trip was our gift to each other in celebration of our 10th wedding anniversary (yes, the anniversary was in June, but we decided not to go to London during Wimbledon). We purchased a Tour Package from Insight Vacations. It included airfare, 6 nights hotel, and 2 1/2 days of bus tours. The rest of the time we had to ourselves to explore. We met some wonderful people who were on the same tour and staying at our hotel. We hope you will enjoy reading about our adventures (or at least looking at the pictures).




Saturday, 9/22/2007 – Final Preparations and Catching a Flight

We were very excited about our trip, so we had most everything taken care of and ready to go a couple days in advance. We had a red-eye flight direct from Orlando to Gatwick leaving around 6p. We actually missed one of the Orlando Broadway Series plays on the day of our departure because we didn't think we could make it from the show to the airport on time. That being said, James' sister and niece were able to use the tickets. James' parents were going to the play too so all six of us went to lunch before the show. After lunch we finished triple checking our list of things to take and then got everything packed. We got to the airport the suggested couple hours early for an international flight and then boarded the large Virgin Atlantic jet. We sat on the plane for about an hour waiting to take off because of thunderstorms in the area (great start); then we were on our way.

World map with red line from Orlando, Florida to London, England
Orlando to London; not actual flight path



Sunday, 9/23/2007 – Arriving in London and Getting Oriented

After a pleasant flight we landed at Gatwick around 6a local time. We gathered our luggage and got through customs to meet the ground transportation people who would get us to our hotel. After a little looking around, the signage was not the best, we found the kiosk and after another short wait we boarded the Gatwick Express train which runs from Gatwick Airport to Victoria Station. During the hour long ride we passed through some picturesque countryside before seeing signs for more development and finally passing over the River Thames into the heart of London. We got on a mini-bus to get from the station to our hotel. On the way we learned there was some special event that day resulting in some of the roads being closed. After some u-turns, and what seemed to us to be alley driving, we got to our hotel about 10:30a.

It was too early for us to check in to our room yet, so we left our luggage with the bellhops and headed out for a walk. We passed Westminster Chapel about a block from the hotel. Then we discovered we were very close to Buckingham Palace and the reason for the road closures was a special event sponsored by London's mayor promoting people biking to work. Pretty much all the roads around St. James Park and the east side of Buckingham Palace were closed for the event with vendors and such setup along the walkways. We spent a little time walking around near the palace and then decided to see what was on the other side of the hotel. We found we were close to a shopping district and found a McDonald's for lunch (not very English, sorry); we also discovered the numbers on the menu board were the same in the US, but with the exchange rate at the time a value meal was equal to about $10 US. Next to the shopping area was a very ornate church which was Westminster Cathedral. After James finished taking lots of detail shots, we returned to the hotel where we could now check into our room.

After checking in we received a packet from the tour group letting us know there would be an orientation meeting at the hotel that evening around 5p. Learning this, we promptly laid down and took a nap. We got up around 2:30p and headed back out. We wanted to purchase some play tickets for later in the week and figured the sooner we got them, the better seats we'd have. We decided to walk up to the West End through the bikers and squirrels in St James Park. From there we passed through the Admiralty Arch and into Trafalgar Square. We stopped for some pictures before proceeding up Charring Cross Road. We found the theater district with its restaurants, shops, and ticket outlets. We purchased tickets for Mary Poppins on Wednesday and then walked to Leicester Square where there is the UK version of the walk of fame. We then headed back in the general direction of the hotel stopping near the Admiralty Building to see the changing of the horse guard at Whitehall. By this time, it was getting later in the afternoon, so we headed back through St James Park passing what looked to be a Hobbit's City Hall and lots of birds on our way back to the hotel.

We arrived in time to drop some stuff at the room and head down to the outdoor lounge where the orientation get together was being held. Our tour group representative informed us how the bus tours, that were part of our package, would work and we needed to be in the hotel lobby by certain times each day to catch the busses. She also let us know where the Insight office was and, if we chose, we could go there to buy additional bus tours for the days we didn't already have things planned. After the meeting, we found a pub a couple blocks from the hotel to eat some more traditional fare before returning to the hotel room and turning in early. We had to be up early for the bus tour the next morning.




Monday, 9/24/2007 – A Day of Touring London

Monday started early with breakfast in the cafe at the hotel (part of the tour package) and then getting on the bus for our 1/2 day tour around London. There were several hotels that could be selected as a part of the same tour group. After the eight people from our hotel scurried through the rain to the bus, we headed around Buckingham Palace towards Hyde Park to pick up another couple of groups. The tour guide (not the person who did the orientation) was a little perturbed to not find everyone waiting at the other hotels and we actually spent about 30 minutes waiting (circling the block) for them. After that we made our way along Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens and passed several notable locations. The city of London puts blue markers on buildings with historic reference. We passed the home of J. M. Barrie who wrote Peter Pan. If you've seen Finding Neverland starring Johnny Depp, Kensington Park is where many of the outdoor scenes in the movie are set as it was across the street from the author's home. We also passed by where Princess Diana lived while in London, though it was set back from the road, and we couldn't get a good picture. We stopped on the south side of the park at the Royal Albert Hall where we could get out in the drizzle to get pictures of the statue the Queen commissioned. From there we drove through some more of the city streets until we passed Harrod's department store. The tour continued passing the US Embassy, through Trafalgar Square, past No. 10 Downing Street and then down along the river until we came to (Look Kids) Big Ben and Parliament. We turned there and the bus parked so everyone could get out and walk around Westminster Abbey. This is where the Monarchs are coronated. The rain had stopped by now, so James was able to take a few good pictures. We also realized at this point it wasn't far from the shopping district we'd found Sunday morning and decided to return for more pictures later. As we pulled away from the Abbey, the sun started to come out and was shining fully by the time we got to and parked near Buckingham Palace. Although the tour did not include it, we were in the area in time to watch part of the changing of the guard ceremony. There is actually a march that occurs from the guards barracks a couple blocks from the palace where the group going on duty marches (on our day with a band) into the palace grounds and then what is traditionally viewed as the changing of the guards occurs. We couldn't see in the grounds, but we were also in position about 20 minutes later to see the horse guard march by. After this, the tour returned to the tour office where people could either purchase additional tours or proceed back to their hotels. We opted to purchase an afternoon tour that would take us to some of the other sites around town. This gave us about an hour to eat lunch at a nearby cafe before returning to the tour office to catch the afternoon bus.

The afternoon tour included two architectural standards James was very excited to go see. We started the tour passing near the London Eye and then through part of the theater district. We then passed into one of the older portions of London where we saw a chapel still bearing damage from bombing during WWII. We also passed the Royal Court of Justice and the Twinings Tea Shop. We then got to our first destination which was St. Paul's Cathedral. James loved St. Paul's because of the simple beauty of the proportions and patterns in and around the cathedral. The building was actually designed by the mathematician Sir Christopher Wren who was responsible for a lot of the building projects after London's great fire of 1666 which destroyed a gothic church on the same site. After 3 attempts, the plans approved by the King at the time did not resemble what was built, but there was a clause Wren had all authority over the project if there were "problems" on the job so he worked to make sure there were "problems" on the things he didn't like. James was upset when he learned he couldn't take pictures inside. This was also where Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married as there would not have been room at Westminster Abbey where most of the other royal weddings occurred. There was an interesting building being constructed near the tour bus parking. After we all got back on the bus, we headed across London Bridge. It isn't much now, but there are markers on either side of it. We then circled over to cross Tower Bridge. On the way James took a picture of London City Hall (egg to the left) and the Gherkin which housed offices for an insurance company. We then arrived at the Tower of London which is still considered a Royal Residence. Our guide took us near Traitor's Gate, showed us where the ravens live near the White Tower and showed us where the same guards who are on duty at Buckingham Palace have a guard stationed at the tower. After that we had some free time to we walk through the building housing the British Crown Jewels and see some of the other exhibit areas.

The tour bus then took us through some of the city streets where we saw several interesting buildings before getting dropped off near our hotel. We tried a different pub for supper and then turned in early as the tour bus the next morning was leaving quite early.




Tuesday, 9/25/2007 – A Tour to the East

Tuesday started very early as it was one of the days we had a full day bus tour. We got up, did the usual morning activities and went down to breakfast so we could be ready to catch the bus by 7a. We learned on the day before the back of the bus is better for taking pictures because of the large open window and you've got more time to react to things, so we sat in the very back with John and Laurie from Petaluma, CA who were also in our hotel. They were traveling with another couple they were friends with, Tom and Kathy. This was the first of two consecutive tours they were going on, the second was to Ireland. We quickly learned John was in the construction industry so he and James tended to look at similar things. We also learned we were all "back of the bus" troublemakers. We stopped at a couple different hotels picking people up; everyone was ready Tuesday morning. Then the driver turned the bus to the southeast and we headed out of town.

After driving through some nice farmland, we arrived at our first stop, Leeds Castle. Leeds was originally built out on a lake as part of its fortifications; after several expansions over the years, it is extremely picturesque rising above the water. There are several different areas on the grounds used for various functions like the Pavilion Lawn. After exiting the bus, we stopped and traded taking pictures with each other's cameras so couples could both be in their own pictures. We then headed around to the old service entrance where the self-guided tour started. We saw the original cellar; they actually have a modern wine cellar as there are occasional fancy dinners still at the facility. Then we saw one of the bedroom's staged as it would have looked when one of the Continental Queens would have been in residence during 1300s. There was also a courtyard which showed where various building projects came together. James was impressed by the craftsmanship throughout, but especially in the ceiling and stone work of the original banquet hall. He also appreciated some of the furniture that was on display since he knew his parents would be trying to figure out how to get it home. There is a newer portion of the castle that was actually renovated in the late 1920s by the last of the private owners. Today it is used as a conference center and only about 1/3 of the facility is open to the public on tour. After leaving the castle proper, we made our way to the small village setting nearby that houses a gift shop, restrooms, and a museum dedicated to Dog Collars. Along the way the sun peeped out and James was able to get one of those postcard picture shots. The are several acres of gardens and the grounds are considered a bird sanctuary. As we loaded the bus to leave, we saw two gentlemen who were taking a falcon back to its home from a demonstration.

The tour continued to the east until we arrived at the City of Canterbury. The cathedral here was the destination of the group telling the various stories in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The reason people would make pilgrimages here was because, believing it was what the King wanted, some of Henry VII's knights errantly killed Thomas Becket in the Cathedral on December 29th, 1170. Since that time, it has been a place of pilgrimage and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. There was a designated bus depot for tour busses where we unloaded near the center of town. From there we passed signs of the original city borders, walked down Canterbury Lane and passed another stone church building. We then seemed to be in a themed shopping district in the narrow streets complete with a Starbucks when suddenly there was a small plaza area and on the right side of the street was an incredibly ornate stone archway. This is the entrance to the Cathedral grounds. For those of you who may not have read the Paris vacation website, James studied Gothic Architecture in school and really appreciates the beauty and artistry that went into building churches of that time period; the fact that Canterbury was a place of pilgrimage is evident in the richness of the details, stained-glass, and furnishings. Of the 800 pictures James took during the 6 days we were in England, over 5% of them were of the Cathedral. The Cathedral itself is massive and the adjacent buildings are so close that it is impossible on the ground to get it all in one picture. The main entrance shows some of its age but while we were there, the building was going through a massive refurbishment to repair damage and replace missing components inside and out. Stepping inside and seeing the volume of the interior space was simply awe inspiring. The portion that would be open to the general public for services is only half the length of the building and yet is larger than many other Cathedrals of the same period. The stained-glass along the side aisles allows a lot of light in to the space which makes it seem even larger. As you approach the middle of the church, you see the stand the clergy would use to speak. To one side of the central divider is where Thomas Becket was killed and the destination of many of the pilgrims. There are some crypts below the continuation of the main portion of the church where Thomas Becket and others are entombed. There are also shrines to various people, but no photography is allowed in the crypts. When you come back upstairs on the other side of the Nave (main center aisle) you find yourself on the other side of the marble divider. This is the portion of the church where the "rich and famous" houses would have seats. As you continue to the east inside you start to come to various chapels and tombs of different royalty and clergymen including Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) and the shared tomb of King Henry IV and Queen Joan of Navarre. As you return to the exit near the center of the Cathedral, you pass by the marble divider known as the Pulpitum Screen with its incredibly ornate carvings. You also have a chance to look up into the main crossing tower at more ornate stonework. As we headed back outside, you could tell where the restoration work was being done at the east end of the chapels. After a stop in the gift shop and quick bite to eat at a local diner, which had to be quick since James spent so much time at the Cathedral, we got back on the bus for the continuation of the tour.

The driver now turned a little more south and we headed towards Dover with its white cliffs and the port closest to mainland Europe. We passed some fields along the way and saw a familiar crop. It was strange to see corn in the foreground with salt water (the English Channel) in the distance. As we came down the cliffs to the port, you could see where WWII lookouts had caves in the cliffs. There was a castle on top of the cliffs that provided protection during all the wars with Europe through the centuries. When the bus stopped, we could get out and walk around the "beach" a little. There wasn't sand where we were, it all looked like river rock. In the distance you could see France low on the horizon. As we left the coast, we stopped at the Jackdaw for traditional afternoon tea. The Inn was used for the pub scenes in the movie The Battle of Britain staring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. After that we returned to London. The bus driver had received word traffic was bad in parts of town, so we drove through some of the business district as it was less crowded that time of evening. (The picture of the front of Saint Paul's shown on Monday was actually taken out the back bus window on Tuesday). James of course went clicker happy with the camera as we passed the Gherkin, Lloyd's of London, and the street where they filmed some of the Diagon Alley scenes from the Harry Potter movies.

After we got back to the hotel, we found yet another local pub to have supper before returning to the room to sort through the souvenirs we'd collected. We had Wednesday to ourselves so we also did some planning about how to get to the zoo and a timeline for the day so we'd be back in time to go to the play.




Wednesday, 9/26/2007 – Animals and Mary Poppins

We didn't get up real early on Wednesday and almost missed breakfast. We then made our way to St. James Station, about 3 blocks from the hotel, and purchased passes to ride the Underground for the day. We navigated a couple transfers to get to Camden Town Station. We (meaning James) got a little turned around at this point and we did a little extra walking before we found our way to the London Zoo at the north end of Regent's Park. We knew the zoo was operated by the London Zoological Society, but then learned the original facilities were built to house the animals various explorers would bring back from around the world as gifts to the King and Queen. In its early days there was not much known about the habitats of the various species so the buildings were not necessarily suited for the animals' health. That was changing and there was an effort to relocate animals into new areas modeled after their natural habitats or adapting old venues for different animals that needed less space.

The first area we visited in the zoo was their “Into Africa” exhibits. We saw a timid baby giraffe, some sleeping hyenas, and a red river hog. We then crossed over the canal that passes through one end of the Zoo's land to see the Snowdon Aviary where we saw lots of peacocks, a toucan, and other colorful birds. As we walked along the north side of the canal we passed several other bird enclosures where James stopped to take lots of pictures. Next was the Clore Rainforest Lookout which was fairly new at the time. It had golden-headed lion tamarins, sloths, a friendly turtle, and lots of animals accustomed to the dark. James tried to take pictures, but he had a hard time holding still long enough for the camera to get a good shot. We then walked around a couple monkey and meerkat exhibits before finding a group of volunteers cleaning the penguins' area. It was quite comical as the penguins would follow the people around and inspect the work. If something wasn't spit-spot clean they would dance and make noise to tell the people to try harder. After a bit of lunch where we used wooden forks and knives, we headed to the butterfly exhibit. There were several beautiful butterflies, but since it was a chilly day outside, James' camera lens fogged over for a few minutes when we first went inside.

Next, we came to James' favorite part of any zoo, the large cats. There was a sleepy serval and the ever present lion. James, of course, spent the most time watching the tiger before it jumped off its roof and went inside the hut for shelter from the breeze. It actually sprinkled a little bit at this point so we quickly passed the donkeys and pigmy hippos into another building with lots of birds for James to try and photograph through the wire. We weren't inside very long before the sun peaked back out and we headed toward the Gorilla Kingdom exhibit (passing more bird cages along the way). The large area for the Gorillas to roam actually had connections to some of the glassed bird exhibits so the birds could go out and fly around. James noted one was closed and saw this sign explaining why. When he turned around, a gorilla was headed in his general direction and he got a couple good pictures before being crowded out by the other visitors. We then came to the African Birds area which was a smaller aviary containing several varieties of smaller species. We passed by the reptile house and saw the Komodo dragon with its unique serving dish. After the reptile house, we came to the bear enclosures. There was only one lonely bear out that day. We did find a plaque and a statue that talked about where A. A. Milne got the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh. It turns out a Lieutenant in the Canadian Army purchased a cub, and it was adopted as the regiment's mascot. When the unit traveled to Europe during WWI, they brought the cub with them and then left it with the zoo when they traveled to France. It was named Winnie after the Lieutenant's hometown. A. A. Milne later visited the zoo, and his son named his stuffed bear after the one in the zoo. We couldn't resist a picture with the famous bear. We then walked through the aquarium which was partially under construction; again, James tried taking pictures in low light of moving things and met with only limited success. That pretty much wrapped up the exhibits so we headed to the gift shop and then out of the zoo.

After we left the zoo, we decided to walk through Regent's Park to catch the Underground back toward our hotel. It is a large park with lots of sports fields for leagues and weekend activities. There is also a large area called Queen Mary's Gardens that has a very formal arrangement of flower beds. It appeared we were there a couple weeks past the summer bloom season as many of the plants were going dormant for the winter.

It was starting to sprinkle again so we got on the Underground and returned to our hotel. We rested for a little while and then changed clothes for the evening. Since it was quite chilly and damp, we decided to take the Underground up to the theater district instead of walking. Dinner was an Italian restaurant a couple blocks from the Prince Edward Theatre where we saw Disney's Mary Poppins. We both enjoyed the show; Julie is such a fan of the movie, that I think she had a hard time not singing along. After the play let out, we returned to our hotel. We had another all-day bus tour on Thursday so it was going to be an early morning.




Thursday, 9/27/2007 – A Tour to the West

Thursday started off early again with breakfast at the hotel and then meeting everyone in the lobby for the tour bus. Once again, we went straight to the back of the bus with Laurie and John. After picking up some other passengers, we headed west out of town passing the spot where Alfred Hitchcock lived for a while as well as some interesting office buildings. Our route passed Windsor where the Queen has her summer residence and (more importantly to James) there was another Legoland park. Unfortunately, we were not able to stop, and the bus continued to the town of Winchester in Hampshire.

Winchester is more what Americans think of when we picture an English country town. While City Hall was a massive building, it was not recent and there was a level of craftsmanship in its construction. There were winding streets with older buildings close together. Some of these had been converted into modern businesses and shops. Mixed in are memorials of past events, structures from ancient fortifications and the foundation of long gone castles. The reason for the stop was to visit Winchester Castle which has a pair of stainless steel gates donated in honor of the marriage between Princess Diana and Prince Charles. The outer doors were closed, but the gates would make very intricate patterns on the floor with the sun shining through them. It is also the home of a supposed replica of King Arthur's Round Table. James was more impressed with the architectural detailing than the table. After some time to get a snack at a local market, we were back on the bus and continuing west through the countryside.

The next place we stopped was at Stonehenge. As we approached, we began to pass ancient burial mounds some anthropologists believe are from the society that erected the stone circles. We were quite surprised to find the road actually passes within a few feet of the Heel Stone which marks the mid-summer sunrise. When the bus parked in the visitor’s complex (across the road from the site) we were also surprised to see sheep and cattle wandering around grazing on the burial mounds. After picking up our headsets for the self-guided tour, we went through the tunnel under the road and up a ramp into the protected grounds area. On the landing of the ramp there was a mural of what the site might have looked like when all the stones were standing. Everyone exchanged cameras and we got the obligatory couples shot. You can't actually walk in amongst the stones anymore. There is a designated path around the perimeter for visitors. It's hard to tell but there is a ditch that runs around the stone rings denoting the site as well. It was rather windy the day we were there. The only stone you can actually approach is the heel stone and it does not look like it was finished as much as the other stones. You may notice in all the pictures at Stonehenge, the horizon is level; it is one of the unique conditions at this site that, whether near or far, the horizon line is almost perfectly level in all directions. We stopped in the gift shop and picked up a couple items on our way back to the bus.

We were still heading west towards the historic city of Bath. It was fashionable in Victorian times because there were Roman ruins discovered at a warm water artesian well. Today it is a busy city in the valley of the river Avon. As luck would have it the Roman ruins that have been partially excavated and the associated museum are directly next to another gothic church. James had studied the church in his Gothic Architectural History course but had forgotten that until we rounded the corner and he recognized the facade. The history of the place was expressed in even the more modern buildings housing the bath museum and other city functions. The tour of the baths was another self-guided experience with a speaker paddle. It was interesting to learn part of the reason the Romans may have had trouble in England was they possibly suffered from lead poisoning since the water was so tainted with the mineral; thus the water has a green tint. The exterior area around one of the pools also afforded us a chance to get a picture with the church in the background. There were several areas you could walk through to see exhibits of different arch pieces and facade elements as well as a beautiful carved wood model of what the historians believe the Roman complex would have looked like.

We probably didn't spend as much time in the baths as some of the people because James was excited to visit the abbey. We went through fairly quickly and got our souvenirs and headed back out to the street. Of all the church buildings we saw while in England, the Bath Abbey had by far the most ornate stone work on the exterior. James had to pose for a picture similar to the one we took at Notre Dame in Paris. The vaulted ribbing inside the structure was just as ornate as the work outside and left large expanses for stained-glass. The craftsmanship continued on the pulpit and on the pews bearing family crests for rich patrons. After we walked through the abbey (it was much smaller than the other churches so it didn't take as long as James expected it to) we crossed the street where we got a picture of the river with a bridge that had shops on it. We were also able to look down into a private park that had beautiful flower arrangements and topiaries. We walked through a couple of shops finding some discount postcards and then got back on the bus for the return trip to London. On the way back we passed through more picturesque farming areas.

When we returned to London, it was relatively late so we grabbed a bite to eat and decided to walk over to Westminster Abbey and Parliament to get some night shots. We were fortunate in this decision because though it was cool and a little breezy, the moon came out and made for some really good pictures of both the Abbey and the Parliament building with Big Ben’s clock tower standing sentinel. We walked around and James thought the up lights on the buildings made for some dramatic images. After the walkabout, we returned to the hotel to get some sleep. It had been a long day and we were both more than a little worn out.




Friday, 9/28/2007 – A Church, a Castle, and a Really Big Store

We had decided Friday would be a day to check things out we caught a glimpse of earlier in the week so we slept in a little and had breakfast at the hotel.

We then made our way to Westminster Abbey because we wanted to walk through the inside which we had not had a chance to do previously. We knew the tomb of Isaac Newton was there as well as other memorials and we wanted to see where the Kings and Queens of the realm were coroneted. We got there a little before 9a when the first visitors were allowed in so we walked around some getting day shots of the River Thames and then of Parliament. We walked down to the far end of the building and saw the Royal Gate where members of the Royal House enter to open sessions of Parliament each year. We also learned it was the last day Parliament and Buckingham Palace would be open for public tours for the season. During the day, James was able to get several shots of different details on the Abbey like the ornate transom sculptures, the stone buttress supports and the dragon like wall brackets for torches. After we were allowed inside (where we couldn't take pictures), we really weren't that impressed. There were so many memorials and tombs you couldn't really get a feel for the church itself. They even appeared to have a stockpile of memorials that were not on display tucked into one of the corners.

After we finished up at the Abbey, the weather was looking a little nasty so we decided to go take one of the tours of Buckingham Palace. It was another one of those places you couldn't take any pictures. Again, the tour was self-guided with one of the headsets with numbered spots around the palace. It was very interesting to see the stairs where formal receptions of dignitaries occur as well as other beautiful rooms. The tour was limited to the public wings as most of the palace is devoted to the operations of the royal family and their security. There was a display set up in one of the rooms about the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II to Prince Philip. It included the clothes they wore as well as many examples of gifts they received as well as the china and flatware used at various events associated with the wedding. It was raining when we finished the tour so we hung out in one of the rooms for a while before deciding we could make it the couple blocks to our hotel.

After drying off and letting the rain stop, we grabbed a bite to eat at a little shop across from the hotel that served various meat pies (NO Sweeney Todd!!!). We then decided to get Underground tickets and go over to Harrods to do some window shopping in the famous store. It was interesting walking around in a single store that has everything from HD TVs to really expensive clothes to a full butcher shop and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. We stopped at the gelato stand for a snack and it was very good. We then walked around some more and found the pet store. Julie snapped a couple pictures of the cats and then we kept moving. After a couple hours of aimless wondering, we bought a couple gifts for people and then headed down the street for supper at a nearby Italian restaurant. We snapped another picture of the store as we headed back to the station to catch the Underground back to the hotel. Once we got there, we organized our stuff and took showers. The coach to the train station where we would board the train to the airport was picking us up so early we had to order our breakfasts because the cafe wouldn't be open yet.




Saturday, 9/29/2007 – Coming Home

Saturday started early. After getting ready for the day, James went down to the front desk to pick-up our breakfasts and we ate the fruit and pastry in the room before toting everything downstairs to the lobby. Almost all the people from our tour group were on the same bus/train out to the airport. Our friends Laurie and John were continuing on with Tom and Kathy for a similar tour in Ireland, but they had to go catch a flight to Dublin. We made it to the airport in plenty of time and only had two minor hiccups there. First, apparently the terrorist list that caused James troubles in the US for several years had made it to England because they actually took his passport back behind the security wall to make some phone calls before they'd let him get his boarding pass. Second, we thought the TSA was tough in the US, but flying in England, your carry-on can't weigh over about 5 pounds. We had each brought one of the rolling type carry-ons so to get under the weight limit, they were pretty much empty on the way home. This wasn't too bad because we had some left-over British money to use so we bought some duty-free candies to bring back and had plenty of room to store them. We ended up sitting in the international waiting area for a couple hours before heading to the gate. At Gatwick, you can't actually go to the international gates until about 20 minutes before they start loading the planes. We both slept a little on the flight to Orlando and it was around noon in Florida when we arrived at the house. Shadow was suspicious, as she always was when we went on long trips, but we had a great time and enjoyed getting to see many famous sites.