Start Trip Friday December 12th arriving Saturday Dec 13th:
Left the house at 4am to rdm airport 630 flight...RDM to Denver to Chicago to Heathrow...arriving in the U.K. at 7am Saturday.
three flights...out redmond...30 minutes late...to Denver...nearly lost a bag...My carry on and Becky's jacket rushing out of the plane to get our connecting flight..super easy landing in Denver and quick layover....then Chicago O'hare...lovely airport...then off to Heathrow UK. The Heathrow flight was full in first class...business class...hardly anyone in coach! We had dinner, then slept til about the last hour of our UK flight. Rachel started her morning in southern California...from school at University Redlands, to Houston to DC to Heathrow...met her just outside customs....
we wer
e all
tired...but in good shape to pick up a rental car to go to winchester!
The Eagle Has Landed!
Dec Sat 13th thru Tuesday the 16th
LONDON/Winchester
Travel by: Rental Car to Winchester//car rental National-Travelocity
To: Winchester Uni
Driving...in England...Oh Yeah...I could totally do this!
I Had never waited so long to get a rental car! 2 hours in cue....once we got in the car..a diesel passatt...i started trying to familiarize myself with the steering wheel being on the wrong side of the car...new car...not sure how to start...once we got her started we took to the road...a little learning curve to say the least...the first few minutes were crazy...once we got out of the airport and onto the freeway it was smooth sailing...
got into winchester....drove around looking for an obscure road...no one seemed to know about...we finally found burma road making a wrong turn and recognized robs dorm...it was then that rob saw us and met us in the parking lot..this street was tucked into the college dorm section of the college...we walked around the school briefly...saw robs room and good mate Michael...and met Marta...robs friend...cute girl born in macaw china...portuguese...here to learn english.
Winchester, Old Spots and Rachel's first "Official" Drink!
We walked around winchester and took in a few sites including the great hall and artifacts around the square...lots of cool old english style buildings...we had lunch at the royal oak...built 1002. Rachel had her first legal beer here! We walked about some more...went into Winchester cathedral...one of the most beautiful churches in the kingdom, great pix and video...Rob and i let the girls nap and went to have drinks at one of the the oldest bars in Winchester named the Black Boy...stinky, stale smelling very obscure decor..lots of small, old bottles of beer and liquors on the rafters and hanging from the ceiling...a stuffed mule...stuffed monkey, giraffes head and neck, pronghorn...we think...an old finger football game caught my eye...really weird place...very entertaining for us folks with ADD...afterwards...went to the square for some shopping in their holiday square...saw some neat home made and local art, food, etc...lots of cute things. found ourselves at wetherspoons for a drink then back to the hotel mercur. Oh yeah...we got a parking ticket on our first night in the UK!
Coffee anyone? Sunday, I woke up in Winchester....at 0630 uk time went and had a coffee at Nero....good coffee...similar to starbucks.... their huge competitor in the uk.... interesting facts about winchester....From Robbie:
Next Morning...
i took a few minutes and walked about and visited the square...was really awesome waking up, being the only one at sunrise to walk the streets and just take in a beautiful morning...crisp air...walking on the old cobbelstone streets..breathing in the fresh air and taking in the sites of old, and new. Made it back to the hotel in time and everyone was awake and hungry! Breakfast at our hotel with a view from across the lawn at Winchester cathedral....amazing history here...Robbie really enjoyed the british culture...got a great video of him saying goodbye to the town he had grown to learn, love and experience over the past 3ish months while walking up to the massive spire and entrance of Winchester Cathedral.
Went back to the hotel and enjoyed a traditional english breakfast at our hotel buffet style..included various fruit, toast, bangers, (Sausage) potatoes, bacon, tea, tomatoes, baked beans....food is really not as bad as i remember from my trip in the 80's...while the Brit's still don't seem to season their bangers here..or anything else for that matter..the rest of the food is fresh...tea is not as harsh as i remember and was good...
On the Road Again
off to london in our rental car! Returned to heathrow with no scratches!!! So weird to drive on the wrong side of the road with the wrong side stearing! Traffic...and parking...a hassle in Winchester! Really crazy drivers too! including me!
Parked the car...at Heathrow...then to the underground...(the subway train)...easy trip to Russell station then a few minute walk through the park...wrong way...then back...our hotel is a few minute walk to the train station....small room...comfy...all of us seemed to sleep okay...even though beck and i slept on the queen sleeper...i don't ever sleep well on those things.
threw the bags in the room...bought tour bus passes online and made it onto one of the last original Hop On Hop Off busses....took a 2 hour trip around Westminster and London...such a beautiful...but cold...night. all of us are dressed well...still cold in the upper level of the double decker bus partially outside....impressive history here....drove around London at night to see piccadilly square, trafalgar square, British broadway and more! The trip was really a great idea by bus so you can take in the sights around town during the day and night! I can't wait to share my videos and Robs photos! ended the night partying with the kids at the London hard rock! What a great time...Rob likes Jack Daniels...almost as much as me...took a taxi back and ended at the Judd Hotel...collapsed!
Monday Coffee...they remember me...because of my bad english...I am sure they know i am from Oregon! 615am...enjoying a chocolate coffee aka mocha...waiting for the kids and mom to wake...watching locals get off the underground at Russel park station. all going to work...if they only knew what i was up to today they'd all be jealous!!! coffee and food is good here...enjoyed a raisin muffin.
Back on the bus with the family, early morning to go to museums...tour the river thames...ride the eye...lots to do today as it our only full day here...Lots of Great Pics and Video to come!
Got right on our hop on hop off bus and went to watch the changing of the guard at the palace....1030...trip to buckingham was a walking tour and had a good guide that knew the area well. Buckingham Palace was one of my favorite memories from last time i was in london...the building is not much to look at...but knowing that is where the business of the united kingdom gets done...by Queen Victoria, that's impressive in itself! After the tour its time to get back on the bus and go to Tower london.
Tower london is the original castle when london became london....where the crown jewels are kept....where the oldest church is....we got to see all....ravens included (well fed and maintained by the queen for good luck at the palace)...had a great tour guide...beefeater bill...funny dude....i could tell he made a good sergeant in the British Army....Lots of fascinating history here....in comparison....Winchester...where Rob was...is the original home to the start of the u.k. empire.....but london is a port city...which made it easier to become the true capital. Lots of great video from here! We couldn't get live video of the crown jewels collection...will have to swipe from a site and plug in here to show you how impressive the crown jewels really are to see in person. Last time i was here the wait to just get in was nearly 8 hours...didn't get in...but this time...since its winter...its the best time to see. Waited only minutes to start on the tour and about an hour and a half total time in the castle....the place is really amazing when you consider the history that exudes from the walls dating back to the 1200's. one of the oldest structures in town may be one of the hardest to find....but e found it...cleopatra's needle. Its over 2000 years old and has 2 sphinx guards, huge and bronze...Not very well lit, but the tour guide from the bus pointed it out...bullet holes remain in the structure from wwll...part of one of the sphinx face is missing too...
Short Coffee today...I have to get back to the room and wake everyone...get robs bags mailed back to the states and get ready for our high speed train to PARIS! Where forecast calls for drizzly weather and fog later this afternoon....weather here in London has been fabulous....sunny but cold...which has allowed us to really see the sites...will have to share our pix from and video, robs double exposure shot of Big Ben and shots from the EYE too...a 443 foot ferris wheel just across the bridge from Big Ben...
Tonight....PARIS and the Eiffel!....
