Tuesday 24fh September - last day

With a 10:30pm flight, we still virtually had an entire day. We considered doing a walking tour, but decided we just didn't have the energy. As we had to check out of the hotel by midday, we decided a matinee show in West End would be a good way to spend the afternoon. There aren't many matinees on offer on Tuesdays, but we were happy to get tickets for Top Hat.

So, after we had showered and basically packed, we headed off to the Leicester Square ticket office. We stopped in the area at Pret a Manger for breakfast, then had no trouble getting good seats for the show. We made our way back to the hotel to do final packing, check email one last time, and place our bags in the luggage room.

Back in the Covent Garden area, we had a few options for lunch, and decided on Porters Restaurant - with a pub like atmosphere, it was a little different to other places we had eaten. So, we ordered the traditional English meals of fish and chips and pie. The food was good, and so was the service.

We then made our way around to the Aldwych Theatre. The show was going well, wasn't going to be a favorite, but entertaining none the less. But, about an hour after it started, a piece of the ceiling fell onto the stage. There was a delay while they considered options, but they could not go on, so the show was cancelled. As we had bought our tickets from the Leicester Square booth, that meant we had to go back there to arrange the refund. We then found ourselves at a bit of a loose end.

After consideration, especially taking into account that we did not have a lot of energy! We decided to go back to the Parisian pastime of people watching while drinking. There are several cafes on Leicester Square which have outdoor dining with a view across the park and fountain in the square. We picked one, sat and took our time with cappuccino and iced tea - a very pleasant way to finish our holiday.

Picked up our bags, onto the Tube in peak hour - talk about sardines!! The carriage was really full, we pulled into a station and 2 passengers got out, but 4 more got in!! No idea where they found the room!

Heathrow wasn't as overwhelming as I expected, but security check took ages, they were really slow, and were unpacking and checking about 1 in 5 bags for residue.

After all our adventures, we will be glad to be home.

Monday 23rd September - Stonehenge and Bath

Today we had a full day trip with The English Bus company, and have had a wonderful day. We had to meet at Kennington Tube station at 8:45. As it was a Monday morning and we didn't know how busy the Tube would be, we decided to go straight to Kennington, and then try to pick up breakfast in the area. Well, that didn't work - this is a residential area, hardly any shops at all. All we managed to find was a couple of small local supermarkets - bought iced tea!

The mini bus and our guide, Chris, turned up about 8:35, and we were all loaded (16 passengers) and ready to go by 8:45. Chris provided a good commentary as we made our way out of London, on our way to the first site - Stonehenge. We had a comfort stop on the way, and managed to get something for breakfast.

Stonehenge was amazing, and no, they really don't know why, how or who built it! They do know that it was built in 3 stages - the first was a series of timber posts, about 5000 years ago. The second was the inner circle, about 4700 years ago, and the last, the outer circle, the largest or sarsens, around 4400 years ago.

There are lots of theories about its beginnings, but none have been proven one way or the other. Options include major manpower and lots of time, Merlin, the Devil, Druids, and even dinosaurs (that last one isn't too serious!) Overall, this does not diminish the spectacle of this impressive site. You can't help but be in awe that prehistoric people managed to move such huge slabs of stone from a considerable distance away (from Wales several hundred kilometers in the case of the second stage), trim them to regular shapes and stand them up. Then there are the crossbeams or lintels. The sarsens have a large bump poking out of the top, and the lintels have a matching notch so they link together to stabilize the entire structure. But how did they manage to get those huge stones up on top??? It is still a mystery.

Also, there was an avenue of stones that led up to Stonehenge, it was almost 3 km long, and lined by a bank and ditch that ran its full length, and can still be seen (particularly from the air) today. Then there is the fact that at summer and winter solstice, at sunrise and sunset respectively, the sun shines right through the centre of a gap in the sarsens, and at the 20th - 21st of each month, it shines through the centre of the next gap around.

Back on the bus and we drove through some typical English countryside and villages to Bath. This was a longer stop, and lunchtime. Chris had recommended the local Pasty shop, so we tried them - they were okay, but when you make things yourself at home, bought ones just don't quite taste the same. Bath is a beautiful city, all the buildings are constructed of the local bath stone - a type of limestone. The entire city is built in Georgian style, and most buildings were originally built between the early 1700's to the mid 1800's. Repairs after bombing during WW2, were completed in this style, and all new buildings must conform too.

There were many pretty streets to wander, the inevitable church with beautiful stained glass windows, a picturesque river with ancient bridge and a park with beautiful flower gardens. The streets and shop awnings were decorated with hanging baskets full of flowers. Chris also took us on a guided walk around the exterior of the baths that gave the town it's name.

The baths have been popular for over 2000 years, there is evidence that they were used before the Romans came in the first century BC. Shortly after the Romans conquered Britain, they found the hot springs and built a proper Roman Bath House around them. When the Romans left some 300 years later, the buildings were left uncared for, they decayed and were destroyed. After years of erosion and flooding the Roman ruins were actually buried and lost.

The springs were rediscovered and developed at different stages over the centuries, they became particularly popular during the Georgian period as a holiday spot for the wealthy, and that is when the city really grew. The building that is now called 'The Roman Baths' was actually built in the 19th century. The 'bath' in here was used until the late 1978 when they realized that the water was not particularly clean (a young girl died from an infection picked up here), so it closed again. There is now a new complex where you can swim and have spa treatments, and the water is chlorinated as well, to ensure it is clean. The water in the old Baths is decidedly green.

The Pump House is now a very classy restaurant, where high tea is very popular. A pianist plays at the grand piano while you dine under the chandelier. You can pay 50p and try a glass of the warm water - it wasn't too bad.

Finished with our explorations of the town, Chris drove us to the two famous streets of Bath: The Circus (a full circle of houses around a park, split only by the entrance of 3 streets) and The Royal Crescent (true to its name, a crescent of houses that overlook a park). Although The Royal Crescent is the most famous one (and most expensive) most of us actually preferred The Circus. The houses in The Crescent have very plain facades, while those in The Circus are very fancy - a different type of column on each level, carved ridges between, and a row of carved faces around the top.

It was time to say goodbye to Bath, and head in the general direction of London, but we were not finished with our touring. Chris had promised us two 'secret places' on the way back, and he did not disappoint. I am not going to mention the name of the two villages, as we were all sworn to secrecy!!!

The first was a 300+ year old village that is owned by the national trust. They rent the old houses out at very reasonable rates to make an income that helps with upkeep. There is a bakery, a church, and, of course, a pub. All utilities are underground - the village looks like it would have hundreds of years ago, except that there are cars. The village has been used for movie sets, including Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter's parents house is here. It was wonderful!

Back on the bus for our last stop, and it was another circle of standing stones - there are actually lots of them, and not only in England. I was particularly pleased with this one as I have read a book set there. This circle is MUCH larger, in fact, the village is largely inside the circle. The stones are also surrounded by a man made bank and a ditch, and you can actually walk around and touch the stones, whereas Stonehenge is cordoned off. In the centre of it all is the village pub, with it's beautiful thatched roof. Inside, one of the tables is built over the old town well. The table has a glass top, so you can still look down into its depths!

Now it was time to head for London. It wasn't long before it was getting dark. Chris dropped off different groups close to their hotels or appropriate tube stations, and we were last. By the time we ordered dinner at a local restaurant, it was 9:30, but we had had a great day. Needless to say, blog was not finished that night!

Sunday 22nd September - London

We decided we had earned a sleep in today, and didn't get up till 8. Stopped to consider our options - we had planned to do a city walk of some sort this afternoon, but had a morning to choose something else. We finally decided to go out to the Camden Markets.

Now it seems that Sundays are the day they do line repairs in London - first, parts of Waterloo station were closed - we had to go over to the above ground station to get down to the underground. Then we found that we would have to go by a replacement bus for the last few stops........ it all adds to the experience :)

So, finally at Camden, we started to explore. Lots of stalls - we checked out souvenirs, sweatshirts, T shirts ......... then we found a 'side street' with more, and that led around to ......more, which led to ......... It was HUGE, and that was only the first side of the street! There were so many different types of food too. Even the town crier was out! We decided to ditch the afternoon walk, especially as transport didn't look too reliable.

We had paella and sangria for lunch, and walked some more. There were buses everywhere, and a couple had 'Hampstead' as their destination. On checking our maps, we found it wasn't far away, so decided that would finish our day nicely.

Arriving at Hampstead village, we first had to decide which direction to go to find 'the Heath' - only one false start, and we were surrounded by green. What a beautiful (and huge) area to have in the middle of a city like London. We followed one path, and found ourselves on a hill with a beautiful outlook over the city and surrounding hills.

Errol had done a walking tour in the area when he was in London last time, and recalled a view over water, so we walked on in attempt to find the same. Some time later, and several paths later, we asked for directions for a about the fourth time, and finally made our way back to a road. We wandered around the streets for a while, Hampstead is a very pretty area

Back down to the buses, and we found one that seemed to be going to Waterloo, so we climbed on. The number of people trying to get on the bus was crazy, it may have had something to do with the train line disruptions. It was sardines time in the aisles, so we were very pleased to have seats. There was lots of traffic on the streets too. Then the bus stopped at Russell Square - end of line, everyone off. Luckily, there is a tube station there too, so we transferred over to that, and walked back into the hotel just before 4:55.

We had arranged to catch up with Chris Brumby (the son of longtime friends) at 5, so had just made it in time. We were thrilled when Chris arrived with his sister Elysa as well, and spent a delightful couple of hours chatting.

Saturday 21st September - London

This morning I had a booking for a tour of the state rooms of Buckingham Palace at 9:30 - Errol decided he wasn't interested, so was going to amuse himself for a while. It was a cool morning, but was forecast for a reasonable day, although little sun was expected. I loved the Palace tour, but sadly - no photos inside. There were several rooms dedicated to the Queen's coronation ceremony in1953. The detail that went into that ceremony was amazing. The embroidery on the Queen's coronation gown alone took 12 needle workers 3500 hours to complete. The history of the ceremony dates back hundreds of years. This palace is different is different to all the others we have visited in that it is still in use today - it makes a difference.

The tour of the state rooms finishes on the back terrace, overlooking the gardens. What better than to sit with a cuppa on the Queen's back terrace (it also helped to warm me up a little - it was cold).

Despite the weather (still overcast, and threatening to rain), there were sprinklers on the lawn. On closer inspection, there were also markings for soccer! I asked one of the staff, and apparently there is going to be a game there to celebrate 150 years of the league!

While I went through the Palace, Errol went to Hyde Park. We met back at the ticket office, and scooted around to the front of the Palace to watch the changing of the guard. There were people everywhere, packed into every vantage point. We arrived just after 11 (for an expected 11:30 'show'), and had about 3 rows of people in front of us. There was a lot of waiting over the following hour, and we couldn't see inside the Palace grounds to see what was happening, but we did see several lots of guards go past. The ceremony of it all ......... the fact that this can be done 3 times a week, like clockwork ..... it is all quite amazing, the history of it all is rather striking.

Just as we left, we had a few sprinkles of rain - as we had expected a reasonable day, we didn't have our rain jackets with us ..... cross your fingers. We walked to the Tube station, and caught the train to Oxford Circus. Up to ground, and checked out Selfridges department store - a very classy place, but not really in our budget!! At least the rain threat seemed to have passed.

Sticking to a theme, we went back to the tube and over to Knightsbridge to check out Harrods. Another very classy store, but a bit more modern looking than Selfridges. We made a few purchases ........... lunch from the food court!! Also received our Harrods bag ...... plastic with 'Harrods food hall' written on it! Time was getting on, and the tube had been pretty busy, so we went back to the Covent Garden area to sit and eat - the performance of 'The Bodyguard' was at 3.

We just had time to eat lunch and pop back to the Pandora shop for an important purchase before the show. Another smaller theatre - the Adelphi, on the Strand. The place was pretty full, and the show was great! We would recommend it to everyone. We were out and about again by 5:30, too early for tea, so ventured onto a bus. It took us a little while to work out the directions and stops, but we headed for Picadilly Circus.

Wandered around for a while, checking out the area, turned a corner and saw Leicester Square! Could probably have walked from where we were, but where would the fun have been in that!?

By then it was about tea time, so we started looking at menus. We were in Chinatown to start, but wandered back and ended up eating at Garfunkles near Trafalgar Square. The food was nothing special, but it was okay. Back down to Whitehall, and we caught another bus back to Westminster Bridge - walked across, and back to the hotel.

Friday 20th September - London

As lunch at the hotel yesterday had been fairly ordinary, we decided not to do the in house breakfast, we thought we would pick up something on our travels. Our first port of call was The Tower of London (one of the 2 for 1 offers that came with our travel card). Tube took us there, arriving just after 9. Advice had said that if you want a good look at the crown jewels, you should be there early. We also hoped to do the first Beefeater tour for the day at 10. So, we made our way through to the jewels first, and there were hardly any people there, so we had a good look at the jewels, and went back again for a second go, but no photos allowed in this area. They are gorgeous, and many are very old - several date back to Charles I in the 1600's. We then investigated the complex until it was time for the tour. Even more exciting, we saw a squirrel - my first one!

Our Beefeater guide was great, and very funny. He told us history of the complex and some fascinating stories about the people who had been imprisoned there over the centuries, their crimes and their punishments. The Beefeaters, a doctor and a minister live on the premises with their families.

The church on the premises is the Chapel of St Paul, and when Queen Victoria was around, she decided it should be restored. But, when they took out the pews, they found that the floor was uneven. In attempts to level the floor, they found a few bodies/skeletons, so investigated further. Three years later, they had a total of 1500 sets of remains. But, there had only been a total of around 365 prisoners total kept in the Tower, some of them had been set free, and some executed and buried elsewhere!! They only managed to identify 9 of the bodies, the rest are in unmarked graves, and the mystery of their identities remains!

We walked out of the Tower to the river where there was a great view of the Tower Bridge, then on to check out St Paul's Cathedral - took some photos from the outside, but decided not to go in - we have seen so many churches in the past few weeks.

From there, we walked over the Millenium Bridge, and on to the Globe Theatre - a modern replica of the original Shakespeare theatre, and only a short distance from the site of the original. We decided to do the tour, which was very interesting. In Shakespearian days, only men were allowed to be actors, so the original Juliette, Lady MacBeth etc would have been played by a male. Plays were always performed during the day as available lighting was only candles, so night performances weren't an option. So, unlike modern theatre, where the actors on stage are well lit, and usually unable to see their audience, the Globe does productions the old way - matinees, or evening performances where the audience is lit up. Apparently it is a very different experience for the actors as well as the audience who often become part of the action.

Leaving the Globe, it was only a short distance to the Borough Markets where we hoped to find something for lunch - there were so many different types of food stalls, and the crowd, it was crazy. We tried a traditional pork pie, and a roasted duck sandwich, then Errol had a piece of Apple and Almond Cake, while I had fresh raspberries - yummmmm! The pork pie was probably at the bottom of our preferences.

Next, we were off to Greenwich, by the clipper service on the river (just for a change) this was again a 2 for 1 on the travel card. Greenwich was so much more than I expected. There have been royal residences here for ages, even back to the time of Henry VIII who held jousting competitions at his Greenwich estate. The Tourist Information centre was more like a mini museum, and the original Cutty Sark was on display outside. We walked on, into the Greenwich Park, heading for the Royal Observatory, and the Prime Meridian. When we stopped in the park for a break, we noticed more squirrels up the road - they are very cute, but wouldn't sit still for a photo! The view from the top of the hill was wonderful, we had a bit of an explore, but the queue to have a photo taken at the Prime Meridian was long, and they wanted £7 each just to get into it - we passed. Strolled back down the hill, and to the pier for the return trip on the clipper.

We hopped off at the Embankment pier, and walked up through to Leicester Square ticket box to see if there were any discount shows. There was nothing of interest available for tonight, but we booked to see The Bodyguard at a 3pm matinee tomorrow. It was a bit early for dinner, and I wanted to take a few photos inTrafalgar Square seeing as it wasn't raining today, and it was literally around the corner. There were so many double decker buses, and taxis, and people - it was so busy. There were several street entertainers too.

Errol had wanted to check out St Martin in the Fields church. The church was closed, as they have a classical performance on there tonight, but they have a restaurant in the crypt! It has a great reputation for food that is good quality, if a little plain, and reasonably priced. There weren't many options, but we had dinner including a glass of wine each for £22.50.

We left the restaurant, intending to walk back to the hotel, and were just discussing how we would like to ride the buses, when one pulled up that was going in our direction - jumped on and climbed upstairs :). Only went couple of stops, but it probable saved about a 10 minute walk. We walked around the corner to see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament lit up - beautiful. Strolled across the bridge and around past the Eye for another view of the lit up buildings.

Time to write up blogs - I am a day behind already.