After two and a half weeks of traveling around the United Kingdom it was time to head down to London for our final week together.
After meeting up with my friend Pat at Euston station we headed off to Streatham Common Homestay, which is in South West London and our "home" in London for the next week.
The three of us headed off to the Rabbit Hole Pub which is about a fifteen-minute walk from the house. My friends Loraine and Claudia would join us later for a meal. Unfortunately, the chef was off that night so no food was being served - so we made do with a cold drink and met the resident cat. The pub is done up in an Alice in Wonderland theme and is quite cute. We then walked over to Tesco so Pat could get her chocolate for the trip then back on the bus to the Railway Pub where we met the others. It is a five-minute walk from the house and really does have good food. I split a burger with Joanne much to the others' mirth. (I'm not known for my small appetite) Joanne has a much smaller appetite than me and while the food is delish the prices were eye-watering (as is most of London) - I ate most of the chips though!
Fun at the pub
After breakfast the next morning we headed off by train to Victoria station to begin what I called "Joanne's big day in London" - we covered a lot of the main sights.
Just as we were entering St James's Park we realized that there was a lot of action over at Horseguards Palace. We were so lucky to be able to see some of the rehearsal for the Trooping of the Colour. We watched for a few minutes before heading into the park and over to Buckingham Palace.
I had to get Joanne to do the famous pose on the blue bridge in St James's Park - every tourist has to do it at least once!
We had to laugh at these ladies - they thought they were the cat's meow and lapped up all the attention they were getting so thought I might as well take a picture for a laugh. I don't think the Horseguards wear garters but there you go...you just never know I guess!
Between the Trooping of the Colour rehearsal and the Changing of the Guard there were horses and soldiers all over the place. It was all quite exciting even for this London veteran. Joanne was so lucky to see all this. This is one of the many things I love about London. You won't see this in New York folks!
Joanne wanted a picture with Buckingham Palace in the background - this was the best of three. People everywhere!! It's always busy here but never quite this crazy!
And then they marched by again.
We zipped over to nearby Green Park which sits beside Buckingham Palace where we paid homage to the Canada Memorial. This beautiful place honours the Canadians who were killed in World War I and II.
And here they are again. (yawn!) I never get tired of this!
Then I made Joanne stand in front of one of the fountains in Trafalgar Square - this is a must as well.
Above is the fourth plinth in the Square. There are four plinths in Trafalgar Square and the fourth one is an artwork that is temporary and usually stays for about 18 months. They have had such things as a blue rooster and a skeletal horse. This artwork is a replica of Lamassu in Iraq which was destroyed by ISIS in 2005. It was created from 10,500 tins of Iraqi date syrup by New Yorker Michael Rakowitz.
After a bowl of soup in Cafe in the Crypt in St Martin's in the Fields church which is opposite to the square (and not only a good place to eat but a good place to use the loo - yes, I have sneaked in and not bought anything...shh...) we headed over to Leicester Square to the Lego store. Of course we had to pose in this tube train along with a Horse Guard and William Shakespeare! It is a fun place to visit even for adults. Then across to the M & M store - I am a Smartie girl myself but it is fun to visit and it's one shop where I am not tempted to buy anything.
We then got a number 15 bus to St Paul's Cathedral where we had a look at the outside and then carried on to the Salvation Army cafe I frequent. It is very modern and good for a "comfort" break as well - though we also had a cup of tea and shared a brownie. The cafe is really quite good. Joanne is posing on the Millennium Bridge (pedestrian bridge) which is right across from St Paul's.
We walked along the Southbank until we got to London Bridge and Borough Market. I bought some of my favourite Borough Market cheese and Joanne purchased bread and some tea from my "tea guy". The place is called Tea2you and he personally goes to India to get it. It's all very high-quality stuff. I can't afford to drink it all the time but you can be assured that a bag (Darjeeling 2nd flush) is packed into my case when the plane crosses back over the Atlantic.
Then it was time to cross back over the Thames on London Bridge and go to the Skygarden which is on top of the Walkie Talkie building. Well that's not really its name but that's what it's called...like the Cheese grater and the Gherkin. (my personal favourite; if there is such a thing as having a crush on a building I have it for that one) Now it was rather misty and okay a bit wet - not bad though. But it's London so it's always a good view. Tickets are free but you must book ahead - they release tickets three weeks ahead. I believe sometimes you can get in earlier in the morning if you just turn up but personally, I wouldn't chance it.
Looking across to the Shard which is the tallest building in the UK (sixth in Europe). I personally have never been up this building as I am cheap and it costs 25 pounds.
We headed back to Streatham and enjoyed some of the cheese and bread (there could have been wine involved as well) we had purchased and called it a night.
The next day was Saturday so it was market day! Well Portobello market that is. Yikers. Never again! I am getting too old for that sort of nonsense
This was cute!
It was pretty packed but Joanne was able to buy some gifts for her family.
Another day dawned and off to the British Museum to see the Egyptian Room and the Rosetta stone.
The Rosetta stone - it was hard to get a decent picture between the glass and the crowd of people all wanting a photo.
You could literally spend weeks inside the British Museum and still not see it all. The Egyptian room is my favourite of what I've seen so far. And like most of London's big museums, it's free although they happily take donations. After sandwiches at a nearby cafe (lots around that area) we got on the tube to Camden Market. We were safe...it was a Monday. I avoid that place like the plague on weekends - Portobello market is a doddle compared to Camden on Saturday and Sunday.
These are some of the shops you see as you walk from the tube station down the road to the market. Joanne was able to buy some more gifts for her family at Camden market.
Then we went to Oxford St where we popped into Marks and Spencers for a look around and a bit of shopping (I think I've turned Joanne onto M & S knickers - I pretty much wear nothing else and the crazier the design the better - now you know more about my underwear collection than most people...) and then back on the Central line to St Paul's Cathedral. I took the following photos in Paternoster Square where the Fearless girl statue stands - she is there temporarily and highlights the importance of female leaders in business. An original stands opposite the bull in the financial distract of New York City.
We attended Evensong at St Paul's - the cheap woman's way to see St Paul's. Obviously you are confined to one area and cannot take pictures but it is still a wonderful experience. I did the same with my mom back in 1983. The last time I properly toured St Paul's was in 1981 just after "The Wedding".
Then we headed over to the Old London pub a few blocks away and I had pie, chips and a gin and tonic! (Joanne was good and had mash instead of chips)
Needless to say we were pretty tired bunnies when we got back to Streatham that evening. In my journal for that day my last entry was "I'm knackered"!
The next day we went to Kew Gardens to see the Dale Chihuly exhibition however I am going to do a separate post on that as I have loads of photos. However after a rest that afternoon (still tired from the day before plus neither of us were 100% to begin with) we headed out to the West End and after a simple omelette for supper we attended the musical "Come From Away" which was fantastic. I highly recommend this to everyone - it showcases the true spirit of the Newfoundlanders who are absolute gems. Joanne treated me to this for organizing the trip - so sweet of her!
One of the reasons I love staying at Bed and Breakfasts/homestays rather than in hotels is meeting other guests and hearing their stories. At the breakfast table we met a couple who were there to go through her brother's effects in his flat in nearby Croydon. He was a famous Egyptologist who at the age of 59 had died suddenly in Cairo while being driven to work. She told us he was originally a very successful hairdresser (he partied with Boy George in the 80's according to his obituary in The Guardian newspaper) who developed an interest in the hairstyles and wigs of ancient Egypt. He put himself through University eventually obtaining his PHD and became one of the top Egyptologists in the world. I thought that was so amazing - talk about following your passion and making a huge success of it.
After breakfast, we headed into town and Joanne was able to do a bit of shopping at Hamleys for her grandchildren and we got to meet the Queen! (in Lego that is...) We also popped into Fortnum and Masons and the huge Waterstones store - five floors of books. (Mecca for book lovers!)
That afternoon (after popping in that morning to learn they weren't open until the afternoon) we headed over to St Leonard's church in Streatham. This church is very special as our great grandparents were married there in September of 1866. I didn't even realize this until last year - St Leonard's Church is a landmark along the Streatham High Street and I have passed by it often. I have had the information for years but when I obtained it Streatham meant nothing to me as I was strictly a central London gal. I never thought much about it until I pulled my binder of certificates out when someone who shares my DNA contacted me. Sadly the church has had a fire and renovations since then so the only original thing that was there when they were married is the font. The archivist of the church confirmed their marriage but there is no evidence of any of their children being baptized there so I guess they had moved on to another part of London by then. From reading the church's history, it appears St Leonards was quite a fashionable place to worship in the 18th and 19th centuries. At the time of their marriage, our great grandfather was in construction but he eventually became a contractor and his company built the original tunnels at Kings Cross station. He was able to retire in his forties moving back to his native Gloucestershire where our grandmother was born in 1890. So I guess you could say my roots are in London as well. That explains a lot! Enough family history....We were given a short tour of the church - I had been in it last year but wanted Joanne to see it as well.
We lit candles for our grandma and our moms.
No pews as there was a fire in the 70', the cause of which has never been confirmed.
That evening we had pizza with Claudia and her young son.
The next morning it was time for Joanne to fly away home. I went out to the airport with her. We had a bit of excitement when she put her suitcase on the belt (everything is self service for WestJet and Easy Jet at least at Gatwick) and the agent told her to turn it over on its side. Luckily the agent was there as her ring got caught in the zipper. Between them they got it loose - Joanne had visions of going along the carousel with her suitcase. As it turned out you had to scan your boarding pass to get the thing moving so she didn't get to experience that - hey, she could have been a star on Facebook though I'd be too busy screaming to take a video!
Then it was time to say goodbye...what a great time we had together. Together we came, we saw and we conquered!
After meeting up with my friend Pat at Euston station we headed off to Streatham Common Homestay, which is in South West London and our "home" in London for the next week.
The three of us headed off to the Rabbit Hole Pub which is about a fifteen-minute walk from the house. My friends Loraine and Claudia would join us later for a meal. Unfortunately, the chef was off that night so no food was being served - so we made do with a cold drink and met the resident cat. The pub is done up in an Alice in Wonderland theme and is quite cute. We then walked over to Tesco so Pat could get her chocolate for the trip then back on the bus to the Railway Pub where we met the others. It is a five-minute walk from the house and really does have good food. I split a burger with Joanne much to the others' mirth. (I'm not known for my small appetite) Joanne has a much smaller appetite than me and while the food is delish the prices were eye-watering (as is most of London) - I ate most of the chips though!
Fun at the pub
After breakfast the next morning we headed off by train to Victoria station to begin what I called "Joanne's big day in London" - we covered a lot of the main sights.
Just as we were entering St James's Park we realized that there was a lot of action over at Horseguards Palace. We were so lucky to be able to see some of the rehearsal for the Trooping of the Colour. We watched for a few minutes before heading into the park and over to Buckingham Palace.
I had to get Joanne to do the famous pose on the blue bridge in St James's Park - every tourist has to do it at least once!
We had to laugh at these ladies - they thought they were the cat's meow and lapped up all the attention they were getting so thought I might as well take a picture for a laugh. I don't think the Horseguards wear garters but there you go...you just never know I guess!
Between the Trooping of the Colour rehearsal and the Changing of the Guard there were horses and soldiers all over the place. It was all quite exciting even for this London veteran. Joanne was so lucky to see all this. This is one of the many things I love about London. You won't see this in New York folks!
Joanne wanted a picture with Buckingham Palace in the background - this was the best of three. People everywhere!! It's always busy here but never quite this crazy!
And then they marched by again.
We zipped over to nearby Green Park which sits beside Buckingham Palace where we paid homage to the Canada Memorial. This beautiful place honours the Canadians who were killed in World War I and II.
And here they are again. (yawn!) I never get tired of this!
Then I made Joanne stand in front of one of the fountains in Trafalgar Square - this is a must as well.
Above is the fourth plinth in the Square. There are four plinths in Trafalgar Square and the fourth one is an artwork that is temporary and usually stays for about 18 months. They have had such things as a blue rooster and a skeletal horse. This artwork is a replica of Lamassu in Iraq which was destroyed by ISIS in 2005. It was created from 10,500 tins of Iraqi date syrup by New Yorker Michael Rakowitz.
After a bowl of soup in Cafe in the Crypt in St Martin's in the Fields church which is opposite to the square (and not only a good place to eat but a good place to use the loo - yes, I have sneaked in and not bought anything...shh...) we headed over to Leicester Square to the Lego store. Of course we had to pose in this tube train along with a Horse Guard and William Shakespeare! It is a fun place to visit even for adults. Then across to the M & M store - I am a Smartie girl myself but it is fun to visit and it's one shop where I am not tempted to buy anything.
We then got a number 15 bus to St Paul's Cathedral where we had a look at the outside and then carried on to the Salvation Army cafe I frequent. It is very modern and good for a "comfort" break as well - though we also had a cup of tea and shared a brownie. The cafe is really quite good. Joanne is posing on the Millennium Bridge (pedestrian bridge) which is right across from St Paul's.
We walked along the Southbank until we got to London Bridge and Borough Market. I bought some of my favourite Borough Market cheese and Joanne purchased bread and some tea from my "tea guy". The place is called Tea2you and he personally goes to India to get it. It's all very high-quality stuff. I can't afford to drink it all the time but you can be assured that a bag (Darjeeling 2nd flush) is packed into my case when the plane crosses back over the Atlantic.
Then it was time to cross back over the Thames on London Bridge and go to the Skygarden which is on top of the Walkie Talkie building. Well that's not really its name but that's what it's called...like the Cheese grater and the Gherkin. (my personal favourite; if there is such a thing as having a crush on a building I have it for that one) Now it was rather misty and okay a bit wet - not bad though. But it's London so it's always a good view. Tickets are free but you must book ahead - they release tickets three weeks ahead. I believe sometimes you can get in earlier in the morning if you just turn up but personally, I wouldn't chance it.
Looking across to the Shard which is the tallest building in the UK (sixth in Europe). I personally have never been up this building as I am cheap and it costs 25 pounds.
We headed back to Streatham and enjoyed some of the cheese and bread (there could have been wine involved as well) we had purchased and called it a night.
The next day was Saturday so it was market day! Well Portobello market that is. Yikers. Never again! I am getting too old for that sort of nonsense
This was cute!
It was pretty packed but Joanne was able to buy some gifts for her family.
Another day dawned and off to the British Museum to see the Egyptian Room and the Rosetta stone.
The Rosetta stone - it was hard to get a decent picture between the glass and the crowd of people all wanting a photo.
You could literally spend weeks inside the British Museum and still not see it all. The Egyptian room is my favourite of what I've seen so far. And like most of London's big museums, it's free although they happily take donations. After sandwiches at a nearby cafe (lots around that area) we got on the tube to Camden Market. We were safe...it was a Monday. I avoid that place like the plague on weekends - Portobello market is a doddle compared to Camden on Saturday and Sunday.
These are some of the shops you see as you walk from the tube station down the road to the market. Joanne was able to buy some more gifts for her family at Camden market.
Then we went to Oxford St where we popped into Marks and Spencers for a look around and a bit of shopping (I think I've turned Joanne onto M & S knickers - I pretty much wear nothing else and the crazier the design the better - now you know more about my underwear collection than most people...) and then back on the Central line to St Paul's Cathedral. I took the following photos in Paternoster Square where the Fearless girl statue stands - she is there temporarily and highlights the importance of female leaders in business. An original stands opposite the bull in the financial distract of New York City.
We attended Evensong at St Paul's - the cheap woman's way to see St Paul's. Obviously you are confined to one area and cannot take pictures but it is still a wonderful experience. I did the same with my mom back in 1983. The last time I properly toured St Paul's was in 1981 just after "The Wedding".
Then we headed over to the Old London pub a few blocks away and I had pie, chips and a gin and tonic! (Joanne was good and had mash instead of chips)
Needless to say we were pretty tired bunnies when we got back to Streatham that evening. In my journal for that day my last entry was "I'm knackered"!
The next day we went to Kew Gardens to see the Dale Chihuly exhibition however I am going to do a separate post on that as I have loads of photos. However after a rest that afternoon (still tired from the day before plus neither of us were 100% to begin with) we headed out to the West End and after a simple omelette for supper we attended the musical "Come From Away" which was fantastic. I highly recommend this to everyone - it showcases the true spirit of the Newfoundlanders who are absolute gems. Joanne treated me to this for organizing the trip - so sweet of her!
One of the reasons I love staying at Bed and Breakfasts/homestays rather than in hotels is meeting other guests and hearing their stories. At the breakfast table we met a couple who were there to go through her brother's effects in his flat in nearby Croydon. He was a famous Egyptologist who at the age of 59 had died suddenly in Cairo while being driven to work. She told us he was originally a very successful hairdresser (he partied with Boy George in the 80's according to his obituary in The Guardian newspaper) who developed an interest in the hairstyles and wigs of ancient Egypt. He put himself through University eventually obtaining his PHD and became one of the top Egyptologists in the world. I thought that was so amazing - talk about following your passion and making a huge success of it.
After breakfast, we headed into town and Joanne was able to do a bit of shopping at Hamleys for her grandchildren and we got to meet the Queen! (in Lego that is...) We also popped into Fortnum and Masons and the huge Waterstones store - five floors of books. (Mecca for book lovers!)
That afternoon (after popping in that morning to learn they weren't open until the afternoon) we headed over to St Leonard's church in Streatham. This church is very special as our great grandparents were married there in September of 1866. I didn't even realize this until last year - St Leonard's Church is a landmark along the Streatham High Street and I have passed by it often. I have had the information for years but when I obtained it Streatham meant nothing to me as I was strictly a central London gal. I never thought much about it until I pulled my binder of certificates out when someone who shares my DNA contacted me. Sadly the church has had a fire and renovations since then so the only original thing that was there when they were married is the font. The archivist of the church confirmed their marriage but there is no evidence of any of their children being baptized there so I guess they had moved on to another part of London by then. From reading the church's history, it appears St Leonards was quite a fashionable place to worship in the 18th and 19th centuries. At the time of their marriage, our great grandfather was in construction but he eventually became a contractor and his company built the original tunnels at Kings Cross station. He was able to retire in his forties moving back to his native Gloucestershire where our grandmother was born in 1890. So I guess you could say my roots are in London as well. That explains a lot! Enough family history....We were given a short tour of the church - I had been in it last year but wanted Joanne to see it as well.
We lit candles for our grandma and our moms.
No pews as there was a fire in the 70', the cause of which has never been confirmed.
That evening we had pizza with Claudia and her young son.
The next morning it was time for Joanne to fly away home. I went out to the airport with her. We had a bit of excitement when she put her suitcase on the belt (everything is self service for WestJet and Easy Jet at least at Gatwick) and the agent told her to turn it over on its side. Luckily the agent was there as her ring got caught in the zipper. Between them they got it loose - Joanne had visions of going along the carousel with her suitcase. As it turned out you had to scan your boarding pass to get the thing moving so she didn't get to experience that - hey, she could have been a star on Facebook though I'd be too busy screaming to take a video!
Then it was time to say goodbye...what a great time we had together. Together we came, we saw and we conquered!
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