London/Paris Cruise Oct 2013 - Part 1: London (Cont.)

Day 2 of London started with breakfast in the hotel.  Wow, I slept great that night.  Breakfast was at the coffee shop because the restaurant in the hotel was over $40 for breakfast.  Yikes!  I had a Starbucks coffee and a croissant.  Lisa had a water and pain du chocolat.  They were French pastries in an English hotel, but they were delicious.  After breakfast we took a cab to Westminster Abbey.  We got there about 30 minutes before they opened and got to walk around the Abbey and the square in front of it and the Parliament building.  We got some great morning pictures of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.  We got in line before they opened and went in shortly after.  The only word I can use to describe Westminster is "awe".  I was in awe the entire time I was in the Abbey.  We saw tombs of former Kings and Queens.  Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are buried in the Abbey.  The original Abbey was built in 1042, and the current Abbey was constructed in 1245.  We took an audio tour narrated by Jeremy Irons, who I really like.  It was very informative telling you stories about what each part of the Abbey is for and who is buried where.  Elizabeth I is actually buried on top of her sister in the Abbey.  Edward the Confessor, who was crowned in 1042 and had the Abbey consecrated, is entombed here..  I find the English history to be extremely interesting.  It was so impressive to walk through this shrine.  We walked by the alter and just as we did a Priest walked up and gave the hourly prayer.  There is a section of authors buried in the Abbey such as Charles Dickens, Chaucer, and others.  The Abbey was actually one of my favorite parts of the trip.  It was very historic and amazing.  I still don't understand how these almost ancient, ornate type of buildings were built in that time of history.  The amount of money and physical labor required to build these buildings is unbelievable.

Westminster Abbey

After the Abbey we walked passed St James Park to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard.  Another important historic building, but in a very different way from Westminster.  It was very impressive to see this building that we are used to seeing on TV and in the movies.  To me it seemed similar to seeing the White House from a distance, but it was still cool to see it.  The changing of the guard consisted of a couple of small parades of guards marching to and from the Palace.  I enjoyed seeing the guards march back and forth, but we could not see the actual changing because of all the people there.  As the last soldiers marched back to their post, we walked up to the gate of Buckingham Palace after most of the people left and we took some pictures.  Next stop was lunch.  

Buckingham Palace

Since the girls complained the day before about not eating, we made sure to feed them.  Our next attraction was the British Museum, so we decided to take the Underground from Green Park to Covent Garden for lunch.  It started raining on the walk to the Underground station and when we got to Covent Gardens it was pouring down rain.  I also found that my day pass for the Underground didn't work at the turnstiles so I had to have someone let me in and out of each stop.  It was a little annoying.  We started to walk out of the Covent Garden station to find somewhere to eat and there was a pub on the right.  As I was about to say 'Let's go here" someone told me we were eating across the street at Maxwell's Diner.  Now I'm not sure about you, but I'm pretty sure we have hamburgers and American diner food in the U.S.  Either way, that is what we had.  I ordered a bacon cheese burger, which was really pretty good.  We did find that their bacon is different.  It is more like Canadian bacon.  My dad ordered pulled pork, which being from Kansas City seemed like blasphemy.  Lunch really wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I was looking for in my experience.  After lunch, on to the British Museum (in the rain).  

The British Museum is a HUGE place.  Oh wow.  They have a lot of artifacts and treasures in this building.  We only had a couple of hours before we needed to go back so we started to look for the highlights.  We walked through the Egyptian section, including a statue of Ramsesses and the Rosetta Stone.  We moved on to ancient Iranian artifacts, which were Persian, and there were large statues and a stone wall that had an ancient painting of a Lion hunt.  We then saw statues and carvings from the Parthenon.  After that, we looked for the highlights.  We found mummies and sarcophaguses, the first chess set, a statue from Easter Island, and many others.  Lisa was bored.

Me and Ramsesses

Sculpture from the Parthenon

Statue from Easter Island

Sarcophaguses

After the museum we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.  We took a little different way back on the Underground so I wasn't sure which stop to get off and it was 5:00 rush hour.  My mom and I got separated from the rest of the group.  I new that Bob, Justin's dad, was wearing a red Chiefs hat so I tried to watch to see when it was getting off the train.  We stopped at Bond Street and a bunch of people got on so I lost the hat.  I thought they got off so I told my mom to get off and we did.  As we got off to look for them, we looked over and saw them still on the train.  Darn it.  We were supposed to get off at Marble Arch instead.  My mom and I waited for the next train and when we got there, they were all waiting for us, laughing.  Good times.

Dinner was nine of us going to St John restaurant.  We found that it was north of St Paul's Cathedral so it was not really close to an Underground station.  We decided to take a cab.  We left about 45 minutes before our reservation.  It took 45 minutes to get to the restaurant (in KC it would have taken 10 minutes).  The cab driver was a hoot and a half.  Wow, he talked our ears off.  He had been to the US a couple times.  He was open to talking about anything from guns to Princess Diana, who he apparently rode in his cab once.  The restaurant was a little off the tourist path.  It was a white building that had an open garage type area to get to the bar and restaurant area.  They also have a shop to sell wine and other products.  This is not a tourist spot.  This was a foodie spot that screamed Anthony Bourdain.  I could just see him smoking and drinking outside with the people and then eating inside at the private dining room that we had reserved.  This was a really cool room.  It was oddly shaped with a table to fit it.  The waitress was very helpful as she had no clue what she was in for.  We ordered drinks and I found that they had their own wine (that was relatively cheap).  I asked about it and was told that the wine was produced by their staff wine person and they sell it in their shop.  We got a bottle of both reds and they were delicious.  Possibly the best deal of the trip.  When we got the menu, we were lost.  Whether we knew what the food was or not, the British terms used did not fit anything we could come up with, and they speak English.  The waitress walked us through the menu.  We got three appetizers to share and then everyone got their own entree.  This is not a restaurant for everyone.  To start, we got grilled whole sardines, pig's head salad, and the famous bone marrow.  The entrees were smoked haddock in a cream sauce with fries, pork shoulder with parsnips, calf's liver, duck breast, sweetbreads, diver sole, and blood cake with a fried egg.  This sounds crazy, right?  No, this was one of the best meals, and one of the best foodie experiences I have had.  I liked everything I ate, and I tried everything.  The best was my haddock, Justin's blood cake, and the bone marrow.  Oh wow that bone marrow was good.  I will never argue with Bourdain again.  If you are a foodie and you go to London, you have to eat here.

St. John Restaurant

Our menu

After dinner we went back to the hotel and had a few cocktails before bed.  We packed up our stuff to leave in the morning and went to bed.

Next, to the ship....

(Post trip note:  Lisa brought her Fitbit on the trip and this day we walked around 17,500 steps.  A normal day is supposed to be 10,000 steps.  We were tired.)

London/Paris Cruise Oct 2013 - Part 1: London

Our journey began with the flight to London.  We flew from Kansas City to Atlanta, and then from Atlanta to London.  The flight to Atlanta was nice and short.  We got to go to Atlanta's new international terminal.  It was very nice.  Modern, but with classic airport style and features.  We had lunch in the food court, which was pretty good.  Next stop - London.  We upgraded our Delta tickets from coach (economy) to comfort economy.  This was supposed to include more leg room, seats that lay back further, free drinks, and a power outlet.  The plane we boarded seemed to be an older plane.  It was showing its years.  The overhead PA did not work, so we couldn't hear the announcements.  It seemed a little dirty and worn.  When we got in our seats, I looked for out power outlet, being the gadget guy that I am. and couldn't find one.  Lisa and I were in two seats together next to the window with the aisle next to us.  My parents were in front of us in the bulkhead.  None of us had power.  We did have a little more legroom compared to the flight to Atlanta, but not much.  The seats reclined, but not 30% more. We did get free drinks so we had a couple to start the flight.  We were a little disappointed in our "upgrade".  For the most part the flight was ok.  There was a TV screen in the headrest in front of your seat which had movies, music, TV shows and information.  Since we brought our own entertainment, we didn't use it very much other than showing the map of our progress.  That was nice to see.  Lisa and I watched a movie and then tried to go to sleep since it was an 8.5 hour flight and we arrived at 7:30am with a full day ahead of us.  Neither of us could sleep.  I think each of us (Lisa and I) got about 1 1/2 hours of sleep is all.  My dad said he only got about 30 minutes of sleep.  This made for a rough next day.  About half way through the flight, there was some commotion at the other end of our aisle.  A lady at the opposite window was having health issues.  The flight attendant was asking for a doctor, which one of the passengers was and ended up helping.  It was an interesting experience.  Everything ended up ok, we never heard exactly what happened.  After our 8.5 hours, we landed safely in London.  The sun started to rise about 30 minutes before we landed, which was really pretty to see from the plane.

We landed at Heathrow International Airport and first had to go through customs.  There was a pretty long line already at 7:30 in the morning.  We had 12 of us on the plane from Atlanta together so we tried to be together in line.  We got to a point where a man was directing the line and had our group go to a specific line.  Somehow we had an extra person with us who followed us to the customs desk.  The customs person check us by couples and when she got the extra lady in our group, she asked why she was there, and she didn't have a good answer.  Lisa and I were behind this lady in line so we got to see the interaction.  I thought it was kind of funny because she was trying to beat the system, but it came back to bite her.  The customs lady gave her a hard time, but in the end let her go ahead.  We made it through customs and got our passports stamped (Lisa was happy since she didn't get a stamp in Vancouver).  My dad had organized 2 vans to take us from the airport to the hotel.  This worked out really well.  The only problem was traffic was crazy.  It was during the morning rush hour and took over an hour.  

We stayed at the Grosvner House, a JW Marriott hotel, just off of Hyde Park.  It was a very nice hotel.  Lisa and I decided it was probably the nicest hotel we have stayed in.  It was in a great location, very clean, well decorated, and the service was spectacular.  Everyone was very helpful and friendly.  Some of our rooms were ready, but a couple were not so we cleaned up a little and waited for 4 more of our group to get in from the airport (it was only about half an hour to wait).  Once everyone was together, we headed out to see London.  Keep in mind we have not slept very much and only had lunch in Atlanta and two very small meals on the airplane.  

Our first stop was taking the Underground (London's subway) to the Tower of London.  I mentioned in my planning for London post that we got the London Pass.  This was a great find.  It had 2 day passes for the Underground and a London Pass card that got us in to all of our activities.  When we arrived at the Tower, we just showed them our pass and walked right in.  We got a tour guided by a Beefeater, which is in my opinion the best way to see the Tower.  We saw the inner and outer walls, walked through the moat and then toured the inside.  We saw where Isaac Newton worked in the coin shop.  We saw the spot where private executions were held, including the famous Anne Bolyen beheading.  The history of the Tower was incredible.  The original tower, also called the White Tower, was built in 1100.  There is nothing in the United States that compares to that.  After our tour, we saw the Crown Jewels at the Tower.  I didn't realize they were lost and replaced/recreated after Charles I.  We then went through the White Tower, which is the inner and original tower and the original palace of England.  Many of the Kings and Queens lived and ruled from the White Tower.  Now it is a display of armor and weapons.  They have all types of medieval armor on display including Henry VIII's armor.  It was really hard to take in everything at the Tower.  I really enjoyed it.  Walking through the White Tower was very powerful thinking about all the history that had happened within that building.  Very impressive.  

The Tower of London

Not far from 1000 years old!

Our tour guide - He was very informative and entertaining.

Henry VIII's Armor

After the Tower of London, we boarded a river cruise that started at the port next to the Tower and stopped at the Westminster port.  This boat went down the Thames river and we got to see quite a few landmarks from the river.  We saw the London Tower Bridge, the Globe Theater, the London Eye, St. Paul's cathedral, Parliament and Big Ben and went under several bridges including the London Bridge.  It was a nice relaxing ride, which several of us took a short cat nap through it.  

When we got to the Westminster port, we walked passed the Parliament building and Big Ben and headed to the Churchill War Rooms.  The War Rooms actually under a government building that was fairly close to 10 Downing Street, which is where the Prime Minister lives.  This was not at the top of Lisa and my list, but it was interesting to see where they planned and strategized during World War II.  Others in our group loved it.  Our friend Justin met us here because he had a later flight from Kansas City and he really enjoyed it.  After the War Rooms we walked passed the Horse Guard Parade and toward Trafalgar Square to find a pub for dinner.  We did find one that wasn't full and had a couple of beers and fish and chips.  They were pretty good.  At that point, we were about to start eating anything because it had been about 12 hours without food.  The women of the group were starting to get vocal about their hunger so it was time to eat.  This was an ongoing joke the rest of our time in London.  I was actually really impressed we went that long without issues.  I think everyone really enjoyed the sites and didn't really think about it.

Piccadilly Circus

Liberty of London

You would think this would end the day, but wait there's more.  After dinner we split up and some of us went toward Piccadilly Circus to find a store called Liberty of London.  Lisa had heard they have great fabric and wanted to check it out.  So seven of us headed there and the rest went back to the hotel.  It was a little tough to find, but it was in a very busy modernized shopping area.  Once we found it, Lisa, my mom and Pam (Justin's mom) went to the store.  Justin, my dad, his dad and I went to the pub next door for a beer.  The pubs were interesting because we found it was almost all guys.  Very few girls.  I was not overly impressed with English beer.  It was ok, and it all kind of tasted the same.  When the girls were done in the store, we headed toward Piccadilly Circus through Soho.  Soho was a really cool area.  A lot of young people with street cafes/restaurants and trendy shops.  There was even a Whole Foods, so it was our kind of place.  Piccadilly Circus was really busy, but most of the stores were closed.  We did get to see the big billboard screens.  Lisa related it to a small Times Square.  I think that is pretty accurate.

After Piccadilly, we finally went back to the hotel and crashed.  It was only 10:00, but we had basically been up since the 8:30 Wednesday in KC and went to bed at 10:00pm in London Thursday night.  It felt like the longest day of my life, but a great one at that.  

Up next:  Day 2 and the conclusion of London....

London/Paris Cruise Oct 2013 - Paris Planning

The second part part of our trip takes us to Paris.  The first stop on the cruise is the port of Le Havre, France.  At this port we have the option to go to Paris, which is a little over 2 hours away by train.  When Lisa and I were considering going on the cruise, this option was one of the necessities and highlights for us.  Neither of us have been to Paris, so we were excited to be able to add it to this trip.

While researching our options to add Paris to our trip, we found two ways of doing it.  the cruise line offers a shore excursion for an overnight in Paris.  This was a very expensive option.  Instead, we chose the alternate option to plan it on our own.  We are in port for just under 48 hours so we would like to have as much time in Paris as possible.  The cruise docks at 7:00am.  The first train out of Le Havre is at 8:00 so we will have to hustle.  The train arrives at 10:15.  We depart the next day at 2:50 and arrive back at Le Havre at 4:55.  This will be a whirlwind while we are there.

We are staying at the Hotel Duquesne Eiffel.  We found this hotel in a USA Today article that listed the top hotels with a view in the world.  The hotel has rooms that have a view of the Eiffel Tower.  This was an immediate draw when we were reading about it.  It is only blocks from the Eiffel Tower so it is in a good locations.  It is also reasonably priced.

Now on to the fun stuff:  What to do in Paris?  Well, apparently there is a lot to do.  Our must dos are the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triumph and Champs-Elysees.  If we have time, Lisa would like to go to Monmartre and Sacre Coeur.  She heard that there is a great art market there.  Another spot I heard of is a shop called Fauchon.  From what I had heard, this is the Tiffany of food.  They have all kinds of luxurious foods in this shop.  I am guessing that will be enough to keep us busy for the short amount of time that we are there.  We will probably eat in in cafes for snacks and breakfast.  We are not planning anything for dinner because we really don't know what to look for.  I'm thinking we will just ask the hotel what they recommend and go from there.  We will be there on a Sunday night and I read that it is not easy to find dinner spots in Paris on Sundays.

Sacre-Coeur at Montmartre

Notre Dame Cathedral

I am most excited to see the Louvre.  Knowing me you wouldn't think so, but it sounds very interesting.  My interest in art has been sparked over the passed few years, thank you school and LIsa, and I think it will be cool to see all of the masterpieces together.  There is a lot of history in the collections there.

Le Louvre

Well, we only have 8 more days until the cruise.  The planning and packing has commenced.  It is going to be a busy, stressful week to prepare.

Stay tuned.  Next post may be from the trip.......