Busy W Days - Wisley - Windsor - Warwick - Wimbledon -

Saturday... Am thoroughly enjoying the days- beautiful weather.  I keep telling them I brought the sunshine with me!  Even with the kitchen all torn up we all manage quite well and K. and I headed to a local shop to pick out some floor samples.  Since I'd had enough of the big city for awhile, I ended up spending most of Saturday at home, working the vegetable and flower gardens – definitely getting some much needed exercise and prepared a bed and planted 12 tomato plants.  I found myself “surprised” as I used the pitchfork to dig the ground up… it was sooooo soft compared to trying to dig in Arizona!  K. and her “fella” D. got a chance to relax with his Dad and wife who came for a weekend visit, and later Kath took me to an amazing nearby Garden… Wisley RHS (Royal Horticulture Society).  So relaxing to walk around an already completed garden and enjoy all the plantings, and between the two of us we were able to name quite a lot of them!  Lots of amazing roses and I always enjoy Bonsai Trees. We found a small pagoda type pavilion at one end and an enormous glasshouse at the other that felt like you’d entered a jungle!  Then headed towards the sounds of jazz playing at the small café and everyone was either sitting at tables or on the grass enjoying it.   We had to dash to make it home in time for D.’s barbecue dinner!

  

At the start of the Garden Tour

Those are ... 5 blooms on one stem!

Sunday... Around 1:30 pm (or 13:30 as they use the 24 hr clock over here for everything) the 4 of us ended up at a local Pub for a “real Sunday Dinner” (I had roast beef!) and then we all went for a walk in the nearby park.  K. even had the energy to drive a bit further and take me to the town of Windsor.  We arrived after Windsor Castle closed, but I got a good sense the town and how to go so will definitely take the train over and play tourist when I can schedule it after my return from Spain.   We had fun just walking around and I spied some neat pastries in a window and thought I’d be nice and buy 3 pastries for the morning.  We were flabbergasted when he said our total was £11.85  - talk about captive audience!   That’s almost $20 for 3 pastries!!!  They were good, just NOT that good.  We also ended up walking across a small bridge and lo and behold… we’re in Eton!  Here’s a link for it if you’re interested.  Neat buildings.  Caught a snap of a young man coming out of the library in his famous robes.

 Monday, turned out to be a travelling day, as D. was nice enough to let me tag along on a business trip he had to take, to Warwick – 2 hours north of London and about 96 miles from the house. (yes, although they drive on the opposite side of the road they still compute distance in miles).   He had his meeting and I got a chance to visit the famous Warwick Castle (over 1000 yrs old!) and took loads of pictures!  Did I mention that we drove K.’s car?  A really fun TT Audi, and we even got to put the top down on the way back!

Amazing Buffet hand carved from a single tree

 

This is for you Ronni!!

Tuesday… We are all planning on taking the late train to do see some late tennis matches at Wimbledon.  Tickets cheaper after 6pm.   Went by train and walked a mile to stadium all up hill!

Wednesday… Yes, we went to Wimbledon, but “things” just sort of worked out oddly and due to MY FAULT, I misplaced K. & D. and ended up walking around it by myself while they were in a tizzy outside looking for me.  LONG story, and I feel really bad about it.  Amazing how you think you are doing something right and it all falls apart!!!  They are still talking to me, thank goodness!

Both K. & D. had long work days today and since I will be departing for Spain tomorrow morning I had a lot to do as I spent the day finishing the gardening (14 lettuce plants in!) with more weeding and 2 other beds prepared.  Had to repack and of course do some hand washing but also managed to grab a much needed NAP!   So am finishing this UK section up for now.  Not sure how I will manage to add to it while in Spain but will give it a go!  The flight only takes about 2 hours and I have a ride from the airport already set up along with 2 tours I sorted out with the AAA office, all day tours – Friday is to Toledo and then Sunday is to Avila-Segovia with a “Gastronomic Lunch” which should prove interesting!  Will have the days in-between to just relax and wander Madrid!  Then on July 2 will meet up with friend C. and head to Malaga for Photo Course.  Finally got my bank account sorted out today, so have some Euros to spend!   Ta ,Ta till later!

London - Friday

Well, it IS London and it IS summer tourist time, but I wasn’t really prepared for the masses of people that were there!  Talk about culture shock in a big city!  I took the train into London proper for a day’s ”look around” and ended up walking until 5pm when I boarded the train for home! I started out by walking to the nearby station (about 20 minutes), and boarded the train in about 10 minutes (after 9:30 am it’s “supposed” to be cheaper but the ticket was £14.50 return… which is equal to about $28!)  It turned out the final stop in London was the Waterloo Station… and there were LOTS of people and interestingly, a lot of them were REALLY dressed up!  Ladies in fancy dresses, high heels and unusual hats and men in full long morning coats and top hats… it turned out that they were all off to the Royal Ascot Races at 10am in the morning!  I was so amazed and soaking it all in I didn’t even think to take out my camera!  But no worries, as the day progressed I ended up getting in picture taking mode! 

Still a bit dazed by it all I just followed the crowd figuring they knew where the exit was and wandered out the station thinking I was heading towards “the river” which is actually …  the Thames!  I did finally find it after walking up a few alleyways.  I stopped to gorge myself on the first place that would sell me a sausage roll as I was starved, wandering along the river walk as I just soaked in the skyline.  Since I could see St. Paul’s Cathedral in the distance I figured I’d start there and do a big loop so I could end up back at the Waterloo station in time for the 5 o’clock train.  

So I crossed the Thames using the Blackfriars Bridge and chatted up a lovely couple from Denmark as we all tried to make sure we were heading in our respective directions.  They were heading over the Millennium Bridge.  I will say the signage was really good most of the time, so you couldn’t get too lost.  St. Paul’s  “appeared” in front of me down this small street… such an amazing piece of architecture just “right there”!  

I walked around the outside until I found the entrance and decided to only enter the “free” chapel as the main part had a £ 16.50 fee and I could still see a lot from there.  No photos allowed inside.  I remember reading how the Germans didn’t bomb St. Paul’s in WWII, because they were using it as a landmark but my friend K. also told me she had heard that people were very brave to stay inside it during the bombings (they didn’t know it wouldn’t be bombed) and helped to put out the embers from other bombings so the building would survive.   There were heaps of school children in groups everywhere I went.  The schools here are still in session for another 2-3 weeks I heard.

After walking around it outside and taking a short look down some side streets, I followed my nose down Fleet Street …  saw an amazing amount of men in good looking business suits walking around!   Couldn’t remember when I last saw them in numbers like that!  Hadn’t realized just how “out of that world” I had been! 

Found out I was passing by the Royal Courts of Justice and that I was allowed in…  so in I went!   An old stone edifice with rooms and corridors one could easily get lost in!  Even sat in on a court case but got out quickly!

My original intention was to head for Covent Gardens area and then Piccadilly circle but when I reached Covent Gardens (not really gardens, lots of small booths, shops and eating places) I was getting tired and it was so crowded and I was so totally unimpressed I gave up on seeing Piccadilly and just followed on to find Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square.  Did manage to get some culture in by stopping to look through the 3 floors of the National Portrait Gallery (FREE entrance fee! – to all national museums apparently) where they even had a portrait of George Washington!  Then walked down Whitehall and saw the Horse Guards Parade Grounds and even passed 10 Downing Street (the Prime Minister’s residence – which sits far back as it’s all blocked off - but if I squinted I could see the door!  (Current Prime Minister David Cameron was appointed on 11 May 2010)).

Just kept walking down the street as I could see a big tower in the distance so figured I was heading towards Big Ben.  I arrived just as it struck 4pm. 

Then crossed the Westminster Bridge and got a good look at the Houses of Parliament from the river.   Don’t’ think I had realised just how many bridges London has that cross the Thames. 

The masses of people that were around and crossing amazed me too but hey, summer tourist season!    I saw the “London Eye”, that big Ferris wheel but didn’t fancy a ride.  Very expensive from what I hear.  

From there I just asked directions back to the Waterloo Train Station and since I already had my return ticket I just stood in front of the listings to wait to see what Platform the train would be on.  Another 40-minute train ride home and then a 20-minute walk back to the house and I was knackered!!!   Done in!  Kaput!  7 hours of almost constant walking!

I will have to return to see Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, and the British Museum.  Loads to see yet but… found out yesterday when I tried to use my credit card, that if I don’t have chip in it (which I do) AND have a Pin # I may not be able to use it!  EEK.!

FYI… I walked with an empty plastic water bottle for over an hour looking for a bin to toss it into and it took ages until I found one.  Later heard that due to potential bombing threats there are not a lot of trash bins around in London.

Thought this car park was a super idea... 

ARRIVED UK

Made it!  The British Airways non-stop flight from Phoenix, AZ to London was "only" 9 hours  and it turned out I had great seat-mates, which meant  I don't think I got more than an hour of sleep as we chatted on and off when not watching videos.  The fellow on my right was returning to Vienna after visiting the USA for a Wood Turning Symposium, and the lady on my left lived in Phoenix but was returning to her home country of Ireland.  The flight was booked almost solid and there were LOTS of people.  It seemed the lady behind us had to be ill before they would turn the air lower as it was VERY warm almost the entire time.  Food nothing special.  We landed at Heathrow Airport without a hitch and after an hour in line at customs... "the border" my friend K. was there waiting for me ...  how neat!  Luckily we had sent each other recent pictures to make sure we could recognise each other as we figured it was about 10-12 years since we'd seen each other!  Turns out the last time I was in the UK was in 1971 - the year K. was born!!!

We drove to her house South of London in about 1/2 hour and was introduced to all the workmen that are in the process of renovating her kitchen, which is all torn apart!  What a time for a house quest to appear!  I settled in and actually stayed awake until almost 11pm that night (awake almost 36 hrs!)!  I had a great time doing a bit of gardening and raking for her as she had to go back to work.  Gosh, so this is what humidity feels like!!  Seems I've brought the sun and it looks like today will be nice too.  Even saw a big magpie in the backyard this morning.  Thinking of heading into London tomorrow via the train (station only a 20 minute walk from here).  The return fare will be around 11.50 in English Pounds ( about US$ 19).  Off for a walk to the local village!  

Onward to the UK & Spain

Hi All, barely enough time to pack and have left a few things for son to do, but "think" I am about ready!  My friend K. has offered to pick me up at the airport so am thrilled.  Will take me a few days to acclimate and also find some neat things to post while getting used to using my wee keyboard that goes with my tablet!