Month: June 2015

Hanging with Paddington –
I was told to be at Paddington Station by 8:30 for my 9:00 train. Not wanting to risk issues with the tube and other possible delays, I left my hostel at a little after 7. According to the Transport for London site, that departure time, when factoring in walking and transfers was supposed to right at an hour, so I expected to have time to spare, but I’m not sure how the journey only took a little over 30 minutes (I guess I caught an earlier train at some point?) – regardless, I had LOTS of time to spare before I caught my train to Bath, so I spent some time wondering around Paddington Station – and what do I stumble upon, but Paddington Bear himself.

Train –
As it was just about time to board,I realized this would be my 1st long train ride, at least as an adult. It’s a good thing I liked it, or the next few weeks might be rough. I was pleasantly surprised at the comfort of the train and the lovely scenery I saw. Windows make pictures difficult, but I did have some fun with iPhone panoramic photo fails. 🙂 the scenery was pastural, particularly between Chippenham and Swindon. I’m already planning my next journey – I absolutely have to explore more of the UK. I just love it!

Bath
Upon my arrival at Bath Spa station, I decided to start by exploring the city a bit on foot. I immediately felt like I had stepped back in time. As a UNESCO World Heritage City (and the only whole city in Britain) it is very clear that substantial architectural controls and regulations are in place. All buildings that are constructed must be faced in Bath Stone, a soft stone mined nearby, with few exceptions.
My tour included the train to and from London (with a seat reservation), a tour of the city of Bath, a skyline tour in surrounding areas, and admission to the Roman Baths, so I had planned on a jam packed day. My journey into Bath was a direct recommendation from the Basford Family. I remember a conversation that took place several years ago at the Basford dinner table about places I wanted to travel to, and at that time, I really only mentioned London in the UK, and immediately Tessa listed several other places I should visit, Bath being one of them. What followed that was a recounting of Katie’s love of Bath, a pulling out of a photo album and Katie’s story of Wayne tasting the “Spa Water”, and lots of laughter. (Even after being warned I decided to try it too, (I guess it is like Beverly at the World of Coke?!?) and YUCK. I’m not even sure how to describe the taste – like hot ocean water with sulphur? But,when in Rome, or in this case in Aquae Sulis?
I decided to start with the tour, but because I had been walking around I missed the 1st part of the commentary and joined a later stop, and honestly, the tour guide wasn’t very good, so I got off rather quickly and decided to wander a bit more, and I stumbled into a boules tournament in a Central Park area. Boules is like bocce and was quite fun to watch. After this I decided to go ahead and do the tour of the Roman Baths. The history was fascinating. I was in absolute awe of the artifacts and excavations on display throughout the site. My admission included an audio guide, and even though I’m not usually a huge fan of those, I enjoyed the commentary throughout my journey. It was absolutely fascinating. What’s even more spectacular is that they are still continuously working to excavate the ruins and are finding new roman ruins throughout Bath all the time. The science geek in me was totally enthralled by the dating, validation and examination of these artifacts and how that knowledge continually shapes the knowledge we have about the Ancient Romans. After I left the Baths I felt like I had visited a little part of Rome, which was really exciting since that isn’t a stop on my travels this trip.

THE BATHS

As I was leaving the Baths I stumbled upon this great Tapestry – I hate I couldn’t get a better picture, but Mike Green, I thought you would enjoy this!

After I left the Baths, I decided to explore the immediate area surrounding it, including the Abbey right next door, a gorgeous abbey, and quite historical location. It has been rebuilt and modified many times through the years, but has continuously been a location of worship. It holds historical significance as the location of the 1st King of England’s (Edgar) coronation location. The Abbey’s exterior was stunning, but I did not get to journey inside, as it was closed for a funeral.
After ducking through quite a few quaint and lovely roadways that truly made me feel like I had stepped back in time, I decided to give the tour bus another go (I do typically enjoy the little stories and facts that the tour guides share). This time it was much better – and the tour guide was fabulous. I rode through through the entire loop with him, learned tons and made some really spectacular pictures. When I got back to the starting point I disembarked, happily tipping him on my way off the bus.

PICTURES AROUND BATH

At this point I decided that I should search for something to eat, which lead me to a quite touristy location in Sally Lunn’s. Sally Lunns is a famous eatery and one of the oldest homes in Bath. Originally I just stopped in to get a bun to take back with me, but was enticed by the smells from the cafe, so I decided I’d stop there. It was so yummy!!
The had a large menu with sandwiches and teas and pastries, but I decided that protein and vegetables would be a good choice, so I went with the lunch special, a pork loin trencher (meat, vegetables and gravy on top of a half of a bun – the bun is supposed to be a trencher, or substitute for a plate). What I didn’t realize was the amount of food this £10 special came with. Goodness Gracious. It came with soup, an entree, desert and hot tea. I was glad it was a late lunch, because it was certainly going to be a combined lunch/dinner, and even at that I got the dessert to go.

Sufficiently full, I wandered around some shops and streets in Bath a bit more (wow at the glass blowing – thanks for the recommendation Rachel!) before boarding the skyline tour, which promised views of Bath you wouldn’t be able to see on foot, and I quickly discovered why. Bath seems to be set in a valley, and as we journeyed outside the city we climbed up for some amazing views of Bath, surrounding towns and the Cotswalds.

So gorgeous. The tour ended right by the train station, but I still had a bit of time to kill, so I decided to grab a coffee from a local coffee shop, and I was not at all disappointed. As #minifigmerry shows – it was a large, and quite yummy latte! After I drank my latte & enjoyed the free wifi, I headed for the train station to catch my return train to Paddington Station.

Guess what train journeys are good for?!? Drafting a blog post while you look out the window. I’m typing this on my phone now, and will put it on my computer with pictures when I get back to my hostel.

All that said, I am now back at the hostel, and finished uploading, and I may come back and label pictures more later, but I must get some sleep!

More London adventures tomorrow – including the Harry Potter Studio Tour!

David Bailey once said “If you’re curious, London’s an amazing place.” 

I must say, London certainly delivers. Today was an amazing day – and even involved a Royal sighting!

Royal Sightings

Today was commemorating the Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo, and there was a special ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral. Early in the morning while in Trafalgar Square, I witnessed the Royal Motorcade come through with Camilla in the back of the car.

Later in the day, traffic was a bear, so our bus tour got jammed up, but that worked out quite nicely, because we saw Prince Charles exiting the Cathedral with Camilla. There were also lots of other famous people I am sure that I didn’t recognize.

Exploring London

Since I was no longer suffering from Jet Lag and sleeping on a plane, I decided to use the 2nd day of my bus tour to take the tour with live commentary – which was a treat – even if it took forever because of traffic and special events. I loved the view from the top of the bus.

For me, the most prevalent observation I made all day was how London really is a Juxtaposition of the old and the new.

It started as I walked up to the Tower of London, a beautiful structure with more history than I can even begin to write about in this post, and noticed the Shard, a modern skyscraper in the background.

This theme continued as I explored the city:

A cruise ship parked next to the HMS Belfast on the Thames.

Cranes all over the city signaling new construction.

Video Screens on Old Stone

This “new” security system – 🙂

This building, now being used as a Public Toilet House

and, finally, this spin on a Phonebooth – a wifi hot spot on the street.

London is absolutely beautiful, and I enjoyed exploring it more today.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures:

Artwork

Ok, so all that know me know that sun is not exactly kind to my fair skin – even when I apply sunscreen regularly, so in an attempt to protect my skin – I did don a hat for some of my exploring today:

However, at about 14:00 (2:00) I realized that I needed to go inside for a bit or even with the hat I would be lobster-esque so I decided to take in some artwork at the National Gallery. I am not exactly a “connoisseur of art” by any means, but I very much enjoyed getting lost in the rooms of the gallery. As I had not really “planned” to hop in, I was pleasantly surprised at the beautiful works I stumbled across. van Gogh and Rembrandt were my favorite collections. I love that they have such a complete website, where you can explore the artwork from anywhere in the world.

I went into the portrait gallery after this, and they were STUNNING, but no photography is allowed. I loved this stop – it was such a great overview of important people in English history (and pop culture).

Westminster Abbey

One stop I had planned was attending Evensong at Westminster Abbey. There truly are no words – the Abbey itself is breathtaking (and I’m sort of glad photography isn’t allowed inside – the entire experience is one you really just have to see to believe). I wasn’t one of the first in line, but as I was being seated, the one of the Vergers asked me if I would like to sit in the choir stalls – he had one seat remaining. WOW! To sit in that place, and experience worship in that space was absolutely remarkable. The organ, the choir, the Scripture being read and the Cantor all gave me chills – and to join responsively in the Lord’s Prayer and Apostles Creed were just amazing. I am still in awe of the entire experience – If you are ever in London – Trust me – make plans – it is totally worth it!

Dinner with Some Locals

After all this exploring, I thought I might as well have some dinner. I used Yelp to find a pub close by, in hopes that it wouldn’t be too touristy based on the reviews. The restaurant was St. Stephen’s Tavern, and it was DIRECTLY across from The Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) and the Houses of Parliament – so stunning views. I sat in the bar, because the wait for a table upstairs was more than an hour, and I am so glad I did!

They offered general pub fare, for a reasonable cost – for less than 15 pounds I got a fish and chip platter with all sorts of fixings, and a pint of some really great locally brewed beer (Badger Beer).

The food was good, but the ambience and atmosphere were even better. There were lots of government employees having dinner engaged in lively debates, and the table next to me was no exception – I enjoyed their debate about London and its standing in the EU, and what they each thought about it. Obviously – not something I know much about – but it was interesting to hear their pros and cons.

I strolled back to the Hostel after that, and funnily enough, must have looked like I knew where I was going, because an older couple with what I am assuming was German accents asked me for directions. What is even more impressive is that I actually knew where they wanted to go (Westminster Pier) and was able to give them directions.

Back at the hostel I met my newest roommate – a girl from Korea who speaks very little english – I won’t even try to butcher her name by typing it, but as we were trying to communicate – very rudimentary, mind you, I gave her one of my packets of instant coffee (she was upset they weren’t serving any in the bar), and she shared with me a Korean rice cookie – it was very sweet, and quite interesting!

Today was a lovely day – Tomorrow I will be headed to Bath. 🙂

The Flight!

So, I decided at the airport to upgrade to “premium economy” for a little over $200 – since I had gotten such a deal on the flight (Using Sky Miles) I said why not!?! – What a smart move that ended up being. The plane was over booked in economy – so everyone was crowded back there, but I ended up with an empty seat beside me – SCORE!!

Premium Economy incudes several free drinks – snacks and both dinner and breakfast – which I did not anticipate. Honestly – for airplane food – neither was 1/2 bad.

This was dinner:

and breakfast:

The seats in premium economy are comfy, purple leather seats, with lumbar support and folding neck supports, and a decent foot rest that can be adjusted a couple of ways. All things considered I slept pretty well – and would have slept better if the older couple in the pair of seats beside me didn’t scream everything they said to one another, bless their hearts! (They both obviously had some hearing issues.

The flight was smooth and uneventful, and we arrived at Heathrow almost 1 hour ahead of schedule. Clearing  customs was easy, with fairly short lines, and soon I was on my way to the Tube.

Premium Economy  is pretty sweet!

Funny story about the plane ride: I did have a sweet older lady the seat over, who even at 30,000 feet determined I could assist her with technology – so – she kept asking me how to operate the tv console on the back of her seat – which she kept setting for Chinese. . . I finally got her set, and she happily watched movies and tv for the rest of the ride.

Virgin’s entertainment console was great, but I forced myself to mostly ignore it, because I knew I needed to try and get as much sleep as I could.

The Tube

There is nothing quite like baptism by fire. I got to navigate the tube, with luggage, during rush hour. Fortunately I knew which stops I needed to transfer at, and that all worked well. It is an efficient and easy to use tube line. I found my Hostel (Wombats London) very easily, and dropped off my luggage so that I could make the most of my first day in London.

The entire journey I was very thankful I had packed as lightly as I had. . . I could not imagine navigating with the amount of luggage I saw others with.

The Hostel!

Ok, so for a first hostel experience I may be spoiled. Wombats opened in December, so it is new, fresh and clean, and they have had time to work out any kinks they may have had at opening. The room is spacious, (I am in a 6 girl dorm), the lockers are HUGE and secured using your room key, and you have to use your key to access the building, elevator and the floor where your room is. Our dorm has a separate shower and toilet room, both of which are very clean and nice. The bed seems comfy, so all is well there. So far, I would recommend this location very highly. (There is also a great WomBar downstairs with reasonably priced beverages). The location isn’t bad, about a 10 minute walk from the nearest tube stations. I walked to the Tower of London in 15 minutes, and that included making a wrong turn (Street signs have been a learning curve – they are not always in intersections, and never in the same spot (and every road changes names 14 times in 3 miles)) – I’m glad I’ve got a good sense of direction, and feel comfortable exploring.

I will post Hostel pictures later, but as of this second I would highly recommend it!!

My Day exploring London

In an attempt to combat Jet Lag, I made myself keep moving today. I decided an overview of London was a good way to start, so I did Day 1 of my Original London Bus Tour. I only did one loop of the bus tour, because the narration and elevator music was not conducive to staying awake, so after I finished the loop I hopped off and decided that I would try the free boat tour that came with my 2 day bus tour – I thought wind and sunshine were the best option to combat Jet Lag – and that was a winner! I LOVED the boat tour – the guide was funny – and the views were incredible. #Minifigmerry V.1.0 was a casualty of the bus ride, unfortunately – she was posing for a picture on Fleet Street, good news is version 2.0 is ready to roll tomorrow with a set of fun pictures all over London.

Here are a few pictures from my phone (My DSLR was still in my luggage – so better images will come tomorrow.

And with that, I am off to shower and go to bed (at 9:00 PM London Time!) so that I am ready for an adventure tomorrow!

So, with just under 3 days left till take off, I am packed up. I have gotten a lot of questions about how I am packing for a month long trip, so I will attempt to address that here.

The Luggage: 

I debated luggage quite a bit. Did I want to go the traditional backpacker route? I knew I didn’t want to use my hard sided luggage (They work great in the US, but in Europe, through train stations and up and down stairs – not so much). I researched and decided I wanted to go with a convertible bag that could be wheeled as a suitcase (great in airports and on streets) but could also be worn as a backpack (for stairs and places where I needed free hands). I decided on the REI 26′ Stratocruiser Wheeled Backpack with Detachable Day Bag – My decision was made easy when I was checking it out at the Kennesaw REI and it was on sale. I bought it and have been able to test it for several trips to Kentucky to visit the Stenners, Special Olympics and more – and it has been great. The added bonus of this bag was the integrated daypack – which would give me a small bag to use as a carryon, and that I could use as I explored Europe. With my daypack and my luggage situated, I moved on to looking at a purse. I knew my current purse wouldn’t work, because it was already starting to show wear, and I had some concerns about how easy it would be to slash or snatch. This lead me to discover the PacSafe brand. I decided on the CitySafe 200 Cross Body Bag –  (I actually bought it on Amazon for 1/2 the price you see here). It has some great features (RFID blocking passport slot, zipper locks, exomesh lining and wire straps to deter thieves). And with that, I had my luggage arsenal situated. The Packing:  I have embarrassingly detailed packing lists, but the end result is a organized suitcase and set of bags that I feel will travel very well. My packing list was divided into 4 areas: Electronics (which I addressed in My Tech “Travelosophy”), Paperwork, Clothing and Toiletries. Paperwork This was an easy category – but very important! This list really just gave me a way to double check myself. Did I pack my passport, credit cards, currency, rail pass, reservations, tickets, etc? All of these items either went in my purse, or in the folder in my carryon. I also have a notebook to use as my travel journal that I included in this category. I did get some starter currency so that I would have local currency for each location I might visit, just in case my credit or debit card decide to malfunction.

Clothing

I knew I needed to maximize space with this category – which meant making sure that every item served multiple purposes. There was no sense in packing anything that I would only use or wear once. I also knew that I needed to make sure everything could be worn in different combinations together, so that I could take less clothing. I also wanted clothing that would not wrinkle, would be comfortable, and would wash (AND DRY) quickly. For clothing, what I ended up packing was 4 pairs of Capris (all black to make things simpler), 5 shirts, 5 pair of bamboo (quick-dry) socks, 2 pair of Yoga Pants and 2 T-shirts to sleep in (One is my CCEF shirt for the contest for those that have asked), a swimsuit, 2 simple, comfortable dresses (for high tea and days when I need to be more dressy) and of course, relevant undergarments. I also added a black hat and raincoat, both from Columbia for sun and rain protection. Shoes were a tricky thing – I have strange feet, and knew that I would need shoes that could withstand a lot of walking. I decided to go with my SKECHERS Skech-Flex – Ultimate Reality shoe – (They are like foot pillows), My Keen Newports– Amphibious Walking Shoes, and My NewBalance Black Flats , which would work as a dress shoe, but would hold up to walking all day through the city.  I also threw a pair of shower shoes in my bag, since I would be using some hostel bathrooms and sharing shower areas with folks.

Toiletries

In this category, less was more. I purchased some Dr. Bronners soap to serve multiple purposes (body wash, shampoo, dish soap, laundry detergent and more), but found it made my hair WAY too dry, so I added a small container of conditioner – I will run out of both, and have decided that will be an opportunity to try something new. In addition to the typical toiletries needed, I also needed some items to assist with washing clothes on the road. I got a universal sink plug and clothesline to simply that task when I do not have access to a washing machine. I bought a small first aid kit, moleskin in case of blisters and even some travel toilet paper after hearing some friends’  horror stories about bathrooms in Europe. I put all of these items in my hanging Vera Bradley Toiletry Bag so that I could clip it up in bathrooms with no counter space. Because I was staying in a few hostels, and trains, and even the one night on a bus, I also packed a sleep-liner and inflatable pillow, just in case the accommodations are not what I anticipated, or I need additional comfort.

General Packing

• Ziplock bags were my friend – I packed everything that might remotely spill in ziplock bags, and threw extras in the bag for when I buy food for my longer train journeys and picnics.
• I packed extra carabiner clips for securing items to my bag as I go through Europe.
• I included some Cable Ties for securing zippers and my bag to fixed objects on trains and in travel, and made sure to pack a pair of clippers (in my checked bag) to open them.
• I did pack a padlock in case I stay somewhere that the lockers don’t have one attached.
• I also threw my travel corkscrew in the bag – better than having to buy one when I have a picnic, or just want some fabulous wine.
• I used Eagle Creek Packing Cubes to organize my bag, so that if I have to open my suitcase at the airport everything has a place and goes back together nicely.
• I bought a spare pair of glasses and a pair of prescription sunglasses from Eye Buy Direct – I highly recommend them if you need eyewear – they were a great deal, and I really like them.

So there we go, everything packed, and in a suitcase that weighs less than 30 pounds, and my carryon and purse weigh less than 10 pounds. Is it Tuesday yet?