Tripsource.com - Janet in Great Britain

Great Britain - By Janet Stifflear

Tuesday, August 2nd - London
It has the making of a Rick Steve’s chapter in his book on Great Britain. How many attractions can you possibly see in a large European city in 48 hours? Gillian and I found out when we stopped in London, our first city in a 3 country tour of Europe. We arrived in London at Noon on August 2nd, experienced the Tube for the first time from Heathrow to our hotel on the River Thames and checked into the Park Plaza Riverfront (a new and very nice/modern hotel). By the time we got settled into our first of many hotel rooms, we were hungry, thirsty, and ready to start our London Tour.

So what can you really see in such a little time in London? A lot we soon found out! It just depends on the amount of time you want to put into all of the choices. We started our first evening at a little Italian Restaurant near our hotel called The Vineyard. Three hours, two bottles of Chianti, and two pasta dishes later we stumbled outside to explore the night life of London. What caught our eye, however, wasn’t a roaring night life but the London Eye.

Gillie on the River Thames

We wandered down the River Thames along a well-lit path and found ourselves staring at the British Airways London Eye (http://www.londoneye.com ), also known as the Millennium Wheel. A leftover from the Millennium Celebration in December 1999, the observation wheel (an enclosed Ferris Wheel) is 443 feet high on the South Bank of the River Thames and has a spectacular view of London during the 30 plus minute turn. After paying an exorbitant amount (13 pounds a ticket, or $26 US dollars) we quickly went through the line and boarded our 32-person capsule (fortunately there were less then 20 of us put together) for a beautiful scenic view of London at night. It was not conducive to photos outside the capsule, but our capsule mates were friendly and humorous and one even asked Gillie some questions about London (totally unaware that her “English” accent was not a “British” accent but an “American” one).

The London Eye at night

Janet and Gillie on the London Eye at night

After the night tour we headed to a local pub (The Rose) near our hotel to have a few cocktails before calling it a night. We ended up making friends with the bartenders and some locals and a few drinks became many, including shots and trying a local drink made with Pimm’s, strawberries, and sugar (made much like a Mojito), and gin and tonics. Around 1 am we decided to call it a night, but once back at our hotel we had a few more drinks and soaked up the scenery in our very posh and very happening hotel bar (Chino Latino Brasserie, Bar, and Lounger).

Wednesday August 3rd - London
After sleeping in and fighting jetlag, Gillie and I headed out for Fish and Chips. The locals at our pub the night before gave us directions to the “Best” Fish and Chips in the area and so we made our way. However, the best fish and chips were never to be found, and after an exhaustive 30 minute search these two hung over and hungry girls decided Indian food would suffice. And so Gillie had her first taste of Indian tandori and curry, which was hot, fresh, and not too expensive (only $26 pounds - $52 US dollars).

With the day ahead of us, and really our only full day in London, Gillie and I set our sights on the buildings closest to our hotel, Westminster Abbey, the House of Parliament, and Big Ben. We walked across the Westminster Bridge a block from our hotel and wandered through a quaint little park before coming upon our destination. The House of Parliament (also known as the Palace of Westminster) and Big Ben are London’s most famous symbols and we were not surprised to be among hundreds of other tourists making their way around these monuments.

The House of Parliament (or Palace of Westminster)

Westminster Abbey was breathtaking, not only for its size, but its history. Built between the 13th and 16th Centuries, this architectural wonder is not only a place for daily prayer, but has been the coronation sight of all Kings and Queens of Great Britain since 1066. For more information on this architectural masterpiece go to: http://www.westminster-abbey.org.

Westminster Abbey N Trancept

I
Westminster Abbey Nave

Knowing we had much to see, and little time, Gillie and I wandered towards Hyde Park, known as London’s Central Park to tourists, and strolled along the wide, well-paved paths past the Albert Memorial into the Kensington Gardens. The Kensington Gardens is 275 acres of once private gardens to the West of Hyde Park. You cannot really tell where one ends and the other begins but apparently the West Carriage Drive (or The Ring) is the official marker between the two. Kensington Gardens is fenced, more formal, and the more attractive of the two parks.

Prince Albert Memorial

Once in Kensington Gardens we walked the Princess Diana Path and found ourselves at The Orangery just in time for high tea. This formal royal conservatory built in 1704 for Queen Anne is the setting for the perfect afternoon tea complete with cucumber sandwiches, scones, clotted cream and jam, and champagne. Next to The Orangery is a lovely little pond and Dutch gardens, known as the Sunken Gardens.

The Orangery at Kensington Palace

High Tea at The Orangery

Dutch Sunken Gardens at the Orangery

After our tea we wandered around Kensington Palace and found ourselves on a quiet suburban street, known as Palace Avenue that was filled with beautiful old mansions. These turned out to be private homes and consulate buildings on a secure road with Kensington Palace in sight. We returned to the Gardens and wandered past the Princess Diana Memorial Children’s Playground that was filled with the children of London playing happily on the three-tiered wooden pirate’s ship.

Kensington Gardens

The beauty of Kensington Gardens

We wandered past the man-made Round Pond, back through the Kensington Gardens and towards Hyde Park. Hyde Park is 350 acres and the largest park in Central London. It is divided in two by the Serpentine Lake. We wandered past the Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, an oval stone fountain designed by an American landscape artist and opened in 2004. We boarded a SolarShuttle to take us from one side of the lake to the other. The SolarShuttle is the UK’s first solar powered boat and is uniquely designed with a solar canopy that cruises silently at 5 miles per hour, emitting no emissions. For those of us environmentally friendly folks, this was not only a nice contribution to a pollutant free vehicle, but we got to rest our weary feet for 20 minutes during the voyage and enjoy the Australian eye candy piloting our ship.

With our feet back on the ground we wandered down Serpentine Road to Hyde Park Corner, the grand entrance to the park. Of course for us it was the grand exit from our park tours where we crossed through the Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch, which is known as a triumphal arch welcoming people to Constitution Hill and celebrating the British victories in the Napoleonic Wars in the 1800’s.

Hyde Park Corner

Wellington Arch at Hyde Park

We wandered through The Green Park, a 53 acre park connected to Hyde Park and St. James Park, and houses our next attraction, Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace is the official royal residence of Great Britain’s sovereign family, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This palace has 775 rooms and has been renovated from the original Buckingham House/Queen’s House in 1761 approximately 9 times to its current state as Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace

We were late for the Changing The Guards ceremony which takes place daily at 11:30 am from April to July and alternate days (odd or even) the rest of the year. We did get to eye the red uniformed sentries guarding the palace but quickly moved on due to the high number of tourists milling about.

We walked past the Victoria Memorial standing directly in front of Buckingham Palace. This statue, built in 1911, is of Queen Victoria facing one direction and dark bronze statues of the Angels of Justice, Truth, and Charity facing other directions. At the pinnacle of the memorial is a golden statue of Victory.

Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace

Gillie and I made our way into the Saint James’s Park, a 58 acre park East of Buckingham Palace and the final park in an almost continuous link of open space in Central London. Purchased in 1531 by King Henry VIII it was once marsh land and was drained and landscaped in 1603 by King James.

Gillie under a tree in St James Park

Once through the four largest parks in Central London Gillie and I found ourselves back at Westminster Abbey. We crossed over Westminster Bridge, past the London Eye, and sat on the top deck of a houseboat for a pint of beer and some relaxation after a day of walking and mingling with thousands of tourists. London is busy and crowded.

An afternoon shot of Big Ben

The traditional tourist photo of Gillie at a London phone booth

Back at the hotel we freshened up and made arrangements to be dropped off at Piccadilly Circus for dinner. After wandering down Regent Street we located a side street bursting with activity and found ourselves in a little alley filled with bars and restaurants. We entered into Zinc Bar and Grill, a hip wine bar and brasserie in Mayfair, and finally got the desired fish and chips with smashed peas for dinner we had been searching for at lunchtime. They were quite good, and the cute French waiter certainly helped the scenery.

While bedtime happened well after midnight that night too, Gillie and I reminisced about our whirl-wind tour of London, contemplating all the other sites missed, and the lack of any specific tours of the palaces or buildings we passed during the day. We both agreed that more time would have certainly allowed us the opportunity to wander the halls of Buckingham and Kensington Palace, and tour Westminster Abbey and the House of Parliament, not to mention all the other amazing sites London has to offer (http://www.londontown.com/); but in the end we were satisfied at what we did get to see and knew we would go back to London another time.

Thursday, August 4th – Axbridge
Thursday morning found Gillie and I packing our bags and heading to Paddington Train Station for our first class ride to Bristol Parkway, 150 miles West of London and England’s 7th largest city. There we sat for a few hours waiting for my friend Ann to pick us up and take us to her house in a tiny village 30 minutes outside Bristol. Axbridge is a small picturesque village of about 2,000 people in Somerset on the River Axe. It is at the southern portion of the Mendip Hills, a range of limestone hills, between Bristol and Bath (http://www.axbridge-tc.gov.uk/index.html).

Gillie on Train to Bristol

After a light lunch of white wine, mixed green salad, and cheese and bread on Ann’s patio in her beautiful garden we wandered through the medieval town of Abridge. In the town square we found a 15th century church and the King John’s Hunting Lodge, as well as a hotel and inn, pub, post office, and other local shops. Axbridge’s history dates back to King Alfred (8th Century) and was known in the 10th century to defend Cheddar Manor in nearby Cheddar Village. The Saint John the Baptist’s Church was a beautiful old building surrounded by the town cemetery and we wandered around freely with no competing tourists nearby to ruin photos or get in our space.

Ann’s Backyard in Axbridge

Ann and Janet in front of Ann’s little doorway

The little square in the little village of Axbridge

Inside the St John the Baptist Church was peaceful and pretty

After cider at one of the two pubs in town we returned to Ann’s for a wonderful patio dinner of grilled scallops and shrimp, bacon wrapped lamb, asparagus, and sun dried tomatoes. We consumed many bottles of good French wine from Ann’s collection and Gillie even received some painting instructions from Ann, whose watercolor postcards from her travels around Europe adorn the walls of my home.

Gillie’s final product after her art lesson with Ann

Friday August 5th – Axbridge and Poole
We were up early so we could visit the Axbridge Market and then head to Poole for our Ferry ride to France. We enjoyed our stay in this quaint little town with its tiny doors, amazing history, and the quietness offered after the hustle and bustle of London. The market was small and quaint, with local farmers selling fresh lamb and beef, local cheese and produce, and other homemade goods such as jam and bread.

The Axbridge Market has been happening since the 1500’s

Our drive to Poole was interesting on the 2 lane road that twisted and curved through the countryside. We passed through Cheddar (yes, home of the original cheese), and Ann told us about Cheddar Man, the human remains of a man found in a nearby cave in the Cheddar Gorge dating back to 7150 BCE. They think he died a violent death, perhaps related to cannibalism, which was practiced back in that time in rural England.

We drove through another small town and when we noticed a Starbucks Coffee Gillie and I insisted Ann pull over so we could get a taste of home. Sometimes you need a little reminder of your favorite things when you are traveling, and the English love Starbucks as much as we do. The only problem is that the terminology can be a little screwy and when Gillie asked for something different with her Frappacino it took a little translating for clarity. After we left, Gillie’s “What part of Frappacino” didn’t she understand was pretty humorous, but we were both satisfied with our beverages.

We arrived in Poole just in time for our Britanny Ferries ferry and were one of the last 10 or so cars to board the lower decks before the boat pulled away from Great Britain and headed towards the shores of France. The four hour Ferry ride across the English Channel was pleasant and relaxing, but not cheap. The car and three seats cost 318 pounds (approximately $636 US dollars). However, this was a cheaper alternative than the Eurostar Chunnel, which was priced at over $300 per person in the month of August. We enjoyed our first class reclining seats in a higher deck before heading to the cafeteria for some soup and salad, and then the top deck to sit in the sun and enjoy the warm weather and sea breeze. Our brief visit to Great Britain was over, but we were ready to start our tour of France.

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