Moving Day

Today was moving day. We were picked up at the hotel at 7:20 a.m. and headed for the airport to make connections with the people from Princess. They provide free transportation down to Dover and our ship. We were actually able to get on the first bus out, an hour before the scheduled second bus. The driver was funny, telling us all the ride was boring so we could all just go to sleep. Little did he (or we) know. The drive is about 3 hours of cows and huge corn fields. About 2 hours into the ride, the traffic came to a dead stop. The driver got a call saying there was some sort of accident causing an hour's delay. For 45 minutes we did not move an inch. Luckily, we were near a rest stop and he was able to get us there. After a half hour rest and stretch, we were back on the bus and able to move. Apparently a van of some sort was towing a trailer and the trailer over-turned, causing the road to be closed completely. We were told that there is no license necessary in the UK. Anyone can tow anything! From that point on, we moved quickly on to Dover.

From what I could see, Dover is not very large but the view coming down to it is beautiful. And those cliffs really are very white!


We are now on board and moving gently through the water. I have already booked myself a facial in the spa for tomorrow morning. Ah, I love cruises!!!

Last Day in London

We woke this morning to quite a downpour. Well, it is London, after all. We have been lucky the last couple of days to have sunshine.

We hopped into another London cab and off to the Victoria and Albert Museum we went. When we first entered, there was an incredible blown glass chandelier.

We started our explorations with medieval Europe. It somehow seemed appropriate. Most pieces were church related, which is to be expected. Pieces were so finely carved in wood, ivory and gold it is hard to believe they were done hundreds of years ago with the tools they had available at that time!

There was a tapestry  done of a hunt that had to be at least 40 feet long and 15 feet high. It showed detailed figures of both men and woman which allows us to see what their costumes were like. Few articles of clothing are left from that period. In the collection was an all white quilt, heavily needled and trapuntoed (stuffed work).

From those galleries, we wondered through Asia and on to Costume. There are some really lovely dresses. I was born on the wrong century. There was also a special exhibit of weddings gowns from the 1700s to today. Unfortunately, we did not get to see it. We would have had to wait over an hour to get in. Too bad.  It would have been nice to see.

One of the nice things about the V&A is the hands-on things they offer along the way. They had an area where you could do a pencil rubbing or try on a reproduction of an old costume. There were also artifacts with Braille plaques for the blind. Some exhibits had benches with headphones so you could sit and listen to a narration and/or books in large print explaining the exhibits for the visually impaired.

Picture Update

I have finally figured out how to add the pictures. If you have already read the previous blogs, go back and check out my photos. I've added a couple to each.

Tower of London

After an English breakfast at the hotel, the three of us took the Underground (subway) to the Tower of London. They have an interesting system. You buy a ticket. It is used both to enter the system and leave it. I guess if you lose the ticket you are stuck forever like Charlie on the MTA.

The name Tower of London is really a misnomer. It is not a single tower at all but an entire fortification that was started way back in the 11th century and has been added to many times. Prisoners were held in the tower over the centuries (most notably many of the Tutors), and it is the home of the Crown Jewels. The assorted crowns, going back to Charles II, (after the English Civil War) are really something to see but that is not what impressed me the most. There is a ceremonial sword that is used during coronations that is indescribable. The scabbard is jewel encrusted gold with designs in relief in the gold as well. The blade is beautifully engraved from tip to hilt and the gold work and jewels on the handle are equally spectacular! The collection also includes other items used by the royals including a gold baptismal font and a punch owl, completely in gold, that is large enough to hold 144 bottles of wine! It is over 3 feet wide.

After exploring the site for a few hours, we headed back to the hotel. Eric and I stopped for dinner at a funny (quirky, that is, not haha) little restaurant called Bill's. Some tables had large candles in glass jars while others had silver candelabras. The food was very good. For starters, we had rosemary bread, cut in chunks and served with a humus dip. I had the best lamb ever! It was melt in your mouth tender. Eric had fish pie. It was cod, salmon, tiger prawns and scallops served a la shepards pie (wish a thick layer of mashed potatoes on top).

Day One, Part Duex

This exhausting day is almost over. At any rate, I am certainly over! After a brief rest, Eric and I went up to see Stonehenge. The bus ride up was about 1 1/2 hours, giving us almost 2 hours to explore. It is certainly impressive. No one knows how those enormous stones were placed there or by whom between 3,000 and 2200 BC. One of the stones was actually from Wales, over 250 miles away! Stonehenge is not the only stone monument in the islands but it is the only one with lintels ( stones across the top of others). The trip back to London was endless- over 2 1/2 hours.

A note about my lack of pictures: for some reason, the blog won't find pics on my iPad. It seems to think I'm using a phone. I am working diligently to correct the problem.

Tomorrow- the Victoria and Albert Museum and then Harrods!

Endless Day

We are finally here in London. Eric, my brother and I arrived at JFK around 3 in the afternoon Thursday for our 6:30 flight on Virgin Atlantic. I've never had it so easy. We walked right up to the counter- no waiting in  an endless line! While at the counter I made some comment about having a problem standing in one place and she asked if I would like assistance getting to the gate. She told us that especially in Heathrow, it is a very long walk and using an assist would mean I would ride and not have to wait in line at security here or immigration there. How could we pass that up?

The flight was good. When we boarded the plane each seat had a lovely blanket, a pillow, head phones and a goody bag that contained socks, an eye shade, ear plugs a tooth brush and tooth paste. The food was good and hot. They also have an extensive entertainment system that is all free. Even alcoholic beverages are complimentary.

By the time we got to the Kensington Close Hotel we were all bushed. It may have been around 8:30 or 9 in London, but for us it was 3:30! Despite that, we wondered out of the hotel to get some breakfast and explored a little of the neighborhood. This afternoon, Eric and I are off to Stonehenge.

Important Info

Just under the title above, there is a box that asks for an e-mail. If you put your address there and submit it, you should get an e-mail when I post something new.  I hope it works!