Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Bryce's Favorite places of Europe
My favorite places were London and Valencia. London was terrific because it has a great step free transport system leading to every amazing place that London has in store. London is also very lovable because you can easily settle down into an amazing cafe and enjoy one of their amazing meals to offer. And did I mention that the British are really friendly. The only thing is London's weather can't be relied on judging by the fact that you always need a raincoat, umbrella, and a spare umbrella. Also, the prices in London are gonna take a bit of bargaining.
Valencia scored number two on my hit list because it's incredibly flat so easy come easy go, no uphills. Great weather gives Valencia an edge on getting to the tops, and if you overheat, no problem, go to Aqualandia or Mundo Mar right next to each other in a bustling city called Benidorm. The local vendors sell great fruit cause an apple a day, keeps the doctor away (Ew, Laurel just puked). Only thing is that getting a fine dine in Valencia will be especially tricky, so you'll probably cook at home a lot. The fruit you buy from the vendors can't always be trusted cause every piece of fruit you buy is never organic.
Thank you for reading my last blog post on this adventure and stay tuned for the next posts.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Spinning @
A few days earlier, we spotted a street performer doing a really good contact ball routine, and I stopped to chat with him after he finished his act. His name was Chris Phoenix, and we knew a lot of the same people in the world-wide poi spinning community. He invited me to come to a weekly spin jam run by a group called Spinning@, which happened to be my last night in London.
After a full day with the family, and some hasty packing, I dashed back into the city and looked for the Rag Factory - as mentioned on the group's Facebook page. Upon arriving, I saw no signs of jugglers, or even a room that would support jugglers. I went through twice and was getting discouraged, until I saw a sign on the side of the door pointing me farther down the street. In two minutes, I alighted into a room full of hoopers, jugglers, poi spinners, and even my new friend Chris Phoenix.
London has a pretty active juggling community, and this group has their act together. One important part of maintaining a group like this is to have a leader, and as far as I could tell this group had two: Chris Phoenix, and an awesome 40-something juggler named Kevin.
I had a great time hanging with this circus crowd. Chris Phoenix ran an impromptu workshop, and I learned an interesting new move. And Kevin was doing some crazy "poiggling" - juggling three balls while simultaneously spinning two poi. He was gracious enough to allow me to capture this on video:
As this was my final European adventure, it was a great sendoff for my return to the states. Not only do I have a memory, but a new trick acquired from Europe. Priceless.
After a full day with the family, and some hasty packing, I dashed back into the city and looked for the Rag Factory - as mentioned on the group's Facebook page. Upon arriving, I saw no signs of jugglers, or even a room that would support jugglers. I went through twice and was getting discouraged, until I saw a sign on the side of the door pointing me farther down the street. In two minutes, I alighted into a room full of hoopers, jugglers, poi spinners, and even my new friend Chris Phoenix.
London has a pretty active juggling community, and this group has their act together. One important part of maintaining a group like this is to have a leader, and as far as I could tell this group had two: Chris Phoenix, and an awesome 40-something juggler named Kevin.
I had a great time hanging with this circus crowd. Chris Phoenix ran an impromptu workshop, and I learned an interesting new move. And Kevin was doing some crazy "poiggling" - juggling three balls while simultaneously spinning two poi. He was gracious enough to allow me to capture this on video:
As this was my final European adventure, it was a great sendoff for my return to the states. Not only do I have a memory, but a new trick acquired from Europe. Priceless.
WW II and Brass Rubbings
This was our final full day in London. So much left unseen, and so much to explore.
Sue picked out a couple of interesting things to do today. First, a visit to the Winston Churchill / World War II museum. The kids have been asking a lot of questions about WW I and WW II, and given all the conquests of Europe they have learned about on each of our educational visits, it seemed like this would be a great place to go to help them further understand what life was like in WW II.
Life in London sucked during much of this time. London was bombed for 57 consecutive days, and two million children were sent to the countryside (without parents) for several months to be safe. Despite the hardships, the Brits made it through, thanks to the leadership of Winston Churchill, who gave England one of its most famous mottoes: "Keep Calm and Carry On." I think I'll borrow it on occasion.
The museum has a lot of memorabilia from 1939 - 1945, some great video, and a couple of interactive displays. One was an "Anderson Shelter", a structure that people were supposed to build and bury in their yards in case of air raids or gas attacks. We sat in one, with sounds of fighter planes and bombs being piped in. The recruitment and rationing posters displayed from this era were very cool. At the end of the tour, there is a room that shows what a bombed-out part of the city would have looked like, and it wasn't pretty. We all left a little depressed but wiser.
To cheer everyone up, we walked through the center of town, past the London Eye, and across a footbridge with a view of Parliament. Our destination was St. Martin's church, where the kids could do brass rubbings from a variety of molds. The St. Martin's church has an old crypt that has been turned not a cafeteria, and the brass rubbings area is adjacent. The kids picked out a Celtic shield and a St. Mark dragon image, and enjoyed mixing colors to create their masterpieces.
We also walked around town, and got some cool only-in-London photos:
London is a lovely place. I think we all want more.
Sue picked out a couple of interesting things to do today. First, a visit to the Winston Churchill / World War II museum. The kids have been asking a lot of questions about WW I and WW II, and given all the conquests of Europe they have learned about on each of our educational visits, it seemed like this would be a great place to go to help them further understand what life was like in WW II.
Life in London sucked during much of this time. London was bombed for 57 consecutive days, and two million children were sent to the countryside (without parents) for several months to be safe. Despite the hardships, the Brits made it through, thanks to the leadership of Winston Churchill, who gave England one of its most famous mottoes: "Keep Calm and Carry On." I think I'll borrow it on occasion.
The museum has a lot of memorabilia from 1939 - 1945, some great video, and a couple of interactive displays. One was an "Anderson Shelter", a structure that people were supposed to build and bury in their yards in case of air raids or gas attacks. We sat in one, with sounds of fighter planes and bombs being piped in. The recruitment and rationing posters displayed from this era were very cool. At the end of the tour, there is a room that shows what a bombed-out part of the city would have looked like, and it wasn't pretty. We all left a little depressed but wiser.
Bryce tries on a WW II outfit.
Laurel checks out a gas mask from the 1940s.
To cheer everyone up, we walked through the center of town, past the London Eye, and across a footbridge with a view of Parliament. Our destination was St. Martin's church, where the kids could do brass rubbings from a variety of molds. The St. Martin's church has an old crypt that has been turned not a cafeteria, and the brass rubbings area is adjacent. The kids picked out a Celtic shield and a St. Mark dragon image, and enjoyed mixing colors to create their masterpieces.
Sue helping the kids with their rubbings.
Laurel hard at work.
Bryce's finished rubbing.
We also walked around town, and got some cool only-in-London photos:
The famous English phone booth.
Laurel on a street decked out for the Queen's Jubilee.
Top, front of a double-decker bus.
Our tube stop.
London is a lovely place. I think we all want more.
Dinner at Bloom
by Bryce
For dinner today my family went to Bloom, a small, appetizing restaurant. I was one hundred percent sure that Laurel and Daddy didn't know what they where in for. We got seated by a tall, friendly waiter, who brought us to a booth seat, or so I called it. I looked at their menu and in an instant my eye could not move from these three words. Soon the waiter came and I ordered what was so easy on the eyes for me. Fish and chips. Why did I order that? You see, there was not that much Fish on it, so perfect for a near vegetarian like me.
Also, the fries looked treacherous. My fish and chips quickly arrived, yet I still had to ask for tartar sauce. My tongue had just touched the french fry and then all I tasted was pure flavor. The tartar sauce arrived as I picked up a crispy cod and dipped it into the tartar sauce. A fiesta of flavor slid down my mouth and into my tummy. I picked up another greedily and started the party all over again. After a delicious meal came my apple pie with ice cream and Laurel's homemade chocolate cake. I took a huge bite of pie and gasped. It was amazing! I quickly snapped back to my senses and fended Dad off with my fork. I stole a huge bite off Dad's fork as a kick of exotic flavor hit my tongue again. After watching a bunch of artists on TV like Paul McCartney, Kylie Monougue, and even Will.I.Am, and also hearing songs like: "Can't Get You out of my Head", "Diamonds are Forever", "Superstition", and "Live and Let Die" (which is still my favorite), we finally left a tip and headed home.
For dinner today my family went to Bloom, a small, appetizing restaurant. I was one hundred percent sure that Laurel and Daddy didn't know what they where in for. We got seated by a tall, friendly waiter, who brought us to a booth seat, or so I called it. I looked at their menu and in an instant my eye could not move from these three words. Soon the waiter came and I ordered what was so easy on the eyes for me. Fish and chips. Why did I order that? You see, there was not that much Fish on it, so perfect for a near vegetarian like me.
Kid's fish and chips from Bloom
Also, the fries looked treacherous. My fish and chips quickly arrived, yet I still had to ask for tartar sauce. My tongue had just touched the french fry and then all I tasted was pure flavor. The tartar sauce arrived as I picked up a crispy cod and dipped it into the tartar sauce. A fiesta of flavor slid down my mouth and into my tummy. I picked up another greedily and started the party all over again. After a delicious meal came my apple pie with ice cream and Laurel's homemade chocolate cake. I took a huge bite of pie and gasped. It was amazing! I quickly snapped back to my senses and fended Dad off with my fork. I stole a huge bite off Dad's fork as a kick of exotic flavor hit my tongue again. After watching a bunch of artists on TV like Paul McCartney, Kylie Monougue, and even Will.I.Am, and also hearing songs like: "Can't Get You out of my Head", "Diamonds are Forever", "Superstition", and "Live and Let Die" (which is still my favorite), we finally left a tip and headed home.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Sapori Sardi
After traveling around for nine weeks, I've come up with a great method for finding good food in our area. I go to Trip Advisor for our city, move the map to our neighborhood, and click on nearby restaurants until I find something interesting, and then read the reviews.
I used my technique for the Putney Bridge area where we were staying, and amazingly I found the #7 rated restaurant in all of London, just three blocks from our house. Out of 17 reviews on Trip Advisor, all 17 gave this place five stars. They had tables open, so it was a done deal.
Sapori Sardi is a small Italian restaurant. When we arrived, there were just two other tables occupied. Our meal was spectacular, living up to the rave reviews from others. Laurel ordered Risotto with Italian Sausage and Saffron, which was terrific. I had Spaghetti ala Bottariga, which uses dried fish eggs to give an anchovy like taste, but more subtle. However, the star of the evening was Tagliolini with Speck, Proscuitto and Truffle Oil which Sue ordered. It looked like a crown with a proscuitto rim, and it was probably the best tasting pasta dish I've ever eaten.
Desserts were notable as well. The most interesting was a frothy pudding-like dessert made from Marsala wine. (Laurel ate most of it, and I think she was slightly drunk afterwards - or maybe is was the sugar.) We also got a pastry with an orange filling that was quite unusual - and delicious.
London is such an international city, and since it has no great culinary history of its own, I didn't mind getting non-regional food. (Normally, I prefer to get things you can only experience from the local chefs). And being so grandiose, and so close to Italy, it's not surprising that we would find an absolute gem of an Italian restaurant.
I used my technique for the Putney Bridge area where we were staying, and amazingly I found the #7 rated restaurant in all of London, just three blocks from our house. Out of 17 reviews on Trip Advisor, all 17 gave this place five stars. They had tables open, so it was a done deal.
Sapori Sardi is a small Italian restaurant. When we arrived, there were just two other tables occupied. Our meal was spectacular, living up to the rave reviews from others. Laurel ordered Risotto with Italian Sausage and Saffron, which was terrific. I had Spaghetti ala Bottariga, which uses dried fish eggs to give an anchovy like taste, but more subtle. However, the star of the evening was Tagliolini with Speck, Proscuitto and Truffle Oil which Sue ordered. It looked like a crown with a proscuitto rim, and it was probably the best tasting pasta dish I've ever eaten.
Tagliolini with Speck, Proscuitto and Truffle Oil
Risotto with Italian Sausage and Saffron
Spaghetti ala Bottariga
Desserts were notable as well. The most interesting was a frothy pudding-like dessert made from Marsala wine. (Laurel ate most of it, and I think she was slightly drunk afterwards - or maybe is was the sugar.) We also got a pastry with an orange filling that was quite unusual - and delicious.
Unusual - and delicious - desserts.
London is such an international city, and since it has no great culinary history of its own, I didn't mind getting non-regional food. (Normally, I prefer to get things you can only experience from the local chefs). And being so grandiose, and so close to Italy, it's not surprising that we would find an absolute gem of an Italian restaurant.
British Museum
At risk of overloading the kids with too much museuming, we ventured out to the British Museum today. Alongside the Louvre, it's one of the world's greatest museums, and it looked like we could see a few cool things without a kid mutiny. And we had also reserved a traditional British tea at the British Museum's restaurant as a perk.
Unexpectedly, the British museum is way different than the Louvre. It's insanely accessible. Admission is free. And rather than having room upon room of artifacts, it's much more compact, with all the good stuff from an era in one place.
To start, there was a room dedicated to the Enlightenment, a peaceful period in history where archaeology became important. The collection for the British museum began at this time. Each section of the Enlightenment room had pieces from different eras. One especially cool part was a hands-on exhibit, where you could touch ancient Egyptian vases, fossils over 150,000 years old, an axe head used by the Neanderthals and more. This was all supervised by a knowledgeable docent. The rest of the room had more from each period.
Further along, we found the Rosetta Stone, as well as a single room full of the best of ancient Egyptian sculpture. We even peered into the sarcophagus of Ramses (where my mom fell and broke her hip some 15 years ago). The curators had smartly arranged their best pieces in one easy to visit room. Brilliant.
They also had an exhibit of The History of the Horse, which showed how horses were wed and valued for several thousands of years, and how current thoroughbred racehorses come from one of three sires from the 1800s. It was pretty cool.
We were psyched to experience a traditional English Tea, and we ordered a set of finger sandwiches, desserts and scones. Sadly, Sue has had better tea in San Francisco, and while we enjoyed it, we were feeling slightly underwhelmed. Apparently the British Museum is not the best place for English Tea.
Unexpectedly, the British museum is way different than the Louvre. It's insanely accessible. Admission is free. And rather than having room upon room of artifacts, it's much more compact, with all the good stuff from an era in one place.
To start, there was a room dedicated to the Enlightenment, a peaceful period in history where archaeology became important. The collection for the British museum began at this time. Each section of the Enlightenment room had pieces from different eras. One especially cool part was a hands-on exhibit, where you could touch ancient Egyptian vases, fossils over 150,000 years old, an axe head used by the Neanderthals and more. This was all supervised by a knowledgeable docent. The rest of the room had more from each period.
Further along, we found the Rosetta Stone, as well as a single room full of the best of ancient Egyptian sculpture. We even peered into the sarcophagus of Ramses (where my mom fell and broke her hip some 15 years ago). The curators had smartly arranged their best pieces in one easy to visit room. Brilliant.
The kids peering into the sarcophagus.
They also had an exhibit of The History of the Horse, which showed how horses were wed and valued for several thousands of years, and how current thoroughbred racehorses come from one of three sires from the 1800s. It was pretty cool.
We were psyched to experience a traditional English Tea, and we ordered a set of finger sandwiches, desserts and scones. Sadly, Sue has had better tea in San Francisco, and while we enjoyed it, we were feeling slightly underwhelmed. Apparently the British Museum is not the best place for English Tea.
A plate of lunch and dessert treats for English tea.
Happy kids. Just add sugar.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Jubilee Pageant Day
Sunday was the day of the long awaited river pageant, honoring Queen Elizabeth's 60th year of reign. The pageant was planned to run along the Thames river, and thousands upon thousands of spectators were expected to cheer for the Queen. Sue and Bryce hate crowds, but Laurel and I don't mind so much, so Laurel and I went off on our own.
The plan was to take the Tube to an area along the Thames with lots of viewing room. Getting there wasn't so bad, and we followed the crowds until we spotted a decent viewing area. We were an hour early, but already the crowds were 5 deep. Laurel took advantage of her kid-ness and snuck up to the front, and I used my tallness to watch from the back. This wound up working out OK.
Eventually, the flotilla of boats appeared. There were a ton of rowed boats: kayaks, sculls, and more - and the oarsmen all had different outfits on. Then some bigger boats appeared, some with bands playing inside and broadcasting the music over the loudspeaker. Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, soon appeared in a golden gilded boat. After a few more boats, the Queen's barge appeared, and we could see her in the distance under her royal canopy. The crowds cheered her on enthusiastically.
Sue and Bryce went to our local park, and got a better view of the boats, although the Queen was not on the route. The Jubilee organizers has set up large TV screens in different parts of London so people could see, and our park had one of them. So they got the experience too.
Returning from the celebration gave us a glimpse of British efficiency. In spite of the crowds and the sardine-like experience in the Tube, everything ran smoothly, and everyone was polite and well mannered.
The plan was to take the Tube to an area along the Thames with lots of viewing room. Getting there wasn't so bad, and we followed the crowds until we spotted a decent viewing area. We were an hour early, but already the crowds were 5 deep. Laurel took advantage of her kid-ness and snuck up to the front, and I used my tallness to watch from the back. This wound up working out OK.
Eventually, the flotilla of boats appeared. There were a ton of rowed boats: kayaks, sculls, and more - and the oarsmen all had different outfits on. Then some bigger boats appeared, some with bands playing inside and broadcasting the music over the loudspeaker. Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, soon appeared in a golden gilded boat. After a few more boats, the Queen's barge appeared, and we could see her in the distance under her royal canopy. The crowds cheered her on enthusiastically.
Sue and Bryce went to our local park, and got a better view of the boats, although the Queen was not on the route. The Jubilee organizers has set up large TV screens in different parts of London so people could see, and our park had one of them. So they got the experience too.
Laurel getting into the spirit of the Jubilee.
The Queen's boat.
Part of the flotilla - 1000 strong.
Returning from the celebration gave us a glimpse of British efficiency. In spite of the crowds and the sardine-like experience in the Tube, everything ran smoothly, and everyone was polite and well mannered.
One packed tube car.
It was very cool to be a part of history.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Cruel Brits
Today was a big outing for our first full day in London. And it was a great history lesson for the kids, in ways you just can't get by reading a book.
First stop was the Tower of London. It was used initially as a fortress, then later as a prison, but we focused mainly on the prison part. We rented audio guides, and got to hear all the great stories about all the people held here, including Anne Boleyn (Henry VIII's second, and most famous wife), Sir Walter Raleigh and more. The religion of the King usually dictated who would be imprisoned, and the Catholics were threatened by the Protestants, and vice-versa. However, Kings changed all the time, so today's prisoner could become tomorrow's powerful leader, and the guards had to treat their political prisoners well and respectfully. Other less well connected prisoners weren't so lucky.
The "bloody tower", as the prison part was known, also had graffiti-like carvings in the wall from many prisoners. Usually, they said something nice about God so that they would have a smoother path to heaven after their impending execution. Beheadings were a common method, but the more cruel rulers would burn people alive, even taking care to use less-smoky wood so the prisoners wouldn't pass out beforehand. Drawing and quartering was also a popular method. It seems like the point was to make your enemies fear you, and word of a painful, horrible death to traitors would keep everyone in line. These were not nice people.
The other main attraction at the Tower of London is the Crown Jewels. On this trip, we've seen the treasuries of various churches, but nothing compared to what we saw here. The crown had the biggest diamond I have ever seen - so big is has a special name. Some of the other regalia was equally impressive. But my favorite thing was the three foot long, solid gold punch bowl (with matching ladle) used for Royal ceremonies. The punch bowl was massive, holding up to 144 bottles of wine. Almost everything on display dated from the 1600s.
First stop was the Tower of London. It was used initially as a fortress, then later as a prison, but we focused mainly on the prison part. We rented audio guides, and got to hear all the great stories about all the people held here, including Anne Boleyn (Henry VIII's second, and most famous wife), Sir Walter Raleigh and more. The religion of the King usually dictated who would be imprisoned, and the Catholics were threatened by the Protestants, and vice-versa. However, Kings changed all the time, so today's prisoner could become tomorrow's powerful leader, and the guards had to treat their political prisoners well and respectfully. Other less well connected prisoners weren't so lucky.
The "bloody tower", as the prison part was known, also had graffiti-like carvings in the wall from many prisoners. Usually, they said something nice about God so that they would have a smoother path to heaven after their impending execution. Beheadings were a common method, but the more cruel rulers would burn people alive, even taking care to use less-smoky wood so the prisoners wouldn't pass out beforehand. Drawing and quartering was also a popular method. It seems like the point was to make your enemies fear you, and word of a painful, horrible death to traitors would keep everyone in line. These were not nice people.
One of the guards at the Tower.
The Tower of London
One of the famous ravens of the Tower.
Sir Walter Raleigh's Study (while imprisoned)
The other main attraction at the Tower of London is the Crown Jewels. On this trip, we've seen the treasuries of various churches, but nothing compared to what we saw here. The crown had the biggest diamond I have ever seen - so big is has a special name. Some of the other regalia was equally impressive. But my favorite thing was the three foot long, solid gold punch bowl (with matching ladle) used for Royal ceremonies. The punch bowl was massive, holding up to 144 bottles of wine. Almost everything on display dated from the 1600s.
The crown. Note the huge diamond below the ruby.
The Royal Punchbowl. Cheers!
As bad as it was to be a royal prisoner, it was worse to be a commoner. Our next visit was to the Clink Prison Museum, which is on the site of London's most famous jail. The guests here were thieves, murders, and even debtors. There was no budget for prisoners, so you had to pay for your incarceration, or depend upon the kindness of others in order to survive. Some of the more fortunate ones would be given a ball and chain, and were allowed to beg on the streets provided they returned at night. Others could beg through the prison bars. The townspeople were actually very generous to the prisoners, since the Church encouraged it, and because they could easily find themselves in the same predicament. Children of inmates had to live with their parents, but were free to come and go as they pleased, and would often steal or beg to pay the jailer's rent demands.
Bryce and Laurel in the Clink
After the first part of the day the kids were especially well behaved. Were they feeling luckier about their lives? Or was it because our next stop was Hanleys (no apostrophe on purpose), the famous London toy store? We tubed over to the famous Regent Street, and the kids enjoyed five stories of all kinds of toys. Laurel restrained herself, but for Bryce the car collection was very good, and he added some novelties to his collection. I would up seeing a demo for an AstroJax, and bought one. The scene was pretty crazy, with demos happening on every floor, and the occasional ill-behaved kid destroying a carefully planned out toy display. But it was a fun place to visit nonetheless.
Bryce posing in front of one of the car displays. I had Corgi cars as a kid too.
Bryce demoing a cool remote control stunt car at Hanleys.
For dinner, we randomly picked the Little Bengal Indian restaurant in Fulham, right by our house. London is known for their Indian food, and this place didn't disappoint. I ordered a chicken dish with 21 different spices, which was terrific. Our other choices were good too.
Maybe the Brits aren't so bad after all...
Clink, clank: The prison
By Laurel
A few days ago we went to Clink prison (see Cruel Brits), which was supremely cool. Erm.... not in Mom's opinion, but it was really well presented. You paid, walked through a self-opening door (I swear it was automatic, but it made you think like there was ghosts), and entered Clink prison, now a museum. It took you through a timeline, because when you entered, there was an exhibit on what would happen when you first came to the Clink. Clink Prison got its name from the clinking sound the echoing hammer would make on your chains. Oooooooooooooooo..........
I learned about dreadful tortures... one was being "squashed". You were put underneath a board, and then the prison keepers would put weights on the board until you suffocated. To help, your friends would jump on the board to make you die quicker. That would save you hours of torture. You might have been "Left in a hole", which has a very accurate name. The keepers would shove you under a trapdoor and forget about you. The worst part was that the River Thames would flood the room at high tide. After a few days, the flesh would be so soggy it would just fall from the bones.
We eventually finished, and came to this souvenir shop at the end. You got to take your photo in a cell, and read about famous prisoners. Mom's finishing exclaimation: "I think that will give me nightmares!"
A few days ago we went to Clink prison (see Cruel Brits), which was supremely cool. Erm.... not in Mom's opinion, but it was really well presented. You paid, walked through a self-opening door (I swear it was automatic, but it made you think like there was ghosts), and entered Clink prison, now a museum. It took you through a timeline, because when you entered, there was an exhibit on what would happen when you first came to the Clink. Clink Prison got its name from the clinking sound the echoing hammer would make on your chains. Oooooooooooooooo..........
I learned about dreadful tortures... one was being "squashed". You were put underneath a board, and then the prison keepers would put weights on the board until you suffocated. To help, your friends would jump on the board to make you die quicker. That would save you hours of torture. You might have been "Left in a hole", which has a very accurate name. The keepers would shove you under a trapdoor and forget about you. The worst part was that the River Thames would flood the room at high tide. After a few days, the flesh would be so soggy it would just fall from the bones.
We eventually finished, and came to this souvenir shop at the end. You got to take your photo in a cell, and read about famous prisoners. Mom's finishing exclaimation: "I think that will give me nightmares!"
Friday, June 1, 2012
Arriving in London
To cap off our trip, we decided to spend a few days exploring London. We left Paris this morning, and hopped aboard the Eurostar high speed train. After a Parisian style bread and cheese picnic in our seats, we traveled through the "chunnel", and shortly thereafter we arrived in London. The entire journey was 2 1/2 hours. Awesome!
What we didn't realize is that this is the weekend of the Queen's Jubilee, celebrating 60 years of reign. It's almost as big as the Olympics. So consequently some of the "normal" touristy activities we were planning are either sold out or canceled. We'll have to see, but hopefully we can join in the celebration and maybe get a glimpse of the Queen herself!
Our flat is in the Fulham area of South London. This area is really cute, and very livable. We are across from Bishop's Park, and there's a really nice bustling area just a small walk over the Thames via Putney Bridge. There are a ton of shops, pubs, and other establishments, all cozied up next to rows of small, clean looking cottage style houses. We also appreciate that everything is in English, for a change.
For lunch, we found an upscale pub called The Rocket, and snagged a outside table overlooking the river. The kids had never had British food before, and I encouraged them to try the traditional dishes. Bryce got Fish and Chips, and coveted his fried cod so much that nobody else got a bite. Sue and Laurel got Bangers and Mash (sausages and mashed potatoes), and shared some with me. The peas in particular were quite tasty, and mixed with the mashed potatoes gave us a nice home cooking feeling.
Arriving at London's train station.
What we didn't realize is that this is the weekend of the Queen's Jubilee, celebrating 60 years of reign. It's almost as big as the Olympics. So consequently some of the "normal" touristy activities we were planning are either sold out or canceled. We'll have to see, but hopefully we can join in the celebration and maybe get a glimpse of the Queen herself!
Our flat is in the Fulham area of South London. This area is really cute, and very livable. We are across from Bishop's Park, and there's a really nice bustling area just a small walk over the Thames via Putney Bridge. There are a ton of shops, pubs, and other establishments, all cozied up next to rows of small, clean looking cottage style houses. We also appreciate that everything is in English, for a change.
For lunch, we found an upscale pub called The Rocket, and snagged a outside table overlooking the river. The kids had never had British food before, and I encouraged them to try the traditional dishes. Bryce got Fish and Chips, and coveted his fried cod so much that nobody else got a bite. Sue and Laurel got Bangers and Mash (sausages and mashed potatoes), and shared some with me. The peas in particular were quite tasty, and mixed with the mashed potatoes gave us a nice home cooking feeling.
The Rocket
Laurel discovers bangers and Mash
Bryce enjoying his Fish and Chips
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