Day #7 - Harrods and the Palace

After I sent Steve off to work today, I got the kids moving for another day of sightseeing!  We left our flat and walked up Brompton Road.  As we approached Harrods, I suggested we walk through it so they could experience that amazing shopping experience.  Well, once I showed them the food halls, it was all over!  If you've never been to Harrods, they have these food halls that go on and on.  You can buy fancy pastries, meat, cheeses from around the world, and you can sit in various cafes and enjoy already prepared food!  In the candy shop Em said "Well, now I know where J. K. Rowling got her inspiration for Honeydukes!" First we stopped at the ice cream/pastry parlor for hot chocolate and pastries.  As you can tell from the photo, the hot chocolate was greatly enjoyed (it was truly like drinking a chocolate bar!)

We wandered a bit more around the food halls, then headed up through the other departments.  We looked at all the silver, the glassware (Pete!  Hands in your pockets!!), appliances, carpets...this store just goes on and on and on.  Just about the time I was done, the kids both asked if they could go back to the food halls for lunch.  Yes, we had been there that long!

Andy headed to the rotisserie for a steak and mashed potatoes, and Em, Pete and I headed upstairs to the Tree House Cafe on the 4th floor.  Located in amongst the children's clothing and toys, it is a kid-friendly cafe.  Pete had the lollipop burgers (basically meatballs on sticks) and Em and I had the smoked ham and guyere crepe and sauteed mushroom and stilton cheese crepe respectively.  It was all so yummy!

After food, we looked at the toys and I began to BEG to LEAVE!  We had been there 3 hours already!!  The kids really wanted to head back to the candy shop for one more thing before we left.  So, I let Peter get this marshmallow shish-ke-bab thing, And get a chocolate mousse dessert and Em get a Tiramisu (both big kid items came from the chocolate shop). I got a mini berry torte.  We walked as we ate because I really couldn't justify one more minute in that store!

We headed out towards Buckingham Palace.  I knew we'd see it from the double-decker bus, but I thought it would be nice to walk in front at our leisure and take some photos.  When the flag is on top of the palace, it means the queen is in residence, and she was!  As we approached the palace, we noticed a long line of people waiting to get in, dressed to the nines!  Turns out the queen was having a garden party, which happens three times a year, and she invites leaders in the community and others who have made a contribution to mankind.  Over 5,000 were streaming into the gardens, all by invitation.  It looked wonderful.

After the palace, we walked across Green Park towards Trafalgar Square to pick up our double decker bus tickets.  In Trafalgar Square, we passed a guy who was playing tuba, with flames leaping out of his instrument!  It was really impressive.

We found the ticket place and grabbed our tickets.  They are good for 24 hours, so our tickets started at 4pm.  We wandered a bit trying to actually find the bus stop so we could get on.  They have many different loops to choose from, so we also had to be careful about which bus we got on.  We found the one that circled back past Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.  It was a nice tour on top of a double-decker bus, with commentary about what we were seeing around us.

We looped back towards where we started, and then hopped off as we needed to meet Steve and some of his co-workers for dinner.  It was a Belgium place located down below street level.  Our table was in a tunnel.  It was all very interesting!  They are known for mussels, so Em, Steve and I had the mussels.  Andy and Peter, of course, did not.  After dinner we took a walk and stumbled upon some amazing italian ice.  Who said food in England isn't very good!  They import better stuff than we do!

After that we went for a walk and had a REAL treat!  Emily had wanted to see Much Ado about Nothing because David Tennant was in it.  Tickets were VERY expensive, so we had passed.  We found ourselves walking around the theater district after dinner, and lo and behold, what do we stumble upon but the stage door behind the theater where it was playing.  AND, there was a group of people forming...the show was about to let out!

We waited and sure enough, he showed up and Em could almost touch him.  Andy actually got to say something to him.  It was terribly exciting for her to be so close to someone she admires so much.  After a quick cab ride home, we fell into bed.  Today was exhausting!

Day #6 - A Park and a T.A.R.D.I.S.

This morning started a bit earlier for me than the kids as I saw Steve off to work!  Poor guy.  But someone's got to pay for this vacation.  He has a 10 minute walk down Brompton Road to work.  That's so much better than having to take a taxi or the tube!  I saw him off and began the process of waking everyone else up.  We were slow going, and ended up not leaving the apartment until after 10:30!

We headed towards Kensington Gardens.  While that isn't too far, it was a nice walk.  Today was sunny and very pleasant, so the walk wasn't too bad.  We went past Kensington Palace, which is under renovation, and headed to the Peter Pan Park.  It's a memorial park dedicated to Princess Diana (she lived in Kensington Palace when she was married to Prince Charles), and it is one of the happiest memories Emily has from her visit 6 years ago!  She and Peter had a blast.  They tried out everything the park had to offer.  It has a wooden ship with sand all around, a small creek, a walking path that takes you on a musical journey, bridges, slides, swings, you name it!  Everyone had a blast.

Sadly, the fun had to end as I had 1:00pm tickets to the Dr. Who Experience further west of where we were.  It was 12:40 by the time we got out of the park, so we hailed a cab and he drove us over to where we needed to be.  The cabbie was very talkative, friendly and funny!

Once at the venue, we headed in for our experience.  And yes, it was 1pm and we hadn't had lunch yet.  I passed out shortbread cookies to keep the hunger at bay.  So glad I threw them in my purse before we left this morning!

The experience was really fun.  It was as if we were in the T.A.R.D.I.S. (his ship) with Matt Smith (the current doctor).  We went through with the doctor on a video screen and we had to help him get out of a bind.  They combined a bit of real hands-on button pushing, 3D video and robotics to make the experience seem real.  It was a great experience!

After we had saved the day, they had us walk through a museum  showing the various outfits of the doctors, monsters throughout the years, a replica of the inside of the last T.A.R.D.I.S., as well as the outside (a police call box).  There were displays showing how some of the robotics were done, as well as a Dalak that one could get inside and move.  Emily climbed inside and FREAKED Pete OUT!  (He hadn't seen her get in)

After waaaay to long in the gift shop, we were finally on our way.  As you can imagine, we were VERY hungry.  We stumbled across a sandwich shop named Cafe du Fred, and wasted no time as it was 3pm and we were starving.  We all had sandwiches and drinks and soon were on our way. 

Our next stop was over by the Earls Court tube stop (a quick 5 minute walk) to see a REAL POLICE CALL BOX!  Emily was so excited.  For those of you who aren't Dr. Who fans, the police call box is what Dr. Who gets around in, but in the show it's called a T.A.R.D.I.S. and is actually Dr. Who's spaceship.  Emily was thrilled, and we took many photos.  Sometimes we can be SO touristy!

After our tourist time, we headed back towards the apartment.  We were all pretty tired.  As we passed the Victoria and Albert museum, Emily and I couldn't help ourselves.  We let Andy go back to the flat alone, and the three of us went in!  The V&A is a pretty cool museum.  It houses all sorts of pop culture, including glass (there are drinking glasses that date back before Christ!), fashion, tapestries, statues, wood pieces (we saw a wood spiral staircase from the 1500s), wrought iron, and more!  It really is an eclectic place, and so close to our apartment.  They kicked us out at 5:30 (I couldn't believe the time), so Em and I decided we'd stop in again before our time in London is through.  It's nice that the museums in London are free so you can do that if you want.

We came home and rested for awhile.  We haven't walked like that in a long time!  Steve got home from work around 7:15, and we decided to head down the street for some Tapas for dinner.  Tapas is fun because there are so many options.  After a nice, filling dinner, we headed back to the flat for bedtime.  I'm really hoping we can get started a bit earlier tomorrow.  Fortunately, we won't have as much walking.  We're taking a double decker bus all around the city sightseeing.  Talk about typical tourists!

Day #5 - Transition to London

Breakfast was in the conservatory every morning.

This morning began early for me as all I could think about was how spread out we had become at Stockbottom House!  I spent part of the morning organizing myself and Peter, and making sure we had most everything at least collected in one area.  I went over to the main house to see if I could help with breakfast.  Sara was headed out to her garden, so Pete and I followed. She showed me her asparagus, spinach, onions, potatoes, squash, beans, peas and strawberries, among other things.  She found a couple of strawberries leftover from her earlier harvest and threw them to Pete and I. They were SO incredibly SWEET!!  It's like she grew them in sugar!  After we came back in, we finished putting breakfast on.  I've forgotten to mention that Sara makes fresh bread every morning in her breadmaker...I'm so spoiled!

After breakfast, we all piled in the cars and headed into Pitton for church.  We went to the same local small church we had visited on Wednesday.  It really is lovely, especially with the bells ringing and the candles lit.  And when we walked in, the organist was playing Pieta Signore...Andy's senior recital song!

During the service, Pete was wonderful - redeeming himself from the past four days when he wasn't so wonderful  After the service, we enjoyed coffee, and cookies.  Sara even had Pete hand them out!  Always good to put a child to work. After we left the church, Doric took us on a quick tour of the neighboring town of Farley.  Had you told me there was a smaller town than Pitton, I probably wouldn't have believed you, but there it was!  We even got to see a cricket match being played in the town.

Back home, we enjoyed a light lunch including potatoes, beans and spinach right out of Sara's garden!  I am truly going to miss the meals at her house.  We quickly finished eating, grabbed our bags, took a few farewell photos, and then headed off to the Salisbury train station.  It took both of their cars to get us and our stuff there, but we arrived in plenty of time, got our tickets, said our goodbyes and off we went!

Ready for London!

It was a nice, quiet 1 1/2 hour ride to Waterloo Station.  Once we arrived, it took two cabs to get us to the apartment we've rented for the next four days.  It's expensive getting five people and all their stuff around!  It took a few moments for the owner to show up, but we were finally in, and it's beautiful!  We left Andy behind to 'hold down the fort', and Pete, Em, Steve and I took a walk to find the closest grocery.  We found a small Sainsbury, and went about purchasing items for breakfast tomorrow, as well as dinner tonight.

Shall we make dinner?

It was fun to cook in the gourmet kitchen.  And dinner was really good!  Apparently the people who own this place LOVE television, because there is a TV in every bedroom, kitchen and living room!  The kids all ended up watching whatever they wanted to watch while I tried to catch up on laundry.  A good transition day I think.  Tomorrow, we start tackling London!

Day #4 - Bath and a Fete!

We awoke this morning bright and early because today is Bath day!  After a quick breakfast, we dressed and were on our way.  We caught a 10:30 train to Bath.  It only took about 45 minutes, but Peter managed to make himself comfortable on the train.  It was crowded, so the rest of us stood.  It's great to be a little guy.  You can fit almost anywhere!

We got into Bath around 11:15 and immediately headed towards the Roman Baths.  It was a pretty straight path, so even though I didn't have a map, we found our way pretty easily.  As we rounded the corner into the square where the Abbey and the Roman Baths are located, the plaza was FILLED with kids in uniforms and robes.  The local boarding school had graduation ceremonies that morning and was just letting out!  It was insane.  We found the end of the line for the Baths and began our wait.  We were hungry, so we Steve, Andy and Emily formed a search party for snacks.  They came back with croissants and drinks...yummy!

Once we were finally in, we were given audio guides so that we could move through the displays at our leisure.  You just needed to punch in the number at each display and hear the explanation.  The nice thing was that they had 'kid friendly' numbers to punch in for Pete!  It kept him engaged longer than it would have otherwise.

We ended up spending about two hours total touring the Baths.  They are the only natural hot springs in Great Britain, and the Romans were able to build a spa around them.  We tend to think that we have the ability to pamper ourselves in with current technology, but the Romans were able to turn this spring into a serious SPA!  They had a steam room, massage rooms, the hot springs bath, a warm bath and a cold bath.  To think that these baths existed in Roman times really boggles the mind!

Mmmmm....mineral water...

Sadly, you can't get in them anymore, but they did give us a free drink from the spa.  Emily said it tasted like blood.  I think she was tasting the iron.  They said it had 36 different minerals in it.  It's amazing that this water continues to bubble up!

Paninis in peace!

We left the baths and headed back into the square.  The kids had been replaced by tourists...it was still as crowded as ever!  We slipped into a sandwich shop overlooking the square and enjoyed a quiet lunch above the crowds.  It was wonderful to have a bit of quiet time before heading back into those crowds.  But what could I expect?  It was a Saturday in the summer!

We stopped at a chocolatier for some ice cream before heading back to a 3:30 train.  There was plenty more to do in Bath, but we wanted to get back to Pitton for the village celebration that evening!  While we had been in Bath all day, Doric and Sara had spent their day helping the village get ready.  We took a taxi home from the train station in Salisbury, regrouped, put on warmer clothes, and Doric came to pick us up.

Pitton at it's best!

Pete rode the swing.

By the time we got to the fete (prounced "fate"), it had already been going strong for awhile.  We had missed the pretty dress contest (of which Sara was a winner!), but Peter was able to ride the kiddie swing (it was a hand crank...no electricity!), hunt through hay for sweets and throw wooden balls trying to break crockery!  There was a BBQ, a beer tent, and a PIMM'S tent.  The PIMM'S was homemade, and it tasted great.  I had never had one!

After the games and food, the barn dance started!  There were kid games including a wheelbarrow race with Barnaby as his guide.

Emily and Barnaby two-stepping it!

There were also square-dance type dances.  They were really fun!  And it was a great way to meet a lot of the people in the neighborhood, even if you were do-si-do-ing around them at the time!  If you stood still long enough, you started to get cold, but right about the time you did, you were called back onto the 'dance floor field' for the next dance.  What a workout!  We held hands and danced in big circles and little circles, sometimes with eight people, sometimes with two.  The only dance I can remember was called "split the willow" and it really required concentration!

Dancing in the dark!

We literally danced until around 10:30 when they sent one of the local guys out into the field and he shot off fireworks.  He couldn't have been more than 50 yards away!  The fireworks display was really beautiful.  My photos don't do it justice.  Everyone said that they probably wouldn't be as good as we were used to, but they rivaled Frankfort's on the Fourth of July!  And isn't it funny that it took Pitton to give us the fireworks we missed on the Fourth of July back home!

It was a wonderful evening, and a wonderful night.  How sad it will be to say goodbye to our good friends, and this wonderful town tomorrow.

Day #3 - A Nice, Easy Day

This morning started off nice and slow.  None of us woke up much before 9:30, and breakfast wasn't until 10! After breakfast, Steve and Emily made some chocolate chip cookies for tomorrow's fete (cookie booth at the village party in Pitton) using the Nestle Toll House recipe.  They had to do a lot of conversions with measurements and temperature, but they pulled it off!  Everyone got a sample at lunchtime and agreed that they were very good.

Walking through the English countryside

Peter seems to be dealing with jetlag still as he was quite grumpy this morning.  His Nintendo DS died, and the charger doesn't work, so Doric thought perhaps his grumpiness was due to a lack of electronic stiumulation.  I think he was just tired and grumpy.  So, what do you do when your little boy is tired?  Take him on a 2.5 mile walk!  After breakfast and cookie making, Steve and Sara went for a run, Emily and Barnaby followed them on bikes, and Doric, Andy, Peter and I went for a walk.  It was a lovely walk across fields, down roads and other walking paths, even if Peter was complaining most of the time that he was tired!

Pitton awaits in the distance!

We ended up in the middle of Pitton village, and so stopped for a drink and some potato chips (or crisps, as they are called here.)   The temperature was okay, but the wind was strong, so it made the weather feel much colder than it really was.  When Sara picked us up, it felt good to get into a warm car!  By the time we got back home, Doric and Sara's oldest son Theo had shown up (this is the first we've seen him since 2005!)  We enjoyed visiting over a splendid lunch.


We had a bit of down time after lunch, so I was able to do some laundry and get in a shower.  Peter was able to rest in front of the TV which helped immensely.  At 4pm we were off again to Salisbury to get Andy and Emily over to the cathedral to see the boy's choir rehearse.  Doric took them to the cathedral while the Steve, Peter and I headed toward the shoppes to look for a Nintendo DS charger.  After a bit of confusion (will or won't an English charger work in his DS), we were finally able to figure out that yes, it would work, and so purchased one!  Peter shall be satiated once more. :-)

The view from where I was sitting!

Andy and Emily joined us after choir practice

We headed back over to the cathedral where we met up with Andy and Emily.  They said that the rehearsal was fabulous, and the boys choir was VERY good!  Emily also said that she thinks she has been trained well by their choir teacher as they recognized every other latin song in their songbook!  We sat through the evensong service and enjoyed hearing the choir that Andy and Em had just been observing.

We headed back to the house for a brief bit, and then it was on to dinner.  We ate at a wonderful Indian restaurant in Salisbury...even Andy found something to enjoy!   It was a fun evening with a lot of laughter.  Back home, the kids had some ice cream and then it was into bed.  Tomorrow...Bath!

Day #2 - Salisbury Cathedral and a BBQ

Salisbury Cathedral

Today started a bit groggy, but we were able to get going fairly early thanks to the early bedtime last night!  After a quick breakfast in the main house, we were off in the van-bus headed for Salisbury.  The drive was quite quick - only about 15 minutes.  We parked the vehicle at a friend's house, and then off we went to the cathedral for a VERY up close and personal tour!

The interior of the cathedral

A closeup of the stained glass

We quickly met our guide, Keith, who gave us a brief overview of the history of the church.  The original church was built in nearby Old Sarum in the 1100s, but didn't last.  This cathedral was built relatively quickly, from 1220 to 1258 (the spire was built later) and has foundations going only about 4 feet down!  It was built on chalk gravel, which is why it has held up for over 700 years.

We and then headed up the stairs for an "upwards tour."  Our first stop was on the balcony overlooking the cathedral.  It was quite a view!  We could see the long nave in front of us, and we had quite the closeup of windows behind us!  The photo shown on this blog is some of the oldest glass in the building.

Looking way way way down...

After many steps (300+ in all) we had made it up through and over the nave, and then up to the spire!  We stopped along the way and heard the bells chime noon while being RIGHT NEXT TO THE BELLS!  I didn't catch all of the chiming, but I got enough.  You won't have to cover your ears like we did. :-)

The other thing we got to do was step outside the spire and view the world around us.  As we went around the spire, we could see all of Salisbury as well as the beautiful countryside.  It was quite windy, but actually a lovely day to take in the view.

After many many steps back down to the bottom, we stopped for a quick snack and then headed back inside for a tour of the floor of the cathedral.  It is a beautiful church with many stories to tell.  I took over 200 photos, so I can't share them all, but hopefully I've been able to give you a sense of the cathedral and our day.  Doric is terribly sad that more people don't come to the cathedral when they visit England.  So I am asking all my friends who read my blog, when you come to England, please make it a point to come to Salisbury and see their cathedral.  I've never been given such a complete tour of a church, and it truly is beautiful.

After the tour of the cathedral, we stopped into another area of the cathedral where they keep an original magna carta.  It was amazing to see, but impossible to read.  And, of course, there is no photography, so I have nothing to prove I saw it!

I do however have a wonderful shot of Peter with one of the embroidered cushions from the room. For decoration, they have cushions embroidered with each of the disciples, as well as other important people like John the Baptist and Barnabus.  They also had a pillow for Helga, but we weren't sure who she was.

After the Salisbury cathedral, we took a drive out of Salisbury and around the countryside past Stonehenge.  This was a 'drive-by' viewing, as we slowed down enough for a photo out the window.  It is really fun to see from the car, but really not worth the time to stop, park, pay, walk around, and head back out.  Besides, it was really crowded, and you know how I feel about crowds!

Anyway, we headed home because we needed to help Sara get ready for the Stockbottom BBQ!  Doric and Sara had invited a group of their friends, including children, for an evening party.  The children ate first, and then played kick the can long into the night (and by children I mean all the kids from Peter on up to Andy!)  Steve and I enjoyed meeting everyone and spent much of the evening laughing and sharing stories.

It was a wonderful evening, and a great opportunity to meet more people.  As it became such a late night, we are looking forward to "lying in" tomorrow.  Sara has promised that breakfast tomorrow won't start until 10!

Day #1 - Hurry up and Relax!

Today marks the first official day of our fabulous U.K. vacation.  I'm not starting with yesterday as that was a travel day.  I will however give these few items an honorable mention from yesterday:

#1.  When we landed in Canada (we changed planes in Toronto), Peter said "So THIS is what Canada looks like!"

Pete and Em ready for the loooong flight!

Andy and I also settling in!

#2.  When we went past customs in Canada, the police officer asked me for my permission paper from Peter's father to be traveling to London.  As I hadn't thought of this, I explained that his father was also on his way to London, but going a different route.  After a few questions aimed directly at Peter "Who lives in your house?  Does your daddy know where you are?," the police let us go with a reprimand. Really, doesn't he realize how many details I've had to look after up 'til now??

Stockbottom House with the ENORMOUS van out front!

But really, our trip didn't begin until we had made it through London's immigration (no concerns about where the father was!) and customs.  We made it out of the terminal, met up with Steve who was waiting for us, and headed outside to our first host, Doric.  He had the largest van I think I have ever seen! We easily packed all our bags inside and away we went.

Doric impressing us all!

About an hour + later, we were entering the small hamlet of Stockbottom House, of which Doric and his wife Sara have a lovely home and guest house.  After we had settled in the guest house (Em, Pete, Steve and I are in the guest house...Andy gets their son's room in the main house), we showered and began our visit.  The first item on the agenda was giving the gifts we brought.  Doric promptly put on his Bears shirt, and went outside to attempt to throw a football. He showed much promise with his athletic skill. The boys and Emily continued to practice their throwing skills while I gave Sara the gardening gifts I had brought her.  She has amazing gardens that I need to photograph before I go!  If only I had half the green thumb she does...

The Village Church's graveyard in Pitton

After everyone had worn themselves out, we headed on into the village of Pitton for a tour.  It was a lovely walk with a brief stop in the village church as well as down various streets with lots of flowers and gardens.  We walked over to a play park where all the kids had a fun time (I think the teenagers were having more fun than Pete!)

After tiring ourselves out again, we stopped at The Silver Plough for a quick drink before heading back to the house for lunch.  With pate and brie in our stomachs, all the Americans started to wind down (except Emily and Steve).  Peter and I went for a nap, Andy ended up asleep as well.  Steve read and Emily went for a bike ride with Barnaby.  That girl is destined for a good nights' sleep!

Pete pets a cow!

After awakening, it was hard to get going again. We redirected Pete from his tiredness (read "nonstop crying") by taking him across the street to see the cows.  A farmer lives across the street and keeps cattle.  He also leases out part of his land for people to keep their horses on as well as growing wheat.  We were able to visit the cows and get licked, and we were able to pet a few of the horses.  The wind was picking up and it was starting to feel cold, so we headed back to the house for coats.

After we had warmed up, we all got back into the van and headed to an open field called Figsbury: an ironage hill fort.  It was a lovely walk with a view of the countryside.  On close inspection of the ground we found tiny orchids growing!  After a very windy walk around, we headed into the middle and practiced throwing boomerangs.  With the wind whipping around 60 miles per hour, the boomerangs flew far!  It was a combination of throwing and running after them (they came back and then some!)

Doric giving the proper technique lesson.  "You flick it!"

Back home, we settled in for the evening.  Sara made a wonderful pasta bolognese which we consumed in great quantities (outdoor activities will make you very hungry!) and then settled in for the night.  Andy had trouble even making it through dinner.  I trust everyone will sleep well and our bodies will finally be on England time tomorrow!