Friday, April 26, 2019
First Time Cruisers Prepare for Scandinavia by Sea
Although Tom and I have been on a river cruise we have never sailed on the ocean. Our June cruise to Scandinavia will be a first. We chose Viking Ocean Cruises after enjoying their service on the Rhine in 2016. I wanted to see my friend Betsy who lives in Sweden and we didn't want to spend money in Russia or sail on a huge ship so that narrowed our choices. We had to find a cruise that stopped in Gothenburg Sweden and we wanted a cruise that was destination focused and did not have a day or two at sea. We will be sailing on the Viking Sky, yes that Viking Sky. If all goes well I will blog about our cruise and there will be no adventures in life vests!
Monday, October 8, 2012
St. Paul's Harrods and home
On Monday morning I woke with some tummy issues. Got ready kind of slowly and wasn't up to my usual breakfast so wanted to go back to the Daylesford Farm store for tea and toast while T had scrambled eggs. Good excuse as any. We bought a few things for dinner and after dropping them at "home" made our way to the Tube and traveled to St Paul's Cathedral. St Paul's had a good audio guide and we enjoyed exploring the church. We got to the American Chapel but oddly there was nothing about it on the audioguide or if there was we could not find it on the menu. The chapel is dedicated to those Americans who gave their lives helping to defend Britain in WWII. The pilot of Daddy's B-17 should be listed in the book of American dead which was open to the Hs this day. T thought St Paul's was one of the most impressive buildings he had ever seen. Left him wondering what Christopher Wren's IQ must have been.
As we sat under the dome a school class came through on a tour with a really good guide. The kids all sat on the floor while the guide spoke to them about the building and how it changed over history. He was very good at putting things at a level children could understand and could keep their interest.
We visited the crypt where the gift shop and cafe are. We had a light lunch which was rather pleasant. If my system had been up for it we could have had tea in the cathedral restaurant. We got a peek at someone else's and the food on the tea stand looked very nice.
After this we took the Underground to Harrods for some final shopping. We needed one last gift and found it. We looked over the Harrods logo shop, Christmas decorations and the food halls. The Christmas stuff was a bit disappointing but I could have bought a lot in the logo shop and food halls if we had room to bring stuff home. That's one drawback with carrying small suitcases.
A trip back to the apartment, a little dinner followed by packng and we are ready to leave in the morning. It's been a wonderful two weeks but we are looking forward to being home.
9,367 steps
As we sat under the dome a school class came through on a tour with a really good guide. The kids all sat on the floor while the guide spoke to them about the building and how it changed over history. He was very good at putting things at a level children could understand and could keep their interest.
Di has the all-time best umbrellasin the rain photo but I had to try
We visited the crypt where the gift shop and cafe are. We had a light lunch which was rather pleasant. If my system had been up for it we could have had tea in the cathedral restaurant. We got a peek at someone else's and the food on the tea stand looked very nice.
After this we took the Underground to Harrods for some final shopping. We needed one last gift and found it. We looked over the Harrods logo shop, Christmas decorations and the food halls. The Christmas stuff was a bit disappointing but I could have bought a lot in the logo shop and food halls if we had room to bring stuff home. That's one drawback with carrying small suitcases.
A trip back to the apartment, a little dinner followed by packng and we are ready to leave in the morning. It's been a wonderful two weeks but we are looking forward to being home.
9,367 steps
Sunday in London
Awoke to another sunny morning with temps predicted in the high 50s. We had seen a church near our hotel when we first arrived in Europe that we wanted to visit on Sunday morning so headed there. Underground travel was much easier on Sunday morning even without the Circle Line running. We just had to make one change at Bond Street.
People at Westminster Chapel (not to be confused with the Abbey or the cathedral) were very friendly. They seemed to have a core of volunteers to greet newcomers and we spoke with a young woman who was half English, half Ukrainian and lived in the Ukraine for 10 years. Her accent was all English however. The format of worship was similar to Hillside with similar worship music. The big difference was the service went for about 2 hours instead of 1 1/2 but the hour-long sermon on 2 Peter was really good. Mom always said that I like church to be like school and this just proves her right (again).
After church we walked past Buckingham Palace and then through St. James Park to Inn the Park for lunch. Tom had roast beef, I had chicken and both came with veggies and really good roasted potatoes. The chicken was very moist and tasty. After lunch we continued to the Cabinet War Rooms which had added an exhibit on Churchill's life since we visited several years ago. It is so interesting to see these underground rooms where the British government ran the war. Our final stop was on Oxford Street to stop at Marks & Spencer. We took the bus home for a change as one went from Oxford Street to Westbourne Grove right near our apartment.
10,688 steps
People at Westminster Chapel (not to be confused with the Abbey or the cathedral) were very friendly. They seemed to have a core of volunteers to greet newcomers and we spoke with a young woman who was half English, half Ukrainian and lived in the Ukraine for 10 years. Her accent was all English however. The format of worship was similar to Hillside with similar worship music. The big difference was the service went for about 2 hours instead of 1 1/2 but the hour-long sermon on 2 Peter was really good. Mom always said that I like church to be like school and this just proves her right (again).
After church we walked past Buckingham Palace and then through St. James Park to Inn the Park for lunch. Tom had roast beef, I had chicken and both came with veggies and really good roasted potatoes. The chicken was very moist and tasty. After lunch we continued to the Cabinet War Rooms which had added an exhibit on Churchill's life since we visited several years ago. It is so interesting to see these underground rooms where the British government ran the war. Our final stop was on Oxford Street to stop at Marks & Spencer. We took the bus home for a change as one went from Oxford Street to Westbourne Grove right near our apartment.
St. James Park
One more day to visit any last spot we don't want to miss before returning home. Harrods is definitely on the list.
One more day to visit any last spot we don't want to miss before returning home. Harrods is definitely on the list.
10,688 steps
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Hampton Court Palace
We woke to a beautiful day and decided we would make the trip to Hampton Court Palace. As we got close to the Underground we found hoards of people coming at us. It dawned on us that they must be heading to the Portobello Road Saturday market. So glad we went there early in the week. It would be an absolute nightmare with these crowds. Wish I had taken a photo of the mobs.
The Circle line of the Underground is not available this weekend so we had to take the District Line to to Tottenham Court Road so we could take the Northern Line to Waterloo Station. At the Tottenham Court Road stop it was announced that the Northern Line was not available. We got off and took the same line back one stop to Oxford Circus and took the Bakerloo Line down to Waterloo Station. After that is was easy to get the train to Hampton Court.
It was only a 1/2 hour train trip to Hampton Court Palace and easy to get from the station across the bridge to the palace. The grounds were beautiful and the palace interesting as it is part Tudor and part Baroque in style. There must have been hundreds of chimneys. We started with an exhibit on Henry VIII as a young man and saw his apartments. We also visited the Fountain Court, chapel and Great Hall among others and, as we did at Versailles years ago, spent a lot of time in the gardens. They were beautiful even in autumn. There is a giant grape vine that was planted in 1768 and still bears fruit that is sold at the palace in August and September. It was so lovely outside we enjoyed an ice cream cone break.
After a full afternoon we headed back to London around 5pm. At Waterloo Station we decided to walk to the London Eye to see how long the wait was. The area was an absolute zoo of people. I'm sure every tourist in London wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather on a Saturday evening. We did get some great photos. After fighting our way through the crowds we crossed Westminster Bridge then headed home. We picked up a couple of panini sandwiches at a small Italian place near our apartment and are enjoying a quiet evening at home.
12,518 steps.
The Circle line of the Underground is not available this weekend so we had to take the District Line to to Tottenham Court Road so we could take the Northern Line to Waterloo Station. At the Tottenham Court Road stop it was announced that the Northern Line was not available. We got off and took the same line back one stop to Oxford Circus and took the Bakerloo Line down to Waterloo Station. After that is was easy to get the train to Hampton Court.
It was only a 1/2 hour train trip to Hampton Court Palace and easy to get from the station across the bridge to the palace. The grounds were beautiful and the palace interesting as it is part Tudor and part Baroque in style. There must have been hundreds of chimneys. We started with an exhibit on Henry VIII as a young man and saw his apartments. We also visited the Fountain Court, chapel and Great Hall among others and, as we did at Versailles years ago, spent a lot of time in the gardens. They were beautiful even in autumn. There is a giant grape vine that was planted in 1768 and still bears fruit that is sold at the palace in August and September. It was so lovely outside we enjoyed an ice cream cone break.
After a full afternoon we headed back to London around 5pm. At Waterloo Station we decided to walk to the London Eye to see how long the wait was. The area was an absolute zoo of people. I'm sure every tourist in London wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather on a Saturday evening. We did get some great photos. After fighting our way through the crowds we crossed Westminster Bridge then headed home. We picked up a couple of panini sandwiches at a small Italian place near our apartment and are enjoying a quiet evening at home.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Yes, Prime Minister
We are back from the play and enjoyed it very much. It was recommended by our friend M and we are so glad we took her advice. It was topical, political and funny. The ushers encouraged the audience to fill in some of the empty seats closer to the stage so we got to move to aisle seats with lots of room around us--getting better and better. We had One Fine Stay book a taxi which was a really good idea to get there since it was raining and T wasn't up to the Underground this night . We did not realize how easy it would be to hail a taxi after the play however. I remember having difficulty doing this 9 years ago after the theater with our cousins so we may have spent a little more but with the rain were glad we did. Passed by Buckingham Palace and Marble Arch on our way home.
Since we toured close to home and took the taxi we only managed 8688 steps today.
Since we toured close to home and took the taxi we only managed 8688 steps today.
Fit for a Queen
Friday October 5
I woke early with a lousy headache and got up to have a cup of tea and bread then took two and went back to bed. T let me sleep a couple of hours and that did the trick. While I got ready he went out to Sainsbury (the local grocery store) for a few things. Finally we set out walking to Kensington Palace which isn't far from our flat. I wanted to visit the exhibit on Queen Victoria. We picked up the 2 for 1 brochure at Victoria Station yesterday and with our train ticket saved a lot of money. As it was after noon we went to the Orangery to have lunch. It's a long white room in a building in the palace gardens. T ordered venison sausage which was very good but I had a rather disappointing salad with smoked chicken. I discovered I don't much like smoked chicken or at least this smoked chicken. Too bad we were too early for tea as I had read they do a lovely tea.
Back in the palace we started with one room on the ground floor with a small exhibit about Princess Diana. We had passed the Cafe Diana on the street across from the park while walking to the palace and a well dressed man coming out of the cafe invited us in for lunch (he was probably the owner). The walls of the cafe were covered with photos of the late Diana--someone is cashing in on Diana. The palace exhibit had about 6 of Diana's dresses displayed along with photos of her wearing them and other photos of her life and with her children. She had lived in Kensington Palace and there were also photos of the flowers left outside the palace when she died.
Up one floor was the exhibit Victoria Revealed which covered major events in her life and featured clothing and personal artifacts. I loved seeing the clothing, especially Victoria's wedding dress. She was so petite. It was all beautifully displayed and photos (without flash) were allowed--I loved that! At the end was a multi-media presentation on Victoria's Jubiliee celebration which we enjoyed. Lots of photos and film of the events. I'm sure it was also planned to coincide with Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee this year.
We stopped in the little cafe/gift shop at the end of our visit for tea and a scone to share. There is beautiful china for sale for the current Queen's Jubilee but I just can't bring myself to spend more than $60 for a teacup and saucer.
We walked back to the flat and made it just as the rain was starting. This evening we are going to the play "Yes Prime Minister" and have decided to splurge on a taxi rather than fight the Friday night rush hour on the Tube. We'll take the Underground home when there will be fewer people.
I woke early with a lousy headache and got up to have a cup of tea and bread then took two and went back to bed. T let me sleep a couple of hours and that did the trick. While I got ready he went out to Sainsbury (the local grocery store) for a few things. Finally we set out walking to Kensington Palace which isn't far from our flat. I wanted to visit the exhibit on Queen Victoria. We picked up the 2 for 1 brochure at Victoria Station yesterday and with our train ticket saved a lot of money. As it was after noon we went to the Orangery to have lunch. It's a long white room in a building in the palace gardens. T ordered venison sausage which was very good but I had a rather disappointing salad with smoked chicken. I discovered I don't much like smoked chicken or at least this smoked chicken. Too bad we were too early for tea as I had read they do a lovely tea.
Back in the palace we started with one room on the ground floor with a small exhibit about Princess Diana. We had passed the Cafe Diana on the street across from the park while walking to the palace and a well dressed man coming out of the cafe invited us in for lunch (he was probably the owner). The walls of the cafe were covered with photos of the late Diana--someone is cashing in on Diana. The palace exhibit had about 6 of Diana's dresses displayed along with photos of her wearing them and other photos of her life and with her children. She had lived in Kensington Palace and there were also photos of the flowers left outside the palace when she died.
Up one floor was the exhibit Victoria Revealed which covered major events in her life and featured clothing and personal artifacts. I loved seeing the clothing, especially Victoria's wedding dress. She was so petite. It was all beautifully displayed and photos (without flash) were allowed--I loved that! At the end was a multi-media presentation on Victoria's Jubiliee celebration which we enjoyed. Lots of photos and film of the events. I'm sure it was also planned to coincide with Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee this year.
We stopped in the little cafe/gift shop at the end of our visit for tea and a scone to share. There is beautiful china for sale for the current Queen's Jubilee but I just can't bring myself to spend more than $60 for a teacup and saucer. We walked back to the flat and made it just as the rain was starting. This evening we are going to the play "Yes Prime Minister" and have decided to splurge on a taxi rather than fight the Friday night rush hour on the Tube. We'll take the Underground home when there will be fewer people.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Canterbury
This moring we got ready to go fairly early. We headed out on the tube to Victoria Station to take the train to Canterbury. It's about 1.5 hours from Victoria to Canterbury and the train was comfortable.
From the train it is an easy walk to the Cathedral. The bridge over the hightway from the station to the town lead us to the ancient city wall. We walked along the wall for a bit and came down at a likely spot that looked like it would lead to the cathedral. We walked pass a Tesco grocery store and other "high street" shops finally leading into the older part of town full of quaint looking store fronts. We turned down St. Margaret's street and decided to try Tiny Tim's tea shop for lunch. It turned out to be a good choice. T had a "puffkin" which is meat loaf baked in dough and served with baked beans. I was able to have their afternoon tea for lunch--perfect. The service was really good and we enjoyed the food. The restrooms were up two flights of ancient stairs next to the ghost's room. It was a fun little place.
Tiny Tim's gave us a good map to the Cathedral and we walked there easily. It was a beautiful day and we got some great shots of the Cathedral with blue skies and puffy clouds and scaffolding! Oh well, it only covered a portion of the outside. It was very interesting to visit and so beautiful. As we were leaving there was a display that mentioned aspects of Cathedral life including the cathedral cats! Unfortunately we did not get to see any of them but we learned one is named Leo (MP!) and another Tom.
We began to head back to the train and passed Debenhams. In the Sunday paper was an ad for some gold trimmed goblets so we went in and they had them. I bought two to mix in with the other goblets I have at home. Surprise--they were even on sale.
Train, tube and walk back to the apartment where we had a light dinner and did some more laundry. The machine is so bad that T's shirts all came out really wrinkled. At least there is an iron and ironing board.
8,915 steps
From the train it is an easy walk to the Cathedral. The bridge over the hightway from the station to the town lead us to the ancient city wall. We walked along the wall for a bit and came down at a likely spot that looked like it would lead to the cathedral. We walked pass a Tesco grocery store and other "high street" shops finally leading into the older part of town full of quaint looking store fronts. We turned down St. Margaret's street and decided to try Tiny Tim's tea shop for lunch. It turned out to be a good choice. T had a "puffkin" which is meat loaf baked in dough and served with baked beans. I was able to have their afternoon tea for lunch--perfect. The service was really good and we enjoyed the food. The restrooms were up two flights of ancient stairs next to the ghost's room. It was a fun little place.
Tiny Tim's gave us a good map to the Cathedral and we walked there easily. It was a beautiful day and we got some great shots of the Cathedral with blue skies and puffy clouds and scaffolding! Oh well, it only covered a portion of the outside. It was very interesting to visit and so beautiful. As we were leaving there was a display that mentioned aspects of Cathedral life including the cathedral cats! Unfortunately we did not get to see any of them but we learned one is named Leo (MP!) and another Tom.
We began to head back to the train and passed Debenhams. In the Sunday paper was an ad for some gold trimmed goblets so we went in and they had them. I bought two to mix in with the other goblets I have at home. Surprise--they were even on sale.
Train, tube and walk back to the apartment where we had a light dinner and did some more laundry. The machine is so bad that T's shirts all came out really wrinkled. At least there is an iron and ironing board.
8,915 steps
Wednesday 10/3
We got up late since we got to bed so late after dealing with the power outtage. We decided to treat ourselves to breakfast at Daylesford Farm Store again. After breakfast we took the tube to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. We looked at some renaissance Italian paintings then decided to focus on the 19th century Impressionists. There were some lovely works by favorite artists including one of Van Gogh's sunflowers and Monet's study of the Gare St. Lazare. My favorite however was the Bridge at Argenteuil by Gustave Caillebotte. Because the work was on loan there were not postcards or prints to purchase of this work.
From Trafalgar Square we walked to Covent Garden. Lots of new shops since we had last been there and no sign of Past Times, one of my favorites. Found a gift at Whittard which sells tea and tea cups, pots, etc. There was a Laduree shop but I skipped the expensive macarons since we still had Belgian chocolate in the apartment. We did pass a place called Ben's cookies and shared a peanut butter with milk chocolate chunk cookie--it was amazingly good.
We headed home for a light dinner and a load of laundry. The tiny little washer dryer combo took about 3 hours to clean and dry a small load. It's handy and sort of entertaining to laugh at how long it takes but we wonder how people live like this on a daily basis.
From Trafalgar Square we walked to Covent Garden. Lots of new shops since we had last been there and no sign of Past Times, one of my favorites. Found a gift at Whittard which sells tea and tea cups, pots, etc. There was a Laduree shop but I skipped the expensive macarons since we still had Belgian chocolate in the apartment. We did pass a place called Ben's cookies and shared a peanut butter with milk chocolate chunk cookie--it was amazingly good.
We headed home for a light dinner and a load of laundry. The tiny little washer dryer combo took about 3 hours to clean and dry a small load. It's handy and sort of entertaining to laugh at how long it takes but we wonder how people live like this on a daily basis.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday 10/2
We are settled in our London apartment and it looks very much like it did online; lots of white paint and shabby chic. This is our second apartment abroad experience and both have been interesting. Last year we rented from Paris Perfect and it seems their apartments are only holiday rentals. This year with One Fine Stay we are renting someone's apartment which is a bit too personal perhaps. There are lots of knickknacks around which we are steering clear of and it's a little more quirky. Things like the light switches, the step down in the hall to get to the bathroom. There is a separate bedroom instead of a fold out couch but the bed is not King-sized as advertized. Fortunately it is a queen. If it were only a double we would have been doing some serious negotiation yesterday. The wood floors are painted and positively ancient with lots of squeaks. There is decent storage in the bedroom and a teeny tiny washer/dryer combo which we will try out.
We were met by Matt who helped get us settled in then we walked to Sainsbury's for some groceries last night. This morning I made oatmeal and T had his cereal and we set off walking along Westbourne Grove to Portobello Road just a few block away. We came upon Daylesford organic farm store and went in to have a look around. We stayed for "elevens" or second breakfast which was really good. Bought a loaf of their bread too.
We strolled along Portobello checking out the shops and managed to find a perfect gift for our niece (ah but which one?). The market is big on the weekends but we intend to avoid the crowds.
After a rest at the apt. we took the Tube to Piccadilly then walked to the Wolseley for tea before the theater. The Wolseley was at one time a car dealership and is next to the Ritz Hotel. It was a big bustling restaurant with marble floors. The tea was quite good, especially the scones and clotted cream.
After tea we walked past the Ritz toward Green Park then reversed to head to the Noel Coward Theatre for Much Ado About Nothing. The production had a Bollywood twist and was set in India. We both enjoyed it. We took the Tube back to the apartment only to find the power was off all the sockets. The ceiling lights worked and the security system. T thinks it's the breakers and found the box but is hesitant to mess with foreign electrical. We are waiting for One Fine Stay to call us back with a plan.
As we waited the rest of the lights went and Tom spent some time on the phone with OFS with flashlights on the breaker box. We were up past 1am trying to figure this out and finally decided OFS will send an electrician in the morning. The lights came on at 4am and woke us up. We finally woke up late and put clothes on when the electrician arrived. OFS had tried to call and message us but we were asleep. The electrician thought the system took too long to reset and they will be looking at it further.
8530 steps (partial)
We were met by Matt who helped get us settled in then we walked to Sainsbury's for some groceries last night. This morning I made oatmeal and T had his cereal and we set off walking along Westbourne Grove to Portobello Road just a few block away. We came upon Daylesford organic farm store and went in to have a look around. We stayed for "elevens" or second breakfast which was really good. Bought a loaf of their bread too.
We strolled along Portobello checking out the shops and managed to find a perfect gift for our niece (ah but which one?). The market is big on the weekends but we intend to avoid the crowds.
After a rest at the apt. we took the Tube to Piccadilly then walked to the Wolseley for tea before the theater. The Wolseley was at one time a car dealership and is next to the Ritz Hotel. It was a big bustling restaurant with marble floors. The tea was quite good, especially the scones and clotted cream.
After tea we walked past the Ritz toward Green Park then reversed to head to the Noel Coward Theatre for Much Ado About Nothing. The production had a Bollywood twist and was set in India. We both enjoyed it. We took the Tube back to the apartment only to find the power was off all the sockets. The ceiling lights worked and the security system. T thinks it's the breakers and found the box but is hesitant to mess with foreign electrical. We are waiting for One Fine Stay to call us back with a plan.
As we waited the rest of the lights went and Tom spent some time on the phone with OFS with flashlights on the breaker box. We were up past 1am trying to figure this out and finally decided OFS will send an electrician in the morning. The lights came on at 4am and woke us up. We finally woke up late and put clothes on when the electrician arrived. OFS had tried to call and message us but we were asleep. The electrician thought the system took too long to reset and they will be looking at it further.
8530 steps (partial)
To London
We are on the Eurostar heading back to London. We are traveling the basic fare and there is even less room than a coach airplane seat. At least it's only for 2 hours. We asked about upgrading to Premier class and thought the fellow said it was 17 euro each, turns out it is really 70 euros so we decided to stick with our little seats. The Belgian country side is very pretty and the ride is smooth.
In the Bruges station we were trying to figure out which train to take, not wanting to get on the pokey regional train again. The young man behind us heard us talking and got out of line to help us. From Bruges any train going to "Bruxelles" will stop at the "midi" station for the Eurostar. He told us he was not in a hurry and we would not inconvenience him. Overall the people we have met have been very nice, just a couple of canal boat ticket sellers that seemed completely bored with their jobs and wanted to be anywhere else.
Once through Belgian and British passport control we had a small sandwich and used the facilities. Shakespeare and the Queen were pictured on the doors to the stalls in the women's loo. Seemed rather undignified for the Bard of Avon and Her Majesty especially during her Jubilee year.
Once the train arrived in London we took a taxi to the apartment. The cab driver did not seem to know the address at first nor did he help us with our bags. Very different than the ride from the hotel to the Eurostar a few days back.
In the Bruges station we were trying to figure out which train to take, not wanting to get on the pokey regional train again. The young man behind us heard us talking and got out of line to help us. From Bruges any train going to "Bruxelles" will stop at the "midi" station for the Eurostar. He told us he was not in a hurry and we would not inconvenience him. Overall the people we have met have been very nice, just a couple of canal boat ticket sellers that seemed completely bored with their jobs and wanted to be anywhere else.
Once through Belgian and British passport control we had a small sandwich and used the facilities. Shakespeare and the Queen were pictured on the doors to the stalls in the women's loo. Seemed rather undignified for the Bard of Avon and Her Majesty especially during her Jubilee year.
Once the train arrived in London we took a taxi to the apartment. The cab driver did not seem to know the address at first nor did he help us with our bags. Very different than the ride from the hotel to the Eurostar a few days back.
Windmills
After the long tour day we slept really well and headed down to breakfast around 9am. The breakfast room is very bright and nicely decorated. The food is pretty good with "German style" (bread, meat, cheese), American/British style (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages) and Continental (yogurt, cereal, bread and pastries). We tried a pastry one morning but stuck to our granola, yogurt and a little bread most mornings. After breakfast we spoke to the desk clerk about the laundromat near the windmills that the young Australian woman on yesterday's tour told us about. This clerk marked it on our map and we headed off. It was an easy walk as it was on our own street. It was a large laundromat and pretty easy to figure out. With the wash going and T reading his book I walked to the windmills. I reached two of them along a canal and saw one of the old city gates and a charming cafe. The fence around one of the windmills was made to look like lace. So much cuteness that even 4 days is not enough.
I returned in time to move the laundry to the dryers and start my book. Once finished we headed back to the hotel to be ready to pack our now clean clothes tonight. We had lunch at a cafe nearby where T out ordered me with a great looking and tasting salad while I had a tartine (open faced sandwich). After lunch we strolled through town again. There was a craft fair in the old fish market and I enjoyed looking at and buying a few things. T and I split up for a bit and I visited the Kathe Wohlfarht Christmas store near our hotel. We had a couple of decaf coffees at a cute place facing a canal (one of the many cute places in Bruges) and then read menus for dinner. I found a shop with beautiful jewelry and a gardening/kitchen shop--jackpot! Fun to look but I didn't buy anything--too difficult to get home.
We decided to return to the restaurant where we ate dinner the first night. They had the best roast chicken ("kip" in Flemish) and chicken is on surprisingly few menus in Brugge. There is so much seafood, especially mussels, shrimp and salmon. I ordered chicken from the set menu while T selected salmon in chive sauce. Our table was outside under an awning but away from the heaters. While we were there T encouraged another couple reading the menu to come in. They ended up sitting at a table next to us and we enjoyed speaking with them very much. They live in Kent and were making this trip prior to the husband's hip replacement surgery. They had visited Brugge on their way to visit their son in Germany a couple years ago and ended up staying here instead of moving on to their planned stop. Now they wanted to come back and explore it some more. They were staying at the Hotel Navarra which they raved about and said they hadn't moved the car from the parking lot since they arrived. I do wonder how the man did on the all the cobblestones with a cane.
We said goodnight and walked the way they directed to spy the Hotel Navarra in a courtyard behind gates. It has a swimming pool and I do remember looking it up and finding it was pretty expensive. We enjoyed walking back to our hotel then packed for our train travel to London tomorrow.
Steps 23,472
I returned in time to move the laundry to the dryers and start my book. Once finished we headed back to the hotel to be ready to pack our now clean clothes tonight. We had lunch at a cafe nearby where T out ordered me with a great looking and tasting salad while I had a tartine (open faced sandwich). After lunch we strolled through town again. There was a craft fair in the old fish market and I enjoyed looking at and buying a few things. T and I split up for a bit and I visited the Kathe Wohlfarht Christmas store near our hotel. We had a couple of decaf coffees at a cute place facing a canal (one of the many cute places in Bruges) and then read menus for dinner. I found a shop with beautiful jewelry and a gardening/kitchen shop--jackpot! Fun to look but I didn't buy anything--too difficult to get home.
We decided to return to the restaurant where we ate dinner the first night. They had the best roast chicken ("kip" in Flemish) and chicken is on surprisingly few menus in Brugge. There is so much seafood, especially mussels, shrimp and salmon. I ordered chicken from the set menu while T selected salmon in chive sauce. Our table was outside under an awning but away from the heaters. While we were there T encouraged another couple reading the menu to come in. They ended up sitting at a table next to us and we enjoyed speaking with them very much. They live in Kent and were making this trip prior to the husband's hip replacement surgery. They had visited Brugge on their way to visit their son in Germany a couple years ago and ended up staying here instead of moving on to their planned stop. Now they wanted to come back and explore it some more. They were staying at the Hotel Navarra which they raved about and said they hadn't moved the car from the parking lot since they arrived. I do wonder how the man did on the all the cobblestones with a cane.
We said goodnight and walked the way they directed to spy the Hotel Navarra in a courtyard behind gates. It has a swimming pool and I do remember looking it up and finding it was pretty expensive. We enjoyed walking back to our hotel then packed for our train travel to London tomorrow.
Steps 23,472
Sunday, September 30, 2012
In Flanders Fields
Today we went on the Flanders Fields Tour with Quasimodo. I found out about it online and we booked from home. A taxi picked us up at our hotel to meet the tour bus at the train station. Then we set off. Quasimodo is run by Philippe and his Australian wife Sharon. On the tour were assorted Americans, Brits, Aussies, at least one German and two Scottish ladies who were chronically late to the bus, about 20 people in all. We started at a moving Canadian memorial then went to the Tyne Cot British cemetary and visited several sites along the front line that barely changed over 4 years of war. The uselessness and destruction was almost overwhelming. We also saw an example of the trenches, a German cemetary, a huge depression where the British had tunneled under German trenches, set explosives and blew them up, the rebuilt town of Ypres which was completely destroyed during the war and the Menin Gate memorial there. Probably most moving was visiting the field dressing station where John McCrae wrote his famous poem "In Flanders Fields".
Munitions and artifacts have been unearthed for years and the place we stopped for lunch includes a private museum which we had admission to. It reminded me of the many small museums in Normandie and had a very expressive collection.
The Belgians suffered a lot and have felt the after effects of the war for years. For decades unknown tunnels left from the war have caved in that have been built over and there are still munitions found. There is a special Belgian army base in this area which handles any explosives that are found.
As we drove through the area I was struck by how prosperous the farms appear. Large expanses of corn and other crops, big cows, a few goats and other animals. The houses are very pretty with lovely gardens. Then it struck me, unlike other areas of Europe these homes are new, built mostly after WWII. The country didn't recover for decades; Ypres wasn't completely rebuilt until the 1960s.
It was a really interesting day but a long one. When we returned to Brugge we were dropped at the train station and an easy walk to the center of town. We had seen a square the day before with lots of restaurants and had dinner at an Italian restaurant called Adriatico. T had four cheese penne which was really good. I had salmon and penne. The only disappointment was the bread.
Munitions and artifacts have been unearthed for years and the place we stopped for lunch includes a private museum which we had admission to. It reminded me of the many small museums in Normandie and had a very expressive collection.
The Belgians suffered a lot and have felt the after effects of the war for years. For decades unknown tunnels left from the war have caved in that have been built over and there are still munitions found. There is a special Belgian army base in this area which handles any explosives that are found.
As we drove through the area I was struck by how prosperous the farms appear. Large expanses of corn and other crops, big cows, a few goats and other animals. The houses are very pretty with lovely gardens. Then it struck me, unlike other areas of Europe these homes are new, built mostly after WWII. The country didn't recover for decades; Ypres wasn't completely rebuilt until the 1960s.
It was a really interesting day but a long one. When we returned to Brugge we were dropped at the train station and an easy walk to the center of town. We had seen a square the day before with lots of restaurants and had dinner at an Italian restaurant called Adriatico. T had four cheese penne which was really good. I had salmon and penne. The only disappointment was the bread.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday 9/28
We kept walking and shooting photos until we came to a cute shop on a corner called Carpe Diem. Inside was a pastry case with Parisian style desserts and to the right was a tea salon. Perfect. I had tea and a waffle (our first) while T had a cappuchino and selection of cookies again good for sharing. The waiter (probably the owner) was fun to talk with. We walked back toward our hotel taking more and more photos. Finally we split up and T went to the hotel while I revisted a couple of shops. Our new rule is to buy when you see it and and not think you will go back. The gift shops all start looking very similar. I also found a few artisans set up in the former Fish Market and one said they will be back this weekend. I hope we have time to see them.
Tomorrow is our Flanders Fields WWI tour.
17,748 steps
Thursday in Brugge
At least I think it's Thursday. Jet lag and the onions in my dinner last night kept me up so I am operating today on too little sleep. However if I can work on too little sleep I can certainly play tourist.
We enjoyed the breakfast at the hotel then went out exploring. We walked to the canal nearest our hotel at Jan van Eyck Place. As we walked around we passed the ChocoStory museum, many cute cafes and shops. I visited the Christmas shop we saw last night but didn't buy anything. I wasn't feeling all that great and as it got close to lunch asked Tom if he would mind if we went in a little place so I could get a cup of tea. The next one we came to looked good so we went in. The shop's sign read Het Dagelijks Brood and the cafe turned out to be a branch of Le Pain Quotidien. There weren't many people so we sat at the communal table and enjoyed the tea then lingered long enough to order lunch. Perfect.
I don't often take catnaps (Tom is the king of the "cat") but after lunch we went back to the hotel and had a short but refreshing nap. We would need the rest as our plan for the afternoon was a canal boat ride and shopping! The boat sped along faster than I expected but we still got to see a lot of the beautiful buildings and took lots of photos.
After the cruise we went in search of the fabled "Bailey's Surprise" chocolates but I think my sisters have made up this candy just so we will have to visit every chocolate shop in town. If you are reading this it is because you know me and will be shocked to learn I have bought no chocolate yet and the only piece I have eaten was a sample! We didn't even eat the chocolate we got with our tea. But there is tomorrow and plenty of time for chocolate.
We passed the Duc de Bourgogne, the hotel where M., Bunny & I stayed in 1983. Thought we might have dinner there but the menu did not appeal. We are planning to return to Cafe Erasmus tonight.
9715 steps
Finally blogging
We are settled in Bruges but the wifi is a challenge so I hope to be able post this tomorrow. The wifi worked well on both the netbook and phone in the afternoon but the signal in our room is very weak. I hope that does not continue.
We left London on the Eurostar at 11am and cruised to Brussels. After the beautiful station at St. Pancras, Brussels Midi was an unattractive concrete let down. We bought our tickets to Bruges and asked at the Information booth which train and track to take. As it turned out the woman at that window gave us the wrong info. We were on a pokey regional train that stopped in a bunch of towns. When the conductor came through he tried to explain to us and came back to make sure we got off and switched to what was probably the train we should have taken in the first place.
Once in Bruges we went to the taxi queue and lucked out with our driver. He provided a guided tour as we drove along. After 29 years I had forgotten just how beautiful Bruges is. We checked into the Hotel Oud Huis de Peellaert and got exactly the room we wanted away from the street and without the charming beams and slanted ceilings we don't want to meet in the dark. The bath is very nice with a radiant heat floor. We have 3 windows that open so we can have fresh air at night and being 2 flights up we have a view over rooftops.
After a nap attack we went to find dinner. The desk clerk suggested 3 restaurants only 1 of which we found and its menu didn't really appeal. The little place where we ate ended up being quite good. We chatted a little with the German couple next to us. The husband referred to himself as a "pensioner" and I explained Tom was the same. The wife and I declared that we are still working because we are so young. They had driven the California coast about 5 years ago in an RV and found it beautiful. They are from Trier which I visited 29 years ago on the same trip which first took me to Bruges.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Packing
T & R spent Saturday getting ready for our trip. Lots of little details to cover with serious packing tomorrow. The laundry is done, reservations confirmed and printed and London theater tickets purchased. This took inordinately long R thought as the first 2 websites would not allow us to pick up at the box office and wanted a UK address to mail the tickets to.
We fly to London on Monday, arriving on Tuesday morning and staying one night before taking the train to Belgium on Wednesday. I expect our first blog post will appear on Wednesday as our London hotel wants a ridiculous 10 pounds for internet access. After a few days in Bruges we'll return to London for a week in a Notting Hill flat.
Travel Tales to follow
We fly to London on Monday, arriving on Tuesday morning and staying one night before taking the train to Belgium on Wednesday. I expect our first blog post will appear on Wednesday as our London hotel wants a ridiculous 10 pounds for internet access. After a few days in Bruges we'll return to London for a week in a Notting Hill flat.
Travel Tales to follow
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