Days 1-5
Days 11-14
Days 15-19
The weather today was sunny and in the mid-70's, with an occasional breeze. We set out at 9:00 to get breakfast and start the day, but we took the quieter route parallel to Buckingham Palace Boulevard. We found a shop like MailBoxes Etc. and finally bought some stamps and mailed our postcards! We had 31!
We ate pastries and drank fruit smoothies at a little shop before getting to the station. Our destination today was Baker Street on the Jubilee line, home of Madame Tussaud's. The queue for tickets was very long, but they had a film loop of the people shown in the displays, and they had hand casts and autographs of celebrities. Soon we were on our way in.
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The first room was set up like a cocktail party, with figures posed informally around the room. You could pose with any you liked and take a picture. I had mine taken with Patrick Stewart. Yummy! |
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We went on into the formal displays. The next was a strange mixture of historical figures, artists, scientists, and world leaders. You could also pose with these and take pictures. Next we went into the torture chamber. Thankfully there were only a few exhibits, but they had recreated the smell of death, and that was revolting! From there we went to murderer's row, but they'd added live actors to jump out at us. It was at times very dark or a strobe light was on. It was surreal and rather scary. |
They've added a planetarium to the waxworks, and I had to see that. They were using Treasure Planet in their show. You travel into space with the characters, learning about the sun and all the planets. Then you travel to the center of the galaxy where you witness a supernova and the birth of a black hole. After nearly getting pulled in, you reach Treasure Planet and--oops--you have to go back to service the ship. A wormhole takes you quickly back. Show over. Parts of the show made me extremely dizzy. I guess I'm not cut out to be a real astronaut.
It took us only 1 1/2 hours to go through Madame Tussaud's. Martine and I were both surprised at the figures we didn't see. We agreed Hollywood Wax Museum is better, but I don't think you can take flash pictures.
Before we left the area, we had to walk to St. John's Wood and find Abbey Road. We walked right off our map, so we had to rely on the maps at bus stops! It was quite a hike, but we found it at last. Poor Martine had to walk across the street four times for me to snap a picture on both cameras. It's a very busy street, and goofy tourists are always traipsing across it, as well as the locals who need to use it!
Wearily we trudged back towards the Baker Street tube station, since we had crossed into Zone 2 and hadn't paid extra. On the way we saw the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221 B Baker Street! Just down the block we found an Elvis shop and, next door, a Beatles shop! I thought they were overpriced, but Martine bought a couple of things.
On the walk back we passed a mosque that was having a book fair. The neighborhood was heavily middle Eastern. We went through the Marlebone and Maida Vale districts. If we had gotten a time-share resort, we would have been in Maida Vale. I'm glad we didn't; it's very far afield from our other destinations.
At last we reached the tube station and rode back to Victoria. On the station they handed us a 2-for-1 coupon for iced drinks at Starbucks, so we stopped for frappucinos on the way. We sat and rested our weary feet for a while. On the last leg home we stopped in at a library we had been passing all along. I saw a book by Carol Smillie, hostess of Changing Rooms, about working mothers. Once at the hotel, we both took long naps. No dinner for us!
Our last full day in London. We had breakfast in the hotel for a change. Martine had the continental, but I went for the English. I was amused to see pork and beans on the plate! There was toast, an egg, a sausage, and something between ham and Canadian bacon.
We got a day ticket on the tube and went to the London Bridge area to visit The Dungeon. It was quite an attraction. I thought it was better done than Madame Tussaud's. They chronicled the history of torture (oh, fun) and also had a special section for murderesses. They had a pretty cool guided tour involving Jack the Ripper. We saw the whole thing and had a quick bite of lunch.
Next we hopped back on the tube to go to the Globe Theatre. We thought the matinee was at 3:00, but it was 2:00! I bought our tickets just moments before the play started. We were fortunate to get gallery seating. I didn't think we could stand for the 2 1/2 - 4 hours most plays last! Also, the groundling section is under open sky, and it was sunny and warm when we arrived.
The theater is fantastic. It is as near an exact replica of the original Globe as they could get. The costumes were stunning as well. This play was put on by the men's group, so all the parts were played by men. Needless to say, the Queen was rather unattractive!
The play was Richard II. It had two parts I remembered from my studies: the speech about England, "this sceptered isle" etc., and "let us sit upon the ground and talk of the death of kings." The actor playing Richard (also the director of the theater) was superb. He played him in a comic way, veering between petulance and pathos. I was awed by the whole thing and felt privileged to be there.
After the play we walked along the Thames, back to the Parliament side of the Hungerford foot bridge. We ate at the Italian restaurant again, trying different dishes and splurging on dessert.
Another quick tube ride and we were back in Victoria. We popped into the internet cafe to check our e-mail, then headed in for the night.
We are now on the train, leaving London behind. We had difficulty repacking our suitcases (already!) and checked out of the Hanover with a heavier load.
When we got to Victoria Station, we got our BritRail passes validated and learned we had to take the tube to Euston Station. We had a quick breakfast at Starbucks, then went for the tube. The train was very crowded, so we had to stand with our luggage. At last we arrived at Euston and located the rail station. Our train departed at 11:30; it was now 11:22! We ran (as well as we could) to the train and started to climb on. Then Martine realized that that was first class, so we had to go farther. Our luggage wouldn't fit down the aisle, but they had places to stow it. I could have sworn it was a 1 1/2 hour trip, but the schedule says 3 1/2 hours! Also, we're going to the Lime Street station, but that one is far from our hotel. Moorfield is closer, so we'll have to see if we can get a connection.
The train ride was long and hot. It seems the only ventilation is a small window in every other car! Some idiot insisted on smoking, even though the entire train was designated non-smoking and there were stickers saying that on every window! We consistently lost passengers from Milton Keynes on, but the more time passed, the more the train smelled like beer and smoke.
We were surprised at the slow pace of the train. It felt as if we seldom reached sixty m.p.h., and we actually crawled through each town and station.
After 3 1/2 hours we reached Liverpool. We had seen beautiful, green fields and quaint villages all along the way, but Liverpool was obviously industrial and not the architectural jewel that London is.
When we alighted, we were at a station far from the hotel. There was a closer station, but when we inquired about it, the man recommended going by taxi. Our first taxi ride in England was not terrifying, as it might have been in London, but interesting. The cabs are huge inside! We sat with our luggage in front of us and still had plenty of legroom.
Shortly we were at our hotel, the Thistle Liverpool Atlantic Tower. The room was a welcome change of scenery. The walls are beige, with the crown molding and ceiling in white. The carpet is patterned in royal blue. The bedskirts and comforter piping are maroon, and the comforters and chairs are royal blue and turquoise Scotch plaid. The furniture is a light color, like maple.
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The room, like the hotel, is an odd shape, but this affords a spectacular view. The windows stretch along the longest wall, with a magnificent old church's tower the closest thing to see. Several other magnificent buildings are close by. It seems that Liverpool's best architecture is near the waterfront. From the window we can also see the Mersey River and its opposite bank. |
Apart from the terrific view, the room is spacious and comfortable. There is a closet, desk, TV/coffee bar cabinet, lamp table and two armchairs, and twin beds with nightstands. The bathroom has a heated towel rack (which I won't need) and--TA DA--a full bath! I can't wait to get in it.
A stiff wind blows off the water, but it feels good to me. Once we settled in, we took a walk to check out our new neighborhood and find some dinner. We walked a few blocks south and found the Albert Docks, site of some trendy tourist development and The Beatles Experience. We arrived just before 5:00, and many of the shops were closing! We joked about people rolling up the sidewalks in London at 7:00 p.m.; in Liverpool it's 5:00!
We found only one place open and serving, so we had--SURPRISE, SURPRISE--Italian food. AGAIN.
After dinner we strolled back to the hotel, where I collected some brochures from the lobby. I don't have a good map of Liverpool, and I feel naked without one. Back in the room, I read the brochures to try to plan our only day in Beatleopolis. I was disappointed that many Beatle-themed events only operate Wednesday through Sunday, and we were too late for Sunday.
At last I found just what we needed and a good map. Now I have a plan. We'll just have to wait till tomorrow to see if it comes together.
The view from our window was so fantastic we slept with our drapes open. We're going to hate leaving this hotel! We left the room around 9:45 and rushed to the tourist bureau to book the Magical Mystery Tour. It was a 2-hour tour on a bus painted in the style of Yellow Submarine animation. We had 1 1/2 hours to spend, so I started browsing the souvenir shop. When I was rung up an hour later, the clerk said she'd never done such a large order! They had a rich array of merchandise, and I am surrounded by Beatles fans!
We had to hurry to the other side of the dock to grab a bite before the tour. I had a scone and Martine had a muffin. Next we were off on the tour. Both the guide and driver were contemporaries of the Fab Four and had connections to them. The guide's mother worked with John's mother, and the driver's wife went to school with Paul and a couple of other later-famous musicians. They both played in bands, too, when they were younger.
We drove around Liverpool, seeing the houses where they lived, their schools, hearing how their paths crossed, and seeing Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. Several times we got off the bus for pictures. We were surprised to learn that the lads go back there several times a year. Yoko has done quite a bit to preserve John's past and legacy, too. She bought and restored his boyhood home, and generously endowed the Strawberry Field Children's Home. The tour ended at the Cavern, which is a really cool place. It is several stories below ground. It is all brick: ceiling, walls, and columns. The stage is tiny, and the backdrop looks like a 3rd grade class made it! It is a patchwork of pieces of colored paper with the names of bands/acts who played there. Anyone who was anyone in the 60's and 70's played there.
The center section is narrow and filled with rows of wooden chairs. The side areas have a poor view of the stage and are furnished with small tables. Oddly, the ladies room was palacial! Marble floors, wooden toilet seats, nice fixtures--it didn't seem to fit the rest of the club.
After the tour we walked back to Albert Dock and toured the Beatle Experience. Martine did some shopping there, then we went in. It was well done, chronicling the development of the band in room-sized, well-decorated exhibits. My favorite was the inside of the yellow submarine, complete with porthole aquaria! The museum recently acquired the glasses John wore while writing "Imagine."They had them set up so you could look through them. I did, and could see more clearly. That room was a tribute to him and his efforts to promote peace. The next room was a replica of the white room he had, with the white piano.
Since we hadn't had lunch, we ate an early dinner at the Dock. We had hot ham and cheese croissants, followed by Baskin and Robbins ice cream. I can't say exactly how, but it wasn't the same as in the U.S.
I thought I should try to get a refund on the 17.5% VAT (value added tax), so I had Martine ask at the Tourist Bureau. They referred us to a large store in the shopping district. It didn't work out, as that store only helps with items purchased at their store, but we enjoyed the area. We managed to buy a little candy before the shops closed--at 5:30!
Now we're in for the night, and planning to make an early night of it. We've got a killer day tomorrow!
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I just had to snap a picture of the fancy trash cans in Liverpool. The bird is a Liver bird. Once upon a time the city's mascot was an eagle, but the likeness was stolen. An artist was commissioned to make another, and he came up with this nonexistent bird. Now it is called the "mythical" Liver bird, and it appears everywhere in the city. |
We got up early, got dressed, and packed to leave. The suitcases are already dangerously full, and we have half the trip left to go! We struggled down to the lobby, where there was a dispute about the bill. They had charged twelve pounds fifty pence for breakfast, which we didn't have, and Expedia hadn't paid them, even though I paid Expedia! They took photocopies of my papers and agreed to call me later after they called Expedia.
Next we struggled a few blocks away where there was a taxi stand. Once again we got to ride in an English cab--really something! We found we were 1/2 hour early for the Liverpool-Euston train, so we had a bite of breakfast in the station. We found a good seat (facing forward, in sight of the luggage) and presently we were off!
This trip was more pleasant, it being cooler in the morning, no alcohol in the car, and only one illegal smoker. It was a guiet car, so I had to step out to call the Paris hotel and confirm our reservation.
Once at Euston, we had to go on the tube to Waterloo. We are old hands now at negotiating the tube, but stairs are still daunting with a suitcase that probably weighs 75 pounds by now!
When we arrived at Waterloo station, we found the Eurostar office. I was quite nervous, as we had no reservations. Sure enough, there were no 2nd class seats any return trip for July 2. We could only go very late, which would put us in London at 12:30 a.m. when the trains and buses aren't running.I swallowed hard and agreed to upgrade to first class. It was more money (isn't it always!), but by now I've got that syndrome they warn about: the foreign money looks like play money so it doesn't seem real, and charges are so easy you don't know what you've charged until later.
We had only 20 minutes to wait, so we proceeded through security and customs. The rude Frenchman at customs looked only at the outside of our passports and shooed us along. Now we're in France without an entry stamp!
We walked quite a distance up the train to our car. They don't really have a place to stow luggage, so it was on a seat between cars that I suspect is for the stewards. At least we could see it. Our seats faced each other with a table between. They leaned back slightly and there was lots of legroom.
When the train started, I couldn't believe how smooth it was. It felt like we floated over the track. I wondered if the 2nd class was as smooth. Soon we were offered a small glass of champagne, which we accepted. It was in a tiny orange juice glass, which was different. Shortly after, the waiter placed a lunch menu by us. We had the choice of a chicken dish or fish. We had to wait for lunch until the train made its only stop, at an airport.
Martine wanted the chicken and I wanted fish, but they were out of fish. They offered me a couple of other choices from the other class meals and they looked good, but I went with the chicken after all. It was delicious. We had a brown roll and a dessert as well. The dessert was like a strawberry mousse in a dark chocolate cup with strawberry sauce. Yum! They only offered wine with the meal. Martine and I chose the rose. She didn't like it at all, and I thought it tasted watery. Finally, they gave us a warm towel. Superb!
While we were under the Channel, the Liverpool hotel called. I tried to call them back, but no matter what I did I got a French recording. Finally I asked a stewardess to tell me what it was saying. She and the steward helped me get through; it wasn't like the directions for the phone said at all! Anyway, the hotel said they hadn't been paid and were charging my card, so I'll have to straighten it out when I get home.
The Channel crossing took only 20 minutes; then we were in France. The green countryside and farm fields look like England, except they have fewer hedgerows. There were these silo things, wide at the top, then funneling down to a central shaft. We tried to figure what they were, grain silos or water towers. All too soon we pulled into Paris and had to face negotiating a transportation system in a foreign country and language!
I knew we could use the Metro in Paris, but our hotel is 30 miles out, and we're making side trips to Versailles and Giverny. In each case, I noticed the RER had a stop there. The RER seems to be a light rail between the Metro and actual trains. I went to the ticket counter and asked about an all-transport pass. She sold us the Carte Orange, which I had thought we couldn't get because they run Monday through Sunday, and we arrived on Tuesday. She probably charged us full price for less than a full week, and we'll need something else for next Monday through Wednesday!
We needed Line A on the RER, but we didn't see a sign anywhere. I went to the information window and inquired. She directed us down some stairs and said to change trains at Lyon Station. The train she pointed us toward said Line B, but Martine figured out that the next train along would be an A: they alternate routes on the same track. Also, we found that we needed to change trains before Lyon. Oh well! French men were good to help us with the luggage on the stairs.
After a harrowing experience, we were on the train going all the way to our stop--along with 100 other people in the same car, shoulder to shoulder, with no air conditioning! I was soaked with perspiration already from struggling with the suitcase. It was really miserable until we got out of town and more people got off.
When we reached Bussy St. Georges, our station, there was a wheelchair access, which is what we needed for the suitcases, but no way to open it from our side and no attendant! It figures! So we tried a turnstile. Martine got through OK, but I got stuck with my suitcase between the stile and the barricade. Neither one would move. Martine was no help; she just stood there looking helpless. Several natives noticed my plight and suggested what I might try. Nothing worked. One lady went for the attendant, who wouldn't come out of his office. Finally they hit upon the idea of pulling the barricade back, then forward. The suitcase was in the way. Once we moved it, the barricade opened and I was free. I won't say how I felt, though.
Now we were in a French suburb and had no idea where out hotel was. We proceeded to the bus stop to check the map--that worked in England. No luck with the first map, but a bus was sitting there. The driver asked where we were going. Rather than have to say the French name, I showed him. He said it was five minutes away and described in pidgin English how to get there. It was actually closer than he said.
Upon checking in, I learned that Expedia hadn't paid them, either! Our room is nice, if odd, with two separate bathrooms: one with the toilet, and one with the sink and tub/shower (but no shower curtain). The air conditioning felt good at first, but it is very cold!
We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. What is it with Europeans and Italian food? We used all five French words that we know and got the giggles while trying to learn more from our book. I told Martine to listen to her dad's Steve Martin album when we get back.
After dinner we walked around the neighborhood a little. There are apartments on each side, but the ground floor has businesses. I found a film shop and bought some film, and an ATM where I got my first Euros. They're pretty. Now all we need is a laundromat and we're set. Well, it's 10:00 (and still light) so we'd better get back.
The TV has only three English channels: two news and one sports. Martine found the Disney Channel in French and is trying to "dub" it herself. Crazy!