Road Trip!

Today we added two new members to our holiday party - the DY11UNB (aka the rental car) and Genny the Navigator (aka the GPS). Got a 'free' upgrade to a larger car which was nice, although we ended up taking the scenic route out of London (ie not the route I'd planned) but we made it!

London traffic (and British so far) is actually very civilised and NZ could learn a lot. On the motorways people let you in and it flows much better. Getting used to the miles per hour still requires some attention, but at least they drive on the correct (ie left) side of the right road.

We swung through Canterbury on the way and discovered a bustling village inside old castle walls. The Cathedral was quite subdued considering its importance to the Church of England. Saw where Thomas Becket came to a sticky end, as well as the tomb of the Black Prince.

Onwards to Dover, where we almost went on a castle tour that we didn’t mean to before we found the Cliffs (harder than you'd think, eg 2 mile un-signposted walk through padocks). Despite being a little overcast, we could see France - Clinton's phone even picked up Vodafone France and welcomed him to the mainland. When the skies cleared up, the cliffs really did glow a brillant white - it was worth the effort.

After a little backtracking, we finally arrived into Brighton and checked into our hotel - 5 minutes walk from the famous pier. Before dinner we went for walk along the pier which is covered with a carnival like offering of food, fair rides and even gambling.

Bond, James Bond

Monday was a public holiday, Spring Bank Day, so much of London was closed. They're also doing a lot of public transport upgrades (eg underground) for the London 2012 Olympics so travelling around was a little more difficult. We made our way across town to Vauxhall Cross so I could gawk at the Mi6 (aka James Bond) building there.

Was weird with this being our last day in London, almost feels like the holiday is over and we're heading home. But we're not :D I think we'll miss having a base to return to, but you have to move on to see more. Tomorrow we pick up the rental and we're off on our road trip!

London by Night

We did something a little different today, and went sightseeing at night. We went out to Westminster where we hadn't been since our first day and rediscovered it at night. Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London - all lit up they looked awesome! Apologies in advance, this post is very photo heavy, and word light.

Prime Meridan

We went to Greenwich village which is a short train ride away.


We waited outside what I thought was where the ball dropped. With 8 minutes to spare I realised I had the wrong place. Quick panic and we found the right spot. We waited and... nothing happened. Anti-climatic! Apparently the ball is broken at the moment, disappointing.



We did stand on both sides of the Prime Median at once.


We walked through the Greenwich Park, part of which is being developed for the equistrian events of the 2012 Olympics. At Greenwich is a series of beautiful old buildings that have now been taken over as the University of Greenwich and College of Music. There is also the National Marine Museum but unfortunately Nelson's uniform that he was wearing when he was injured was off for conservation work - unlucky!


We also saw the Painted Hall which is a massive dinning hall that is painted (love British names) even the columns. There's a panoramic view of it down below.


We then walked through the foottunnel under the Thames - now we've walked over and under it!

Market, Penguins and Shakespeare

We wandered around Borough Market (aka London's Larder) which turned out to be a lot closer than we'd thought. Dodging the rain, we saw artisan breads, organic meats and vegetables.

Afterwards we headed to the London Aquarium which is a underneath the Thames. They've recently added a penguin exhibit (so cute but they wouldn't let us take one!).

That night we went to the rebuilt Shakespare's Globe to watch 'Much Ado About Nothing'. We made the good choice to hire cushions - as a faithful rebuild it's as uncomfortable as the original and has some poorly placed columns. That said, it was an amazing experience to see Shakespeare where it was originally performed. You get the choice of standing (cheap) or sitting (still cheap). The performance was good, fun actors and lots of laughing. A great experience.

Cathedral, Bridge and Tate

Wednesday 25th May

Today we visited St Pauls Cathedral and climbed more than 500 steps to the top of the dome (See more here

http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathe

dral-History/Climb-the-Dome) for an amazing 360 view of London. I'm glad we managed to beat the crowds as the warnings about tight spaces were not exaggerating. Back on terra-firma we explored the Cathedral and then went below ground to see Nelson and Wellington's tombs in the Crypt.

Afterwards we walked over the Millennium Bridge (which now doesn't wobble like it did at first). When it was opened in 2000 it was the first pedestrian-only bridge across the Thames in over a hundred years (still is).

We then wandered through the Tate Modern, which is a free museum of modern art. Converted from an old power station, the building itself was awesome, perfect for galleries and exhibits. Here we saw a few more works by Dali and Van Gogh, plus some more 'modern' works that we didn't really like.

Shopping Oxford Street Style

Tuesday 24th May

So on Tuesday we took a sightseeing break and visited Oxford Street for some shopping. Having been here once before I kind of knew what to expect, but was still overawed by the number of shops. To be honest though, its basically clothes and souvenirs with the odd different shop.

We managed to get slightly lost in Selfridges of London while looking for food (slightly less scary than Harrods - probably because it doesnt have three rooms of handbags!).

Bought some stuff in M&S, had a nice pub lunch, and then walked the length and breadth of the street. Stopped in at Hamleys toy shop (felt a bit Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in the lower floors) and tottered off home. Was tempted by the Apple store, but the prices are the same if not more than in NZ.

All I can say is shopping for hours = sore feet!

Architecture and history

Monday 23rd May

Today was British Museum day. We walked past 30

St Mary Axe (aka the Gerkin) and Lloyds of London.

British Museum was amazing, the building itself was beautiful and full of thousands of years of history. We braved the crowds to see

• Rosetta Stone (the key to translating Egyptian hieroglyphs);
• frescos of the Parthenon;
• Medieval British armour, weapons and coins;
• Statue from Easter Island;
• Wax death mask of Oliver Cromwell;
• and so much more.

Mixed feelings about some of the collections - is it right that the British Museum has half the Parthenon? Should the Egyptian mummies be so far from their burial sites?

We saw a hands on exhibit where we were allowed to handle various forms of money, including an ancient Greek drachma that was 2500 years old. There was also a plastic Australian note that the locals thought was amazing - funny the things you take for granted.

Stonehenge Rocks!

Sunday 22nd May

Today was an experience of a lifetime - we got to stand in the middle of the Stonehenge at sunset!

We'd booked an organised tour which gave us special access to the Stonehenge inner circle and included a tour of Bath and lunch at an very old pub.

First we went to Bath where we went for a tour of the Roman Baths - an ancient site where the natural hot springs pump over a million litres of warm (46°c) water a day. While it was most popular during Victorian times, there are signs that it has been in use since before the Romans arrived. We're due back for a night in Bath so we didn't explore the town too much.

After Bath we went to a tiny 13th century village of Lacock for lunch in a 650 year old pub. Almost entirely owned by the National Trust, the village has not changed much so it's the perfect location for filming. The pub has photos all over the walls showing the cast and crew of the various films that have been based here - like Harry Potter. Had a very late lunch in the pub (British classics of Fish and Chips with Peas and Steak & Ale pie).

Stonehenge was probably built 4500 years ago but no one knows how or why - it's so old that we can only guess. Because of the risk of damage, most visitors only get to see it from the path (about 20 meters away) but we got a lot closer. When we arrived, the site had been closed to other visitors so we had it to ourselves (the 50 on the tour group).

The Stonehenge was built in a circle, but time has meant that parts of it have fallen over. This means that it looks different from every angle and at times the stones hid everyone, giving you a chance to experience it almost alone.

Its hard to describe the feeling when you know you're standing somewhere that is so old and mysterious. As the sun set the atmosphere changed - I hope we captured some of this in the photos. We set a new record for photos taken at 160 plus 4 videos.

If anyone is ever considering visiting - you must do it via a special access tour, seeing it from a distance is nothing compared to seeing it close up. There is ancient graffiti on some stones (naughty Roman soliders) and you can see what appears to be tool marks from it's creation.

Ancient Needle

Saturday 21st May

Had dinner last night with the cousins - was good to see them!

Today we visited Cleopatra's needle - a 21m high obelisk made around 1450 BC (over 3500 years old). It was moved from Alexandra to London in 1877 and it's pair is in New York Central Park (seen it). There is another one in Paris (will see it soon) and the final one is still back in Egypt (next trip?). Unfortunately it's too high to touch, but it was still amazing to see something that was so old!

Next we headed back to the National Gallery to see some more great artwork of history including paintings by van Gogh and Da Vinci.

Next we went for a walk down to Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately because the Queen is in residence, the Palace is not open for visitors or tours.

Crown Jewels!

Today walked across Tower Bridge (never thought I'd get 'used' to that) and went to the Tower of London!

Went on a tour with one of the Beefeaters (Yeomans Warder) who explained some of the history and stories of the Tower (which is really a series of towers making a fortress). It was amazing how much of a little village it is, complete with a pub! The Queen is due to visit soon (she does so every 4 years) and stays in her own house there.

The ravens were reasonably tame so you could get quite close. The Tower Green is where some were beheaded while others where taken outside for a more public affair. We visited the Chapel where many famous prisoners are buried (including Anne Boleyn and St Thomas Moore)

We got in early and managed to see the Crown Jewels pretty much by ourselves, which was awesome. You can't take photos (sadly) but I don't think a camera could capture how amazing they looked. Hundreds of years worth of history (and so shiny!). I didn't realise that there were separate crowns for coronation (1661) and state events (1937).

We went inside the various towers around the fortress, which included areas where prisoners where kept (including Sir Walter Ralegh). Some had carved their names or messages into the stone. Inside the White Tower was some of the royal armour on display.

Check out one of our 3D panoramic below - see more here

Palace (our first but not our last), Oranges and Harrods

Leonard: How did you manage to get on the second floor of the Glendale Galleria?

Sheldon: I don't know, I was on the Pasadena Freeway, missed my exit, flew off the overpass and...one thing led to another.

Confident that we'd mastered the Tube (aka London Underground) we missioned it out to Kensington Palace which we discovered was partly closed for upgrades. We did get to go for a wander around the State Apartments which had been transformed into a modern art type 'experience' - was slightly unusual but building was amazing. We also had morning tea in the Orangery (royal version of a greenhouse) which was a bit posh (although we had coffee which might be some sort of crime).

We wandered through Kensington Gardens, past the Albert Memorial (which was impressive). Apparently Queen Victoria declared that all the railings in London were to be painted black in mourning - they've never changed them back. Saw the Royal Albert Hall and the amazing buildings that surround it. Also saw some person moving house, the building clearly wasn't built to handle our modern demands - he needed a crane to get his stuff out of his flat.

We then quickly went through the National Science Museum and Natural History Museum (education on a holiday?) which were pretty cool.

After that we found ourselves at Harrods - which was an experience. It was like Smith and Caugheys in Queen Street, except 7 stories and had it's own souvenir shop (Harrods pen's anyone?).We quickly got over the size of it because the crowd inside was even larger.

We saw a thousand years of dead people...

Leonard: What the hell are bus pants?

Sheldon: They are pants one wears over one's regular pants when one sits on bus seats that other people have previously sat on. But, perhaps from your lofty heights atop the corporate ladder, you've lost touch with the struggles of the common man.

All I can say about today is OMFG. Well, not really all, prepare for incoming ramble!

Since the last post, we arrived in London, made our way to our new accommodation (last minute change means we are staying near Tower Bridge instead of in Westminster - and its a good change) and then went and visited Tower Bridge (which is very cool). Dragged ourselves to dinner and then crashed for the night.

Today was a whole different ball game. Started with a quick trip on the tube from London Bridge station to Westminster (personal space is not an option). First place of the day was Westminster Abbey. It is incredible, so much history compressed into such a small space. Nearly 1000 years of kings, queens and famous people buried there (from Edward the Confessor and a number of the Henries, all the way through to Isaac Newton and Laurence Olivier), not to mention the feel and look. No photography allowed inside unfortunately, but we got plenty outside.

From here we wandered around Westminister, looking at the Houses of Parliament (wow!), Banqueting House (ceiling wow!), the Royal Mews (men with swords and horses!) and more. We made it up to Trafalgar Square and Nelsons Column, and the National Gallery (which just feels endless and is quite amazing, but again no photos allowed). I really enjoyed this painting of some yellow flowers in a vase done by some guy :) (sorry mum!).

Jumped on a "go all round London on a tour bus" tour, which was great for getting acclimatised and working out where everything was. We've now had a drive by of most of the major sites and know where to go to see more detail. I have to say, I think one of the best things about it was seeing Cleopatras Needle on the banks of the Thames. I had completely forgotten one was in London. Only glimpsed the one in New York, so we will be going back to see this one a bit more closely (you can touch the damn thing!!). Plus, when we see the one in Paris that will be the hat-trick. 

Tomorrow, well, I'm not sure what the plan is now, since we are going to juggle a few things around based on what we have seen today. Its likely Kensington Palace (which you can enter), the Gardens, Hyde Park, Harrods and the Natural History and Science Museums.

For those wanting a more '3D-feel' (it's popular these days I hear) there are some panoramic views which you can view here - http://photosynth.net/userprofilepage.aspx?user=uktrip2011&content=Synths

Its now raining (London's weather is very like Auckland's it seems) but its been such a fantastic day we don't care :)

Later folks,

C&D.

Lost angles

Sheldon: It’s my pre-packed disaster evacuation bag. It's recommended by the Department of Homeland Security. And Sarah Connor.

So, after a fairly quick 12 hour flight it's LA time. Again. I swear this place gets greyer every time we come through.

Still, customs was easy this time (aka I didn't get lost again! Really, last time I did and managed to piss off one of the attendants who had to take me back to the right place. It turns out I'm internationally annoying) and now we're sitting in the air new zealand transit lounge. Nothing more fun than that to report.

Bring on the next flight!

First post!

So, it all began on a warm summer evening in ancient Greece. You've finished your shopping at the local market, when you look up at the sky and see the billions of stars and you name them planetae, or wanderers.

And from there, the dream of travel was born. Well, not really, thats a quote I've ripped off from The Big Bang Theory and is probably making Eva piss herself laughing. Our trip won't quite be 2600 years long (dammit!).

Whats really going on - holiday time!

We fly out from Auckland International on Monday night and land in London on Tuesday morning. The plan is:

17 May - London

31 May - England road trip covering Canterbury, Dover, Brighton, Bath, Oxford, Blenheim Palace and then a quick stop back to London to visit Parliament. A quick trip to Cardiff to stop for the night then on to the next leg.

05 June - Catch the car ferry from Pembroke to Rosslare, then off to Tipperary, visit the Rock of Cashel, Galway, Dublin, Belfast and the Giants Causeway.

10 June - Car ferry to Scotland, Glasgow, Loch Ness, Inverness, Skara Brae, Blair Castle, Edinburgh.

17 June - Hadrians Wall, Newcastle, York and a night in London.

19 June - Train to Paris!

30 June - Fly home.

So many things to see and do, can't bloody wait!

And packing. Must pack.