Today we visited Windsor Castle with Jane Taylor, a friend of ours who used to live down the street in Vienna but now lives outside London.
But first, we got all dressed up and headed out to Brompton Oratory, a Catholic Church just south of Hyde Park with a renowned boys' choir. Unfortunately, Daddy got turned around and was apparently too tired to read a map. After wandering for a good thirty minutes, and obviously missing most of the mass, we finally gave up and grabbed a snack before starting our journey to Windsor. As we waited in the South Kensington Station for the correct train, I realized that the Oratory was, in fact, northeast of the station, rather than southwest, and only about one hundred yards from where we finally gave up. (sigh)
To get to Windsor, we took the Tube to Paddington Station, where we switched to the First Great Western line. We had to change in Slough, but were to Windsor about forty minutes after we left South Kensington.
Jane met us at the station as we arrived, and took us to a great little Italian place for lunch. The excellent food and service in this very reasonably-priced establishment reminded me of one of the many reasons I love to travel to Europe and Japan in particular.
After lunch, we took the tour of the castle. The flag flying overhead indicated that the Queen was in residence, although there was no other sign of her presence. The castle itself is both huge and beautifully preserved/restored. The tour took us through the state apartments including various bedrooms, reception halls, antechambers, guard chambers and dining rooms. All were immaculately preserved from some period in history, but many are in use even today.
In the gift shop, we picked up a few trinkets and Jane bought Matthew a foam sword that he carried the rest of the day, and Erich a book of things to make and do about medieval English history which he read the entire train ride home. Thanks Jane!
Before we headed home, we stopped into a much larger grocery store than are found in Central London, a Waitrose, and picked up some ready made entrees for dinner. Chicken Tikki Masala, Chicken Curry and fried rice for all. The boys loved it and are now fans of Indian food as well.
Tomorrow is our last full day in London and will be focused on the Science Museum and Hyde Park. Hopefully, we will be also be able to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, but if not, we'll see it next time.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
European Vacation - Day 4 quick hits
Running late for mass, so here's our itinerary:
- Write and mail postcards (note the cool postboxes)
- Eclairs for breakfast
- Tube to Charing Cross/Trafalgar Square
- Pictures in Trafalgar Square with the lion statues
- The National Gallery - Sunflowers, the Yellow Chair, various Monet & Renoir
- A Thames Clipper up the Thames (under London Bridge) to Greenwich
- The Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian
- Millwall FC beating Aldershot Town 3 - Nil in the second round of the FA Cup
- Fish and Chips (or, if you're 5 or 7 years old, just chips)
- Early to bed
- Write and mail postcards (note the cool postboxes)
- Eclairs for breakfast
- Tube to Charing Cross/Trafalgar Square
- Pictures in Trafalgar Square with the lion statues
- The National Gallery - Sunflowers, the Yellow Chair, various Monet & Renoir
- A Thames Clipper up the Thames (under London Bridge) to Greenwich
- The Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian
- Millwall FC beating Aldershot Town 3 - Nil in the second round of the FA Cup
- Fish and Chips (or, if you're 5 or 7 years old, just chips)
- Early to bed
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
European Vacation - Day 3 (London 3)
Right. It's 1:50ish in the a.m. and I'm a tired boy, so this will be short and sweet.
We took double-decker buses to the British Museum (bad call when it is raining, with condensation inside and the rain outside we saw very little out the windows).
The British Museum was very impressive (much like the the historical Smithsonians all smooshed together). We have been practicing French and German phrases, and discussing the origins of language with the boys, so they actually seemed to comprehend the import of the Rosetta Stone. From there we wandered the various exhibitions, with Heather and me trying to keep up with the boys' curiosity and questions, until we got to the Easter Island head. Right near the head (an odd juxtaposition) was a major exhibit on native Americans. Very neat for me was to be able to show the boys the section on the mound builders of southern Ohio, near where I grew up.
From there, we had to stop in one of the London souvenir shops, then on to Hamley's, the World's Greatest Toy Store. Te walk to Hamley's was quite long, so we took a quick Belgian waffle break, and popped into Marks and Spencer to get Daddy a scarf (and apparently some Christmas presents from Heather and the boys).
Hamley's was packed, but was also all that I remembered. The boys were enthralled as they moved from amazing display to interactive demo, to hands-on gadget and gizmo testing. We're now nearly done with Christmas shopping for Team Norton, and we're only a few days into the trip.
From Hamley's we rode a couple of packed Tubes home to Notting Hill. Rather than pick up something fro me to cook, we decided we needed Team Norton comfort food - sushi! We dined at Ukai Sushi on Portobello Road and had some of the freshest sushi and best miso soup any of us have had in a long time. At the end of the meal, Erich asked me for a piece of paper and a pen. He then proceeded to write a note to the chef, telling him he has very good cooking and very tasty sushi, and thanking him. I gave him a few pounds to send back with the note to the chefs, and Erich marched up to the waitstaff and asked them to give the note and tip to the chef.
After a very satisfying meal, we walked home to learn that the boiler was irreparably broken, that other safety issues also existed, and that we would need to pack up and move everything down three flights of stairs to the basement flat.
We took double-decker buses to the British Museum (bad call when it is raining, with condensation inside and the rain outside we saw very little out the windows).
The British Museum was very impressive (much like the the historical Smithsonians all smooshed together). We have been practicing French and German phrases, and discussing the origins of language with the boys, so they actually seemed to comprehend the import of the Rosetta Stone. From there we wandered the various exhibitions, with Heather and me trying to keep up with the boys' curiosity and questions, until we got to the Easter Island head. Right near the head (an odd juxtaposition) was a major exhibit on native Americans. Very neat for me was to be able to show the boys the section on the mound builders of southern Ohio, near where I grew up.
From there, we had to stop in one of the London souvenir shops, then on to Hamley's, the World's Greatest Toy Store. Te walk to Hamley's was quite long, so we took a quick Belgian waffle break, and popped into Marks and Spencer to get Daddy a scarf (and apparently some Christmas presents from Heather and the boys).
Hamley's was packed, but was also all that I remembered. The boys were enthralled as they moved from amazing display to interactive demo, to hands-on gadget and gizmo testing. We're now nearly done with Christmas shopping for Team Norton, and we're only a few days into the trip.
From Hamley's we rode a couple of packed Tubes home to Notting Hill. Rather than pick up something fro me to cook, we decided we needed Team Norton comfort food - sushi! We dined at Ukai Sushi on Portobello Road and had some of the freshest sushi and best miso soup any of us have had in a long time. At the end of the meal, Erich asked me for a piece of paper and a pen. He then proceeded to write a note to the chef, telling him he has very good cooking and very tasty sushi, and thanking him. I gave him a few pounds to send back with the note to the chefs, and Erich marched up to the waitstaff and asked them to give the note and tip to the chef.
After a very satisfying meal, we walked home to learn that the boiler was irreparably broken, that other safety issues also existed, and that we would need to pack up and move everything down three flights of stairs to the basement flat.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
European Vacation - Day 2 (London)
After the very late start (see the last post), we headed up to Ladbroke Grove Tube stop and were off to South Bank, home of the Globe Theater, OXO Tower, Queen's Walk, the Tate Modern, and the London Eye.
When we hopped off the Tube at Waterloo Station, and headed for the Thames. The boys were thirsty, so we stopped in for water and cupcakes at an excellent bakery, which were consumed once we got to the Queen's Walk along the Thames. As we walked along the Queen's Walk, we got to experience a faux Christmas Market (named the Cologne Market) as well as some impressive street performers posing as statues. The all silver guy still has Matthew convinced he's a robot or something, since he only moves when you toss a coin in his hat, and then only in the same exact motions.
The Eye was amazing and should definitely be an early daytime vacation stop when visiting London with kids, since so many of the sights can be seen, identified, and situated on the mental map. It was very nice that they didn't try to pack the cars, so we could easily walk around and take in the various views. As you can see from the photos, for the first 15 minutes or so Matthew stayed on the bench in the middle of the car. When we reached the top, however, he couldn't resist the views so moved to the floor along the windows. It was slightly overcast, but very bright, so was perfect viewing weather with no glare.
After riding the London Eye, we walked all the way along Queen's Walk to the Tate Modern. Since at the Tate Museums, along with many other museums in London, admission is free, we could duck in for a quick explore for as long as the boys could stand what we were willing to let them see (be very careful of the plethora of material not appropriate for young eyes). We then had a quick snack at the cafe on the top floor overlooking the north bank of the Thames, including St. Paul's Cathedral and Millennium Bridge.
After our snack, we walked across the Millennium Bridge and enjoyed a great view of London at night, lit beautifully. In particular, it was a great spot to see the Tower Bridge.
We stopped for a quick reminisce about the iconic scene in Mary Poppins, then took the Tube back to Notting Hill where we picked up some facsimile of a Thanksgiving dinner at the Grocer on Elgin.
After dinner (everyone was thankful for each other), we all blogged in our own ways, bathed in the flat upstairs (still no hot water) and headed off to bed. The boys didn't fall asleep until midnight - still excited from the day and with their body clocks not fully adjusted.
When we hopped off the Tube at Waterloo Station, and headed for the Thames. The boys were thirsty, so we stopped in for water and cupcakes at an excellent bakery, which were consumed once we got to the Queen's Walk along the Thames. As we walked along the Queen's Walk, we got to experience a faux Christmas Market (named the Cologne Market) as well as some impressive street performers posing as statues. The all silver guy still has Matthew convinced he's a robot or something, since he only moves when you toss a coin in his hat, and then only in the same exact motions.
The Eye was amazing and should definitely be an early daytime vacation stop when visiting London with kids, since so many of the sights can be seen, identified, and situated on the mental map. It was very nice that they didn't try to pack the cars, so we could easily walk around and take in the various views. As you can see from the photos, for the first 15 minutes or so Matthew stayed on the bench in the middle of the car. When we reached the top, however, he couldn't resist the views so moved to the floor along the windows. It was slightly overcast, but very bright, so was perfect viewing weather with no glare.
After riding the London Eye, we walked all the way along Queen's Walk to the Tate Modern. Since at the Tate Museums, along with many other museums in London, admission is free, we could duck in for a quick explore for as long as the boys could stand what we were willing to let them see (be very careful of the plethora of material not appropriate for young eyes). We then had a quick snack at the cafe on the top floor overlooking the north bank of the Thames, including St. Paul's Cathedral and Millennium Bridge.
After our snack, we walked across the Millennium Bridge and enjoyed a great view of London at night, lit beautifully. In particular, it was a great spot to see the Tower Bridge.
We stopped for a quick reminisce about the iconic scene in Mary Poppins, then took the Tube back to Notting Hill where we picked up some facsimile of a Thanksgiving dinner at the Grocer on Elgin.
After dinner (everyone was thankful for each other), we all blogged in our own ways, bathed in the flat upstairs (still no hot water) and headed off to bed. The boys didn't fall asleep until midnight - still excited from the day and with their body clocks not fully adjusted.
European Vacation - Day 2 begins
After a nice 17 hour nap, the boys awoke refreshed and ready to go.
Unfortunately, the boiler is not functioning so no heat and no hot water. Fortunately, the excitement has not yet worn off, so we take this setback in stride and after a quick breakfast (PB&J for Erich and cereal for Matthew), we're headed out for the London Eye and more London adventures.
Unfortunately, the boiler is not functioning so no heat and no hot water. Fortunately, the excitement has not yet worn off, so we take this setback in stride and after a quick breakfast (PB&J for Erich and cereal for Matthew), we're headed out for the London Eye and more London adventures.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
European Vacation - Travel and Day 1
Wooohooooo! We are finally off on our European Vacation! (or, as the British call it, "on holiday") After a last minute flurry of purchases, packing angst, raking and getting the house ready to be abandoned for 3 weeks, we finally had to acquiesce to time's inexorable march and pick the kids up from school and head to Grandma's (she's giving us a ride to the airport).
We bundle Grandma into the loaded mini-van (remember, this is before we even buy our first gift or souvenir) and head to Dulles.
Expecting the mad Thanksgiving rush to be layered on top of the normal mid-afternoon crazy business rush at the airport, we arrive nearly 4 hours before the flight is scheduled to leave. After a 10 minute check-in, we head to security, where there is NO LINE. After breezing through security, we head to the shuttle to D concourse. The shuttle driver actually holds the door for us as we nearly miss the shuttle and have to wait 15 to 20 minutes for the next shuttle to depart. We get to the gate area about 3 hours ahead of time . . . great on the one hand, but disaster from the bored kid perspective. Fortunately, we got invites to the Red Carpet Club right near our gate, so we head in, grab some snacks and a seat by the window and chill. The boys ask, and I try to answer, about a million questions about the airport, planes, baggage handling, tail numbering schemes, etc. Matthew also pulls out Pepper, a little stuffed black toy dog classroom mascot from his preschool, about whom Matthew will be keeping a journal (mainly pictorial).
Heather and the boys loved Business Class (I've got to burn through those frequent flier miles before they get devalued, again). I've spoiled them all forever on coach. Matthew loved the fact that he could stretch out flat on the seat. Erich's knees hurt him much of the night, so he spent most of the night watching TV and movies.
After we landed, we took the Heathrow Express train into Paddington Station, and from there cabbed it to our flat in Notting Hill. I had assumed that the boys would have crashed by this point, and would need to nap for a couple of hours before we did anything. I was completely wrong; the boys were pumped and ready to go. Some quick checking online revealed that there were tickets available for the 2:00 pm matinee of the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre down in the the theatre district. After buying the tickets online (technology rules!), we jumped on the Tube to Covent Garden.
It was getting on toward lunchtime, so we stopped into a nice little cafe in Covent Garden Square and had a quick bite to eat. Not only did the boys order from the menu without whining and eat what they ordered, they were so well behaved that two different ladies dining separately near our table complemented me as we left on how well behaved the boys were. We then headed to the show. The seats were great and the show was amazing (I highly commend it to you with your children). The boys were on the edges of their seats, and clapping and cheering at appropriate points in the show. I think they'll remember their first real show for a long long time.
After the show, we headed back up to Covent Garden so Heather could stop into a couple of shops that had been highly recommended to her. The boys were holding hands with each other and skipping around the square.
Unfortunately, on the way home, the Tube stop, King's Cross/St. Pancras, where we were literally about to get on the train back to our flat, was evacuated for an undisclosed reason. Matthew had just succumbed to the heat and boredom of waiting for the train and fallen asleep in my arms. After hiking to the next Tube stop and realizing that it didn't connect at all reasonably with the line we needed, we hailed a black cab back to the flat.
All in all, it was a great trip over, and an unbelievable first day. A few highlights are in the slideshow below. Enjoy.
We bundle Grandma into the loaded mini-van (remember, this is before we even buy our first gift or souvenir) and head to Dulles.
Expecting the mad Thanksgiving rush to be layered on top of the normal mid-afternoon crazy business rush at the airport, we arrive nearly 4 hours before the flight is scheduled to leave. After a 10 minute check-in, we head to security, where there is NO LINE. After breezing through security, we head to the shuttle to D concourse. The shuttle driver actually holds the door for us as we nearly miss the shuttle and have to wait 15 to 20 minutes for the next shuttle to depart. We get to the gate area about 3 hours ahead of time . . . great on the one hand, but disaster from the bored kid perspective. Fortunately, we got invites to the Red Carpet Club right near our gate, so we head in, grab some snacks and a seat by the window and chill. The boys ask, and I try to answer, about a million questions about the airport, planes, baggage handling, tail numbering schemes, etc. Matthew also pulls out Pepper, a little stuffed black toy dog classroom mascot from his preschool, about whom Matthew will be keeping a journal (mainly pictorial).
Heather and the boys loved Business Class (I've got to burn through those frequent flier miles before they get devalued, again). I've spoiled them all forever on coach. Matthew loved the fact that he could stretch out flat on the seat. Erich's knees hurt him much of the night, so he spent most of the night watching TV and movies.
After we landed, we took the Heathrow Express train into Paddington Station, and from there cabbed it to our flat in Notting Hill. I had assumed that the boys would have crashed by this point, and would need to nap for a couple of hours before we did anything. I was completely wrong; the boys were pumped and ready to go. Some quick checking online revealed that there were tickets available for the 2:00 pm matinee of the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre down in the the theatre district. After buying the tickets online (technology rules!), we jumped on the Tube to Covent Garden.
It was getting on toward lunchtime, so we stopped into a nice little cafe in Covent Garden Square and had a quick bite to eat. Not only did the boys order from the menu without whining and eat what they ordered, they were so well behaved that two different ladies dining separately near our table complemented me as we left on how well behaved the boys were. We then headed to the show. The seats were great and the show was amazing (I highly commend it to you with your children). The boys were on the edges of their seats, and clapping and cheering at appropriate points in the show. I think they'll remember their first real show for a long long time.
After the show, we headed back up to Covent Garden so Heather could stop into a couple of shops that had been highly recommended to her. The boys were holding hands with each other and skipping around the square.
Unfortunately, on the way home, the Tube stop, King's Cross/St. Pancras, where we were literally about to get on the train back to our flat, was evacuated for an undisclosed reason. Matthew had just succumbed to the heat and boredom of waiting for the train and fallen asleep in my arms. After hiking to the next Tube stop and realizing that it didn't connect at all reasonably with the line we needed, we hailed a black cab back to the flat.
All in all, it was a great trip over, and an unbelievable first day. A few highlights are in the slideshow below. Enjoy.
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