I think part of the reason I'm so behind is because I take the time to write these while at work, but when I'm at work, trying to write these, I'm bummed because...well, I'm at work, and I'm not still in London!
But enough moping--On to the next day's adventures!
This morning we woke up early for the most time-demanding part of the trip so far. We were going to Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge!
The process consisted of us hopping on a bus, going to Victoria Bus Station, and then hopping onto another bus, luckily with a quick bathroom break and water-buying spree before then.
We were on a guided tour bus, and the tour guide was telling us a little bit of history of Windsor Castle as we were driving to it. It was only about 1 hour drive. Along with the history, the tour guide (I wish I could remember her name!) asked us to please not bring hot sandwiches, coffees, or ice creams onto the bus because the odors get into the air ducts and the bus doesn't have the clean, fresh scent anymore...
rumble....
Oh no...my first trimester decided to make a very evil appearance this day. One of 2 days to ever get this sick. Yes, my dear friends and readers...I got morning sickness, and I don't mean just queasy, on the bus. Going to see the Queen's palace home...HOW EMBARRASSING!!!
I don't think I ever told my family thank you enough for the way the stepped up and helped me freshen up afterwards. I got really lucky, for my parents had their water bottles in a bag (that didn't have holes in the bottom) and I got that bag. I will not go into further details because it is just not glamorous with detail, but lets just say that I had my heroes that day. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!!!
The good news is, I was able to walk through Windsor Castle afterwards, feeling normal again. And I was fascinated with everything in this castle. The dining hall (80 something tiny chairs to sit in--they didn't look comfortable!), a room with shields on the ceiling, a couple of rooms with so many swords and armor. Cary and I loved to find the 'hidden doors' in the rooms. How much fun would that be!!! There was also a large doll house that was made as a gift, and the details of it is amazing. I wish we could have taken photos, because the memories of it will fade eventually.
After we finished with Windsor Castle, Cary and I walked along the Thames, where we were surrounded by swan and ducks looking for some food. It is so funny how the wildlife have grown accustomed to seeing humans and think they will automatically get food. And I would have contributed, but I had nothing to give!
The next stop for the tour was Bath, where the Roman baths are located. Nicolas Cage also lives in that town. From outside of the town, it is breathtaking to see it and all of the hills and land around. But inside was just as fun.
The Roman baths was a cool place to visit, except on this day it was crowded with school tours and other visitors. No complaints though--the experience was worth it. It is so amazing to see something this old that had been dug up after years buried.
After we finished there, we had 15 minutes to get some food and prepare to jump back on the bus. We found a little sandwich shop where the busses were picking up, so we stepped in. I already knew I wasn't going to eat anything, for fear of another upset tummy, but Cary ended up being the only one getting a sandwich--which was a tandoori-type chicken--he enjoyed it! The rest of us ate crackers on the bus...very satisfying!
Our last stop of the day was Stonehenge. I have a confession to make--between all of the drives to the next destinations, I fell asleep--and it felt good!! But I never heard any of the history of either of these places until I woke up closer to the destination...that was sad.
Stonehenge was interesting, but not as eerie as I thought it would be. It is fascinating to see these huge rocks arranged the way they were, and I know there are so many mysteries surrounding it. To say that I have seen Stonehenge is cool, but after the tiring day, I think it would be the only time I would want to see it.
The 4 of us were planning on visiting these sites one day, and then going to Canterbury and Dover the next day, but mom and dad felt that the tours were really rushed, so we decided not to take the next tour, but just stay in London and explore it more the rest of the week. I wish I saw that option coming; I would have chosen the Canturbury/Dover tour over the other one!
As the bus headed back into London, the tour guide informed us that the Underground (subway) went on strike, which caused a lot of traffic getting back to London. But the bus driver was nice enough to stop in several locations to help ease the travel for the tourists on the tour.
Mom, dad, Cary and I decided to eat Italian for dinner (actually, I was craving it!), so we ate at the Spaghetti House that evening. Mmmm!!! It was satisfying! After that, a walk back to the hotel.
Cary and I wanted dessert, so after we 'ditched' the parents (not really--they chose not to go), we walked down to a pub to check out their desserts. It was just puddings, so we went back to one of the restaurants at the hotel and had ourselves some Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake in a candlelight setting. True English patrons dining there as well. It was a very relaxing, romantic time. Reminds me of our honeymoon eating at the Kendron Inn!
After dinner, we went for a short stroll to Buckingham Palace and saw how everything was lit up at night. We saw the palace (not much lighting surprisingly), the statue in the square (very pretty when lit up), and then the London Eye in the distance with flashing lights. It was truly a fun, unique experience!
2 comments:
That stroll to buckinham palace was most enjoyable. The traffic has quiten down and everything was so magical all light up. It was great!
I wish we could have done the Dover too. :(
Post a Comment