Taking the Tube

SUNSHINE!!!! Lo and behold. The plan today was to get our Travelcard for

London transportation but we didn't have a clue what else to do. London can be a bit overwhelming with so much to see. Since the weather will be nice today and tomorrow, we checked into taking a London Bike Tour. Booked ourselves in for tomorrow at 10:15am. Not sure the weather is going to hold after that. With that done, we headed out on foot across the Tower bridge.

Walked up to the London Bridge Railway Station to get both our travelcards and tix for Kent on Monday. Good thing we got here early - lines were already forming. In order to get a 7 day travelcard you must have a picture ID. This they Xerox and then in their very hi tech way, they cut out your picture and laminate it on to the card.

With all that business behind us we walked across the London Bridge up to the Monument for the fire of 1666 designed by Christopher Wren, who also designed St. Pauls Cathedral, our next stop. Walked up to the Cathedral and paid for admission which included the audio video tour. This was well worth the price of admission. Learned about the architecture as well as history.

Walked up the 500 some odd stairs to the top of the dome. On the way you stop at the Whispering Dome - where you whisper at one end and you are heard across to the other end. The climb up wasn't too bad - nothing beats the Scott Memorial in Edinburgh for close, steep stairs. Took some pix and it was back down the long winding stairs.

Had a small salad lunch at a nice French restaurant before crossing

the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Museum of Modern Art. We weren't in the mood for schlepping around a museum so we pressed on to Shakespeare's Globe Theater. This is the original theater where most of his plays were performed. Due to a performance this afternoon we were unable to get a tour and we were told to come back in the morning. We took some outside pix. Maybe we'll come back later next week.

Took the Thames footpath back to St. Katherine's Docks. Karrie called and wanted to know when to meet for dinner. Karrie and Matt are friends who are also neighbors. We made plans to meet at the docks at 6pm. Got back to our apt at around 4:30 and rested some. K&M showed up around 5:30 and came up for a cocktail before dinner. We chatted about our European adventures and then went out for some grub.

Matt picked a very nice French restaurant on the marina. This must be our French day. We had a lovely long and leisurely dinner. Got some ideas of some day tours to do next week.  It was great seeing faces from home. We parted company and wished them safe travels on their way home. 

Now back at the shack looking at the great skyline we are resting comfortably planning for tomorrow's bike adventure. The first order of business is to figure out how to get to Waterloo Station to meet the tour. I think we are going to take the bus. I prefer buses over underground. All those years growing up in NY - too many subway disasters.

I know this post title says "Taking the Tube", but we never did take the tube today. We walked everywhere.

Next time .... London by Bike

Going to London

Quick breakfast, said our goodbyes to Darren and we were off to the train station. Arrived in plenty of time to wait for over an hour for our train. We are now aboard a hobbled train that is slowly making it's way to London. Mechanical difficulties among other things has caused this train to run at reduced speed. If we are lucky we will get to our new accommodations by around 1pm instead of noon. There are only a few of us on board and it is beginning to feel  like a Twilight Zone episode. So much for efficient European train travel.

Finally squeaked into London King's Cross Station at around 12:30. Found

our way to the tube station, jumped on the Circle Line to Tower Hill. We were deposited right in front of the Tower of London. Walked around what once was the moat to St. Katherine's Docks, a very scenic marina. Arrived at the meeting place to meet the agent to let us in the rental. There just so happened to be a street food fair going on, and since it was way past our lunch time, Geoff got some takeaway falafal wraps. 

David showed up and we were taken through a maze to our new home for the next week. This apartment is GREAT!!! We not only have a great view of the marina but you can also see the top of the Tower Bridge. It is bright and spacial with a nice little balcony on the marina side. David gave us all the instructions and finally left. We ate our lunch and made a grocery list. The way to the market is through this maze at the other end. It is not far but it took us a couple of shots to get it right. Stocked up with breakfast goodies and a dinner for tonight. We will be spending the evening in for a change.

Getting back was simple now that we have figured it all out. The first order of business was the wash. We have a washer/dryer here that is coming in very handy right now. Relaxing and trying to figure out what to see and the best way to see it. Any and all suggestions are welcome. 

Oh did I mention, it is still overcast and cold. Plus we just found out they shut the heat off here this month. They think it is summer, HA! The agent is bringing over a space heater but I think I am going to take it up with management just the same. They should have told us at least.

Anyway, time for some wine and relaxation. 

Next time... Taking the Tube

Walking the Wall

No rain this morning, but no sunshine either. Exchanged addresses with the nice couple from CA at breakfast. Maybe we will see them again some day. 

Today turned out to be our 5 pound tour. Everything we went into only cost us 5 pounds. First up was the National Railway Museum to beat the rush. On the way, we passed the postal service delivery station. They do mail delivery on bicycles. In fact York is the bicycle capital of England. Maybe not as obvious as Amsterdam, but there are bike lanes everywhere as well as bike parking stands. It is a pity the weather was cooperative. We would have loved to biked around here. Certainly not as hilly as Edinburgh. 

Gave our 5 pound donation and entered the Railway Museum. This was really something to see. One section looked like Warehouse 13 (for those familiar with the show). Killed about two hours looking around and enjoying a cup of coffee. Around noon it started getting very busy, so we headed out.

Time to walk the Wall. It is 2 1/2 miles around the inner city. There is an entrance to the Wall pretty close to the where we were, so that's we started. Of course, this is not the terribly scenic part - most folks start from the other side and rarely make it down here. Needless to say, we were alone for a good part of the walk. OK for us. We did get to see parts of the city that we hadn't seen yet which was kinda nice. The first stop on the Wall was Micklegate Bar (remember a bar is a gate). Here there is a museum dedicated to Henry VII. This is also the official entrance to the city where all the royals pass through after asking permission to enter. They continue to use this procedure to this day. We did our 5 pound tour and pressed on.

Next up was Monk's Bar home to Richard III Museum. Another 5 pounds

and we learned all about the Tudors and the Lancasters, the war at Wakefield, the War of the Roses, and the stories of Richard III whether they be true or otherwise. On the wall just past Monk's Bar was a great view of Grays Court where we had tea yesterday. We were now on the prettiest section of the Wall. By the time we got to Bootham Bar, our last stop, it was time to head back to the room for a rest. We also wanted to see if the new SIM card had come.

No card. Totally bummed. Called them from the phone in our computer and cancelled the card. We headed back into town and stopped at the first phone store we saw. In about 10 minutes we were back in business again for just - you guessed it - 5 pounds! New SIM and also a new number.

Walked up to the Minster for the 5:15 choir but we were early and really didn't want to hang around. Found a pub and ordered some fish and chips instead. Back in the room and just finished packing for our London adventure which starts tomorrow.

All in all, we made the best of the weather situation and although it seemed a bit dreary at first, we really did have a good time. We are looking forward to London and hopefully some sunshine. We are planning on traveling to Kent during our stay and visiting with friends.  There is also a possibility of hooking up with some neighbors who are also in London - our dates over lap slightly so we might get a chance to see them. Would also like to get in a city bike tour as well. 

Early rise tomorrow. Back at the York Train station Platform 3 at 9am.

Next time... Going to London

The Museums of York

Yup, definitely raining this morning. Showered and went down for another lovely breakfast. Chatted with the other guests, exchanging travel stories.

The object of the day was to stay as dry as possible. The first stop was just outside Bootham Bar which is our closest gate to the city. Here I will explain what our host Darren told us: "A street is a gate, a gate is a bar, and a bar is a pub!" Go figure. Ducked into the King's Manor to get some cover and a peek around. It is now part of York University. Later on we learned some more of it's history.

From there, a short walk over to York Minster. We were only allowed in the very front entry hall without paying. Not being big on the cathedral thing, we stretched our necks to see as much as possible. This is a major attraction in this town so it was getting fairly crowded. A very nice young man at the entry gave us a bit of history. The church was embellished every time there was a new regime starting with a wooden structure in 627 to provide a place to baptise King Edwin.

Down through the twisted streets to the York Castle Museum. Facing the museum is Clifford's Tower one of the two castles

built by William the Conqueror. Climbed up the stairs and back down again. The York Castle Museum housed York Prison - mainly a debtors prison but they didn't hesitate to throw anyone in there. Built by William the Conqueror in 1068 to control the North of England. It continued to be a site of justice and incarceration for over 1000 years.The museum also features period rooms and re-enactment shops and streets. The prison section was especially well done, with multimedia presentations. Another attraction is a big 60's exhibit. Found it a bit unsettling to find your generation is now a museum attraction. None the less, we enjoyed the nostalgia and the music.

After the Castle Museum, we were going to go to the Viking attraction but the line was very long - also it is a bit expensive for something that sounds like a Disney ride. So we moved on to tea. Tea time is usually after 2pm but we were hungry for lunch. The couple we talked with at breakfast had recommended Grays Court for a quiet place for tea. Off we went in search of Grays Court, where you can enjoy tea in several public rooms.

Grays Court York is a boutique hotel and historic heritage property in York's city centre that boasts over 900 years of colourful history. Once owned by the Duke of Somerset, Queen Jane Seymour's brother, and visited by King James 1st, James 2nd and the Duke of Cumberland. Sir Thomas Fairfax, Archbishop Robert Holgate and Archbishop Thomas Young have also owned and lived here in Grays Court. 

Finally had the salmon we have been waiting for. Yum. The hotel and grounds surrounded by the city wall are absolutely beautiful.

We had about a half hour before a free walking tour began, so we climbed up on the wall and walked a bit of it before turning around and meeting the tour.

 It is a two hour tour of which we lasted only an hour due to the cold and drizzle. There was a lot of history, some of which we had already digesting in other venues, plus some quirky facts like the hybrid tree in the gardens - two beech trees spliced on top of each other. Another interesting fact was the King's Manor built in 1270 was originally the Abbott's house until Henry VIII took it over and was retained by the crown. Through the years it has been a girls finishing school, a school for the blind, and most recently the archaeological department of York University. Above the entrance way is the crest of Charles I (newly restored). Our guide also pointed out two catch basins on the top of the wall for rain runoff. One was dated 1667 and the other one came along over 200 years later in 1890. Don't think we would have noticed these on our own. We might try and meet up with the second half of tour tomorrow.

Leaving the tour for the shelter of the Yorkshire Museum in the gardens to get dry and warm up. The Yorkshire Museum houses a collection of natural history and archaeological findings. Another fine museum done very well and has many interactive exhibits for kids throughout the whole museum. 

Moving on, we were on our way to the National Railway Museum when we decided to call it a day and save it for tomorrow. Back in the room to rest our puppies so we can head out again tonight. 

Just back from dinner. Tonight is a bit colder and rainier than last night so

we didn't stay out too late. On our way to El Piano, a very popular veggie restaurant, we passed Betty's Tea Room.  Since I was curious about what the lines in front were when we passed by yesterday, I Googled it and found that it was opened in 1936 and fashioned after the Queen Mary.

A few years after Bettys opened its doors in York war broke out, and Bettys – in particular the basement ‘Bettys Bar’ – became a favourite haunt of thousands of airmen stationed around York. ‘Bettys Mirror’, on which many of them engraved their signatures with a diamond pen, remains on display today as a fitting tribute to their bravery.

It was late and it was still open, so we walked right in, went downstairs and admired the mirror with the signatures. Taking the picture was a bit tricky.

On to El Piano. Got seated in a quiet room upstairs and we picked up their monthly publication. Who should be in this magazine than none other than our old pal Abe Lincoln!! What are the odds? Now we are wondering where he will pop up in London. Food was excellent and got the recipe for some very yummy vegan mayo.

Weather report is a bit better for tomorrow. Might actually see the sunset.

Next time... Walking the Wall

Going to York

A quick breakfast, said our goodbyes to Bill, almost left without paying. Thought I had done that online in the States. Oops! He caught us right before we left. Made so many reservations for this trip not sure who was paid and who wasn't.

It wasn't exactly raining yet so we forgoed the bus for a brisk walk to the train station. Just a little over a mile but uphill all the way. By the time we got to the last hill, I was rethinking the bus idea. Geoff looked down to the left and there was the road (downhill) that led to the South entrance to the station. We knew this because yesterday, in our hunt for the Lincoln Memorial, this is where the big conversation took place. We would never have known otherwise - no signs. Trekked down the hill and we were faced with a staircase going up. A very nice young woman suggested we go to the next entrance and take the lift. Brilliant!! Took the lift up to the platforms and there was our train waiting for us.

For the past four days we have hiked up and down the hills of Edinburgh - not to mention the stairways that go every which way but mainly up! Would like to come back to Scotland some day (when it is warmer) and see more of the countryside. We are now on our way to York, and the weather report says rain for the next 3 days. Ce la vie!

Arrived somewhat on time and eventually made our way to our new B&B. This is in a very quiet part of town just ourside the Old City. Pretty much the same set up as the last place we were in. A tall Victorian building with lots of rooms and one large breakfast room downstairs. Darren greeted us and gavae us the lay of the land.

Since it was past lunch time, we ventured out into the gloomy day. Short walk to the city center. York is surrounded by old city walls which are supposed to be great to walk on. Not sure if the weather will allow us the chance. Our walk took us through the beautiful gardens that also house the York Museum. It was scenic and quiet, so peaceful. We thought that this was a great change from being in Edinburgh. Little did we know that once we got into the city it was packed! It is all quite charming, however, it is hard to appreciate the history when it is all covered up with tons and tons of shops and people. It also happens to be school vacation so we have that going against us as well. We walked around in a stupor for a while - it is very small but the streets are tiny and go every which way. Finally we found the veggie restaurant that Darren suggested.

This place was nice and calm and the food was excellent. Walked out into the rain and headed for tourist info. Chatted there for a bit and then decided to hit the York Museum on the way back. Next to the museum are the ruins of St. Mary's Abbey. King Henry VIII had confiscated the buildings for his own use but eventually they went into ruins. We moved ahead to the museum for our tickets. A ticket is good for one year, so we knew we could return if we didn't finish. Bought a 2for ticket which also included the York Castle Museum. We are gonig to be doing a lot of indoor activities, I'm afraid. Saw a short film on the history of York . Learned about the vikinings - going to another museum for that.- took a few looks around and decided it was time to get back and rest up.

On the walk home, we found a place closer to us for a dinner option tonight. Don't want to walk too far afield in this weather.  Resting comfortably now. Nice quiet warm room. 

Back again, thought I was done for the day but tonight was too good not to share. We gathered ourselves up again to go out for some dinner at around 7 - made sure to grab an umbrella this time. Went to the pub close to the b&b - nothing too exciting. After dinner we started walking. The rain was very light and much more comfortable with the umbrella. All the day tourists were gone and we had the old city to ourselves. The church bells were ringing and with the lights and the soft mist it was just wonderful walking around. 


Went through the gate to the city and tried to walk on the wall but it was closed. Definitely going to do this rain or shine. Passed by York Minster - a great big huge structure. Not sure if we'll go in or not. The squares were all quite. But best of all was walking down the Shambles with nobody there. You couldn't see anything this afternoon for all the people and the busy shops. The Shambles street has overhanging

timber-framed buildings, some dating back as far as the fourteenth century. It was once known as The Great Flesh Shambles, probably from the Anglo-Saxon Fleshammels (literally 'flesh-shelves'), the word for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat. As recently as 1872 there were twenty-five butchers' shops in the street but now there are none.

The gardens were closed so we made our way to the river to walk home.

All in all a very good evening. 


Next time...The Museums of York

Exploring Edinburgh

Another Italian restaurant last night. If I didn't know we were in Edinburgh, I'd swear we were in Italy. Every other restaurant is Italian and they all have an Italian waitstaff. It's like getting two countries in one. Anyway, the place was packed due to everyone celebrating their marathon finishes. We got

seated in the party room where we had the privilege of singing happy birthday to a beautiful 90 year old Scotsman. We ordered the salmon simply because we were in Scotland and had to have salmon. It was all very good a lot of fun -- just not too Scottish!

The skies seemed a bit more cooperative this morning and we set out for another adventure. Our plan was to try to climb up to the summit of Arthur's Seat, the dormant volcano. However, along the way we stopped to take pictures of the Holyroot Palace and then we went into the Parliament House. Somehow got on a one hour tour of the place and by the time we came out the sky had changed. The path up the volcano is across from Parliament and the Discover Museum. We started up and sure enough the skies opened up and it was pouring. Ran back down and wound up in the cafeteria of the Discover Museum with about 1000 kids running around. Since it was after noon already, we decided to get a quick bite and wait out the rain.

I was a bit bummed that the hike was cancelled but we charged on and went into all the free museums we could find: The Edinburgh Museum, The People's Story Museum, and the Writer's Museum. Phew!!! Also went to the Waverley Train station to see what platform our train will be on tomorrow. This place is huge. 

One interesting place we discovered was on one of our many maps. (We discovered in Amsterdam that not everything is on one map - you need about half a dozen to get all the info,)  Somewhere on Calton Hill was an Abraham Lincoln Monument! So off we went leaving the crowds on the Royal Mile in search of Old Abe. Of course he wasn't where the map said exactly. We asked many a Scot and no one had even heard of the monument. Finally a very friendly couple came along and joined the conversation. He got out his smart phone and googled it. Abe was in the Calton Cemetery on Waterloo Place which was up (really up on Calton Hill) around the bend from where we were all standing.

Up we climbed, found the cemetery and there stood Mr. Lincoln - it is a tribute to all the Scots who had died during the Civil War. I wonder how many people in this city know about this.The cemetery also housed a great many famous Scots. The views up there were fabulous. And the skies were still playing tricks. The sun just could not make up it's mind. On the way back down we went via the North Bridge and I remembered something I read somewhere - that the stairs leading down from The Scotsman are made from different kinds of marble. Each step is different. We took a quick look and sure enough, they were all different all the way down to Market St. Nothing terribly special, but quite beautiful.

From the North Bridge we walked down to Princes St. and got on the 22 bus, which also takes us to our guesthouse, to go down to the Ocean Terminal in Leith. The Britannia is docked there. This was the Royal Yacht until it got decommissioned in 1997. Geoff and I had seen it before in Boston during the Tall Ships, but we never had a chance to board. 

Well imagine my surprise when we get let off in front of a huge mall and a sign saying "Your Tour begins on the second floor".  What's up with that?? We thought we would just go down to the dock and take some pictures but you can't get close to this thing. You have to traipse through this mall before you can get anywhere near her. It was 4:45 by the time we got there and usually there are no more tours, but they had a few late people so they let us on. That was nice because it wasn't packed. You get a self guided audio tour. It was all very grand, 50's style. We were most impressed with the engine room. I still could not get over the fact that they built this mall around a ship!

It was dinner time when we left the ship and we were back in the mall. Lots of restaurants with great wide views of the Firth of Fourth body of water where the Britanina is docked.  We were hoping for some good seafood but as usual, most of the places were Italian! We chose a very nondescript place that had veggie burgers and we were good. The food was again delicious but still not Scottish. Back on the bus and in our room by 7pm. Well fed and totally exhausted. Packing again for York tomorrow. Looking forward to a smaller city. 

Checked email and got a wonderful hello from our friends in Kent who we met in Zanzibar. Hope to meet up with them while in London. I was also alerted that the Edinburgh 1 Photo Album link wasn't working. It should be OK now. Lastly, we have had phone issues with our international phone since we arrived in the UK. So we never did hear from Lucy and I had no way of getting in touch with her. We finally heard from the makers of our SIM card and they OOPS sent us an old card that doesn't work in the UK. Hopefully, they will be sending another out and it will meet us in York. We will want it in London.

Another early night for another long day tomorrow.

Next time.... Going to York

Edinburgh Castle

NOTE: New Photo Album Lena Maria Day 6

Went for pizza last night at this great Italian place that everyone apparently loves because it was packed. We lucky enough to score a table. Spoke with some Brits who were here for the big Marathon. Food was great. Walked home. We turned on the telly for a bit. I was able to watch for about 10 minutes and then I was fast asleep.

Woke up this morning feeling so much better. Nothing like getting 12 hours of sleep. Made up for not sleeping so well on the barge. Plus the pouring rain outside was no incentive to get out of bed. Bill made us a lovely breakfast. Bill & Ian run this guesthouse and they are really great. 

The rain had stopped but it was still on the chilly side. We made our way up to the center of town and up through the Royal Mile to the Edinburgh Castle. Along the way we stopped to pick up a couple of Scottish scarves for some more warmth. They worked great and for a while the sun even came out.

The castle wasn't crowded so there were no long lines. Opted for the audio tour which was quite informative. Walked through all of it including Royal Palace where they keep the crown jewels. Tested some local brew in the whiskey shop - for some reason it wasn't whiskey. Just as we were talking about leaving the skies opened up. We hid in various corners of the castle and then eventually it stopped enough to walk down the hill. 

On the way up we had seen a blackboard sign that boasted a free walking tour starting at 3pm. I know that some of the ladies did this in Amsterdam and had a great time. Originally we were going to go to this great vegetarian restaurant that we heard about but it was too far away to make it back for the tour. So we popped into the nearest pub. I was glad because I wanted the experience of being in a Scottish pub. Split an order of fish and chips and I had my first Scottish pint. Quiet tasty. Made it to the free tour in time. Hung around with some folks but the person turned out to be a no show.  We were bummed. 


Started walking back down across the North Bridge and spotted a strange tall structure. Being curious, we headed for it to see what it was about. Turns out to be the Scott Monument which is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. The monument has 287 stairs to the top - and for 4 pounds you can climb up - and so we did. There are four levels but the spiral staircase gets very skinny at times. At least we were out of the rain for a while. At the top level when I stepped out of the stairway, I was pelted with hail!! It was pretty cold up there. Needless to say, we didn't stay long and headed back down.

It was time for a coffee, so we popped into the Princes Mall for a dry place. The stairs to the cafe were glass which didn't go well with my wet sneakers - the next thing I know I am sliding down the staircase. My arm taking the brunt of it all. Nothing broken, but a very nice long scrap and probably will be accompanied by some bruising. The ladies in the beauty salon called the medics and my new friend, Jim, came to patch me up. Good thing this isn't sleeveless weather. Decided to skip that cafe and went into the Starbucks and recovered my heart rate.

Still pouring, took the bus back to the guesthouse. Asked Bill and Ian if they had any towels they didn't mind getting bloody. They have such nice white bath sheets here that I hated to get them stained. Ian thought that was so nice. He said he has seen hair dye and make-up and that is just the men! Bill went and dug some clean throw away towels for me to use. 

Resting comfortably now in our room. Looks like it is clearing outside. It is supposed to be nicer tomorrow. I hope so, we have more exploring to do. Not sure about dinner tonight. Tomorrow we may head down to the coast (which isn't far from here) for dinner. It doesn't get dark till after 10.

Next time.... More Edinburgh