Its been fun...

Tuesday, April 18. Blue sky at 35,000 feet.

We were up shortly after 4.00 AM and down in the lobby of the hotel by 5.20. We checked out and stepped outside just as our car and driver arrived. Presto Magico and in 1/2 hour we were in Heathrow Terminal 4. 

Soon, checked in, through security and sitting in the KLM lounge having a coffee and hot breakfast. Next to the gate for the Hopper to Amsterdam , landed and then we walked to the gate for good old YVR.

We briefly sat with a 58 year old Polish women who introduced herself as Polish: 'The Mexicans of Europe'. She said she came to Canada 30 years ago and became a Canadian Citizen, she said Canada is the best country in the world and she is so glad that she became a Canadian. 

She also told her dad that she now feels more Canadian than Polish but she did not tell her mom that as it would make her too sad. She said that the Poles are the reason for Brexit. They are all over the place and don't seem to fit in anywhere. [Sad to hear a person say that.] She also said that Europe is in a mess.

This business class thing is pretty darn nice, I am sure Craig will agree with that. Fellette is seated one row behind us, chatting with a Dutch or German gent so Craig and I can do a little computer work on the picture and blog books I have to get done. Without being snobby, it does make  a long travel-day an absolute pleasure instead of an ordeal.

Here I am at 35,00 feet, 1 1/2  hour after take off, reclining in my seat with a gin and tonic as some lovely Dutch ladies who go about making sure our every whim is taken care of. 

Craig has earphones on as we await our lunch after ordering from a menu given us shortly after departure. I am trying to write the blog before the need to sleep overcomes us. 

This last 15 days have been a meat grinder for Fellette and I, but we would not have missed it for a bit. It was a great trip on itself, made better with Craig with us. He is an 'Easy Traveler' indeed.

On the moving sidewalk during one of our walking journeys earlier today, I thought that we were going at a pretty good pace, keeping to the right so anybody in a real hurry could pass us. Sure as heck, some 20 year old piece of fluff passed us, on the phone walking about twice our speed. I could see that she was not racing, but just walking at a pace that she could keep up for hours and hours. YOUTH. That is the difference! 

As I move along in life I seem to become more of an observer in life rather than a participant. Maybe that is the Gin talking though. I must close for a moment, I see our lunch coming down the aisle.

The flight was non eventual, we got our luggage after a bit of a delay then picked up the car and then got caught in traffic but made it home safely.

That's it for a while kids. I will advise when something interesting in the way of a trip happens.

Adios!

Published early because we are going to bed!

The Centre of the World...

Monday, April 17. Cloudy, no rain!

Breakfast in a Pub! My gosh, what has become of us? 1/3 of the cost of in the hotel and basically the same food.

Then we walked the 1/4 mile maybe to the Thames where we boarded a River Bus to Greenwich for the day. The boat trip was great, it put me in synch a bit more about London, I have never ever been oriented correctly since my first trip in 1960. [Gad! That is 57 years ago, hell, many people do not live that long Doug, so stop complaining!]

Soon we were in Greenwich which is about 20 miles [?] south of London on the Thames of course. It is famous because every person in the world uses Greenwich-Mean-Time every day of their life whether they know it or not. The English divided the world into 360 degrees, which is a circle, or globe, which Planet Earth is, sort of. They drew a line heading to the South centred on Greenwich all the way around the world. They then eventually divided the circle into 24 zones, they are called Time Zones. 

As an aside, miles, Knots and nautical miles are all involved in this mix. Later!

It is too long a story to tell but that enabled sailors to know where they were around the world, providing they knew the time in Greenwich. That brings us to 'Time' and that is entirely another story about the invention of a clock that could keep time at sea in a rocking boat. The story goes on and on and on...

Thank heaven there are people that are seriously interested in this stuff. Speaking of uninteresting stuff, I am sorry about our long tale of ancestors the other day but I had to write it whether you are interested or not.

We spent an interesting day at Greenwich and made our way back to the hotel, Fellette and I only motivated by the fact that we were going to pack our bags tomorrow morning and say goodbye to suitcase-living for a while.

Our car comes for us at 5:30 tomorrow morning and we three are off to Amsterdam, connecting to a big blue and white airplane for a KLM flight to Vancouver. We are looking forward to that, regardless of the rain. I say we, I cannot speak for Craig, who has been an absolute Prince to travel with!

***   ***   ***

Craig here... thought I'd get my 2-bits in here before the trip is over! I've been thinking about going to Vimy for at least 20 years now, and the 100th anniversary was the perfect time to go. Being here with my Mom and Dad has made the trip even more special, and the fact that we were able to tread the same ground that The Seaforth's did 100 years ago with both former and serving members of the regiment was truly a privilege that I will never forget. The England leg of the trip has been a blast too. I've always loved London, and feel very at home here. Heading up to Northampton and The Bramptons to see the village where Dad's side of the family lived for the better part of 200 years was a great bonus. We'll need to make a return trip in the future to explore Mom's side of the family in Norfolk!

The Red Lion Pub, just up the street from #10 Downing Street... best breakfast of the trip!

A view of or hotel from the river on the way to Greenwich.

Passing The Tower of London.

At Greenwich Pier in 35 minutes... great way to travel!

The Cutty Sark was our first stop of the day.

You would not believe the amount of rope needed to rig this ship!

On deck.

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich... when the ball drops the time will be EXACTLY 1:00 GMT.

Sailors have set their watches to this for 200 years.

I wonder if anyone else has ever thought of taking pictures like this at the Meridian Line???

Our next stop is The Maritime Museum. Waaaay down the hill by the river.

Too good not to get a picture.

Much to see in the museum.

A fun fair at the dock-side for the Easter Bank Holiday.

Returning to home base... Westminster Pier, next to the Parliament Buildings.

Victoria Embankment Gardens outside our hotel.

Kew Gardens Day...

Sunday, April 16. Very nice considering it was supposed to rain.

Our usual unhealthy quick breakfast and our trusty guide lead us to the Tube Station to get a return ticket for Kew Gardens. Fellette and I have never been but Craig has when he and Jeanette came to London together a few times many decades ago.

The journey took maybe 1/2 hour and was slick as a whistle. We got there just after opening at 10. I will just show you how our day went: it was marvellous, just what we needed, gardens, trees, grass all to get us ready for a year of gardening.

It is more like Stanley Park in Vancouver than a Botanical Garden thing. The only difference being they charge you here. It is really a family place and there was kids in strollers on up everywhere. Mind you it is easter Sunday.

We had lunch here and the prices are ridiculous. A bowl of soup and a bun was C$8.25, Craig and I had a burger and a small beer: C$49.50. The fellow making the burgers looked like his last job was in a Serbian Prison.

After getting back to the hotel around 3.45, we relaxed, did the blog, looked at our pictures and then went for dinner and later to the theatre. Long day but a good day.

A 30 minute Tube ride from Westminster to Kew.

 Victoria Gate... Kew gardens awaits.

A beautiful bed of tulips and primroses.

The bluebells were out in full force in the woodland.

Doug and Fellette at the Palm House. Built in 1848!

The Azalea Garden was just coming into bloom.

We had lunch at the cafe near the lily pond.

Lotus blooms in the Waterlily House.

Urns of tulips flanking the lake in front of the Palm House.

Just a mass of blooms!

We need a south-facing brick wall like this at home!

Kew Palace, built in 1631 and home to Queen Charlotte until her death in 1818 is tucked away deep inside the gardens.

Fellette contemplating the espalier apple trees. I sense a project back home in the making!

A handkerchief tree in full bloom.

Craig and Fellette heading down Rhododendron Dell.

Inside the Palm House... my gosh it was hot in there.

The Chinese Pagoda... built in 1762, was undergoing a substantial restoration. Due to re-open next year.

The Criterion Theatre, right in the middle of Piccadilly Circus. Great comedy, 

corny but clean and hilarious.

Two out of three isn't bad...

Saturday, April 15. Mild.

Our goal today was to do three things: One was the War Rooms, second was to take the boat to Greenwich and finally, to do the Imperial War Museum.

We had a quick breakfast and off to the Cabinet War Rooms where we encountered about a one hour line up and then spent two hours inside this fabulous set of rooms. During that time we decided that it was impossible to do all three so we scrapped Greenwich.

After the War Rooms it was now after noon and we hoofed it to the Imperial War Museum across Westminster Bridge which was a virtual solid mass of people sauntering across, even though this is where that car rammed into just such people as us and killed 5 people a couple of weeks ago.

At the Museum we had a short snack and headed in. It is a five story building in a rather odd arrangement of displays, all fascinating. The last stop was the fifth floor where there is a room displaying 160 Victoria Cross medals, all donated by a very rich and patriotic benefactor.

We took the tube home, grabbed a quick dinner and we were soon home. We had refreshing showers and then got down to the blog and checking our pictures while Fellette put her PJs on and tucked under the covers with her iPad at 6:30.

We accomplished two of our three goals today, not bad.

Tomorrow we go to Kew Gardens and take in a play at night. [We hope.]

Great day.

A sentry in Horse Guards Parade.

The Guards Memorial next to Horse Guards Parade. 

In the queue for the Churchill War Rooms... a 1 hour wait.

A Royal Marine sentry guarding the entrance to the Operations Room.

The Operations Room.

Churchill's bedroom hidden away in the labyrinth of underground rooms.

Across The Thames river and over Westminster Bridge on the way to The Imperial War Museum.

Time for a shot of our hotel from the middle of the bridge.

After a 25 minute walk, we arrived at the museum.

Fellette and Craig under two 15 inch Naval guns used during WWI and WWII 

The central atrium of the museum... a Spitfire, a V2 rocket, and a Doodle-Bug.

The Rolls-Royce engine of a Spitfire. They made 165,000 of these bloody things during the war... unbelievable.

A German artillery gun. 

The actual Nazi eagle from the German Reichs Chancellery in Berlin.

Briton's attitude to war has changed somewhat during modern times.

A piece of the World Trade Centre salvaged from the wreckage of the 9-11 attack. 

Back to the hotel on the Tube after a LONG day.