Day 22 -- 15 May 2013, Part 1 -- Last Full Day in London, Last Full Day in the U.K.

Starting out I have to tell you that when I awoke on this beautiful Wednesday morning, I was ready to cry. This would be my last full day of my dream trip and I was not ready to go home. Don't get me wrong, I missed my family and would be happy to see them. But something happened to me in England. I fell in love--with the people, with the sights, with a country. I have ancestors who came to the U.S. from England in the 1800's. Maybe that had something to do with it. Maybe my love for this country was programmed into sleeping genes that had to be awakened by returning to the land of my heritage. I don't know. What I do know is that I would be leaving the following day and I wasn't going to waste a minute of it by being sad. Though I was ready to burst into tears at any moment throughout the day. Just keeping it honest.

Everywhere I had stayed during my three-week holiday, with the exception of Paris and Edinburgh, included a full English breakfast in the cost. Add the Rubens to that short list. I could have an English breakfast there, but it was an additional 20 pounds. When I had made the reservation two months prior, I decided I didn't want to pound the pavement first thing in the morning just looking for a good place to eat. Twenty pounds was on the hefty side, but after I walked into the large dining room that first morning, I wanted to fall to my knees in thanks that I had made that decision. Everything was on four separate buffets; I didn't know where to start first. And delicious! Oh. My. Golly. Stellar service combined with exquisite food? I was in heaven. And who would need lunch when I could get my full twenty pounds' worth in that one spot? If you're ever in London and have the opportunity to stay at The Rubens, splurge a tiny bit and go the extra charge for the breakfast. You're welcome; glad I could be of service.

Since it was so close and one of my friends had visited a couple years prior and loved it, I decided to tour the Royal Mews first. Here's just a small portion of the outside.

 

 

My fun began with the young man who took my money and gave me my ticket.

"You're from the States," he said. "Whereabouts?"
"Florida," I replied.
"The pretty part?" His facial expression matched the snarkiness in his voice.
"Tampa Bay area. Is that pretty enough for you?"
The change in his demeanor was palpable. "Oh. Yeah. It's very beautiful there." The snark had turned to awe. Or maybe I just imagined it.
"I think so." I grabbed my ticket and proceeded on to the tour.

I had the option of headphones with my own self-guided recorded tour, or I could choose the live guide. Thinking I might have questions, I chose the live guide. We started with her explaining about how the horses are bred for royal service in particular, how they're then chosen and how much training they receive.

The brown horses service the carriages for everyone but the queen. The queen's horses are light gray. Gray ones were not in the stables that morning, though. The docent explained that Prince William had to receive special permission directly from the queen for his wedding to "borrow" the gray horses. Can you imagine that conversation? "Granny, if you don't mind, would it be too much of a bother for Kate and I to use the gray horses in April? You see, she's afraid that the brown looks a tad common and will clash with our outfits. We can? Thank you, dear; such a lamb."

 

It just so happened that on the particular day I toured the mews, two different diplomats were presenting their credentials to the queen. When that occurs, the queen sends a carriage to the embassy to pick up the person and bring him to Buckingham Palace. After he (or she) presents credentials, he returns to the embassy again by carriage. Since there were two different diplomats, two carriages were needed. These horses are being led to the carriages to be hooked up.

 

After the horses were connected, or whatever it is they call it, the drivers brought them out to the courtyard where they circled numerous times to get the horses warmed up.

This is the second driver and carriage.

Below, the footman has hopped onto each carriage, and away they went! The carriages use the city streets and are accompanied by policemen both in cars and on horseback.

 

This is the glass coach, used mostly for transporting royal brides, the most recent of which was Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.

There were other coaches, but they weren't nearly as fancy as the Glass Coach. If you want to see them, stop by the Royal Mews sometime and take a look.

 



The royal stables. They alternate keeping the horses in town or out in the country. Just so happened they were out in the country this particular day. See the nameplates for each horse in each stall? There is another nameplate that travels with the individual horses and is placed in their stall wherever they go.

The Gold State Coach. The last time this was used was for Queen Elizabeth's coronation, 60 years ago. Staged as being pulled by four horses, it actually requires eight horses of great strength because it weighs so much, not to mention the weight of the harnesses on the horses. Notice that the horses are all light gray.

 

Since the Queen doesn't travel by coach much, here is the official royal limousine. My husband is a car aficionado so I tried to capture the limo as it would be featured in a high-end car magazine. How did I do, honey?

 

This describes the official chauffeur's uniform. Snazzy, huh!

 

The horses are trained a minimum of two years before they are allowed into service.

 

What I wouldn't give to trot a well-trained horse around this ring!

 

After I left the mews, I decided to head back to Westminster Abbey. After all, it was only 1:45 p.m. and they were open until 3:30 p.m., right? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. It was Wednesday. Posted correctly on only one sign on the entire premises was the information of a 2:30 p.m. closing time on Wednesdays, with the last visitors being admitted by 1:30. So I got a few more pictures, swore silently under my breath, and subsequently gave them a 2-star rating on TripAdvisor for their erroneous signage. Someone else gave them a 2-star rating also, but that's because he paid the exorbitant entrance fee (18 pounds), only to learn after entering that several of the areas were closed due to renovation. But they didn't let you know those areas were closed until after you had already gone in. If they can't get all their signage correct, why would they want to warn you that you can't see everything you thought you could tour until after they had your money? Westminster Abbey, you may have been witness to Will and Kate's marriage, but it'll be a long time before I visit you again. Just sayin'.

 

One of the best parts of getting to Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace is the walk down Bird Cage Lane. That's St. James Park on the other side of the road.

 

The scene of the crime--encountering all the bad news described way above.

 

 Trying to smile, but the smirk is coming through.

 

So, what does one do when you're given a pile of rotten lemons? Well, if you're in London, you go back to the beautiful park you just passed--St. James Park--and make the best of it. And was there ever a lot of "best of it" to make!

 

 

Since I spent so much time on the Royal Mews and W.A. in this post, let's make St. James Park its own post, because once you see it, you'll know how deserving it is.

Day 21 -- 14 May 2013 -- Back in London Town

Wanting to make the most of my last two days in England, I took an early train back to London and arrived a little after 1:00 p.m. I found the taxi stand easily and had him take me across town to my last British hotel, The Rubens. This is where I had stored my other bag a week ago, remember? Although it wasn't nearly as large and grand as Bibury Court in the Cotswolds, it was still luxurious and the service was second to none. My room was small but very well-appointed. The best part is that it was a very short walk to Buckingham Palace; in fact, the address was Buckingham Palace Road. It was so close to the palace that the Royal Mews--or stables--was located just across the street.

The Rubens.

See the two red flags hanging from the poles in the left side of the photo? Those two windows between the poles belong to my room.

 

 

Entrance to the Royal Mews. This is where the horses, royal carriages, and royal cars are kept. Anything that ground transports the royal family is here.

Part of the Royal Mews as seen from my hotel.

Just through that arch are the living quarters for some of the palace staff, located right next to the Royal Mews.

 

Since I couldn't get into my room until around 3:00 p.m., I headed off to the palace to get my first look up-close and personal.

This is the gate I walked through to get to the grounds.

My first view of Buckingham Palace.



 

 Although there is one large, pageant-filled changing of the guard daily, there are mini-ones throughout the day and I managed to catch one below.

 

 





I was blown away by all the gold, and how ornate the gates were with the coat of arms everywhere. Even the lights atop the column are "crowned" with small gold crowns. See the flag flying atop the palace? That means the Queen is in the house.

It was just a few feet beyond these double gates in the middle that the most recent birth announcement for Prince George Alexander Louis was mounted on the golden royal easel. Even though I wasn't there to see it happen, I was thrilled to know that less than two months prior I had been at that very spot.

 

See? I was there!

 

Close-up of the royal coat of arms. That gold really blinds you; I'm not kidding. Maybe a little.

Entryway into the Palace. Maybe the equivalent of our front door?

 

When the queen travels around town in the royal limo--you know, like if she'd want to head over to the Hard Rock Café to chow down on an authentic American burger--the limo would go through these special royal gates and take a royal shortcut through the park. Most of the parks in London have these royal shortcuts.

 

This is Queen Victoria's Fountain that sits in front of the palace.

Side note: Posing man looks like a cross between Jackie Chan and Mark Wahlberg. So difficult to get a photo at a major world tourist attraction without strange posers in there.

I love the artiness of that group of tourists all huddled together with their rainbow of umbrellas.

And even on a cloudy, rainy day, that gold just beams.

 

By this time I had had about all the cold and wet I cared to take for the day. Besides, my stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten lunch. The Rubens had an excellent restaurant that served up a mean American hamburger. I was a happy girl. And by the time I was done eating, my room was ready.

 

I unpacked my bags and decided what to ship home versus carry home (read: what I was too tired to carry back in my suitcases, and exceeding airline weight limits was a concern). Fortunately for me, there was a shipping store just a block down from The Rubens. The rain had stopped by then so I carried the last of my treasures and shipped them off. Eighteen pounds to be exact. And wouldn't you know, there was a small bakery practically next door to my hotel and they carried pain au chocolat. I grabbed one of those and settled in for the evening. My last full day in London would be as busy as I could physically accomplish so a good night's rest was a must. So thankful for the ultra-comfortable bed.

 

 

Day 20 -- 13 May 2013 -- York, England

In honor of full disclosure, this post begins with late afternoon of Day 19 when I arrived in York. Let me first say why I chose to visit this city. My dear friend Judith (you remember her--one of my traveling companions from Paris?) has visited York many times and posted such beautiful photos that I decided early on I just had to put this on my agenda.

York is made up of two parts. The oldest part is enclosed within three separate sections of a true city wall. I say "sections" because parts of the wall became too deteriorated to restore. There are stairs to each section so you can walk on top of the wall, which I did on the section closest to my B&B. The photo below shows the map of York and the sections of the wall.

 

The Groves B&B where I stayed was about a 15-minute walk from the entrance or gate through the wall. The late afternoon I arrived in York, I set out to explore some of the older city within the wall. I always found I needed a good walk after a long train ride. The photo below shows the towering spires of York Minster. Look at the man on the sidewalk and you can see the entrance arch of the wall's "gate" perfectly framed over him. This is one entrance to the city.

 

 This view is from inside the city wall. Notice the sign on the lower left for the "Haunted Walk." More about that later.

 

Just as I walked inside the "gate" and turned back around, imagine my sweet surprise when I spied the Lamb & Lion Inn. Taking these photos was a must to pay homage to my Twilight sisters. After all, if it hadn't been for the books of the Twilight saga, and me meeting these wonderful ladies because of it, I most likely would never have taken this trip. So TwiMoms--HM, Judith, Amanda, Angie P., Gail, Jo, Michelle, Megonann, Angie Y., Deb, and any other TPAMs I may have missed--this is for you.

 

The narrow streets were so cool to a girl who comes from the land of big and spacious and eight-lane interstate highways.

 

Not long after passing through the gate, York Minster rises up. My only regret is that I didn't get any photos of it all lit up at night. As a woman traveling alone, I didn't feel safe staying out by myself after dark.

 

While walking down one of the narrow streets past the Minster I came upon a French restaurant. If I couldn't be in Paris for Mother's Day, this restaurant would be the next best thing, right? Wrong. There is no photo of it because the steak I had was probably one of the worst I've had in my lifetime. No exaggeration. They really should have comped my dinner, but instead they gave me a luxurious chocolate mousse on the house. No exaggeration, the best I've ever had. Well, next in line to the one I ate while dining on the Champs-Elysees. Oh, well. Not every experience can be practically perfect. Happy Mother's Day to me. In York, England.

 

My room at The Groves B&B was quaint, comfortable, and so very quiet. Breakfast the next morning was superb. They had some incredible locally-produced jams that they served and were available for purchase. Still kicking myself for not buying any but you have to realize that my already-heavy suitcase was a bear to haul around. If The Groves had shipped to the States, it would have been no problem. I asked. They didn't. Next time I'm taking an empty suitcase, I'm tellin' ya.

 

After that hearty breakfast I walked the mile back into the city and started to explore. First on my list, the Shambles. York is well-known for the Shambles, which includes these very, very old buildings that are leaning in to one another on an extremely narrow "street," and I use the term loosely. Oh, and there are some neat boutique shops and eateries here, too. Read the sign and it'll give you the historic meaning, then check out the buildings.

Doesn't this look like it's going to fall over on everyone?

More views of the Shambles. I loved shopping on this street!

 

One of the things on my to-do list was to take a Haunted walk tour, but by the time they started in the evening, my feet had had it. So I did the next best thing. After my amble down the Shambles, I toured a "certified" most-haunted house. Uh, yeah. It warranted no photos either because I erased them all. No orbs. Ever. In any of the rooms. No unexplained voices or touches or anything else. Wah wah. Can't blame a ghost-lovin' girl for trying.

 

I headed back to York Minster, figuring that since I hadn't been able to tour Westminster Abbey, maybe this would sate my hunger for ornate houses of worship. The time was nearly 11:20 a.m. The tour began at 11:30 and lasted 90 minutes. Nope. I had to eat first. And then the next tour wasn't until 1:30 p.m. and I wasn't sure my feet would hold out that long. They did have a 60-minute tour that took you to the top of a very high tower (which I had read was totally worth the cost just for the view), but you had to be physically able to climb nearly 300 steps in under 10 minutes. Cricket. Cricket. Hmmm. Maybe after I compete in a marathon, the Iditarod, and an Ironman triathlon, I'll take that tour. In the meantime, here are the few photos I took from just inside the minster.

 

I walked around a bit more and actually laughed out loud when I came upon this place! England's answer to the Dollar Store. Or did Poundland come first? Kinda like the chicken and the egg...

 

I was meeting up with Judith that evening for dinner at a very nice place called Betty's. She would be driving in to York after she finished up teaching. On my way back to the B&B to get some rest before dinner, I came to the Bootham's Bar section of York's wall and decided to take a little walk. But first, I had to climb to the top of the wall.

 

 This is inside the room that sits atop the "gate" or arch. You have to pass through this room first to get to the top of the wall.

 

The section that I walked started at Bootham Bar (as seen in the map at the top left) and past Monk Bar. I didn't go all the way to the end before turning around and walking back since I had to walk down Bootham Road to get to my B&B. This section of the wall afforded some wonderful views of York Minster.

 

Just as I left the room over the arch and my successive walk on top of the wall.

There were different areas like this where you could sit and rest, or just enjoy the scenery.

Everything was so green and lush.

 



Looking down into a private garden from the top of the wall.

 

I loved this view of York Minster! You can discern how the whole building is in the shape of a cross, just like Notre Dame in Paris. Crazy scaffolding again--honestly, I'd love to visit these places without all of that, but it's great to know they're keeping up on restoration.

 

I didn't see this until I had turned around and was on my way back!

 

Coming back to the room at Bootham's Bar. Down to my left was an open area--al fresco dining for the Lamb and Lion Inn. I would have taken a photo, but people were dining and I didn't want to intrude on their privacy.

 

At the top of the stairs, I looked back into the walled city. Isn't it cool how one of the spired towers of York Minster is just peeking through? High Petergate is the name of the street once you're inside the wall.



 

Looking back south down Bootham Road. This is the road I walked every day to get into the city.

 

I didn't take my camera when I met Judith for dinner at Betty's. My mistake. The meal was outstanding and the company even better. We were both just a bit teary when we said our good-byes. The time spent with all of my wonderful British ladies was priceless. Just know that they haven't seen the last of me and I will be going back.

 

After a good night's rest, another delectable breakfast the next morning, and a taxi ride to the train station, it was back to London for me. But that's another post! ;-)