My Trip Across the Pond

View of our hotel across the Thames

This Trip was the trip I'd been waiting for. The trip about US. The family trip was phenomenal, no complaints and the Loop trip was every bit as awesome. But, this Trip was about doing what we wanted to do and total indulgence. Maybe my hopes were set a little too high (or just unrealistic, as I will note with an asterisk as we go along), but I always look for the silver lining. Even when things were maybe not what we expected, we had a wonderful time and enjoyed every minute of being together and of not making our own bed.

We started with a few days in London. I want to forewarn any Anglophiles out there that you are about to be offended so maybe should stop reading now while we are still friends. I knew we would only be in London a few days, so I tried to limit the things on our to-do list*. If you know me, have traveled with me or have read any previous posts, you know how this turned out. We arrived at 8:30 in the morning, their time (our time was about 2:30 am), and hit the ground running. We took the subway because it was sooo much cheaper than a cab or the train and got off across the Thames from our hotel, just under Big Ben. I have been to a lot of big cities, but let me tell you, I was not prepared for that crowd! Dragging 2 suitcases thru the throngs of STUPID TOURISTS just about did me in! Shoving and pushing and stinking.... Anyway, we dropped our bags off and headed out. I wanted to go to a flea market and again, CROWDS. The pushers and shovers and stinkers apparently headed that way, too. Completely overwhelming. What made it worse...incredible heatwave. Good thing I packed my London Fog trench coat*, huh? We were able to pick up some great ethnic food there and hoped it was a sign of good things to eat while we were in town*.

(As a side note, please remember that thru these crushing crowds, and they were everywhere, and the heatwave, they were doing LOTS of construction on entire subway stations. That meant getting out and trying to find bus routes* but eventually walking about 5 miles total. Also, buses and subways are not air conditioned).

Portobello Market

After beating the crowds and walking forever to find a subway station open, then missing our stop by 2 stations and going back, we headed to Harrod's. Can't go to London without seeing Harrod's, right*? Cue pushing, shoving throngs of people to move into Harrod's. It was like Walmart on tax free weekend!

Eating the only thing we could afford at Harrod's.

Finally made it back to our hotel and crashed around 10 with plans to get up at 9:30 to see the changing of the guard at 11:30*. We got up at 1:00pm. oops. Instead we got a day pass for a double decker bus, boarded with a bunch of pushing, shoving tourists (and actually throwing an elbow at a snotty Italian teenager who tried to push me out of the way) and saw the city.

We saw lots of old stuff, ate lots of fried stuff and pretty much had our fill of London in about as much time as was allotted.

Outside our window

Look familiar? The Templar Church from the DaVinci Code

We were able to squeeze in Stonehenge and Westchester on our transport to the QM2. It cooled off quite a bit and I was as awestruck with Stonehenge as I was under impressed with London. Stonehenge was even kind enough to make in necessary to wear my London Fog trench coat.

The trip took a turn when we got on the ship. More on that later.