TRIPPING AROUND LONDON AS A TOURIST
Before posting the further chapters on my Munich trip, thought a little comedy relief would be enjoyable - like a trip to London.......
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How often are you the real tourist in a city? One of those who visits every historical or other site? Unless I have someone who doesn’t know a city at all, as was the case in New York with Pierrette and Helena last year, I always seem to have had a reason to go somewhere, which wasn’t touristic. How many times have I been to London? Lived in London? I couldn’t count but now I was off to be a tourist with a very close friend who had visited the city 20 years ago - what had changed?
The hotel I had chosen was central and opposite the Kensington Gardens, then Hyde Park and just a short trot away from Harrods. Apart from food goods, we were not inspired to use our credit cards any further.
The parks though are a pleasure to work through,
to talk to the dugs and the swans,
to relieve my childhood with Peter Pan
and on the way back, we discovered a nice little home for Nicole…..
We would apparently have to be multi-millionaires to do that and from what we saw, there were many around……
The Pubs became a regular evening outing and then there was an Italian restaurant close to the hotel where the food was excellent, not to mention our medical treatments…..one night though 6 Chinese came in and a couple of Europeans were with the group….Iphones seem to be more in use than actual eating or drinking. I felt a little sorry for the person - probably the European - who had invited the group for dinner. How often have you lived a meal when people were on their ‘phones the whole time, or even part of the time. An occupation which is resolutely forbidden in my home.
Then there were all the signs which the Brits are so good out. One I adored as I don’t have to feel odd any more about drinking my cider…..
There were others too…….
Lights in the centre of the city at night are fabulous and as the weather was so good, people were drinking in front of the pubs or as we discovered, a French Wine bar……
Pierrette came up and visited us for a day.
A lovely one too as we ferried our way down to Greenich. Lunch, a wander around before coming back late afternoon.
The final day, we strolled along the embankment to the Globe theatre, like every other tourist. Picking up the « free » make a person smile cards
Looking at the bridges
and the boats
Now of course you are asking what did we see? Well as I asked a very smart young woman and probably an MP if we could visit Westminster Abby, to be told that I was looking at Parliament house and the abby was behind me, made me wake up to the fact (especially seeing the shock on her face) that I didn’t know the major sites at all. OK, Big Ben but I was a little confused about taking the Parliament buildings for Westminster. So I will have to come back, wont I? And be a tourist.
Beware though. The London Pass which we had bought for £184 is to be avoided unless you are going to see a minimum of 4/5 sites a day. As you can see that apart from the Ferry trip and general transport - we didn’t.
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Next time we will go on with the visit to Munich and after that there will be Marseille......
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How often are you the real tourist in a city? One of those who visits every historical or other site? Unless I have someone who doesn’t know a city at all, as was the case in New York with Pierrette and Helena last year, I always seem to have had a reason to go somewhere, which wasn’t touristic. How many times have I been to London? Lived in London? I couldn’t count but now I was off to be a tourist with a very close friend who had visited the city 20 years ago - what had changed?
The hotel I had chosen was central and opposite the Kensington Gardens, then Hyde Park and just a short trot away from Harrods. Apart from food goods, we were not inspired to use our credit cards any further.
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| The Corus Hotel in SW1 |
The parks though are a pleasure to work through,
 |
 |
to talk to the dugs and the swans,
 |
to relieve my childhood with Peter Pan
 |
| Peter Pan |
and on the way back, we discovered a nice little home for Nicole…..
 |
| Lancaster Place |
 |
| Nicole "at home" |
We would apparently have to be multi-millionaires to do that and from what we saw, there were many around……
The Pubs became a regular evening outing and then there was an Italian restaurant close to the hotel where the food was excellent, not to mention our medical treatments…..one night though 6 Chinese came in and a couple of Europeans were with the group….Iphones seem to be more in use than actual eating or drinking. I felt a little sorry for the person - probably the European - who had invited the group for dinner. How often have you lived a meal when people were on their ‘phones the whole time, or even part of the time. An occupation which is resolutely forbidden in my home.
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| A "lateish " pub evening |
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| There are three of them |
Then there were all the signs which the Brits are so good out. One I adored as I don’t have to feel odd any more about drinking my cider…..
There were others too…….
 |
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| The French House |
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| Heading toward the circus |
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| and there we were |
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| about to go up Regent Street |
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| And there was my favorite store |
Pierrette came up and visited us for a day.
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| Greenwich mean time ???? So why didn't the clock work? |
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| Looking back at Greenwich |
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| Lord Nelson's Ship - the largest ever in a bottle |
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| A sailing boat arriving at Tower Bridge |
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| and is let through |
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| The Eye and the Aquarium Building |
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| You know what that is of course..... |
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| The end of a lovely day |
The final day, we strolled along the embankment to the Globe theatre, like every other tourist. Picking up the « free » make a person smile cards
Looking at the bridges
 |
| The pylons were left in place in case their removal meant other bridges fell down |
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| Blackfriars' Bridge |
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| Over Blackfriar's |
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and the boats
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| A view I had never seen of the Modern Tate |
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| The Globe theatre |
Now of course you are asking what did we see? Well as I asked a very smart young woman and probably an MP if we could visit Westminster Abby, to be told that I was looking at Parliament house and the abby was behind me, made me wake up to the fact (especially seeing the shock on her face) that I didn’t know the major sites at all. OK, Big Ben but I was a little confused about taking the Parliament buildings for Westminster. So I will have to come back, wont I? And be a tourist.
 |
| Nelson, I think..... |
Beware though. The London Pass which we had bought for £184 is to be avoided unless you are going to see a minimum of 4/5 sites a day. As you can see that apart from the Ferry trip and general transport - we didn’t.
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Next time we will go on with the visit to Munich and after that there will be Marseille......
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