Merrie Olde England TR - Part TWO About This Page:

[cindybelle]

Now, I am not a big soup fan, but this one sounded so interesting I just had to order it.

Tom Kha Hed: coconut soup with mushroom, spiced with galangal, lemongrass and roasted chiles.



Oh. My. Goodness. That soup was to the very last drop. I let Rick have a couple spoonfuls, but I had the rest of it. Oh, why am I writing this so close to lunchtime???

Rick got some spicy seafood dish that he really liked:




And I had Phad Med Mamuang Himmapam: Chicken sauteed with cashew nuts, onions, green & red peppers, and roasted chilies. OMG. (You can also get this dish with beef or seafood in it.)




That turned out to be a great place for dinner!

One more good night's

Next up: an ENJOYABLE transatlantic flight home???

[chezp]

I thought of you as soon as I heard about War Horse this morning!

[pamcarey]

How great! I recorded the Tony Awards on my DVR, so I will think of you when I watch about War Horse!

[jennie622]

I'm glad you had two of those cocktails because with all that ice, how were you ever going to properly judge if it was a good drink or not?

Still going gaga over your pictures!

[cindybelle]

Tuesday morning, we checked out as soon as we'd finished our last breakfast in the lovely L'Orangerie of Aster House. Headed to the South Kensington Tube station one last time, this time with our luggage, and took the tube to Heathrow Airport. We had to add a bit onto our Oyster cards because our terminal wasn't included in our weekly pass, but then we got our deposits back when Rick turned in the Oyster cards. Those sure came in handy.

There was a fairly long line to get through Security, with a lot of dogs being led up and down all the rows. We must have looked (and smelled ) OK, because we had no difficulty. At least, not until we got to the machines for our boarding passes. For whatever reason, our machine didn't work properly and so one of the airline reps told us to go up to the desk with our luggage and have the rep there give us the boarding passes.

A very nice gentleman weighed our bags (both under the limit, I'm happy to say -- of course, that meant my carry-on was making a permanent dent in my shoulder )

The gentleman noted where our seats would be located -- back in the "cattle car" section, of course -- and then I said, "Unless you're running a special today closer to the front?"

He replied, "Well, let me see what I can do" and then he got on the phone. First he offered us First Class tickets for some exorbitant amount -- I can't remember the amount, but it made me gasp, and so we politely declined. Then he offered us Business Class for the U.S. equivalent of $400 apiece. Rick looked at me and I looked at him and said, "We could just pretend this is one more adventure of our trip!" And RICK AGREED.

We'd never flown Business Class before but are SO glad we did. It was about 11:00 a.m. after we got through security, and of course we made a bee-line for the Business Class Lounge and started eating and drinking as if we'd been on a desert island for about a week.

I should have taken photos of all the food and drink they had, but I was trying to act nonchalant, like we traveled Business Class all the time. I mean rahhhhhly dahling, we do!







It was a shame our flight wasn't delayed, because we could have enjoyed a few hours in that enormous lounge. But we had to scoot to make it to our plane.

We no longer had window seats, but the very nice woman to my left was very helpful in figuring out all the buttons and leg rests etc. She was from Hawaii and was now headed home -- and she'd just gone to London for 4 days. And yes, it did occur to me that she might be slightly but she didn't really seem strange except for that, so who am I to cast stones?

Of course, we had dressed comfortably and I didn't have on a smidgen of makeup, figuring we'd be in the cattle car and incognito, but I had to get a photo of me enjoying the complimentary pre-flight champagne, right? I mean, didn't I?

So I put on my and said, "Take my picture, dahling!" Which Rick did.




So we both had two glasses of champagne, and then started drinking chardonnay, and of course we each had our own controls for EVERYTHING -- reading light, up-down-out for our leg rests, etc. plus we were each given eye shades, pillow, soft comforters -- and since I had the center seat, I could always get a beverage refill from whichever side a flight attendant happened to be walking up. The galley was behind us, so there was always an attendant handy, ready to top off my glass.

After takeoff, Rick started watching some stupid action movie. What did I watch? Oh dahling, do you have to ASK?



Every time they served us anything, we received actual "tablecloths" for our trays that came out of our armrests, and real silver, and the food was delicious, not the slop we would have gotten in the back. Oh dahling, it was divine!

Rick slept a tiny bit, but really neither one of us wanted to miss a minute. That flight was so much fun, we couldn't believe it. (But no, we will not be purchasing Business Class in advance -- no way would we pay those rates -- but we'll certainly always inquire before a long flight, when they're trying to make a few more bucks. )

And as I lay there in my comfortable reclining seat with my feet up and my comforter around me as I guzzled more white wine, did I catch the irony of watching Wall-E, with its depiction of humans in the future losing the ability to stand and walk because they've gotten so lazy and pampered? Yes, but I didn't let it bother me!

So, did Wall-E and Eve go off into the sunset? What do YOU think? And since we had time to watch 3 movies before landing at Washington-Dulles, I noticed Rick enjoying Wall-E a bit later in the flight. (Of course I didn't call him on it -- he would have denied it all. )

[chezp]

Oh my goodness, what an amazing flight home! Congrats on that upgrade for a great price!

[lauriep]

Your last dinner in London looks wonderful. I love Thai food! Business class, eh? Now, that's the way to travel (not that I would know!).

[Colexis Mom]

Great updates from your last day! Congrats on upgrading to business class!

[cindybelle]

And now back to practical matters: what did we spend (in U.S. dollars) for this trip and how does that compare to our September 2009 trip to Italy?

We spent $3600 per person for the 10-day trip. That includes:

• $1046 per person for round trip air fare St. Louis-London
• $400 per person for that Business Class upgrade on the return
• $240 per person for our 3-night stay at the Marlborough House in Bath
• $768 per person for our 6-night stay at the Aster House in London
• $44 per person for Mad Max afternoon tour of Stonehenge & Lacock (including our tip)
• $60 per person for Mad Max all-day tour of the Cotswolds (including our tip)
• $52 per person for London Travelcards (Oyster cards), but I think we each received about $8 back which was considered a deposit
• $90 per person for our round trip train travel between London-Bath
• $29 per person for initial Tube ride from Heathrow to Paddington Station so we could catch the train to Bath
• $19 per person for Roman Baths tour (self-guided audiotour)
• $10 per person for Bath Abbey guided tour (includes bell tower and roof)
• $30 per person for London Eye
• $29 per person for Tower of London (self-guided audiotour and live Beefeater tour)
• $25 per person for Westminster Abbey. (Wow -- we should have stayed longer. And they should let you take for that steep price.)
• $25 per person for Churchill War Rooms (Wow -- I'm not sure it was worth that much.)
• $14 per person for round-trip train London-Windsor
• $26 per person for admission to Windsor Castle (self-guided audiotour)
• Plus lunches & dinners & snacks. (I did not include the $288 I spent on our two tickets for "War Horse" since that was my treat -- and we could have paid less in person at the box office, but I wanted amazing seats -- and we got them. . . . for a price. )

Now, granted our Italy trip was a year-and-a-half ago, but we spent just under $1,000 on air fare for that. We stayed in Italy one more day than we had in Great Britain. And our total per-person cost for Italy was $2800.
We knew Great Britain would be more expensive than Italy, so we were prepared. But I definitely brought home fewer souvenirs as a result. (Cheryl, be sure you tell Mark that -- I know he thinks I handed over 40 pounds to every vendor I met but I did not )


So what about "Britain from the Air?" Since we sat in the middle coming home, we'll simply pretend that these "photos of photos" were actually taken by me as I looked out the window. I actually purchased these cards in Bath and last night took photos of them.


Look -- I could see all the way to Bath! Actually, I think the Marlborough House is just off the bottom edge of this photo -- you see the pinkish row of townhouses in the bottom center? Well, the Marlborough House is at the far end of those, so just a door or two further than you see in the picture.



"The ancient city of Bath, situated along the banks of the River Avon in the south west of England has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The hot spring was highly venerated by the Celts and Ancient Britons, and when the Romans arrived, they dedicated the site to the Roman goddess Minerva, calling the city Aquae Sulis after the Celtic goddess Sulis. The world-famous baths and temple date from the first to the fourth century, and complete with their 2,000-year-old plumbing, the hot water spring still flows through the remains. In 1590, Queen Elizabeth I granted Bath city status by Royal Charter and during Georgian times, it gained reputation as a spa resort; resulting in the construction of many magnificent public and private buildings made from Bath stone, including the famous Bath House. Two iconic terraces built in this period are "The Circus", which was influenced by the Colosseum in Rome and the Royal Crescent as seen in the photograph. Over a million tourists visit Bath and it is one of the UK's top five tourist attractions."




While you're looking at Bath from the air, here's another interesting thing from the Cotswolds. While on our all-day tour, we saw these white markings up on a hill in the distance while our driver/guide explained it. Here's a much better view of the thing:



"The famous White Horse at Uffington in Oxfordshire has been the subject of debate for many years. Why it was created remains a mystery. Theories range from it being a signal for extraterrestrials to a depiction of a dragon that Saint George is said to have slain nearby. However the most popular theory is that it was dedicated to the Celtic Goddess Epona who was often depicted with the features of a horse. When recent tests on soil samples at the base of the trenches were completed, it was proven to be around 3000 years old which dates it to late Bronze Age. It is 111m (365 ft) long and was carved into the hillside close to the Iron Age hill fort called Uffington Castle. The shape itself was carved and then backfilled with chalk blocks and has changed very little since it was constructed. The Uffington White Horse is one of many that exist or are known to have existed in Britain, thirteen of which are just across the county border in Wiltshire. The site is now maintained by English Heritage."

Pretty isn't it? And in keeping with our "War Horse" theme.

Up next: London from the Air

:craz y:

[cubfancolleen]

How awesome to go business class home! I've been able to do that a couple times, and your next 'cattle call' flight will seem SO undignified!
Great pictures from the air - I'd never heard of the White Horse, but it's pretty cool! Great trip, Cindy!

[cindybelle]

But wait -- I forgot to show you this "hidden raven" which I noticed only on our final Tube trip to Heathrow -- right in the pavement:



And since I don't want Cheryl and Mark to get angry with me, please note that no ravens were harmed in the making of this trip report.






OK, now back to photos of the cards I purchased over there, along with the descriptions on the back. But we can pretend I took them from the plane if you'd like.



"London is one of the most vibrant and culturally diverse capital cities in the world. It is the biggest city in the UK and Europe, occupying an area of 998 sq km (383 sq miles) with a population of over 7 million people. Running through the centre is the River Thames as it winds its way to the sea. On the left hand side of this photograph is the South Bank, the cultural area beside the River Thames where the famed National Theatre, Hayward Gallery, the recently refurbished Festival Hall and the British Film Institute are sited. Beyond that is Jubilee Gardens and the most recent landmark, the London Eye which was constructed to celebrate the Millennium in 2000. On the north bank of the river, the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben are lit and in the distance is The Mall, leading to Buckingham Palace. Each New Year, crowds gather on the banks of the river as the sky is lit up with a fantastic firework display. London is to be the host city for the 2012 Olympics with plans to be the first 'sustainable' Games, setting new standards for major events."






"Originally, London Bridge was the only crossing over the Thames but as the city grew, more bridges were built but to the west of London Bridge. During the 19th century, the east end was developing into a busy port and journeys for pedestrians and vehicles were becoming very difficult with long delays. After much pressure, the City of London Corporation agreed to the building of a new bridge. Tower Bridge was completed in 1894, after eight years of construction using 5 major contractors and 432 construction workers. Two huge piers were sunk into the river bed, and over 11,000 tons of steel were used to create the framework for the Towers and Walkways. Cornish granite and Portland stone were then used to complete the bridge. Tower Bridge is the only London Bridge to be able to be raised and is called a bascule bridge (French for 'see-saw'). Enormous hydraulic pumping engines used steam to raise the bridge to a maximum of 86 degrees in about a minute and today the bascules are still operated by hydraulic power but now use oil and electricity."






"Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since Queen Victoria moved there in July 1837 and is one of the only working palaces in the world. It was originally a town house owned by the Duke of Buckingham but in 1761 King George III bought it for his wife Queen Charlotte to use as a family home close to St. James's Palace. It was here where 14 of George III's children were born. When George IV ascended to the throne in 1820, he, with the help of architect John Nash, transformed the house into a palace at a cost of 450,000 pounds (about $720,000 U.S.). Many of the rooms in the palace still remain virtually unchanged since that time. Although in use for many official events and receptions, some areas of Buckingham Palace are open to visitors."




Dear , I hope you've enjoyed my Trip Report. I'll be happy to answer your questions.

I think we spent the right number of days in Bath (3) and in London (6). Both Rick and I are absolutely delighted with all we experienced there. If this TR has "whet your whistle" to go to London and Bath, I'm glad. Start saving and planning, and you can have a wonderful time there. We certainly did!


And again for all your with the pixies. They worked!

[Colexis Mom]

Great finish Cindy! Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us!

[lauriep]

Very enjoyable report!

[mojjo]

Great TR. When I was in college I did study abroad in London and lived on Great Portland Street not far from the tube stop. Your photos brought back a lot of memories. I'm so glad you had a good time.

[DrDolphin]

Very wonderful trip report!!!