England
The Holiday Itinerary
We visited England (and Portugal) for approximately 3 weeks in May 2014. We split our time in London with stays in Pucklechurch in Bristol and Porto in Portugal. Our Itinerary was follows:
- Fly into London
- 1 night in London
- 4 nights in Pucklechurch
- 6 nights in London
- 6 nights in Portugal
- 3 nights in London
- Fly home from London
England Travel Journal
May 6
Day 1 - Woo Hoo, Here We Go - On Business Class
We are flying to London for a 3 week holiday that is very equestrian focused. We plan to watch the 4 star Badminton Horse Trials. This 3 Day Event is probably the premier Horse Trials Event in the world. After that we will spend some time in London, followed by a one week stay at ‘Hippikos’, a Riding Academy in Porto, Portugal. We finish with a few more days in London and then home.
We are waiting at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne. We are in the Cathy Pacific Business Class lounge – such a nice way to wait for your flight to depart.
We depart at 2:20pm for the 9.5 hour flight to Hong Kong. We enjoy the service and all that Business Class has to offer. It’s a nice uneventful trip and we touch down in Hong Kong on time.
We change planes and airlines to British Airways for the second flight to London (Heathrow Airport). This flight is 12.5 hours and with the ability to have your seat lie flat, it is possible for me to get some sleep on the flight to London. We flew in an A380 with BA and the seat configuration is really strange and not very well set out at all. It is not very private at all for a couple travelling together. The flight is not full and we have the opportunity to move seats to a more private 2 person configuration. Cathay does Business Class far better. I wouldn’t want to fly under these circumstances with BA again. Otherwise BA service is good and we have no other problems.
May 7
Day 2 - Finally in London
We arrive at Heathrow airport at 5am London time. It’s a long way and a long time since we left Melbourne. We get through passport control, get our luggage and then go through customs. There is absolutely no-one there, so we are free to continue on our journey into London. It has been a long time in our clothes and we are feeling very ‘grimy’. As part of our Business Class tickets we are able to go to the BA lounge and take showers, have breakfast and refresh ourselves before we head into London itself. This is great as we don’t feel too tired, and after the shower we feel almost human again!
We catch the train from the airport to Kings Cross Station. The trip takes about an hour. We get off the train at King’s Cross Station and take the 10 minute walk to our service apartments (Studios2Let) in Cartwright Gardens, Bloomsbury. As we have arrived very early our room is not yet ready so we drop our luggage off and head towards the nearby British Museum. It’s still early and the museum is not yet open so we stop at the Starbucks across the road and have tea and coffee. We also use their free wifi to catch up on news.
The Museum is very large and we don’t see all the displays. We do see some ancient Egyptian, Roman and English displays. We also see the historic Rosetta Stone. It’s a great museum with so much to see. The museum is obviously very popular and becomes quite crowded within a very short time.
It is late morning now and we leave the Museum and continue wandering the neighbourhood. We stop at food place called ‘Pods’ for an early lunch. This is an interesting café that sells a large selection of healthy meals, all packaged up very attractively. The food is really good.
In the early afternoon we continue wandering exploring the local streets before we make our way back to our apartment. It is now ready so we go to the apartment. It is studio apartment with bed kitchenette and small bathroom. It’s small but clean and in good condition. It also has free wifi so that’s good as well.
After a quiet afternoon in our apartment, catching up on news we go out for a walk and find an Italian restaurant for dinner. The food is nice and washed down with a pint of beer – gotta love the English beer by the pint. After dinner we head back to the apartment for an early night. It’s been a long day.
It’s been a good day, saw some well-known sites and the feel of London is very good – I think we are going to have a great holiday.
May 8
May 8 - Day 3 - Road Trip To Badminton
Today we collect our hire car and drive to Badminton where we will stay for 4 nights at a B&B in Pucklechurch, which is near Bristol and about 10 miles from Badminton where the Horse Trials are taking place.
We are up early, grab some breakfast at Starbucks and then head over to Europcar to collect our near new red manual VW Diesel Golf. Donna is driving as she has had the most manual driving experience between the two of us. We collect the car and drive back to our accommodation to pick up our luggage. Unfortunately our apartment is located just inside the ‘congestion zone’ which means we need to pay £10 to enter the congestion zone – even though it is only for a few minutes and only on the fringe of the zone.
After checking out and collecting our luggage we head west out of London. On our way to Pucklechurch we plan to visit Stonehenge and Bath.
First stop will be Stonehenge. Traffic getting out of London is fairly congested and so it takes us about 2 hours to get to Stonehenge. The weather is unfortunately cold and raining intermittently . We arrive at the visitor centre in Stonehenge and to get to the actual site you need to get on a visitor shuttle which transports you top the site. Audio guides are provided as part of our entry fee to allow a self guided tour of the site. The site is very green and grassy. The site is roped off and has to be viewed from a distance. Some sections are close to the rope while other sections are further away as you walk the perimeter of the Stonehenge site.
The site is really interesting and not too crowded – just pity about the weather. Stonehenge is near an army training ground as we see a tank driving down the main road that goes past the Stonehenge site. We spend 1-2 hours at the site and get some souvenirs before we head off.
Next we travel to Bath. The roads to Bath are very narrow but very picturesque. The countryside is lush and green. It’s really beautiful. Bath is very impressive, the buildings are old and full of character. We wander the streets of Bath and find a café for lunch.
We stop at the Bath Abbey which is a beautiful old church located in the centre of town, just next to the Roman Baths. It has beautiful architecture and a very imposing grand wooden door at the entrance.
After lunch we find the Roman Baths Site and head inside. The Roman Baths site provides audio guides to take you through the site. The Baths are built over hot springs which still flow today, however this site is now just for tourists. This site no longer operates as a Bath house. The Baths date back to the Roman Empire in this part of England (as the name suggests).
The central area is one large pool that fills from the hot springs. Steam is rising from the pool at times given it is a cool day. Inside the building is a cold water pool where people would go after they had been to the hot pool.
Before we leave Bath, we head towards ‘The Circus’, which is a semi-circle row of beautiful homes in a circular row.
Bath is a really pretty town and I would have liked to spend more time here. Unfortunately, both the weather and time are against us – so we need to head off to find our accommodation for the next 4 nights.
The GPS does not let us down and we find our accommodation, ‘Orchard Cottage’ in Pucklechurch. The drive from Bath takes about 30 minutes through really nice scenery. Our accommodation is a 2 storey B&B – with a living area downstairs and Bedroom and bathroom upstairs. It really nice and we are happy to have arrived and very happy with our accommodation.
That evening we walk into the local town and stop at a local pub called the ‘Fleur de Lis’. Dinner is washed down with pints of beers. The food is very good and when done we are happy to wander back to our accommodation to catch up with news and family and the call it a night.
Today was great – we saw 2 very historic and well known attractions. Additionally, the country side of England is old but very beautiful. Very different to the vast empty spaces back home.
May 9
Day 4 - The Horse Trials Begin
Today we go to Badminton for the first day of the 3 day Horse Trial Event. Today is the Dressage Competition.
We woke up early and had breakfast about 7:30am. Our hosts are a nice couple, who are friendly and chatty and bring breakfast in to us.
After breakfast we drive to Badminton. I drive this morning as the roads are more quiet than London and although a little rusty with a manual, it’s a bit like falling off a horse, you just need to get back behind the wheel and do it. After a few minutes, it starts to feel a little more natural. I have to say the VW Golf Diesel manual is really easy to drive and really nice car.
We arrive at the carpark at Badminton around 9am. The car park is reasonable distance from where the main events are taking place and the ‘tent city’ stores.
Near the carpark there is a tractor pulling trains / trailors to the event so we climb on and get driven over to the main area.
Although it is termed a 3 day event, it is actually taking place over 4 days. The Dressage tests are scheduled over 2 days and we have arrived on Day 2 of the dressage tests.
During the day we went into the visitor stands to watch some of the Dressage tests.
We also spent some time looking in the trade stalls in the ‘tent city’. Donna is always on the lookout for more horse gear. Lunch consisted of these delicious pork and apple sauce rolls. The Event is really well catered.
The grounds at Badminton are vast and magnificent. They are incredible well maintained and there does not appear to a weed anywhere – or it certainly seems that way.
The landscape is very green and lush. The trees are big and well established. The ground is soft and spongy underfoot, though it has been raining. The land is gently undulating. This is a wonderful setting and venue for the Cross Country competition.
The mansion at Badminton is very large and grand. Just as you would expect an English mansion to be.
We walked the Cross Country course upon which the Cross Country competition would be held tomorrow. The jumps are huge! I pity the horses having to get over these. We walk several kilometres throughout the day. It’s a cold wet day. Spring in England feels like winter back home!
We leave in the afternoon before the end of the dressage competition to avoid the traffic. There are a lot of people (tens of thousands) that attend this event each day.
On the way back to our B&B we takes some detours to see some of the countryside and nearby towns. We drive via Chipping Sodbury for a visit. The town is small and very quaint with beautiful old shops and building, some of them are 600 years old.
We then finally make our way back to our accommodation for a break.
In the early evening we walk 10 minutes into the Pucklechurch main streets and go to the ‘Rose and Crown’ for dinner. This is a pub with a restaurant / bistro. The building is very old and the ceilings at the entrance very low. The pub meals are good and again washed down with pints of beer.
After a leisurely dinner we walk back to our accommodation for the evening.
It has been a good day although a very cold day. It’s a good thing we packed some warm clothing and rain jackets. We walked a lot today and loved the openness and grandeur of Badminton.
I hope the weather warms up tomorrow!!
May 10
Day 5 - Cross Country Day
Today will be similar to yesterday – we go to Badminton to look at the Horse Trials. It Cross Country day so will be a really interesting day.
We are up early and have breakfast at 7:30am. We leave for Badminton by 8:30am and the 10 mile drive takes nearly an hour. Being a Saturday, there is obviously a lot more people attending the Badminton event and the traffic is very heavy, at times barely moving. On arrival, the ground is very wet and muddy and the wind is very cold. Another beautiful spring day in England!!
The 4 star Cross Country competition does not start until 12 noon so we cruise the shops for a short while. Most of the horse gear is quite expensive, at least more expensive for the same gear at home. The Dunbarry store has nice boot, very expensive, but they do have free champagne – it’s after midday somewhere in the world – so it’s OK to have some now. It’s a cold wet day and with it raining intermittently, people crowd inside the shops to get out of the chilly weather.
At 11am, the Shetland Pony Grand Steeplechase is scheduled to occur, so we head into the grandstand to watch, along with everyone else. Even under cover the cold wind and rain still blow in. The Shetland steeplechase is quite cute and fun with the young jockeys dressed in racing silks.
The Cross Country event begins and ends in the grandstand arena, so we watch the first few riders start. Action is initially slow as there is about a 10 minute gap between riders. Next we head out to the Cross Country course beginning at the starting jumps and making our way progressively along each jump in order. The crowds are thick along the course particularly near any jump. Some jumps, mainly the water jumps, have stand seating erected near them. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to get a close spot to a jump. The ground along the course is muddy or flattened grass from all the people walking on it.
At jump 20 we head back to the trade stands and Donna buys a Badminton hoody, a polo shirt, a riding rain coat and a faux fur head band. The head bands are definitely in fashion this year at Badminton. So many ladies are wearing them. We check the scores, and only a third of the riders who have started to date have finished. The other two thirds have been eliminated or retired. It’s a brutal cross country course this year.
We head back to the arena to watch the riders start and finish again. There is a large screen in the stadium showing the riders on course. The picture could be better however.
To try and avoid some of the crowds we leave before the finish of the Cross Country competition. On the way back to our accommodation we stop at Chipping Sodbury pub for dinner. After a beer each we go into the restaurant area. Donna had pork belly while I had Chicken Tikka. Everything was very good. After dinner we went back to our B&B for the evening.
It was a good day today, seeing some of the 4 start cross country jumps and actually seeing how difficult they are close up. It would just be good if the rain would stop and some warmer weather arrived!!
May 11
Day 6 - Showjumping Day
Today is the final day of the Badminton 3 Day Event. Today is the Show jumping competition, so we see who finally wins the event.
We are up early again for ready for breakfast at 7:30am. We leave about 8:30am for Badminton.
When we arrive the paths are quite muddy due to the wet weather and the thousands and thousands of people who have attended the event. As a result we get a lift into the main area via the tractor transporting people in the carriages.
The show jumping begins at 11:30am for the lower placed riders. So we head to the trade stalls to go shopping! There are still some stalls that Donna has not seen yet.
As it has been quite cold and wet, the grounds in the trade area are very muddy with the thousands of people who have walk through this area. The doesn’t slow Donna down however. Donna bought a pair of long leather work boots and puts them on straight away. They are good for this muddy area.
The stalls area also has a feed section and there are some fantatsic cakes and other treats for sale - very tempting!
Prior to 11:30am we head back to the main arena. We have purchased separate tickets for seating for the show jumping. Unfortunately, we are not undercover, however it doesn’t rain.
When the 4 star event begins we watch the first group of riders competing. We see 12 riders compete with lots of rails falling – it’s a tough course. Australian rider Wendy Shaeffer is the only rider to go clear, however she gets 3 time penalty points. Wendy subsequently proves to be the only rider who goes clear all day.
When this group of jumping is finished, there is a break before the next group jump, so we decide to walk some of the Cross Country again, starting at the last jump this time. Given the cold wet weather, the ground on the course is still in very good condition, but gets more dug up as we head towards the start.
We stop on our walk for a pint of beer and scampi for lunch and are really nice.
We continue walking the Cross Country jumps and return to the main arena at about 2pm.
The stands are beginning to fill and a band plays. The dignitaries arrive in 4WDs and at 2:30pm there is a competitor parade. These are all the riders who have completed the Cross Country course. 32 riders, including the 12 who completed their show jumping earlier in the day. All that remains is the top 20 to complete their show jumping to determine the winner of this year’s event. The rider in first place is Paul Tapner from Australia.
None of the riders go clear and the placings change considerably. Paul Tapner goes in last, but has 4 rails down and drops to 4th place.
Fortunately, Australian Sam Griffiths moves up to 1st place. 2nd place goes to Oliver Townend (GBR) and 3rd place to Harry Mead (GBR).
The presentations are preceded by a Hounds & Hunting display as the arena fills with riders and their hunting dogs and they ride around the arena.
When the mounted competitors return for presentations, the Australian National Anthem is played and 1st place presentation goes to Sam Griffiths.
When the ceremony is over we head back amongst the crowds to the car. The drive back to our B&B is busy and takes about an hour. We have tuned in our car radio to ‘Badminton Radio’ which is interviewing the riders during our drive back.
We take a break back at our B&B before walking to the ‘Rose & Crown’ for dinner. Once again the food is good. After dinner we head back for the evening
This is our last day in Badminton and although we had cold and at times wet weather, it has been good to see one of the major 4 star events in the world. Badminton is a beautiful property and the event was great. I hope we come back some time and also hope we get some nice spring weather next time.
May 12
Day 7 - Back To London
Today we head back to London for a week before going to Porto in Portugal.
After breakfast we pack up and say goodbye to Pucklechurch. We get into our Red VW Golf and head for London. I drive as I have been for the last few days. This car is really easy to drive and I feel comfortable driving a manual again.
On the way back we stop at Reading. This is a large city with what seems to be a complicated one-way road system.
We follow the GPS and make our way to Forbury Park and the nearby Abbey Ruins. The park is small but very pretty and it’s a nice spring day so the sun is out.
We find some nearby meter parking and walk around the park taking a few photos.
We find the nearby Abbey Ruins, built in 1121. They are close to the public due to safety concerns, however the remaining Abbey walls are visible.
Next to the park and Abbey are residential apartment building and some other public buildings.
There is also an old church nearby. We head over to the church and find a rundown cemetery next to the very old looking church building.
We wander through the cemetery and look at the tombstones. Most of them are unreadable. Those that can be read appear to be dated in the early 1800’s. The grass and garden in the cemetery is long and overgrown.
Nearby is the Avon river and we take a brief stroll down to the river to have a look. There are a few boats moored and it’s a very pretty scene.
We return to our car and continue the journey to London. The traffic is much better than when we left London and moves at a good pace. Finding a petrol station is a challenge however we locate one and fill the car with diesel. The tank is just under half full. The only time we have needed to fill up for the entire trip! We return to our apartment to drop off our luggage, going through the congestion zone again, and return the car.
Our accommodation is again “Studios2Let” in Cartwright Gardens, Bloomsbury.
We go out for a walk a little later and find the nearby supermarket for some grocery items. We also stop at the nearby station for an ‘Oyster Card’ as we will be using the London underground quite a lot over the next week.
That evening we have dinner at a nearby pub called the ‘Skinners Arms’. The meal is really good and the pints of beer as well. After dinner we wander the neighbourhood a little and then return to our apartment for the evening.
It’s great to be back in London. It has such a good feel to the city and particularly where we are staying in Bloomsbury. There are some great pubs nearby and we look forward to visiting them over the coming days.
May 13
Day 8 - I Spy With My London Eye
Today we will be heading into central London to see the sites.
We catch the underground from King’s Cross Station and head to Westminster Abbey.
On the way we stop at Westminster Cathedral first which is a catholic church. Admission into the church is free. The church is beautiful and ornate inside. The ceiling is stunning. Photos are allowed and we take some.
Up the road is Westminster Abbey and we walk there after the Cathedral.
Fortunately the line to get inside is short. It costs £18 each to get inside the Abbey. This does include a free audio guide to allow a self guided tour around the Abbey. The church is beautiful with many tombs inside. Photos are prohibited, unfortunately. The main altar area is surprising small. This is the church where Prince William and Kate Middleton were married. There are many rooms leading off the main area. Some have altars, others contain tombs, plaques, statues and monuments.
Further on there are working offices, gardens and staff accommodation.
We spend at least 2 hours exploring this site we are able to take some photos in the outer areas.
We grab a quick lunch with a ‘Meal Deal’ from Tesco – sandwich, chocolate bar and drink. Good enough.
After lunch we head towards the London Eye. However first we walk to Big Ben and the houses of Parliament. They are located beside the Thames River, just near the London Eye. We stop and take photos of this iconic attraction.
Once we are done we walk the short distance to the London Eye. We pass by the London Aquarium to get to the London Eye. The Aquarium is located in a really beautiful building. We don’t go inside.
At the visitor centre, we buy a multi-site pass which includes the London Eye, a Thames river cruise and the London Dungeon.
We are in luck as the line to get on the London Eye is short, so we get on very quickly. The full rotation on the London Eye takes about 30 minutes. The view of London is fantastic.
As the Eye in next to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, you get some spectacular views of these well-known sites right next to the Thames.
Each pod on the London Eye ride only has about 10-12 people, so they are very roomy and you are able to wander freely to get the 360 degree views of London. It is really worthwhile.
After the Eye we go to the nearby dock for the Thames River Boat cruise. Initially we start on the open air top deck, however it soon begins to drizzle, so we head down to the lower deck. The boat is roomy and less than ½ full, so finding a good window seat presents no problems. The cruise takes about 1 hour and the commentary is informative and entertaining. It’s a nice trip.
After the cruise, we go back to the Visitor Centre to view the ‘London Eye 4D experience’. This is a short 5 minute movie/video and we are given 3D glasses to watch the movie. It a good video of London.
The London Dungeon is next door and we get there about 4pm. It is still raining. In the Dungeon, we are taken through in small groups by different actors. They recreate various gory and macabre historical events including ‘Jack the Ripper’, the Justice System and hangings. At the end we go on a ride that features a hanging. This involves a sudden fall!
We catch the underground back from Waterloo Station to Euston Station. On the way back we stop at ‘Mabel’s Tavern’ for beer and burgers for dinner. The food is nothing special but OK. The venue is nice, both warm and comfortable. The décor is typical English pub and it’s crowded.
After dinner we return to our apartment for the evening.
May 14
Day 9 - The Crown Jewels
We are planning to see some more well-known and historical sites today. We hope to see the Tower of London and St.Paul’s Cathedral
We set off at about 8am and head to the underground to catch the train to the Tower of London. Entry is £20 each and we also hire audio guides for a self-guided tour.
We start our exploration in the dungeons where the torture rack and other torture instruments are displayed. I wouldn’t want any of those used on me – very barbaric. Nearby is the Traitor’s Gate which was used to bring in the prisoners by boat. This section is part of the Medieval Palace and also entrance to the wall walks. Within this Palace section, there is also a King’s residence and a boat entry as part of the building.
We make our way to the Waterloo Block. It is here that the Crown Jewels are located. Donna is really looking forward to seeing the jewels.
Inside the building there are pictures and displays. To see the jewels you need to go through the heavy metal vault doors into the vault where the actual jewels are displayed. Inside is the most dazzling display of crowns, rings, swords encrusted with diamonds, rubies, & sapphires.
The ‘Star of Africa’ diamond is in the sceptre on display. The diamond is the size of a matchbox, perhaps larger, although it is tear-drop shaped. The Coronation robes and rings are also on display. There are dozens of gold platters, bowls, plates and serving dishes. There is also a huge gold punchbowl.
It is stunning to see such an enormous collection of ‘priceless’ jewels. We walk through twice to absorb the beauty of it all.
Once we leave the Crown Jewels, we have an early lunch at the New Armouries restaurant within the Tower of London grounds.
After lunch we head across to visit the ‘White Tower’. Inside we find a large display of armour for knights and their horses. It is also the armory and there are many different types of weapons, used over the centuries, on display. The display includes canons, guns & swords. At one point in time this building also held public records and some still remain.
A guided tour was ready to go near the White Tower, so we join and followed the guide into the chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula.
Here was the burial site for many of the beheaded traitors. It is here that two of King Henry VIII’s wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, were executed and buried under the church altar.
After exploring further we depart from the Tower of London grounds and walk outside along the Thames to the nearby Tower Bridge.
This spectacular looking bridge was built in 1894 and used steam pumps to raise and lower it’s two halves.
We then walked back past the Tower of London and up to Tower Hill. Here the majority of beheadings were done for the public.
We head into Tower Hill underground station and take the train to Monument Station. Nearby is a very tall stone monument marking the Great Fires of London in 1666.
Before returning to the underground, we walked to the London Bridge which is the oldest bridge in London. As bridges go it is very famous but very unremarkable.
Back on the train we went to St. Paul’s Cathedral. By this time, it is nearly 4pm and too late to enter and have a good amount of time to explore, so we walk around the building and take photos.
Next stop after another underground ride is Harrods. This department store is huge and spread over several levels. It is decorated beautifully inside and each section seems to have a theme. The prices are excessive as well. We wander through the food sections, wine, jewellery (of course), watches and perfumes, to name just a few.
Another train ride and short walk and we are back at our apartment. That evening we have dinner at a local restaurant.
May 15
Day 10 - A Royal Visit
Today will be another busy day out and about in London. We plan to see a few sites today. Top of the list will be Buckingham Palace and the National Gallery.
We get to the underground station about 8:45am. It is peak hour and for the first time we need to wait for a few trains to come before we get on. As we are not rushing off to work, this is no problem for us.
First stop is Marble Arch. This arch was built for the entrance to Buckingham Palace but was relocated around 1850 when the palace underwent construction to increase it’s size. Three small rooms inside the arch were used as a police station from 1851 until 1968.
Nearby is Speaker’s corner. It has no real distinguishing features and sits within the north east corner of Hyde Park.
It is a very unremarkable site that is used for open-air public speaking as well as public debate.
We need to walk through Hyde Park to get to Buckingham Palace. It’s a beautiful sunny day, so it is a great morning for a walk through the park. The lawns of Hyde Park are green and lush. The trees are large and provide good shade. There is a bike path, a walking path and a riding path.
We see some horse riders out for a morning ride along the track as we are walking through the park. We also see a horse and carriage go by as well.
The lake in the middle of Hyde Park has some of the biggest ducks and swans we have ever seen. Around the lake there are boats for hire as well as a swimming area, though no one is swimming while we are there.
From Hyde Park we walk through the Wellington Arch to get to Buckingham Palace.
We arrive at about 10:30am, about 1 hour before the scheduled ‘changing of the guards’ ceremony.
We sit on the steps under the nearby fountain and have a good viewing position. The police on some of the fattest horses we have seen are managing the traffic that goes past the Palace.
The crowd grows quite large by the time the ceremony is ready to commence.
The ceremony involves the guards, dressed in their red coat attire and tall bear skin hats, walking to the Palace grounds with a mounted escort. Once inside the Palace grounds they parade around.
While this is happening an army band play music. Unfortunately, it is not as grand as it sounds. I really wasn’t expecting to see soldiers changing guard to the sound of ‘show tunes’. The whole process really is a bit underwhelming and disappointing.
Once the ceremony is done, the crowd clears and we walk around the side of the Palace to the Souvenir Shop. I buy a tin of tea to take back home!
Further along are the Royal Mews or stables. We buy tickets at £9 each and go inside. We get an audio guide and walk through horse stalls to come to the carriage displays.
We see a range of carriages that have been used in Royal ceremonies in the past. They are all in pristine, sparkling condition and are beautiful.
Next we come to the harness room and also see a royal Rolls Royce on display.
In the final room we come to a large golden wooden carriage with life size model horses and riders. This carriage is used for the coronation ceremonies. It is stunning!
After the Mews we walk back through Hyde Park to the underground. Next stop is Trafalgar Square. Trafalgar Square is a landmark that commemorates the British naval victory at Trafalgar during the Napoleonic wars.
Here in the famous square are fountains, monuments including Nelson's Column as a memorial to Captain Horatio Nelson. Also on display is a large blue rooster!
Also located at Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery. Entrance is free and we go inside. Within the gallery is room after room of paintings.
There are far too many to stop and view each work of art. B The rooms are numbered and colour codes/painted to show the era the painting was done. We see paintings by Rubens, Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Titian, Monet and many others.
Overwhelmed with the artwork we leave the gallery and head to Piccadilly circus which is only one train stop away.
We arrive not knowing what to expect and it could not be more different to the stately National Gallery.
Piccadilly Circus is a busy traffic junction marked by yet another statue and surrounded by old and new buildings. It is lit up by large Neon Signs and visual advertising displays.
We wander the nearby streets and stop for a beer at the St. James Tavern. The souvenir shops are plentiful and we buy some T-shirts and hoodies.
It is early evening now and we walk to nearby China Town where we stop at the Black Bean Chinese Restaurant. There is a lot of choice in China Town. We have more beers and share crispy duck pancakes and beef with satay sauce. Both are really good.
Finally we walk back to the station and head back to our accommodation.
May 16
Day 11 - Walking With Dinosaurs
Today we plan to go back to St. Paul's Cathedral and have a good look inside. We also plan to go an see the Dinosaur exhibits at the Natural History Museum.
First stop today is St. Paul’s Cathedral. We came here the other day but were a little too late to enter, so we decide to come here first today to make sure we have plenty of time to visit the Cathedral. Entry to the Cathedral is £16.50 each and includes an audio guide. The Cathedral is very large. The outside of the Cathedral is imposing, however the inside is just magnificent. The building was rebuilt in 1666 by Sir Christopher Wren and as a result it is a better and layout than Westminster Abbey – which has had numerous additions over the years. The Grand central chamber of the Cathedral is much larger and the Cathedral has an upper gallery and lower crypt. Paintings, carvings and mosaic tiles decorate the building. The ceiling is particularly beautiful. The large dome is the central piece of artwork.
The audio guide provides an interesting insight into the church. Up a narrow staircase is the gallery. It is surrounded by the ‘whispering wall’. It is said that if you speak into the wall on one side of the chamber wall, you can hear the words on the other side of the chamber. With so many people around, it is too noisy to be able to test this out.
From the gallery you can see the dome more closely as well as downwards into the main chamber and church altar. There is also another gallery higher up.
Next we take the stairs down to the basement or crypt. There is another chapel and altar down here. There are also many tombs and stones dedicated to the people buried in the crypt. There is a restaurant and gift shop also located in the basement area.
We leave St. Paul’s and get back on the train to the Borough Market. This market is a food market selling fresh meat and vegetables as well as cooked food. There is everything from Wild boar sausages, goats milk ice-cream, chocolates, cakes, breads, fruits, nuts, herbs etc.
We have lunch here and Donna has fish and chips while I have a scotch egg with sweet potato fries. They are good.
After lunch we head to Oxford Street, one of the main shopping areas. We have a brief look at the H&M department store and a few other stores before deciding to get back on the train and go to the Natural History Museum.
The building housing the museum is old and beautiful. The outside and the Entrance to the building are very grand.
Entry to the museum is free and we go inside.
The museum has a large dinosaur display and there is a large dinosaur skeleton in the entrance.
The museum is huge and we wander through several halls before deciding to return to our accommodation for a break.
After a break we head off for a walk and find somewhere for dinner. We walk toward the ‘West End’ and stop at a busy restaurant called Garfunkels for dinner. The food is nice and after dinner we catch the train back to our accommodation for the evening.
May 17
Day 12 - A Visit To A Movie Location
It should be a more leisurely day today. Only a couple of things planned. First we will go to visit the Portobello market at Notting Hill and then pay a visit to Kensington Palace.
We catch the underground to Notting Hill and get out at Portobello Road. The market runs along Portobello Road. When we arrive it is fairly quiet. We walk along the narrow road that has shops and market stalls on either side of the road.
The market has a wide variety of things for sale. Initially we come across antiques, silver, clocks, furniture, sewing machines, etc.
As we wander further into the market we come across stalls with clothing, vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, artworks, grocery…and cakes & doughnuts. There are lots of different food stalls. You could buy curries, kebabs, paella, Thai food, Cuban food – a wide variety.
We each bought some crepes filled with fruit and cream.
Once we reached the end of the road, we turned around to head back. By this time the crowd had arrived so it was quite slow walking back.
Occasionally the street was blocked by buskers and the crowds watching them.
Before we get to the underground station, near the entrance to the markets, we stop at a pub called the ‘Sun in Splendour’ for a pint of beer. At £4.50, these are the most expensive beers we have had all trip. After our beers, we get onto the train and return to our apartment to stop and unload some of the things we had bought at the market.
After this, we get back on the train and head over to Kensington Palace. From the station we walk through Kensington Park which is lush and green to get to the Palace.
As it is a nice spring day, as well as a weekend, there are a lot of people sitting and picnicking in the park, enjoying the great weather.
Tickets to Kensington Palace cost £16.50 each. There is a section of the Palace open to public viewing. The rest is still used by the Royal family.
The open section is divided into sections being: The Kings’ Chambers, The Queens’ Staterooms, Queen Victoria and the Modern Royals.
On display were furniture, clothing, paintings and belongings to previous royal family members. Unfortunately there was no audio tours or commentary explaining the displays. The Modern Royals display consisted mainly of gowns work by Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and The Queen.
Surrounding the Palace were beautiful gardens some of which were also open to the public for viewing and wandering through.
We spend some time walking through the gardens before deciding to head back to our apartment.
This time we decide to catch a bus back. We boarded a typical double decker bus and managed to get a seat on the top deck.
The trip was a lot slower than the train but the view was worth the extra time.
That evening we head out for dinner and catch the train to Piccadilly Circus. We then take the short walk to China Town. Here we have Crispy Duck pancakes, Deep Fried Chilli Beef, Chicken with Veges & Rice. All washed down with beer. Once again the food is very good.
After dinner we wander a little more around China Town and neighbouring Soho and then head back to our apartment for the evening.
May 18
Day 13 - We Fly To Portugal
This morning we pack and leave our apartment. We are flying to Portugal for one week. We leave an extra suitcase at King's Cross Station for storage, then catch the train to Gatwick airport to catch our TAP airlines flight to Porto in Portugal.
May 24
Day 19 - Return To London From Portugal
We catch out TAP airlines flight from Porto bound for London Gatwick airport. The flight takes about 2 hours.
At Gatwick, we collect out bags and catch the train to St. Pancras Station. This trip takes about 1 hour. When we arrive we collect our extra suitcase from the Kings Cross side of the station and walk the short distance back to our Studios2Let apartment in Bloomsbury.
After checking in to our room, we head out to get some late lunch. Nearby is an Italian restaurant called Balfour. Donna has grilled salmon while I have crumbed chicken, pasta & salad. The food is very nice.
We return to our apartment for a few hours and then in the evening we go out for a walk around the neighbourhood. While out we have a light dinner and then return to our apartment for the evening.
May 25
Day 20 - Walking In The Beatles Footsteps
I’m really looking forward to today. As I am a huge Beatles fan, we plan to pay a visit to Abbey Road.
This morning we are up early, have a light breakfast and catch the train to the Camden Market. The market is huge and spread out over several different areas, including the stables as well as along the river.
There were stalls and shops selling everything from clothes & shoes (both new and vintage), artwork, cakes, handmade jewellery, soaps and lots more. There had to be thousands of people there and it became more crowded as the morning progressed.
We bought a few souvenirs while at the market while I also bought some vintage cowboy boots made from Ostrich skin.
While at the market, we had lunch from the food stalls there.
After getting tired of shopping, we caught the train to St. Johns Wood station and walked over to the famous Abbey Road.
We took photos and video of us crossing the road at the same crossing ‘The Beatles’ used for their Abbey Road album. How cool is that.
Its not particularly crowded at the crossing but there is a steady stream of people all wanting to walk across and take photos. I pity the people who live nearby and need to drive through the intersection. It would be very busy during the day.
Nearby we saw the Abbey Road studios where the album and most of The Beatles albums were recorded. From there we walked a short way to a Beatles souvenir shop where I bought a Beatles T-shirt.
Nearby we saw the Abbey Road studios where the album and most of The Beatles albums were recorded. From there we walked a short way to a Beatles souvenir shop where I bought a Beatles T-shirt.
After returning to the station, we caught the train back to our apartment. A few hours later we went to Islington, as it had been recommended to us by someone we had met on our travels. After walking several blocks to the next station we decided to leave as there really appeared to be nothing much there. Perhaps we were in the wrong area.
With our dinner plans now upset, we get back on the train and head over to Piccadilly Circus station. As per previous visits, it is very busy in Soho. We walked the streets and visited some of the shops. We came across a small market that sold hand made goods. The road was blocked off and there was a band playing at the end of the market area. The streets were full of people and the pubs & bars overflowed with people having a drink. There seemed to be many, many restaurants in the area.
We walked back to China Town and found the restaurant we had first eaten at there – The Black Bean. This time we get a table upstairs and have the banquet for 2 people. It was great food and of course, we also had some pints of beers (what a great English tradition!!).
After walking around Soho a little more we headed to the station nearby which was Leicester Square and return to Kings Cross Station.
Here we walked over to see Platform 9 ¾ of Harry Potter fame. There are a lot of people lining up to get photos done while dressed up in some Harry Potter clothing.
We took a couple of photos and then took the short walk back to our apartment for the evening.
May 26
Day 21 - It's Almost Over!
Well it is finally here, our last full day and tomorrow morning we head to the airport to catch our flight and begin our journey home. It will be so hard going home as this has been a great holiday.
I have been on the lookout for a vintage black leather jacket, and there are so many retro shops in London, that I want to go out exploring some markets to see if I can get one.
We are up early to make the most of our last day and catch the train to Algate Station and walk to Spittlefield market. Only about half the stalls were setup when we arrived so we have some breakfast at ‘The Diner’ which is located within the market area.
By the time breakfast is finished, the stalls are setup, so we wander around the stalls. We don’t buy anything so move on to ‘Brick Lane’. Along the way we stopped and looked at several vintage clothing shops selling a lot of second hand vintage clothing. As we continue walking along Brick Lane, we come to a leather jacket shop where I buy a new ‘non retro’ black leather jacket. We walk on a little further and then went to Liverpool St. station and caught the train back to our apartment.
After a short break to unload our purchases, we head out again. This time we caught the train to London Bridge Station.
From here we walked down to the Thames River and did a tour of the ‘HMS Belfast’. This is a retired warship. We did an audio tour for £15.50 each. The audio tour was a little confusing but nevertheless we had a good look at the warship. We saw the boiler and engine rooms, the torpedos and shells. We also saw the galley, bunks, bathrooms, bridge etc.
When we left the ship, it was raining. We walked towards ‘The Shard’ building and stopped at the ‘Hays Galleria’. This building was converted into a shopping centre with an internal glass roof. This building used to dock the tall ships from India and China.
The Shard is a tall building but we don’t enter as the cost to go up to the viewing deck is £30 each and given we have already been on the London Eye, don’t feel the need to go up.
It is still raining and we catch the train back to our apartment before leaving for dinner. We take a short walk to O’Neills pub. The food is good and the beer also.
May 27
Day 22 - Heading Home
Well we do our final packing and check out of our apartment. We catch the train from St Pancras Station to Heathrow airport.
We leave not long after noon on the 12:30pm Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong where we arrive the next day at about 7am local time. We have about 3.5 hours stopover in Hong Kong before we depart about 10:35am local time. We arrive home in Melbourne at about 9:30pm local time. It great to be home after a long journey.
On reflection, this has been a fantastic journey, London is such an amazing city. Our time in Portugal was also fabulous. I would return to London any day and hope to at some point in the future.