After spending a few days in beautiful Cork we caught the coach to Rosslare.The journey took in some spectacular scenery along the coast.Passing numerous small villages that we would have enjoyed spending more time in.
Rosslare,which is one of the ports for leaving Ireland,where we spent a day and a night at the most wonderful B/B.It was set in huge grounds on a cliff top over looking the sea http://www.cliffordhouse.ie/ will explain it better than I.
Caught the ferry at 8:15am the next day to Pembroke Wales and from there we caught a train to London. Due to wet weather we saw very little of what looked like incredible country side. By the time we arrived in London it was mow 12 hours later. After getting off the train at Victoria Station we asked for directions to the B/Bs and were told there were loads in this one street. What they failed to tell us that they started at 250 pounds per night !! We did find one in our budget. Of course the next day we realized why...we were in Belgravia..yup just down the road from "Lizzie's"HRH palace...no wonder the cars in the streets were all Rollers and Bentley's.
We moved out of town to cheaper abode and thought we had walked onto a set from The Bill as we were walking along the mall about 15 police came charging around the corner and into the betting shop where they quickly handcuffed three men. We were waiting for someone to yell "cut" but that doesn't happen in real life drama!!
Over the next week we visited The Eye,Westminster Abbey,Big Ben,Buckingham Palace where we saw the changing of the guards. Walked along the banks of the Thames and past Parliament House.
Visited Earls Court or what once was known as Kangaroo Court because of all the Aussies that lived there in the 60/70s.Today it is a very upmarket area with lots of beautiful terrace house and small private Mews.
Piccadilly Circus,Trafalgar Square,Pall Mall and Hyde Park...feel like you are on a monopoly board. St James Palace where we caught a glimpse of The Queen in her Rolls as she was driven by us.
All the flowers were just staring to bloom in the gardens so there was a mass of colour every where.
British Steam Museum where all the steam engines from the old water pumping stations were all still in working order.
Peter did a two hour tour of Lords http://www.lords.org/latest-news/top-stories/ he wil now add his bit.Lords definately is the home of cricketand a must visit for cricket fans given the chance.Colin Long the tour guide was very good and the 2 hours went very quickly.He tok us through from the origins of the game up to the present.The ground was named after Thomas ord who was involved with a London club which had to move as the city expanded, he was given the jobto find a new field. The club actualy had to keep moving out and eventualy stayed at the present site which is actualy the 4th ground. Lords was named in honour of Thomas.The tour took in the members Long Bar Dining Room Board Room Players Room as well as the magnificent MediaCentre which was built for the 1999 World Cup. The view from here was faulous. This was a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting tour. There were only 14 of us in the group of which 7 were Aussies all from Melbourne.
Portobello Rd wasn't overly impressed as all the antique stores were closed. Madame Tosaurds we by passed millions of school children visiting.
Tower Bridge was a good tour and the views from the top looking all over London were great.
Hampton Court Palace http://www.hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace/ we spent five hours at the tour covered everything from the Kitchens through to King Henry's private suites. (Pleased not to be one of his wives)The gardens were set in over 60 acres and were stunning.
Now here is a little bit of useless information we learnt from the palace kitchen......for all Aussies who love their meat pie we have been eating them wrong ! Yes wrong,apparently back in King Henry's day the kitchen staff cooked over 600 meals per day..so as the hadn't enough cook ware they made the pastry case and filled it with the meal of the day. Then when it was served the top was taken off and thrown away and they scooped out the inside and then threw away the shell....the pastry was never meant to be eaten.So next time you go to the footy don't forget to take your spoon and throw the shell away..no not at the umpire.
Visited Harrods and we only spent two pennies very opulent ladies and gents. Fortnum and Mason was pretty much the same 75 pound for one gardening glove they make more than jam these days.
British Maritime Museum was good,Trinity College,Greenwich Observatory and the Queens House which holds some of her art work.
Even after all this we still had heaps more to see but time was against us yet again.
We are now in Cairo and the last leg of the journey has begun so more will follow later.......
