Day 8

Oh what a day!

So much happened today.

First, Nancy and Renée left. Nancy left at 7:30 a.m. and Renée at 11:00 a.m.

I stayed home to wait for France and Pierre. They arrived around noon. On the way, Pierre had a little accident. He fell on the sidewalk. Luckily, he wasn't too badly hurt.

We had lunch at home and then took the Royal Tour, which goes through St. James's Park, along The Mall, and past Trafalgar Square... We had barely left the house when a hailstorm hit us. What a surprise! We were expecting rain, but not hail. We continued with our plan anyway. Once in Trafalgar, we stopped at the crypt of St. Martin-in-the-Field, then continued our route over the Jubilee Bridge to reach the Thames South path. On the bridge, the rain became very heavy with hailstorms, accompanied by strong winds. The weather was likes I've never seen in London. before.

We had to stop a few times to take shelter from the rain. We managed to cross Westminster Bridge, and Pierre suggested we stop for a drink. The first pub we stopped at was packed; there wasn't a seat to be had. Usually, the English drink standing up outside, but as the temperature is very bad, they are all crowded inside. The second pub was a little less crowded, and after a short wait, we finally got a table. That's when the sun came out again.

We came back home.  The housekeeper was still cleaning the house. We took a short break of just over an hour and then went back to dinner.

We have been to Stone and Grill.  The service and food were just as good as the previous week

After a nice dinner and a short walk, it was time to go home and sleep.

Day 7

 Last full day for Renée and Nancy.

Today, we went our separate ways. Renée and Nancy went to the Natural History Museum where they really enjoyed the exhibit on volcanoes and earthquakes.

 

I went to experience the David Bowie immersive experience. Bowie himself lent his voice to it. It was a multimedia show and an intimate self-portrait. The whole thing takes place in a room that allows plenty of freedom of movement. Cushions are placed on the floor and a few benches are set up far apart. With the immersion experience, sometimes Bowir would join us and at other times, we would enter his world.  I didn't take many photos, as I wanted to really enjoy the moment.

I met up with Nancy and Renée at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Nancy was looking forward to the day she could go back. We had lunch there, and then we went to the gift shop, of course.

From There, we took the bus to Sloane Square.  It is the nearest place to buy Nespresso capsules.

We followed our way to Jo Loves to treat ourself and indulge in a little luxury.  Why not ?  💖

I came back home as Renée and Nancy went to Seaworld. They really appreciated the calm that the environment provided.

We almost didn't have dinner at the pub.  My intention was to eat my first fish and chips of the trip in a "haunted" pub.  According to my research, it was a very highly rated place. I thought it would be interesting to go, especially since it was Renée and Nancy's last night in London. We arrived to a crowded place. The music was very loud. We asked for our reserved table. We were offered a table right in the middle of the fuzz. It wasn't so bad, except that no one came to serve us. We even moved to a quieter corner, but again, no one came to take our order. We left the pub and looked for another place. We found one, but the cook wasn't feeling well and closed the kitchen. We ended up going to another pub, a lovely place where I finally got to enjoy my fish and chips. It was delicious. We were finally able to properly end this first week of holiday.

 

Now I am going to bed early.  I have a little cold and I want to be in shape to welcome my friends France et Pierre tomorrow.

 

Day 6

 Day 6 already!!!

Another day completely filled with adventures and great happiness.  

Our goal today was to visit Windsor Castle.  The plan was to travel by train from Waterloo to Windsor-Eton Riverside and from there walk to the castle.   It didn't happen like that.  As I was looking for our train schedule, I noticed that a large portion of the South Western Railway train line is experiencing disruptions.  It was impossible to go to Windsor with that train.  But since we already had our tickets for the castle visit, we looked for another solution. We discovered that we could take a train from Paddington to Slouth, and then another train from there to Windsor Central.  So there we go.  We were on our way, not very far fortunately (only one block), when I realized I'd left our tickets for the castle on the table. We turned around, retrieved the tickets, and continued on our way.  

Arriving in Paddington, we bought our tickets and set off. In Slouth, where we had to change trains, we learned there wouldn't be a second train. No worries... An employee was there to explain the alternative. So we took a bus to Windsor.  It wasn't so easy to find exactly the bus stop, but we managed with the help of Nancy and her access to Google Maps.  It was a nice ride.

We finally arrived early enough to have lunch before visiting the castle.  It's the coldest day since we arrived in London. It's 5°C without the wind. Brrr.  But, we still managed to have lunch on the terrace. Thanks to the patio heaters.

The visit of the castle was very interresting.  It was a first time for Nancy and Renée, but a third time for me.  We had to wait a while before we could enter the castle because there was a long line to see the dollhouse.  It was very cold.  I missed my winter coat.  We finally got in and spent over two hours visiting all the rooms of the castle.  

Finally, we realized that St. George's Chapel was closing at 4 p.m. We had five minutes to run there. The reason I was returning to Windsor was to finally visit St. George's Chapel and, above all, to pay my respects to Elizabeth II, who is buried there.  We arrived in time fortunately.  It was a very moving moment for me.

We were impressed by  by the sound of the organ and the singing of a young man from the church. We had to leave quickly because a religious service was starting.

 

 

Our day couldn't end simply. During the train change at Slough, we inadvertently boarded the Elizabeth Line. Perhaps it was a farewell to Queen Elizabeth II...

Tonight we stayed home for dinner, the day had been eventful

enough.

Day 5

 It's Sunday, and it's Mother's Day. The day started in a very special way because I received a package from my Gabriel. The box of chocolates was in a Partridge bag, a family-run grocery store and official supplier to His Majesty the King. What a surprise! It's such a thoughtful gesture.

And on Sunday, it's brunch with Renée, like every Sunday, but this time we had the pleasure of being with Nancy: a bonus!. And Sunday is also about going to church, isn't it?  So we all went to church together for lunch in a beautiful decor. This is the Mercado Mayfair, a trendy market in a former sanctuary adorned with stained glass windows, with food stalls, restaurants and a vaulted wine cellar. We shared a very good Thai meal.

After lunch, we followed our route through the streets of Mayfair, to reach Piccadilly Street, where Fortnum & Mason is located.  It is a walk of about 30 minutes, which gave us the opportunity to see some beautiful pieces of architecture, of this chic neighborhood. We had a great time at Fortnum and Mason. We did some lovely shopping: chocolate, tea, cakes… And since it was cold and windy today, we decided to have our afternoon tea here at Fortnum & Mason. Why not?  Renée and me, we had delicious scones with clottes cream and rasberry jam.  A delight!  Nancy tasted an absolutely delicious raspberry, chocolate, and salted caramel ice cream…

 

We took the bus home to rest a bit before going to the pub for Sunday roast.

It is what british  people would call: a proper Sunday roast. It was enormous! And frankly delicious. 

We came back home just in time with the sunset.

Another beautiful day in London.

Day 4

 Today we start our day at midday.  My fellow travelers sleeped late, beacause we all went to bed so late last night.

The day's itinerary was therefore modified. We decided not to visit the Candem Passage in the Angel district. We left home at 11:30 a.m. to go to Granary Square. We had lunch at a Japanese street food stall in Coal Drops Yard. We took a short detour to Camley Park.

Then, we headed to the Postal Museum.  It was a fun experience.  First, we took a train tour through the underground tunnels to understand how mail distribution was organized from the beginning. Then we visited the museum, which displayed several objects used in mail delivery. Did you know that the Royal Mail is one of the oldest postal systems? It was created in 1516. The postage stamp is a British invention. Initially, recipients had to pay for the mail. With the postage stamp, the sender was now responsible for the cost.

 

We came back home with a cool bus ride.  Because the weather was absolutely perfect, we had apero on the terrace of our house and then we had a quiet dinner at home.

Day 3

 It was our Beatles day, yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

We caught the train on time from Euston station. When we arrived in Liverpool, Nancy saw the Kiko store; that European beauty store we don't have in Canada. She did some great shopping there.

The weather was perfect, so we had lunch outside in the warm sunshine, in really pleasant temperatures.

While Nancy and Renée were visiting the Beatles Story, I went to see the temporary installation at Tate Liverpool. There was an exhibition about the architecture of Liverpool's most famous buildings: the Liver Building, the Philharmonie dining room, the Anglican Cathedral, the Catholic Cathedral ...

I also picked up a guidebook that suggested a tour of the Albert Docks to discover some works of art.

Afterwards, we headed to the Cavern Club, walking along the docks.

Of course, on our way, we took a picture with those guys who changed the world through music and culture. 

The Cavern Club was packed. We stayed there for about an hour listening to the same singer I'd seen last year with Ginette. A real treat!

Before going to dinner, we stopped to pay our respects to the statue of Brian Epstein.

We had a very good meal at Villa Romana. Luckily we had a reservation, because it was full. In fact, it seems like Liverpool is packed everywhere, inside and outside. I imagine it's because it's the start of the weekend.

When we arrived at the train station, we found that our train was canceled and that we had to take the next one, an hour later. It wasn't pleasant because it was pouring rain, so we had to stay at the station. Oh well, that's normal, even on vacation. You have to adapt. To console themselves for this disappointment, Nancy and Renée treated themselves to Krispy Kreme doughnuts. But the inconvenience continued, since this second train left the station late. What a mess! Finally we saw London by night, since we entered the house well after midnight.  

I dont know how many time we hearded this refrain in the train: If you saw something wrong, see it, say it sort it !!

Day 2

After a wonderful night's sleep, we woke up ready for another beautiful day in London.

This morning, Nancy and Renée visited Westminster Abbey. Meanwhile, I strolled through the ever-magnificent St. James's Park. I also took the opportunity to explore my neighborhood and get lost a little bit.

 

We met for lunch at a café near Westminster Abbey : Westley Cafe. Apparently, King Charles was in the area, and I spotted his official car and the vehicles escorting him, as I was waiting for my friends.

After lunch, we took a Uber Boat from Westminster pier on the Thames to London Bridge. We strolled along Queen Walk and through the Hays Gallery before arriving at London Bridge. From there, we went to the Sky Garden. We were lucky enough to see the sun break through the clouds. We took our time exploring everything, both inside and out. We had a drink and took the Tube back home.

And it was time to relax before our dinner at the Vincent Room.

At Vincent Room, all the dishes are prepared and served by students of Capital City College of Westminster Centre.  I wanted to go there since a long time, but it was never possible, either because of my schedule or the availability of the dining room. This time, I booked well in advance. We really enjoyed the service, the meal, and the overall atmosphere of the place. Talk about the dessert to Nancy!!

Day 1

Day 1

That is it....  I am back in my favorite city, with nancy and Renée.

The flight went well. Better than expected. I was seated in the first row of economy class, alone with three seats all to myself. Even so, I didn't sleep much. But that's the price to pay for being back here.

The house is smaller than it looks in the photos, but since there are fewer of us this year, it will be absolutely perfect.

After visiting the house, we went for lunch at the famous Regency Café. The atmosphere there is relaxed and very pleasant.

After lunch, we crossed Lambeth Bridge and strolled along the south bank of the Thames.

We saw the Covid memorial: very moving, it's located right next to St. Thomas' Hospital.

 

  

We continued our drive, passing SeaWorld, which Nancy and Renée will visit on the last day of their stay in London. We arrived at the Leak Tunnel, home to London's longest legal graffiti wall. This tunnel runs under Waterloo Station.

I'd heard a lot about it, but it was the first time I'd seen it. I was impressed.  

We took some time to enjoy a latte near the tunnel, then headed back after a quick stop at the grocery store.

We'll have an early dinner tonight.  

A beautiful start, so far.