Goodbye guests
My mom and her friend Jean survived and completed their week in London with:
Visiting two palaces, one castle, one tower, one market
Seeing some of the most key places, monuments, symbols in London
Riding hundreds of feet over the city
10+ train rides and one coach bus ride
Lots of time with Sophie
A few shin splints (my mother only)
A few lost pounds (my mother lost 6 pounds and she is in great shape!)
One sleepless night due to NO noise (my mother only--how crazy is that? London was too quiet for her!)
New stamps in their passports
Lots of new stories and experiences to share with others
A week without a television or a car
A week with the Welsand's...
It was great to have guests though the week went much too fast! We can't wait until the next ones arrive...Cheers!
For all of the photos from their trip remember to check out our photo account at Shutterfly (click on Shutterfly to be linked).
A coach to Leed's Castle
On the last day of my mom's visit we took a coach out of the city to visit Leeds Castle which has been described as the "The Loveliest Castle in the World". It was first built as a Norman stronghold in the 11th century. Traditionally it was a house for widowed queens of England, though Henry VIII stopped there in 1522. The Castle has also been used as a garrison, a prison, and war time home, as well as the family home of several wealthy families. In 1926, the Castle was bought by a young Anglo American heiress--Lady Baillie. She turned Leeds into a country house with all the luxuries of the 20th century, welcoming the rich and famous. The wonderful interiors were created for her while the antiques and art are mostly those she collected. When she died in 1974 she left the Castle for the benefit of the public forever.
Lady Baillie was fond of birds which is evident as soon as you step onto the grounds of the Castle. Peacocks greet you almost instantly. To get to the Castle you must walk through the Duckery which was created in the 1960s. There are lots of interesting species of ducks, black, white, and black headed swans, white peacocks, and more.
After the Duckery your walk continues through the Wood Garden. Here we saw some old friends, Canadian Geese, and the famous black swans with some new babies. With the flowers starting to bloom, the sun shining, and beautiful wildlife, it was a fantastic day!
Finally, the Castle is the next stop. It was much different than others we have seen throughout our travels. As mentioned above, it has been lived in recently and the rooms are actually still used for conference guests and board members while meeting there. The rooms were beautiful and interesting. It felt very comfortable and well lived in as it is still a working castle. There was lots of beautiful art of course, with many pictures of birds. Overall it was a beautiful Castle inside and out!
After a wonderful and long lunch at the cafe, we made our way to the Aviary Zoo. There were over 100 rare and endangered species of birds including toucans, parrots, macaws, cranes, ibises, and more! This was another surprising highlight. There was also a Falconry which had a talk in progress when we arrived. Sophie got to pet an owl which was a huge event for her!
The Yew Maze included 2,400 trees. Since the brochure said have hours of fun as you thread your way through, we didn't have hours until our bus arrived so we opted out of trying this.
As we made our way back to the entrance we heard and saw many sheep and little lambs on a nearby field; we saw and smelled beautiful flowers in the Culpeper and Lady Baillie gardens; got breathtaking views of the Castle from the other side; and overall enjoyed the Castle and the grounds for a few last minutes. For us, Leeds Castle met all our expectations and more and we would agree it is a lovely castle!
Buckingham Palace in the rain
On this day we took the tube to Green Park which we walked through to get to Buckingham Palace. It was grey and raining a bit, but the flowers were starting to bloom and it was a beautiful walk.
Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guards ceremony is a must see when in London. We got there more than 30 minutes early and still did have the ideal spot to view the ceremony. It is really a popular event during snow, rain or sleet... I still think it is such a unique event that it is worth experiencing a bit of poor weather. While we were waiting for the start of the ceremony, Grandma T. took Sophie to see the police on their horses. One of the officers was extremely kind and rode over to Sophie so she could pet his horse. That was the talk of her day...
Next we walked around the corner of the Palace to visit the Royal Mews which just opened for the season days earlier. One of the finest working stables in existence, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace provides a unique insight into the department of the Royal Household that provides transport by road for The Queen and other members of the Royal Family. The Royal Mews houses the State vehicles, both horse-drawn carriages and motor cars, used for coronations, State Visits, royal weddings, the State Opening of Parliament and official engagements. Visitors can see the Gold State Coach which was last used during The Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 to carry Her Majesty and Prince Philip to the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral. It is gorgeous! The highlight of the visit! 
For most of the year the stables are home to the working horses that play an important role in The Queen's official and ceremonial duties. They are mainly Cleveland Bays, the only British breed of carriage horse, and the Windsor greys, which by tradition always draw the carriage in which The Queen is traveling.
Next, we walked through St. James Park (a beautiful and popular park) to Trafalgar Square going through the Admiralty Arch. Trafalgar Square is a well known area which holds Nelson's column (unfortunately it was undergoing some type of restoration so our guests didn't get to see it properly). The 165 ft. column commemorates Admiral Lord Nelson, Britain's most famous sea lord who died heroically at the Battle of Trafalgar against Napoleon in 1805. It dates from 1842. It is a key symbol in Trafalgar Square. Admiralty Arch, a triple archway, is another familiar site in London, designed in 1911 to honor Queen Victoria. The side arches are used daily, but the center arch is only opened for royal processions, making a beautiful setting for coaches and horses trotting through.
Finally it was time for lunch. We hit a local British chain called Garfunkel's, where my mom and Jean ordered a traditional British meal of fish and chips. The meal lived up to their expectations! On our way to the restaurant Sophie fell asleep and napped throughout our entire meal. After we finished eating, my mom and Jean set out to get their shopping taken care of at the Crest of London store across the way. I relaxed while I awaiting sleeping beauty to awaken and eat her lunch...30 minutes later Sophie had awaken, eaten her lunch, and many pounds had been spent and lots of gifts purchased! My mom and Jean walked back into the restaurant with many bags of gifts to bring home to loved ones. Ahh...now back onto to the tube, a short walk, and eventually we will back to our flat (in hopefully under an hour...).
Touring the Tower of London
The entire day Sunday was spent at the Tower of London. Jeremy and I had no idea that the Tower was an entire day event! There is really a lot to see (43 points of interest to be exact) and is well worth the admission fee!
For much of its 900 year history the Tower was an object of fear. Those who had offended the monarch were held within its dank walls. A lucky few lived in comparative comfort, but the majority had to put up with appalling conditions. Many did not get out alive, including several of King Henry VIII wives (Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard), who he had beheaded! Much of the Tower history was disturbing and sad and it seems there were ONLY 83 deaths there...
The Medieval Palace was the residence for the kings and queens at the Tower. The rooms are shown as they may have appeared in the reign of Edward I late 1200s. The White Tower was the largest building at the Tower available to tour. It includes history on the attempt to blow up Parliament, lots of armor, swords, guns, cannons, and much more. My favorite building was the Jewel House which holds the British Crown Jewels--absolutely fabulous! It is an essential part of the Tower visit! There are several other towers and buildings within the compound as well.
The Yeoman Warders, also known as Beefeaters, have been at the Tower since the 14th century. Today they combine their traditional ceremonial role with that of a tourist guide. A photo with one is a must! This man actually knew Minnesota and said, "the home of mosquito's and snow).
Ravens (yes the bird) are also one of the most famous sights at the Tower of London. However due to the threat of the bird flu they were being kept safely inside. Legend has it that Charles II was warned that should the Ravens leave the Tower, the monarchy would fall and he therefore ordered that a small population should always remain. The Ravenmaster, one of the Beefeaters, looks after the birds. The birds have part of their wings clipped at the side so flight is impossible. A memorial in the moat commemorates some of the Ravens who have died at the Tower since the 1950s. The Ravens are an important part of the Tower.
Riding the London Eye and seeing the local sights
The London Eye is a 443 ft. high observation wheel which was erected in 2000 as part of London's millennium celebrations. It has become one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. On a clear day you can see it from the top of Parliament Hill where we live. The eye has 32 capsules, each holds up to 25 people for the 30 minute ride. On a clear day you can see 25 miles across the city. We were fortunate to have visited on such a day! It clouded up almost immediately after our ride and rained a bit later on in the day (as usual). The eye does move continuously so you have to be quick when you get on and off, it moves faster than it seems. The views of the city were really fantastic! Jeremy and I had been by the eye many times, but were waiting to ride it with guests. It was worth the wait. It is a must for visitors to London to see all the city has to offer.
Second, we walked by the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben which is actually the name of the 14-ton bell, not the famous four-faced clock in the 320 foot tower. Since 1512 the Palace of Westminster has been the seat of the two Houses of Parliament called the Lords and the Commons. It is a beautiful mock-Gothic building that has major significance in London.
Next, we fought the crowds and walked to Westminster Abbey. It is the world famous resting place of Britain's monarch's, as well as the setting for coronations, the latest for Queen Elizabeth II, which was actually the first ever televised in 1953. We opted to tour the inside of the Abbey at a later date and just walked around the grounds a bit.
Finally, after a little lunch, and a lot of walking we took our visitors to the Borough Market. It is London's premier fine food market selling meats, produce, cheeses, breads, sweets, chocolates, coffees, etc. My mom was a little squeamish about trying any of the samples and thought it was an "interesting" experience. She was quite glad we lunch at a "regulated" restaurant earlier. Yes, the photo includes what you think it does...I can't look at it...
This was a fun but exhausting day and my mom ended up with shin splits which were a real bummer and she is in great shape! London is a walking city! She ended up losing 6 pounds (almost 1/2 a stone!) after the trip from all the walking.
Hampton Court Palace visit
For my mom and Jean's first full day in London, a trip to Hampton Court Palace was the mission. They got their first ride on the London public transportation system as we took the underground (aka "tube") and the National Rail train to the Palace. This is always an experience in itself.(Thankfully the strong smelling man sleeping on the tube was 'smelt' days later after they were more experienced tube riders!).
The Hampton Court Palace was incredible! It has over 500 years of royal history and includes the state apartments of Henry VIII and William III, 60 acres of immaculate riverside gardens and a world-famous maze (we didn't attempt). The apartments are some of the finest and most important Baroque state apartments in the world. They were amazing! Royalty spares no expense, especially King Henry VIII, not a frugal man in any sense. The gardens, while just starting to come alive, were still a great site. They must be remarkable when in full bloom.
Hampton Court also houses the Great Vine, which was planted in 1768. It is the oldest known vine in the world and still produces 500-700lbs (230-320kg) of grapes each year. The grapes are harvested at the end of August and are sold in the palace shops. We also saw the Triumphs of Caesar. It is nine canvases painted by Andrea Mantegna between 1485 and 1495 are considered to be one of the most important works of the Italian Renaissance.
Since it was Mum's Day weekend (yes, much earlier than in the US, you haven't missed it yet!) in England, they also had Florimania, a festival of flowers, at Hampton Court as well. The Queen's State Apartments were filled with huge bouquets which really added to the rooms. It was a great place to spend a day. I would like to go back again for a visit when the flowers are in bloom!
Our first guests finally arrive!
My mom and her friend Jean finally arrived at our flat after months of planning their trip. It was so nice to see family and host guests! Sophie recognized her Grandma T immediately and tried running across the street to her cab when she saw her! The day was bright and sunny, a rare event in London, but a nice way to start the visit.
After the 10 second tour of our flat, a nice lunch and some settling in, we took a walk through Hampstead to battle their jet lag. The best way to adjust to a time change is to set your clocks to the new time zone and get outside in the sun, continuing with your day in the new zone.
After seeing the high street, walking down a few of the mews, and a little shopping, we headed up to the Kenwood House through the Hampstead Heath. This outstanding house was remodeled by Robert Adam between 1764 and 1779. He transformed the original brick building into a majestic villa for the great judge, Lord Mansfield. The richly decorated library is one of Adam's great masterpieces, a feast for the eyes. It really is an incredible house and the art is outstanding, which was a great start to mom and Jean's visit!
A snowy trip to Hamburg, Germany
As it gets later in the season, and the more we travel, the colder it keeps getting for us. It snowed everyday while we were in Hamburg, Germany, making it really feel like home! Hamburg was a much mellower trip for us. While Hamburg is a beautiful city, and the second largest city in Germany, the weather was not fantastic for pushing a buggy around to sightsee and most of the main tourist attractions were "areas" such as shopping areas, lakes, bridges, etc...not attractions that took much time to experience.
SATURDAY
We spent our first day in the city walking and exploring. Hamburg has lots of shopping and it is quite expensive! We did manage to purchase a few unique gifts. The Germans like their name brands and fur jackets! The city center of Hamburg has some interesting buildings and architecture. The highlight of city center is by far the town hall of Hamburg. The current town hall is actually the 5th in the city's history (due to war and fire) and it is called the Rathaus. It is the symbol of Hamburg and the building is magnificent, it is really worth seeing! Hamburg is a port town and claims to have more bridges than Venice which has given it the name of "Venice of the north" (however other places also claim this!). We strolled around the Binnenaister, which is the inner city lake, and tried to fit in like the locals. Seeing all the water reminded us of living in Duluth/Superior. 
SUNDAY
On Sunday, the second day of the trip we visited the Kunsthalle which is the largest art museum in Germany. It was a great museum, offering a mix of old masters including Rembrandt; 19th century work by Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet; as well as interesting modern and contemporary art by well-known German and European artists. There was also a special exhibit by Edvard Munch who is well known for a piece called "The Scream" (we are only familiar with it because it is in one of Sophie's art books...). We really enjoyed this museum (especially after Gent!) and would recommend it, well worth the visit.
In the afternoon there was perfect snowman building snow. Since we have not had any snow in London all winter (and we don't want our daughter to forget what snow is) we thought it the perfect opportunity to build a snowman in the Planten un Blomen (park) next to our hotel. This was all fun and games until we tried to put Sophie's mittens and my hat on the snowman--she was not pleased about this step!
MONDAY
Monday was an exploration day for me and Sophie while Jeremy worked. We focused mainly on visiting the major churches in the city. First was St. Petri (St. Petrikirche). It is the oldest main church (1195) in Hamburg's geographic center. It was not open due to renovation but what we could see of the outside was beautiful. Next we visited St. Jacobi. This church from 1340 was bombed during WWII, and subsequently rebuilt in its original style. It has the largest Baroque organ in northern Germany. It was quite plain inside and actually had some painting throughout that was colored terra cotta and was a bit gaudy in my opinion. Third, we visited St. Nicolai (Nikolaikirche) which was a church destroyed in 1842 and 1943 and is now an anti-war monument. Its single tower is the third tallest in Germany. For a few euros you can take the panoramic elevator up 75 meters to view over the city. The views of the city were fantastic up there! Well worth the money! Finally, we made our way to St. Katherine's (Katharinenkirche) which also has a characteristic tower whose work begin in the 13th century and was completed in the 17th century. It was restored after damage from WWII. This church had a beautiful alter and organ within it. The outside is as stunning as the inside. In the afternoon Sophie and I went to the botanical garden building (right next to our hotel) and looked at lots of plants, fish, and turtles (the highlight of the garden). Of course we spent some time in the freezing pool at the hotel as well.
Tuesday
On our last day in Hamburg, Jeremy was able to take some time and join us for a visit to the most famous church in Hamburg--St. Michaelis also called Michel. It is beautiful church. The tower with its unmistakeable copper covering is considered the symbol of Hamburg. The church is quite large, with seating for more than 2,500 people, holds 3 organs, and boasts a tower of 132 meters tall. You can take an elevator (or walk if you would like) to the viewing platform at 82 meters (7 meters higher than St. Nikolas!) and again the views of the city are stunning! The church clock with a diameter of 8 meters is the largest in Germany, there are 6 bells and 2 chiming bells for the clock in the tower. The bells struck 11 a.m. while we were on the viewing platform, which gave us a bit of a scare! The crypt of the church is one of the largest in Europe but it was not open on the day we visited, which would have been interesting.
Hamburg was an interesting city to see and experience. We could have done without the cold and snow but the town hall, churches and especially the museum were worth the visit. Tschuss! (which means see you, pronounced chooss, like the British version of cheers!)
All additional photos from our trip to Hamburg can be found at Shutterfly. Just click on the Shutterfly link to view...
My mom and her friend Jean survived and completed their week in London with:
