Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Our flight, Delta 1 (what kind of flight # is that!?) was supposed to depart at 8:40 p.m. to
take us to Heathrow Airport in London. Pepe and Marcus dropped us off at JFK REALLY
early (I guess they wanted to start their father/son bonding vacation ASAP!) As is the
norm in NY, the flight was quickly delayed (although not horribly) until 9:10. That
wouldn’t be bad if it weren’t for one nervous, worried and moody Marina!
We occupied our time looking at other people and laughing at them. Okay, I know
that is not very polite, but Malka is into funky eyeglasses and the “Emo” look, so we all
giggled together at what caught her eye. Once on the plane, our laughing continued
because of the people seated in front of us. There was a “young” Hassidic couple (didn’t
look young but they never really do with the beard for the guy and the wig/schmata for the
woman) and their baby in the row ahead. They had wanted a bulk-head seat with a
bassinet (obviously they didn’t get it). The stewardess actually got another passenger to
agree to switch seats and that’s when the drama/ or perhaps comedy began. The husband
asked who would be seated next to the available seat and was told it was a man. He then
decided HE would sit with the baby up front because if there was a man in the next seat
then his wife couldn’t sit next to another man! Mind you… she ended up sitting next to a
man as they played musical chairs in front of us! We still hadn’t taken off and the Hassid
was back by our row (annoying the stewardess) because the baby couldn’t be separated
from the mom. So now SHE moved up front with the baby (what happened with the fact
that she’d be next to a man?) and the husband came back to our section. BUT… he was
going to sit next to a WOMAN and that was no good… so he asked the other people in the
row to move around and swap seats so he could be “safe”! Then he got up again and a few
minutes later a man with a red turban came and sat in front of me. Apparently, the Hassid
convinced this man to give up his bulkhead seat and in the end, the Happy Hassid family
sat together, the stewardess was appalled, there was no one in their original seats in front
of us AND the irony of the situation is that they never did get that bassinet!
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The next laugh from Marina came when she turned around and saw that the couple
behind us was BLIND FOLDED! Not just wearing the eye masks often given out on flights
(not on this one however) but blindfolded with what looked like strips of black fabric….
Like Zorro, or the Lone Ranger, but minus the eye holes. Marina was hysterical. At least
this all distracted us because 9:10 came and went and we were still on the ground.
As I did on our Scotland trip, I fell asleep right as we took off. I don’t recall it at all,
and it must have been at 10:00. I awoke when the food came at 11:00 and was asleep again
before they even cleared the tray. I successfully slept until about 1:00 and then that was
THE END for me!!! Marina actually lay down on Malka’s lap and slept a bit. (Malka is too
good to her!) Poor Malka didn’t sleep at all, and was dead tired with glassy-red eyes and a
We took public transportation from the airport to the hotel, which would have been
the tube to Victoria Station. Out on the street it was bustling and Malka was passing out.
The roads were a jumble of intersections, but we easily found the hotel (the Park Plaza
Victoria) just a block away, and LUCKILY we were able to check in to our room
immediately. It is lovely with a king-sized bed and a separate cot which Marina quickly
claimed as hers. We unpacked the little that we had, Marina showered and before we were
able to rest at all, Marina’s (internet) friend Lloyd (and his mate Phil) were down in the
lobby calling us. The girls went to greet them and Lloyd presented Marina with 3 long-
stem red roses (the poor boy spent 22 pounds on them. That’s about $38! I guess he didn’t
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see, or know about, the cheap bouquets at the station.) When they came up to the room he
gave her his gold St. George Sovereign ring (that his dad had given him when he was five
years old.) Marina had been expecting the ring and came wearing a gold chain. She
immediately put the ring around her neck. (Can we say “awwwwwwwwwww”?)
Phil did well. With the meal complete (or as much as would be eaten there) we came back
to the hotel. I had gotten a good enough feeling and first impression of the boys so I let
Marina go out for a walk and then hang out in the lobby with them. When they got back
up to the room at 5:10 Malka and I were fast asleep (Lloyd had wanted to say good-bye but
didn’t want to disturb us). Marina immediately fell asleep and the next thing I knew was
that it was 8:10 p.m. and we missed the free food in the Executive Lounge for which we
have a key. (It turns out there was nothing there the girls would eat anyway…canapés,
wine or coffee… I don’t think so!) So that is “day one” complete and hopefully tomorrow
we will be rested and READY TO GO! I put in for a 7:30 wakeup call and Lloyd said he’d
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Day 2 – Tuesday 8/25
As I said, I had put in for a 7:30 wakeup call. It never came, but more or less at that
time there was a knock on our door. Looking out through the peep hole I saw two Asian
women with suitcases. They must have been lost, but at least they got me up and out of
bed. The truth be told, we all could have done with more “kip” (that means sleep) but we
didn’t come all this way for that!!! Our breakfast downstairs (included with our room) was
lovely and plentiful for those of us (not Marina) who wanted to eat. There were a variety
of freshly squeezed juices, fruit salads, cereals (Marina’s boring daily choice a small bowl of
Frosted Flakes!) cheeses, cold deli meats, yogurt (that’s what I had topped with Muesli and
dried fruit like I used to eat back in Holland days) croissants (plain & with chocolate) eggs
& chips (Malka’s choice along with KETCHUP, fresh oranges, juice and croissants),
sausages, mushrooms, etc., etc., etc. The service at the hotel is very pleasant although
We were expecting Lloyd pretty early today but he called with disappointing news.
The train ride, which yesterday cost under 7 pounds round trip, was, according to the
ticket seller, today going to cost over 22 (that’s about $40!), Granted, it was rush hour but
later on they still wanted to overcharge him! (When I was talking to the concierge in the
lobby, I learned that it was recent news how the train ticket employees are TOTALLY
ripping of the public (and not only tourists)). I felt really badly for Lloyd who desperately
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around this area!). We took the underground to Westminster and began to follow a
walking tour as per the Fromer Tour book. Coming up from the tube station we were
overcome by two amazing sights: Big Ben, that most famous and beautiful time-piece (316
feet tall, completed in 1859) and the London Eye (across the River Thames) a giant
observation wheel, the largest ever built at 135 meters high. We crossed the street to the
we couldn’t enter, but which we certainly could admire from the outside. (It was
completed in 1860)
We then proceeded to the STUNNING Westminster Abbey. We DID enter there and
enjoyed an audio tour which lasted us at least two hours. In this Abbey all but 2 kings and
Queens of England have been crowned, many married and it is where the funeral of Diana,
Princess of Wales, took place. It houses the tombs of many monarchs and famous people,
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We continued our day, as per the book, up Whitehall past the famous 10 Downing
Street (blocked off by gates and police) where the Prime Minister lives. This is a must-
have-photo spot.. and even Marina succumbed to the urge. We then passed the Horse
Guards and Military Museum where we quickly ducked and took a photo of Marina and a
guard (Malka would have none of that!) Next we bought Marina an “I London” t-shirt
(mandatory purchase) and kept walking, walking, walking to the famous Trafalgar Square.
Everyone’s heard of it, but so what… a bunch of intersecting streets with a column in the
middle topped with a statue of Nelson called…. duh… Nelson’s Column. (It is 185 feet tall
and commemorates the Battles of St. Vincent, Aboukin, Copenhagen & Trafalgar – I need to
touch up on my history. Do you know these battles?) More impressive (and easier to see)
were the grand bronze Lions (20 ft. long) put in the piazza in 1867.
the Virgin & Child with Saint Anne and John the
Baptist.
Upon exiting the museum we continued up Charing Cross and crossed the street to
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church where they were handing out leaflets for the night’s
concert. Not only is the church famous for its architecture (didn’t really look at it nor did
we go in – oops!) but it is world renown (at least I know it) for the chamber orchestra by the
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same name. As we sat on the steps (Malka needed another pit-stop) Marina started to get
his gold St. George & the Dragon ring, we decided it would be nice if she did a brass
rubbing for him of the same theme. So, she got busy doing her rubbing and Malka did one
of Queen Elizabeth I, and again, they rested their feet. When we got back to ground level
and outside, we noticed the streets were completely wet. Seems we missed the rain and the
After a little longer on Charing Cross, we headed east toward Covent Garden
(originally London’s flower market) set beside St. Paul’s Church where the opening market
scene from Pygmalion or My Fair Lady take place. The market now has shops and café’s
From there, looking at the map, Marina noticed we weren’t far from Fleet Street,
made famous (at least for her) by the musical (and film) “Sweeny Todd” (the Demon
Barber of Fleet Street). Well, it really wasn’t SO near, but we walked, passing the
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perch to be filmed in Oxford. We also learned that the courts here are civil courts that
handle high profile divorces including Heather Mills/Paul McCartney as well as Prince
Since we had already walked so far, and seeing St. Paul’s Cathedral so prominent on
the map, we kept heading east towards the imposing dome of this 1708 London landmark.
purchased them each an hour’s time, left them there, ran down the block to dump our bags
at the hotel and went back at the hour’s end to get them.
After a brief rest in the room, we set out again to Piccadilly Circus. This is “the
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to take a shower, Pepe called (Happy Anniversary #24 to us!) with Marcus from Punta
Cana and the night got even longer! I put in for another 7:30 wakeup call and we’ll see
Day 3 – August 26
The 7:30 call did come and by 7:50 I was downstairs at the hotel’s gym. It really is
large and very well equipped for a hotel facility and there were actually two trainers
working with clients. I spent ½ hour there and then returned to our room to get the girls
up and showered. Malka had a bit of difficulty waking up, still jet lagged or tired from
walking so much???, but by 9:00 we were having our breakfast. A little before 11:00 Lloyd
called from the lobby with his mom. She is very nice and smiley and equally as amused as
more of his family was having breakfast in McDonalds. Just an aside here… the
McDonalds here in England are the same as in Scotland, resembling lounges or dining
rooms more than the fast food joints back home. They even have fresh cut flowers on the
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The museum is a GORGEOUS building (neo-Romanesque 1873-1880) which is
decorated with life-like moldings of animals, birds and fish. We chose a meeting time and
place and off I went with Malka towards the center hall where the dinosaur exhibit begins.
Truth be told, we were more interested in the architecture of the building so we wandered
around looking at the stain glass windows, the carved moldings, etc., rather than stand on
a 45 minute line, which Marina and Lloyd later admitted to cutting, to see the dinosaurs.
We ended up in the gem and mineral exhibit and spent our remaining time there. All met
up again at the appointed time, we went outside for a snack. It was actually VERY chilly
and blustery and I was antsy to get the day moving. We travelled together back to Victoria
learned the history since I was the only one to read the exhibit. There wasn’t too much
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opposite shore of the Thames on what is known as the Queen’s Walk. My intention was to
walk FAR and look for food. This didn’t happen. We stopped for a bite at the Hay’s
Galleria which originally were warehouses but is now covered with a 90 foot high glass
barrel vault ceiling. Marina had a hot dog, the others some “chips” and somehow I ended
up with a bag with a little red sketchbook from the Bridge. I have NO idea how I picked
By this time the “kids” were beginning to lose steam so we went to the London
Bridge Station which was crazy-busy with rush hour traffic, so much so that Lloyd got
smushed in the train door after nearly not cramming in with us. He certainly had a look of
surprise on his face (and hopefully not too many bruises). I had wanted to get off at
Waterloo and walk the shore down past the London Eye and over Westminster Bridge, but
since we really had been on our feet all day, (and Malka’s were giving out) we crossed the
Golden Jubilee foot bridge to the nearest station, back to Victoria. We walked Lloyd to his
platform to catch the 6:31 train, grabbed a quick bite and FINALLY got back to the hotel at
7:15. Malka passed out immediately in her clothes; Marina at least changed but was asleep
before 9! At 9:30 it was lights out for me only to be awakened by Pepe’s 10:28 phone call. I
felt badly telling him I was too tired to talk, but I was, so we’ll have to catch up tomorrow
Day 4 – August 27
most likely NERVOUS to see Lloyd again. So she stayed in the room and I went out with
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Malka. The Byzantine Roman Catholic Cathedral was
The inside was cavernous with the nave being the widest
brick.
the first stop was Buckingham Palace. We had walked past the Palace on our first day here,
but were so tired we couldn’t really take it in. So, since the bus/tour guide said the
changing of the guard was about to happen in 13 minutes we figured it would be the ideal
time to see the sight. WRONG!!! We got off the bus, rounded the corner and were greeted
by the sight of thousands of like-minded tourists. We could hardly move, let alone see
anything worth- while, so after hearing the marching band approach the far gates, we went
The tour continued past some gated gardens belonging to the aligning posh
townhouses owned by the likes of Madonna, Andrew Lloyd Weber and some other well-
known names. Before we knew it we were on Westminster Bridge where we got off to
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for free. We waited 15 minutes for a tour guided by a Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) and in
the interim I wanted to take a picture of Marina and Lloyd with one of the Warders. Silly
lad (Lloyd) put on his funky pink glasses and stuck out his tongue, and in doing so,
offended the Beefeater who turned and walked away. So much for the photo-op! To his
where the “fireworks” began to explode!) I would have liked to get back on another bus or
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take the tube somewhere (we didn’t use it at all today) but Marina has been going on and
on and on about going back to Crawley (Lloyd’s town) and going to some “teen club
night”. Oh, then she added that she wanted to spend the night in Crawley too! She KNEW
I was not keen on the club idea (we discussed it for over a week) but she said, basically,
that she wouldn’t shut up until she got her way. She pissed me off so much that I finally
handed her a hotel card, a metro card and twenty pounds and told her to do what she
“bloody well” wanted (actually more vulgar American slang than that!). I turned and left
her with Lloyd and what did she do????..... One would have THOUGHT a 15 year old in a
foreign country would quickly realize she’s being a horror and she’d tell her friend that
she’s sorry that both of them are disappointed and come after her mom. But, NO!!!!
Marina actually bought a train ticket. Malka and I came back to the hotel by which time I
was livid. I called Marina on Lloyd’s cell and basically told her so (in addition to many
choice words not printable here). Shortly there-after, Lloyd called saying he wouldn’t take
her on the train without my permission (this guy has class!) so I instructed him to bring her
back to the hotel which he kindly did. I felt badly that he was put in the middle of the
scene, apologized to him for Marina’s selfish behavior and thanked him for being
responsible. We walked him back to catch his train and then we went to a different internet
café. This one boasted 40+ new computers and since the other one was ridiculously small
chatty and even happy, and about 10:15 I finally got her off the phone. Pepe called right
after (having been trying and getting a busy tone for hours) and so ended our day. I hope
Day 5 – August 28
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Today certainly was full, and not only of sights but of giggles and good humor. We
were up and out of the hotel by 9:30. At 9:45 we were at the tour bus for the first departure
of the day (9:45) using yesterday’s 24 hour ticket. It was good until 11:10 this morning, but
no one came on mid-route (thankfully) so we drove around all corners of the city until
nearly noon. We began on the “Red Line” heading west. Today’s new sites were (and I’m
see the black bronze gates shut in the middle. Only Royalty can pass through the arch –
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passed BBC Broadcasting Buildings, the APPLE STORE (Marina had to see that!) and we
got off at Piccadilly Circus. At this point we still had about twenty minutes left on our
ticket so we walked around the corner and picked up the “blue line” for a long drive south-
west. We drove past Hyde Park again, Kensington Gardens where Kensington Palace is
beautiful front entry (I guess we entered by the side the other day), some other museums,
the famous Harrod’s Department Store, and back to our Piccadilly stop.
It was a very full morning and rather chilly on top of the bus, yet sunny as well as
you can see in the pictures of the girls with either hoods up or hair blowing but sunglasses
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enjoyed a nice meal (yummy chicken guijons – nuggets – is that a British word?) and
warmed up a bit before taking the underground to the Waterloo Station to catch the train to
We bought the tickets easily enough (1 adult, 2 kids – what a deal for 8 pound 50,
and got another 2 for 1 coupon that would get one of the girls into the palace for free (a 7
pound savings!) Why don’t we have these travel/cultural deals back home? The train went
SLOWLY or so it seems, although the trip only lasted about 40 minutes. Amazingly, the
continued into the Great Hall where we heard about the Hall, Henry, his previous wives
beautiful bride.
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remainder of the day. But just watching this little bit in one room took ½ hour and it was
now 4:00 and we had an entire palace and grounds to explore. “The wedding” was to take
place privately as apparently only 18 guests were invited to the wedding, and we had
thirty minutes to start sightseeing on our own. We never did get back to “the show” but
instead picked up a wonderful audio tour and started out in the palace kitchens.
We got a fascinating glimpse of the quantity of food prepared at the time and how it
two times a day, and we aren’t talking about a bowl of cereal, a pbj sandwich or a
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using only period methods and utensils. The audio tour was very thorough and
From the kitchens we went up the grand staircase back to the great hall and on
through Henry’s apartments. Unfortunately, there was no audio tour for this section,
probably because of this week’s “wedding festivities” which were taking place in the
apartments. Now, for a bit of Hampton Court Palace history: It is known as TWO palaces
really; the first being the Tudor one built in the 16 th century by Thomas Wolsey who rose
under Henry VIII to become Archbishop, then Lord Chancellor, then Cardinal and finally
Papal Legate. To celebrate his wealth and status he began to build this mansion as per the
usual Tudor plan of consecutive courts (court yards) bordered by buildings. The Palace
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he added at the time, among other things, the Great Hall, the Tennis Court (photo to the
The “second” palace was that of William and Mary who wanted to totally demolish
the Tudor palace but instead had the east & south areas rebuilt (in the Baroque style) in the
17th century. They ran out of money to redo the entire palace because William spent most
of his money on wars. The two architectural styles totally clash as you can see in the photo.
Since we were (kind of) pressed for time, and since Marina didn’t care for the
Baroque section of the palace at all, compared with the Tudor part which thrilled her, we
ran through the other (more modern) apartments in order to give a lot of attention to the
grounds and the gardens. We first went to the indoor Royal Tennis Court which is still in
use today. Royal tennis is NOT the game of tennis as we know and is played off of the
walls. We walked through “the wilderness”, natural woodland, of which now only 9 acres
remain. Here, one of four original mazes still exists, dating from 1714. We all walked into
the triangular maze together. I wanted the three of us to separate to see who got out first,
but Malka didn’t want to go alone. So, she and I went in one direction while Marina took
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off on her own. I think she make it out lickity-split while it took Malka and me about 15
minutes. The truth is, we probably only made it out in that time when another maze
choice. We then strolled around all the other gardens of the grounds and finally ended up
by the oldest grapevine in the world (230+ years old). The palace closes at 6:00 and I really
We took the 6:24 train back to Waterloo Station, arrived a bit past 7, took the
underground to Victoria and had a very filling dinner at a pizza, pasta and salad buffet. As
we were leaving the food court area, I felt a drop of water and heard thunderous rain
pounding the station’s roof. We then saw water GUSHING in the building where the
angled roof met the supporting columns, totally flooding the floor below (as if a water
main pipe exploded from above). Since we wouldn’t be walking out in that weather, I
went to a kiosk to get a cup of coffee because not only was it rainy, it was rather cold!!!
(We’ve only had what I would consider mildly-summer-like weather on our first day!) As I
bought the coffee, we heard screaming and people were congregating by an escalator. The
girls said they heard that someone was caught in the escalator. I said it sounded more like
a deranged or drunk man. I must have been correct as the police dragged the man
We exited the station and the rain had stopped. (Luckily we keep missing the brief
downpours). We walked back to the hotel after a VERY full day, and were in our room by
Day 6 – August 29
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After a semi-early breakfast (we sat down a bit before 9) we took the underground
to Paddington Station. It was a fairly long ride, but that’s where we needed to be in order
to catch a train to Bath. What we discovered though, upon arrival at the ticket window,
was that our trip to Bath would cost us 98 pounds (that’s about $175) NOT HAPPENING!
The way they figure the rail rates here makes NO sense. Yesterday we paid 8.50 for a 40
minute ride and yet today’s 90 minute ride would be more than 10 times the price. We
opted instead to go to Windsor to see the Castle. With the Castle admission purchased
along with the train, it cost us 43 pound. Supposedly both were discounted rates, but who
really knows! We immediately boarded a train, only to find that nearly every seat was
“reserved”, so we walked through to the last car where we sat until the first stop, Slough,
In no time at all we reached our destination. The train station was lovely, with
boutiques, cafes, restaurants, tourist info. I don’t recall it being like that 31 years ago! To
public transportation! It
cheaper (why we needed the train tickets is a mystery… they never did come to collect or
check them!)
The Castle entrance also included an audio tour which, like all the other similar ones
we’ve taken, was excellent. We started with Saint George’s Chapel. It is “the spiritual
headquarters of England’s prime order of chivalry, the Most Noble Order of the Garter.”
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(??clarification please!!) It is also where the headless body of King Charles I is buried, and
Seymour, George V,
completed by Henry
of the Order of the Garter (1348) and (…again… translation please) is “a glorious
work of art, artistry and architecture! The tour took us around the tombs, the 1790 organ
screen, the Quire and Garter with stalls of ornate wood carving, the detailed carved stone
ceiling, the brilliant stained glass window. It was all overwhelming. Even Marina said as
much (oh… maybe she said that about Westminster Abbey but this was equally amazing to
but that within five years it had been artfully and historically
restored!
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Windsor Castle is THE OLDEST Royal residence to have remained in continuous
use by the reigning monarchs and is THE LARGEST one in England. It was intended by
William the Conqueror (c 1080) as one of several defensive strongholds around London
and for that reason was built on the only elevated point in that stretch of the Thames
Valley. Since the year 1110 it has been used by successive monarchs.
When we finished our Castle visit, the girls were hungry. Actually, and surprisingly
for anyone who knows her, Marina was hungry DURING our visit. Malka wanted to go
back to the train station to eat McDonalds (I don’t think there was one at this classy station)
but I opted instead for a pub where we enjoyed “cheesy garlic bread”, fish ‘n chips with
mushy peas (they are even worse even than they sound) and an Angus burger with chips.
The pub, The Carpenters Arm, is “a public house” dating back to 1518.
When we finished eating, we wandered the small Victorian town of brick buildings,
cobbled streets and tourist shops (okay, that part of town was really tiny). It was chilly out
so I stopped to get Marina, who was the coldest, a hot chocolate. In the end she didn’t even
want to hold it, let alone drink it, so Malka and I shared it, burning our tongues and throats
along the way. We continued walking down a lovely and newer pedestrian shopping
street and ended up back at the station. I went to the tourist office to enquire about Eton
College. At this time it was after 3:30 and I was told the final tour of the famous school was
at 3:30. Since the school was a 15 minute walk down the road, and since we were tired
already, and since we were chilled, there was NO WAY the girls were going to walk any
distance just to look through a gate. We took the 4:00 train back to London and later I read
in a tour book that Eton was actually open until 4:30 – oh well!
Now, Marina had wanted to go to the King’s Cross Train Station (via the
FAMOUS station from which Harry Potter and friends depart to Hogwarts School of
Magic. Of course, this is PURE fiction, but it was another “must do” on the list of “must
do’s” this trip. But the clickity-click of the slow moving train made her really tired (and me
too). She came up with the idea of first returning to the hotel for a nap (at 5:00??!!) and
then venturing out again. When we got back to the room she saw she had received a
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phone message from a “Mr. Lloyd” and all of a sudden she came to life; even more so
when she returned his call! After an hour of talking, I finally said, let’s go out if you want
to go out! So out we went AGAIN taking full advantage of the Oyster Card.
We went to Kings Cross and what did we see… NOTHING! What were we even
looking for??? We didn’t even go IN to look for platform 9 3/4. But, Marina took the photo
(just like the Fleet Street ones or the Apple Store ones) and at least she looked at the
architecture too!) From there we went to the bustling Piccadilly Circus, walked a little, ate
a little, shopped a little, saw a little China Town and then went back to the hotel so she
Since we all know about Marina and her “blokes”, let’s just have a little aside here
and talk about crazy Malka and her obsession with guys with EMO, cool or “perfect” hair
(whatever that is), and “nice faces.” Her eyes bug out when she tells Marina to take
random photos (and thankfully, Marina usually does NOT comply!) I asked her why she
wants these photos and she says to show them to her friends on-line so they can all be ga-
ga over strange boys or teens (that is my interpretation of what she said). YIKES… the
Okay, it’s now 10:40 p.m. and Marina’s still on the phone. Time to pull the plug and
Day 7 – August 30
OMG!!! I had a “school anxiety dream”… that means that not only is our London
experience over, but summer is as good as done too! Our wakeup call didn’t come this
morning but since my body is now acclimated to British time, I find myself waking up as I
do at home; first at 5:00 then at 6:00 but amazingly; I stayed in bet until 7:37. Lloyd was
coming (did come) to take Marina to his home town of Crawley for the day. Because of the
long lines at his station, he didn’t get to London until close to 11 (or maybe even after that).
We all walked to Victoria Station where the ticket line that we had to stand on was
incredibly long as well. I must say though, they are very efficient and the queue moved
quickly. Malka and I had an entire day’s agenda set (although flexible) but our first stop,
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the Bevis Marks Synagogue was closing today at 12:30 and by the time we got Marina’s
We left Lloyd and Marina at the station with instructions on which train to return on
in the evening (let’s see if they make it or not!) and Malka and I bolted for the
underground. We successfully made our transfer between lines and came above ground at
Aldgate. This is a part of the city off the beaten path, far removed from tourists or anything
the least bit familiar. Also, being a Sunday, the area was desolate. It took a few minutes to
find our bearings (no thanks to some security people in a local office building who had
never heard of the address I gave them, although in the end it was two blocks away). At
12:23 we found the synagogue. We weren’t charged the 2 pound admission fee (according
to Malka I actually said to the guard, “Could we NOT pay?”) since we had no time to do
more than stick our head through the door and take in the shiny brass candelabras that
hung from the ceiling and get a quick glimpse of the architecture. This might be a hidden
secret of the city. I only really came across a mention of it as I looked through all the
walking tour offers (never did get to take on!) and then in the Michelin Tour Book read a
mention of a Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue (the oldest in England, 1701) but with no
name or address. It wasn’t marked on any map (and I have a few) I had to have the
concierge “Google it”. After our quick “Shalom-Shalom” we went on to the Petticoat Lane
Market (down the street from its original 17 th century location) which was packed with
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horribly ugly (but award winning for design) cucumber-shaped building that looms over
the sky-line. We had see it from afar, and Marina had taken many photos, but Malka
insisted I take one more since we were but a few blocks away. If we got too close we lost
sight of it from the street due to the other tall buildings. So, we walked over to a small park
in front of a church (get his name) St. Botolph-without-Bishopsgate! From there, with a
pretty plant in front to hopefully make the ugly “gherkin” look nicer, I took the photo.
long sleeve shirts for this trip!) and in addition to the chill,
(Sorry if this is too much information) Apparently, Malka was starving as she quickly
downed more than ½ a pizza (and apparently she was peeing as well as she did not
hesitate to use the facilities as she usually does!) I finished off the pizza along with a very
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nice salad and then we went back to Primark. People were exiting the store with bags and
bags and turning over piles and piles of merchandise inside. Malka has been noticing
(along with the neat hair of the cute guys) that many people here are wearing a “specific”
sneaker. Every two minutes she’s saying, “Look, they have the sneakers!” It amazes me
how she could simultaneously look at someone’s head and feet… oh such talent my little
one has! Anyway, these are THE MOST NONDESCRIPT sneakers imaginable; basic
canvas sneakers like the ones we (me and my generation and probably the generation
before as well) grew up with before fancy sports-specific or name-brand- trendy footwear
became an industry. Well, what do ya know, Primark sells this coveted sneaker for 1.96
(that’s about $3.75!) I bought them for Malka with the condition that she leave behind her
too small, worn out, overpriced Converse which she had written all over. She agreed. I
asked if she felt ridiculous having just spent $70+ on the knee-high Converse that she
Malka kind of wanted to keep shoppin, and kind of didn’t. When I showed her the
map of how close we were to the tube and how far we’d need to continue down Oxford
Street before reaching the next station if our shopping expedition were to continue it was a
“no-brainer”. Our original plans were to walk the entire thing and then head south on
there were two markets way north (off the map) that
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in sight. Oh well… We did step into the church this time and have a quick look around.
There is a funky bent-looking window in the back (see photo). Maybe some damage
happened during the war, but I couldn’t find any mention anywhere (something else for
It is a permanent replacement for a stained glass window shattered by bombs in the Second World
War that would "successfully animate the light". The abstract cross-infused design by the 1994
Turner prize nominee Shirazeh Houshiary and her architect husband Pip Horne was chosen from a
shortlist of five contemporary artists. From an art critical or London-cultural perspective they might
seem the obvious choice - not one of the other proposals comes close to the poetic simplicity of their
warped monochrome grid. It is a rather gynecological reworking of the ultimate symbols of
Christianity and modernism - the cross and the grid. Houshiary's subtle curvilinear abstraction of the
stained glass lattice feels very other and feminine, throwing the Church of England's slowly shifting
conservatism towards matters of race, gender and sexuality into sharp relief.
Now the wind was really whipping up and I was FREEZING! Malka wanted to sit.
Did we not just do so for 3 minutes on the tube? Actually, we walked almost 6 hours
today! I said we’d sit only if I get some hot coffee. So we went to Pret Manger (some café
with prepared sandwiches and coffee) and I had my hot drink and she had a yummy
chocolate croissant. I miss my Dunkin’ Donuts and Gevalia coffee. Coffee is HORRIBLE
here! I keep ordering “Americano” or “filtered Americano” hoping it’s weaker than
espresso (everyone at home knows I like a lot of coffee but weak!) but UCH, it’s sooooo
strong here! After getting the chill out of my system I made Malka pass the station in front
of the café and we walked to Embankment Station that afforded us a direct trip home. By
the time we got back to the room, it was about 5:45. Oh no! We (I) had also planned to
take in some culture at the Saatchl Gallery. Guess that will have to wait for our next
London vacation. Let’s see… it’s 31 years since my last trip here. Will I make it back in
At 6:35 I called Lloyd to make sure they were on the way and he told me their train
was just approaching the station. GOOD KIDS! I asked if they wanted me to meet them
but they declined the offer and a few minutes later they were at the door. Lloyd stayed a
while and I caught up on their day (and they ours) and then Marina and I walked him back
to catch his train. He really is a sweet boy and tomorrow will surely be sad and I’ll be left
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It’s now 10 p.m. and we are basically all packed and I’m caught up on this journal.
Day 8 – August 31
Woke up bright and early on this our departing day. The temperature in the lobby
and restaurant was noticeably warmer than the past mornings, which translated to warmer
temps outside. Aside from the day we arrived (when Marina wore shorts) today was
probably the warmest day. Oh well! After breakfast Malka and I went out for a walk to, as
she said, “spend money”. First we had to go to the train station because our Oyster card
expired yesterday and we needed to “top it off” in order to take the tube to the airport.
London” key chain and a pen for her friend Abigail that also said…
NY” shirt from home but they are actually sold here too, amongst all
We were out and about nearly an hour and when we got back
His parents must think he’s crazy (his dad said later that he was “all
loved up”). Both he and Marina were sulking so I said “up and out”
and we walked for at least another hour. We took in the sights (none
large supermarket. Heading back towards the hotel and past, I took
saying the changing of the guard was going to take place at 11:00. Oh
no!!! It was about 10:50 and I did NOT want to be in the middle of
THAT again. The size of the crowd was so much smaller than that of
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exactly a week ago. Maybe being August 31, all the European tourists were already back in
their homes with the August holidays over. Even though it was not packed, we didn’t stay
for the procession (it wasn’t happening at 11:00 because we left shortly thereafter in order
to straighten up our room, brush our teeth and check out by noon). We did see the guards
playing their instruments while wearing those insane big hats and we saw other soldiers
one) not that she drinks out of it, but she enjoys
We put the finishing touches to the luggage, locked our bags and checked out at
noon on the dot. We didn’t actually leave the hotel since we had time before needing to be
at Heathrow, so Malka and I sat in one area of the large lobby and Marina and Lloyd in
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another, huddled together in an oversized arm chair. A bit before 1:00 we walked over to
the station and once we knew which platform Lloyd would be leaving from, we said good-
bye and left (SO SAD!) He looked devastated all morning. Marina hides her sadness with
obnoxiousness and grumpiness. It would be so much easier if she just cried and got it over
with. The tube ride to the airport was uneventful once all the rowdy Nottinghill Carnival-
goers got off, and at 2:30 we reached our final English destination – the airport.
It was incredibly empty at this world-famous (and probably one of the world’s
largest) airport. It took about 5 minutes to check in and another 5 to clear security WITH
OUR SHOES ON! We sat down for a very nice and filling lunch for which I paid with
nearly all my coins and with my last 50 pence coin Marina called Lloyd to say one FINAL
good-bye (until we got home where she now spends hours on MSN or Skype talking to
him!)
The plane began boarding at 4:15 (for a 5:05 flight) and we were taxiing down the
run-way at 5! I don’t know what it is with me and flying, but as soon as we hit the air I was
asleep and woke up at 5:30 when they were handing out (very loudly and way too early)
the U.S. customs forms. So now I have the remainder of the 8 hour flight ahead of me to
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