Ê



 

WOW! Who would have thought that Marina, Malka and I would be heading back to England not
even a year after our last trip!? Thanks Pepe! Thanks Lloyd! Thanks Marina for being manipulative
(yeah͙ you think you have dad wrapped around your pinky!)

We had been anticipating Lloyd͛s visit to New York this summer. He applied for his passport and
waited and waited and we all waited. Time was passing by, the passport seemed lost in limbo and Lloyd
hadn͛t yet gotten all the plane fare so one day Pepe said: ͞It seems like you are tired of being around
here. Why don͛t you take the girls to England?͟ After ascertaining that he was serious, I sat down in
front of the computer and spent what appeared to be two SOLID days researching, searching and
booking plane tickets, hotels and day tours. And now͙here we are back in London!

Before leaving New York things were CRAZY/HECTIC. For years the girls wanted to redo their
bedroom so just days before departure we were cleaning out 11 years of accumulated school work and
͞stuff͟, plastering, sanding, making a mess, priming (don͛t ask! Four people in a room painting ʹ not
fun!), shopping for paint and linens, breaking a 96 year old radiator valve (not really but it sprung a leak,
I panicked, called the plumber and paid for it!) and then, the day we left we had the skylight in the den
replaced! If ever I needed a vacation, after the last few stressful days, this was it!!!

Our flight was originally to have left at 9:00 p.m. but fortunately we received a call from Delta
letting us know we had an hour and a half delay. That worked out well since David and family came to
town after getting Noah from camp and we were able to spend a few minutes with them prior to
heading to JFK Airport. Check-in at the airport was effortless. The line was LONG and we were at the
end, but those at the back of the queue were told to go to a newly opened counter (which said check-in
for some place in Japan). The girls made me verify our luggage would NOT be going there. Once
through security (where marina freaked when she found her stapler and staples in her school bag which
Malka had taken and made me chuck ͚em in the trash so as not to be thought a terrorist) we went to the
gate and it seemed as if very little time elapsed and we were boarding. To avoid the crush at the gate,
we waited until there were very few people left, but I noticed a bunch of them were being told to go to
the side when their passports were scanned. Wouldn͛t you know͙. I ended up in that group too. But it͛s
all good and now I͛m in England.

We actually took off closer to 11:00 than 10:30. I usually fall asleep as we taxi but Marina shook
my arm and said: ͞don͛t sleep!͟ but I don͛t really remember taking off. I fell asleep pretty quickly after
that, luckily wasn͛t awakened for dinner (although I kind of recall the smell) but unfortunately did NOT
sleep the entire journey or much at all. The flight was rather quick. We landed around 10:20 a.m. so the
entire flying time was under six and a half hours. To have slept the whole time would have been ideal ʹ
oh well.

Once on the ground we quickly collected our luggage, went through passport control where I
told the agent the purpose of the holiday was to visit the boyfriend (without using ͞ ͟ air-quotation
marks), took a train transfer to terminal 3, found the bus station and caught a bus for a drive to the city.
The bus took us to Victoria Coach Station which was a short walk from the hotel. We are again staying
at the Park Plaza Victoria, a terrifically situated hotel. It͛s amazing how familiar the area is to us. At
once we feel ͞at home͟. Our room wasn͛t quite ready so we left the luggage at the concierge desk and
walked to get a phone card (Mr. Lloyd had left a message that needed returning) and a nosh.

1
 Got back to the room, told Lloyd it was okay to catch the train
from Crawley and then we three lay down to catch a nap. Sometime
later, Lloyd arrived and͙ awwwwwwww͙ he brought Marina lovely gold
earrings (hearts naturally) even though she had told him not to buy
something expensive. He got me a box of chocolates (delicious) which
are now locked in our room safe with only Marina knowing the password
so they can be rationed out to me, and he got Malka a bag of wine gums
which are also locked away because, um͙ I like them too!

Malka was still tired so Marina and Lloyd went to sit on a sofa in
the lobby and get reacquainted and Malka slept an extra hour. Jet-lag
gone as much as could be by then, we headed out for a walk.

Getting to a main road, Victoria Street, just down the block, we could see (or I recognized) the
spires of West Minster Abbey
in what appeared to be ͞not
too far away͟. So we walked,
and walked, and walked some
more. It really didn͛t seem
far at all and I even
commented that I couldn͛t
believe how last year we took
a tube to get there! We took

in the sights of Big Ben and then headed towards the

River Thames to rest and look at the London Eye. I was
busy taking
photos and
the ͞love-
birds͟
continued to
walk further.
Further than
necessary
and as a

consequence, we had to walk more! We eventually headed

in the direction we thought would complete the triangle, but
it was more like a square and now we REALLY had to trek and
I had two tired girls with very achy feet!
c

2
 We had a nice dinner at The Giraffe across the street from the hotel. Marina chilled with Lloyd
some more and then we accompanied him back to the station to catch his train home. Now I was so
tired and almost sound asleep before 10:00 when Pepe called. A quick chat and a sound night for me!


 


I slept so well and the bright sun, from our large window with a magnificent view, lit up the
room. I got up a little
before 8:00, dressed and
took a walk to get coffee,
milk, juice and
underground day passes.

We were
expecting Lloyd around
10:00, but instead, he
phoned saying he had a
cold and didn͛t know
whether or not to spend
the day with us. We
decided we͛d go out for
the morning and return to the hotel around 3:00 by which time he͛d either be there feeling better, or
leave a message.

First on today͛s itinerary was a visit to Kensington Palace which has housed many of England͛s
princesses (the childhood home of Queen Victoria and the home of Princess Diana until she died). The
palace is undergoing major renovation work (until 2012) but the staterooms were ͞visitable͟ in an
exhibit called ͞the Enchanted Palace͟. After paying our admission fee, we were handed a booklet which
contained a map of the exhibit rooms that were a
mixture of the old with modern twists, artwork,
costumes and clues of which seven princesses lived in
this palace. Marina was disappointed she couldn͛t win
at this game; ͞name the king͟ maybe, but not the
princesses. It was an interesting ͞work of art͟ more
than a palatial visit and ended in the gift shop where
we bought A BOOK (I had said, ͞No books!͟) about all
the Kings & Queens of this land from the Vikings until
the present time. (Marina better read it!) While
waiting to purchase said book, we did read about King
Henry VIII and how he had a ͞groom of the stool͟
which provided us a giggle as it relates to Marina and
Malka (but I won͛t go into details here ) We hung
out in the gardens a little afterwards for a snack, a
reprieve and a LAUGH! I commented that Kensington
Palace was where Queen Victoria first met her
beloved Prince Albert (as in the movie which Marina
and I enjoyed, ͞Young Victoria͟) Then MALKA chirped in; ͞Isn͛t a ͞Prince Albert͟ a ë
ë piercing?͟
!!!!!!!- that͛s my shock at my 11 year old daughter. I don͛t know WHERE she gets these things from and

3
how Prince Albert can be associated with THAT. Marina and I were totally naïve and unaware but it
turns out Malka was correct (oy-vey) as we later verified.

We strolled around Kensington Park and went to the Prince Albert Memorial which is so much
bigger and more impressive than it looked last year when we flew by it on a tour bus. Around the
memorial are statues representing Europe, India, Africa and America which all had, at times, parts
colonized by England.

We continued our
walk down Exhibition Road
where a number of
museums can be found (we
made a quick stop at the
free Victoria and Albert
Museum) and passed by a very entertaining street performer. We got there as he was lying on a bed of
nails. He then asked for a volunteer to stand on him while ͞sandwiched͟ between two boards of nails.
There was a silence and hesitancy among the spectators, and finally a man came forth. The performer
said he was hoping for a child instead (Malka could͛ve enjoyed that.) After that stunt he contorted and
dislocated his body to fit through a tennis racket. I couldn͛t bear to watch the popping shoulders and
instead took a picture of the girls looking; Malka in wonder, Marina with face partially buried in her
sister͛s shoulder. I turned around in time to see him squeeze his butt through the racket and of that I
did take an amusing photo.c

4
 We caught the tube back to Victoria and got back to the room a bit before 3:00. Marina was
excited when she didn͛t see the message light flashing on the phone, but I saw a typed note from the
front desk lying on the floor by the door informing us that Lloyd wouldn͛t be joining us today.  Marina
was sad and disappointed, and tired, maybe overwhelmed, jet-lagged and experiencing cramps. She
spoke to Lloyd on the phone during which time he googled and confirmed that a Prince Albert (or P.A.)
was, indeed, as Malka had said. And then Marina pulled herself together and we headed out with
Westminster Hall/ Houses of Parliament as our destination.

Entering the train station where we catch the tube, we realized we should get ͞advanced͟ train
tickets for our Sunday trip to Bath. Last night when we were at the station, I had enquired at the
information desk and was told there were ͞some͟ tickets available for outgoing to bath which would
cost 22 pound for the three of us and for the return 44 pound. Try to figure out that price difference if
you dare! The man said I should get the tickets fast as they͛d sell quickly, but the advance ticket window
was already closed at 9:00 p.m. Now, here we are at 3:45 the following day and the cheap tkts. for
SUNDAY and TUESDAY are gone! The most affordable option was to buy a family rail pass (good for a
year, we͛ll HAVE TO come back!) and then discounted tickets. That, plus tickets to and from Lloyd͛s
town of Crawley for next Wednesday amounted to 88 pound. Rail travel here is NOT cheap!

We were now ready to head out of the station into the underground but Marina had a craving
for the mozzarella sticks that McDonalds sells. Another detour. We finally make it to the Houses of
Parliament about 5:00. Last year we didn͛t visit them because we had heard they were not open to the
public. THIS year I looked in a tour book and saw it is open until 7:00 in the summer. WRONG!!! It͛s
NEVER open until seven and today͛s hours were 1:15-4:30. Maybe we͛ll make it back tomorrow or next
week (or next year!) We then took the tube to Leicester Square in the heart of the Theatre District. I
had wanted to get discount tickets for a show and had been unsuccessful obtaining ͞Buy one adult get
kids ½ price͟ at the theaters. I was told I had to do it through phoning Ticket Master but finally gave up
out of frustration. Like Times Square, Leicester Square has ½ price ticket booths but by the time we got
there only four shows remained, none of which we wanted to see. Oh well, another plan bust!

It was a lovely evening

and the sun was finally shining
for more than a second at a
time, so we started à
 
(Malka͛s choice word) towards
Trafalgar Square which was
bustling with people.c

5
 Realizing we weren͛t ͞too far͟ from the hotel (yes we were but I knew the way and it was such a
nice evening for a stroll) we continued our walk which took us through our second lovely park of the
day, St. James Park which leads to
Buckingham Palace. We had a fun
time people-watching, duck
watching, Coot watching (adorable
black birds with white caps and
beaks) and feeding some geese
(not Canadian) Cinnabun cereal.
Malka wanted to take a goose
home because they were cuter
than the ones who mess up our
parks and fields and because one
goose looked at her
with ͞puppy-dog eyes͟.

Back in the hotel

at 7:30, a phone call to
Lloyd and a quick shut-
eye for Marina and at
9:00 we went back to
the Giraffe for a light
meal. It͛s already 11:15
and I had planned for
10:00 lights-out as
tomorrow is going to be a packed day if all goes well and the three of us need our rest.

 


Today had the promise of a great day but was foreshadowed when Marina awoke at 4:20 a.m.
with really bad cramps. After getting her medicine and sitting up with her a bit we tucked ourselves in
bed together. She soon fell asleep but Malka͛s allergy sniffles were keeping me awake. I eventually
drifted off and was jolted by the 7:30 wakeup call (Marina had WANTED to get up early ʹ hence the call
ʹ but I let her sleep a little longer).

Our plan was to go back to Leicester Square as soon as Lloyd arrived but when he called saying
he͛d be a bit late Malka and I walked down the street to see if we could get ͞day tickets͟ for Billy Elliott
(the theatre was literally down the block). Those were not available, but we were able to purchase
͞restricted view͟ seats which, from the description given, sounded like box seats with free-standing
chairs. The man said we͛d have to lean on the rail to see. Malka whined that she didn͛t want to @ ,
and I told her it was all part of the experience. We͛ll see how that goes in an hour͛s time when the show
begins.

Lloyd showed up a bit before 11:00 and off we headed to Greenwich which is far east of the city
center. We had to change trains numerous times and ended up on a ͞driverless͟ train that went above
ground through the London dock area (and its quays and canals). This area was very new and built with
impressive high-rise apartment buildings and offices. It was quite a contrast to the old city of Greenwich.

6
 We ambled down some old streets and came
upon the market, established in 1700, with new goods
as well as vintage, antiques and junk. Malka quickly
zoomed in on a stall selling ͞ugly dolls͟ and bought one
for a friend. We also quickly lost Lloyd and Marina.
After going ͚round and ͚round the stalls numerous
times, we found them sitting comfortably cuddled on an
outside bench of a pub. They too purchased ͞ugly
dolls͟ and, in fact, were given a free one which they
gave to Malka.

By now Marina was looking peaked but we had

our touring cut out for us even though she wasn͛t cut
out for it. After collecting a map from the visitor͛s
center we went to the Old Royal Naval College. The Baroque buildings were built by Sir Christopher
Wren over 300 years ago as the Greenwich Hospital, home for veteran sailors on the site of Henry VIII
and Elizabeth I͛s birthplace (we would have loved to see that palace that is no more). The current
buildings were transformed, in 1873, to a naval college and in 1997 the site was opened to the public
and other buildings in the complex are now used by the University of Greenwich as well as Trinity
College of Music (we heard and saw, through open windows, various musicians practicing).

We entered the impressive

Painted Hall which once served as a
dining hall with beautiful frescos. Malka
was awed by them and asked me to ask
if she could take photos. She also
listened attentively as I read the long
description provided to us. Marina a
Lloyd sat down to read as well, only
they didn͛t get up again until much
later. Apparently, Marina was
beginning to feel ͞not right͟. With time
we moved on to the chapel ʹ an
adjoining building with a spectacularly
carved ceiling, marble floor representing in look and size the rope on an anchor and other nautical
touches that would have brought comfort o the pensioners
hundreds of years ago.

7
 Out of the ͞college͟ campus we turned left and walked ½ a block to the Trafalgar Tavern
overlooking the River Thames. Charles Dickens wrote about this historic tavern but I didn͛t see much to
write home about! Down the way (across the water) is the 02, originally called the Millennium Dome,
an ugly 23,000 seat arena and entertainment complex that we always see in the credits of EastEnders.
So, I took a picture with that in the distance and Lord Nelson up close.

At this point
Marina was really
dragging but we
pushed on across the
street to where lay
the National Maritime
Museum (the largest
of its kind in the world
but we didn͛t enter as
the theme didn͛t
interest us), the
Queen͛s House,
summer villa of
Queen Henrietta
Maria, wife of Charles
I built in 1638 and now an art museum (didn͛t enter there either) and beyond these buildings the
beautiful Greenwich Park into which Henry VIII introduced deer for hunting. Up a VERY steep hill, with
flocks of tourists climbing is the Royal Observatory.
Now Marina REALLY looked as if she͛d pass out but
she pushed
forward and
made it to
the top but
wasn͛t able
to enjoy the
time there
although she
is smiling in
photos (but
with teary
eyes behind
Lloyd͛s
sunglasses).
First on the
must-see list
was a bathroom for her so we totally by-passed the actual
observatory which we never made it back to. The Royal
Observatory is the home of Greenwich Mean Time (by which all
time is set??? Don͛t quite understand that) and the famous Prime
Meridian of the world which divides the Earth into two

8
hemispheres. Malka and I did enter the apartment of the Royal
Astronomer who, in the 1700͛s, lived meagerly in four small
rooms and wasn͛t even compensated enough for the cost of his
tools and telescopes. There was also a museum of time which
we flew through (like time flies) because it was both technical
and crowded.

The majority of tourists, like us, probably make the climb

up that hill to stride the meridian line at 0 degrees longitude
which we did (minus Malka who ʹas you can see from the
photos I͛m attaching - is somewhat camera shy.)

We then trekked back down the hill bypassing the

museum of astronomy and the planetarium. We eventually made it back to the hotel through a bunch
of train changes, walking (impressive underground high-end mall in the Docklands) and bathroom
breaks for my eldest. Arriving at Victoria, I handed the kids the hotel card and I separated from them to
pick up food for all.

Back in the room, Marina lay down and I insisted she closed her eyes and actually sleep. She and
Lloyd dozed, I wrote in my journal and Malka began a new book. Rest time was limited as we had a 7:30
curtain to catch down the road at the Victoria Palace Theatre. Luckily Marina woke up energized and in
a much brighter mood.

9
 We said farewell to boyfriend in the street outside the
station and arrived at the theatre about ten minutes before
show time. The theatre experience here is a bit different than
back home; starting with the fact no usher showed us to our
seat, there was no Playbill (unless you purchase a program),
and the amount of people in the audience who were eating and
making noise!!!! One thing I DIDN͛T miss, and which didn͛t
distract me, were the cell phones so many New Yorkers sneak
out during a performance. Our restricted view seats were,
indeed, restricted. They weren͛t actually box seats but rather
five seats placed behind a heavy wood railing. From my seat I
truly had to LEAN forward, even stand at times and lean, and
still I missed a side of the stage (not much happened there
usually). The girls sat to my left and their view was better.
There were, however, two proper seats empty right near us, so
during intermission Marina and Malka moved and were able to
enjoy the play even more. Then I took Malka͛s seat which was
vastly better than mine had been.

The play was very fun, moving and enjoyable; a definite good choice for the girls, especially
Malka as she͛s close in age to the main character, Billy who was 12. There was also another character,
Michael, who was simply adorable; a perfect friend for Malka if he͛d be real. I had seen the film so I
knew the story but the girls had no trouble following it. I have to admit the accents, very strong
Northern English, were at times challenging. The play started at 7:30 so I thought we͛d be out by 10-
10:15 but we didn͛t get back to the room until 10:45! We were tired but happy the day ended so much
better than it had been mid-way through! 

]


I had put in for a 7:00 wake-up call but was already up (the sun seems brightest in the early
morning) before that. We were to be ready and in the lobby by 8:15 to be picked up by Evan and Evans
tours, which we were, but they were late. A nice coach bus collected us and once at the station we
waited amongst 100s of tourists to be sorted into various busses heading to different parts of the
country.

Our tour guide was Leslie and our driver, Pat. Fortunately, our bus was NOT full and I placed the
girls midway back with the emergency exit below and in front of them, so they had a large,
uninterrupted view out the window. I sat alone behind them. After putting on our seatbelts, which is a
legal requirement on coaches here, we wound our way out of London as Leslie gave us a running
narrative on buildings and parts of the city we had not previously seen. We then drove through
Greenwich, which now is familiar to us, and headed south-east out of the city towards Kent which,
according to our guide, is ͞the garden of England͟. Actually it says that in my tour book too and the
name is derived from the Tudor times when orchards and hop fields abounded (and still abound).

10
 It was a BRILLIANT day for
travelling and sightseeing. This year we
packed more appropriately for the English
summer than last year when we brought
tank tops and shorts, so we͛ve been
comfortable as the weather (for the first
three days) has been breezy, partly cloudy
and in the upper 60͛s. Today the sun is
full out and it͛s about 87 degrees (that͛s
what the bus is registering now as we are
leaving Leeds Castle heading towards
Dover.)

Leeds Castle is said to be one of the prettiest castles in

England. It was built in A.D. 857 on two rocky out-crops in
the middle of a river by William the Conqueror. King Edward
the First later dammed the river make a lake and gave the
castle to his wife Eleanor of Castile. From that time until the
reign of Henry VIII it was truly ͞a ladies͛ castle͟ as the
subsequent kinds handed it over to their wives and this is
where children were raised and ladies entertained one
another. Henry converted the castle into a royal palace. In
the years that followed, the ownership was turned over to
various noblemen who found favor with the current kings.
The last private owner, Lady Boullie, a member of the wealthy
Whitney family of the U.S., bought the castle in disrepair,
fixed part up to resemble its original medieval appearance,
and lived in a more modern section until she died in the
1970s. Her daughter lived there until 2002 when she died,
but the family established a trust and the castle is now open to the public.

After touring the inside, we took a nice stroll around the rolling green surroundings, shot some
touristy ͞look at me in front of a castle͟ pictures and got back on the bus for the drive to Dover, Britain͛s
historic ͞gateway to the Continent͟ and famed for its white cliffs.

11
 Dover was a mere 15 minute stop for us
but the day was beautiful and we ran across the
road to the rocky beach where we collected some
stones and enjoyed the wind in our hair. The
famous cliffs are white from chalk and contain
secret war-time tunnels. They were originally
excavated to house cannons in case needed
against an invasion by Napoleon, and were more
recently used during the Battle of Britain
(anniversary 96 years ago today.) Rising nearly
120 meters (400 feet) above the port is Dover

Castle built in the 12th century, and put back into

active use during WW II. We didn͛t get to visit but
you can see the castle behind us in the photos.

Driving further along, we eventually arrived

at the walled city of Canterbury, the ecclesiastical
capital of England. Half of our group was hoarded
into a restaurant for a meal, and the other half,
ourselves included, followed Leslie to the well
known Canterbury Cathedral, the mother church

of Anglican Christianity, were we picked up our entrance tickets

and began sightseeing (after Marina͛s requisite WC stop). The
Cathedral has foundations dating from A.D. 597. The earliest
remaining part is they crypt built in 1100. The true story of the
building lays with the history of Henry II and his one-time friend,
Thomas a Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, who was slain by
four knights of Henry II in the cathedral in 1170. Becket later
became a saint and this site is a destination for Pilgrimages. You
can ask Marina, she can tell you the historical story.

The tour book states, and I agree, that the exterior of the
cathedral is more impressive than the interior. You enter thought
the Christ Church gate (16th century) and see the intricate 235
foot bell tower (built 1505) which, against today͛s bright blue sky
was very striking. The inside of the cathedrals was just ͞eh͟. I
must be jaded by all the spectacular churches, cathedrals, etc.
that I͛ve seen over the years.

We were getting hungry and wandered through some

ancient streets where Malka had another smoothie (this time
mango, banana and peanut butter) and then we ate a lunch of
Greek and Caesar salads at Café Cultura. Marina͛s back has been
achy since arriving in England (who͛s 50 years old???!!!) and
didn͛t want to walk much. But we still had 45 minutes before we

12
had to board the bus and there was no way Malka and I were going to stay put. We leisurely made our
way through the streets and found an open-air market
were we bought, of all things, a huge Spanish flag.

Before boarding the bus back to London, Leslie

totally freaked Malka out (you can ask her if you want).
The trip back lasted an hour and a half, during which
time I slept most of the way. We got back to the hotel
and 5:45 and tonight, HOPEFULLY, will be the first
relaxing night. It͛s now 7:15 and we͛re off to dinner (the
Giraffe again) and since I͛m all caught up with my
journal, I might even get to read tonight! 




I woke up to a grey day today but did manage to do so before the wake-up call came. We were
picked up late at the hotel but boarded the Evan Evans bus no problem at all, getting the same seats as
yesterday. Today͛s guide was Phil who was very informative, light in humor, young, dapper and a pipe
smoker. Malka was happy because she said he looks like Leonardo Dicaprio and WASN͛T Leslie! The
drive to Blenheim (pronounced Blen͛m) Palace was about an hour and a half. Unfortunately, once there
we only had another hour and a half to see
as much as possible. I visited Blenheim 30
years ago and I still recall it to be
absolutely amazing. But I also knew that
with so little time allotted us we couldn͛t
take it all in. We opted to skip the interior
of the palace and focus our attention on

the gardens. Saving a bunch of money, we purchased

tickets for the gardens only. I had read about the
hedge maze that is the 2nd largest in the world. We
had a lot of fun last year at the smaller Hampton
Court maze, and so we began our time at Blenheim
amongst the bushes. We had to take a mini-train to
reach the maze that was quite a distance from the
palace and then it took us about 20-25 minutes to
make our way out of the evergreens, Malka
complaining it was making her stressed most of the
way through. It WAS loads of fun and a wee bit
stressful because we DID have very limited time and
had to make sure we caught the little train back and it

13
only ran every half hour. We had no problem doing so and Malka thought it adorable how the mini
engine train took a little rail next to us and recoupled in front. She was also relieved that there was no
third rail! (It was like an amusement park ride for G-d͛s sake!)

We had a maximum of 30 minutes

left so we headed through the massive
gates and courtyards of the palace to the
gardens out back. There was so much to
see and so little time that we never got to
the rambling
paths around
the 1000 acre
property and
Malka was
freaking out
that we͛d miss
our bus.
Listening to
the other
tourists as they
boarded the bus, huffing and puffing from having to rush back, we heard
that they too lamented not having enough time.

Just a brief history of the Palace since I did take some exterior
photos: the building is in the Baroque style and is currently the
th
home of the 11 Duke of Marlborough. It was built for the first Duke as a gift from Queen Anne. He was
a great military figure in Europe and defeated the forces of Louis XIV when fighting on the Danube near
a village named Blenheim. It is also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

All buckled up on the coach, our next stop was the town of Burford in the Cotswolds. The name
Cotswolds comes from the word cot = enclosure for sheep and wolds = rolling hills. This area of England
was known for its wool (not any more). These towns and villages are all built and maintained in a
traditional style with Cotswold stone (a light yellow color). It͛s not like in Great Neck where once there
were tasteful neighborhoods of Tudor and Victorian homes, and now it͛s a hodge- podge mess with very
few of the older more aesthetic houses remaining. Here everything is beautifully maintained and
pleasing to the eye and MUST be built to fit.

Burford, established over 1000 years ago, basically consisted of one street lined with buildings
dating from 1300-1600͛s. The NEWEST addition was the primary school built in 1877. We had a
pleasant meal at the Golden Pheasant Hotel which concluded with the richest, darkest, smoothest
chocolate ice cream I͛ve ever had! Actually the girls ate it but I had a taste; hmmmmmm. Their lips
were black afterwards as if they had been eating brownie batter. After the meal we took a quick peruse
to St. John the Baptist Church which was started in 1174 and completed 300 years later.

Leaving Burford through narrow winding streets (major streets ʹ not old ones) a truck got too
close to us and clipped the large right side mirror and kept on driving. Our driver was PISSED as he
walked back up the road to collect the shattered mirror. Luckily the bus had a small right mirror as well.

14
Keep in mind this is the equivalent of our left mirror (since they drive on the opposite side) so it͛s rather
important!

Our next stop was a very lovely town

called Bourton on-the-Water. It had a very
shallow (maybe 4͟ deep) fast moving and
freezing river spanned by low bridges. Again,
the place was beautifully kept and real estate
is mint here. The streets were filled with
craft, antique, gift shops, and tea houses. It
has obviously become a tourist destination
but many locals were also enjoying a sit by
the water, a walk, a rest on a bench or even
wetting their feet and wading in the water.

We spent an hour here and then went to our last stop, Bibury (pronounced Bi-bry).

In 1380, as this was sheep country, little gabled cottages were built on the banks of the tiny Coln
River for local weavers. In the 1600͛s these
structures were converted to residences. They
are on Arlington Row and are the most
photographed buildings in the Cotswolds.

They are protected by the National

Trust but actually are current-day
dwellings. Marina had seen pictures
of Bibury in books even before we
planned this vacation and had wanted
to see the village (street) for herself.

15
Her wish came true.  Unfortunately we only had 15 minutes there but that gave us ample time to see
the famous street but no time to visit St. Mary͛s Parish Church which actually contains a Viking tomb! I
don͛t know why the tour guide teases and entices us with great things to see but doesn͛t allow us the
few minutes to see them!

Today was a calm but rewarding experience as we were taken 86 miles outside of London. We
enjoyed weather comfortable enough for short sleeves, an occasional glimpse of sun, and the
opportunity to get to know the countryside and history that one can͛t get from staying in London or a
big city all the time. We completed the day with a yummy dinner at Giraffe again. We tried something
else new ʹ every day a new menu item and they are all so good!





I slept ͞a little͟ later than the other days but was up by 7:00 observing rain through the window.
Luckily that has since passed. I had to have the hotel engineer come unlock our safe because we were
checking out today and Malka, in trying to help open the safe (remember- hidden chocolate- I didn͛t
know the code) messed up the code and I needed to retrieve our passports, extra money, train tickets
and more importantly the sweets that were locked up before leaving London for Bath.

We secured our two larger suitcases with the concierge for the two nights we͛ll be out of London,
paid the 16.50 pound phone bill and trekked off to the tube to get to Paddington Station. The Circle Line
wasn͛t running today and we had to make multiple underground transfers to get to the Paddington
National Rail Station. We had left with plenty of time, 40 minutes, but because of the tube delays we
arrived at Paddington at 10:00:39 for a train scheduled to depart at 10:00. SHIT!!!! Fortune was on our
side (can you see me wiping the sweat from my brow now?) and there was a delay on our outbound
train. We boarded from platform #9, found our RESERVED seats (Coach C 57, 58, 59) and pulled out at
10:15. The trip was uneventful and we pulled into the Bath station at 11:45. The walk from there to the
center of town consisted of one straight road and 10 minutes, and the hotel lay fewer than 5 minutes
past there (once we got our bearings)

Our room wasn͛t ready yet so we left the one small suitcase we carried at the reception desk and
went back to the city center to walk about, find something to eat and take photos (of Lions). This
summer there are 100 painted lion statues throughout Bath (in 2008 it was pigs). Every time we see one
we stop for the photo op. It keeps us moving. c

Bath is simply BEAUTIFUL (I

spent a great deal of time here in
the summer of ͛78) and the day
began warm and sunny. The city
was packed with tourists and the
streets lined with shop after shop
(not touristy), café after café, all
in wonderfully maintained
buildings. There are over 5000
listed buildings of golden stone
forming crescents, squares and
terraces. It is a rather hilly city
but easy to walk around.

16
 Bath was known to the Romans as Aquae Sulis because they found hot mineral springs. They
believed the water to be spiritual as well as therapeutic and built a complex of baths and temples which
flourished between the 1st and 5th centuries. Much later, in 1702, Queen Anne made the 115 mile trek
from London to the curative waters which began a fad that was to make Bath the most celebrated spa in
England. The 18th century architects John Wood Sr. & Jr. designed a city of stone from nearby hills,
creating ͞the most harmoniously laid
out city in England͟ which lays on the
bend of the River Avon. Our expensive
hotel room has a beautiful view
overlooking the water.

We ambled through the streets

looking for an eating establishment
that would suit the three of us.
Marina, although she͛s been eating
very well and trying new foods, is still
picky and traditional English fare, aside
from fried fish, doesn͛t appeal to her.
We found Binks, a HUGE place with a
massive menu and enjoyed a filling
lunch (fish ͚n chips for Marina) that concluded with a complimentary Ben & Jerry͛s ice cream for Malka.
We saw two street performers (one who kept freaking me out forcing me to turn away even though he
was more of a clown than a daredevil) and contemplated going to see the Roman Baths until I realized
that the Baths were open until 10:00 p.m. when they͛d be lit by torch-light and the tour-bus-loads of
foreigners would be gone. One of the guides at the Baths assured me it would be best to come back at
night.

We walked back to the hotel following the River, passing through a small mall/shopping center
next door, and found that, at 2:20, our room was indeed ready. I had tried to make Bath reservations on
line back home but had been totally unsuccessful as I couldn͛t find a single room which could
accommodate three people. I actually had to phone various hotels and book directly. We are staying at
the Hilton Bath City, a fairly large establishment. We have the ͞family deluxe suite͟ (listed for 236
pounds a night ʹ YIKES ʹ but I hope we are paying the AAA rate of $161). There is a large sitting room
with sleep sofa, a big flat screen TV on the wall (for some reason Marina is the only one of us who can
figure out how to turn on the TVs) and a very ample bedroom with 2 beds, desk, big club chair
overlooking the river view and another TV. While only Marina could figure out the TV, none of us could
figure out the toilet (same flush handle as normal) and we had to call house-keeping Some foreign girl
came up (all hotel workers seem foreign) pushed the handle and͙we felt stupid! We rested in the room
for about an hour and then began our ͞tourist business͟ in earnest.

We began with the Fashion Museum and Assembly Rooms housed in an 18th century building.
The Assembly rooms played host to dances, recitals, tea parties and card games back in the day. There
were 3 large rooms; the Octagon Room, the Ballroom, and the Tea Room. A card rooms was added in
1777. There was an interactive computer with the rooms͛ history and drawings and photos from the
past. Downstairs was the Fashion Museum which contains one of the best collections of costumes in
Europe. A GREAT audio tour took us through major fashions beginning in the 1600s. There was a room
where we could try on boned corsets and crinolines and another room for primary school kids to try on

17
old children͛s͛ clothes (could you tell Marina is NOT a primary school-aged child?) We had fun lacing and
buckling ourselves in very heavy and uncomfortable undergarments. In the museum there was also a
separate exhibit; ͞The
Diana Dresses͟, that
included ten dresses
that belonged to the
Princess Diana (Lady Di),
each housed in a show-
case, many with older,
historical costumes that
brought the dresses to
life. The narrative was

excellent. At the conclusion there was a

montage of videos showing Diana
wearing these pieces. There were also note cards with a silhouette of a woman and guests (us) were
encouraged to look back at the showcases and draw onto the figure our favorite dress with markers
provided. We each picked a different one; Malka, a light, airy green polka dotted long strapless dress
that Diana wore when she was 18, Marina; a lovely blue off the shoulder one that was worn to the
ballet. I liked that one best too but I chose to draw a cute short black number that Diana wore in her
final years when she was no longer princess and didn͛t need to dress along the lines of royal protocol.
Considering Marina had wanted to skip this part of the museum, we spent a LONG time there and really
appreciated it. Our drawings are now on a bulletin board in the exhibit. We left the museum around
5:20 ʹ the man had to unlock the door for us as the museum was already closed.

Down the street and around the corner and up a little hill we reached The Circus, the
masterpiece of John Wood the Elder which shows how a row of town houses could look palatial placed

18
in a circle. In the center rise up humongous Sycamore trees that dwarf all around. It is in The Circus that
I spent so many days and nights at
the Bernard͛s B&B back in the
summer of ͛78. c

We continued up the road

until we reached the Royal
Crescent, an elegant half-moon row
of town houses in front of which is
situated a lovely expanse of grass
where we sat for a while. It was
beginning to get grey and overcast,
Marina was beginning to get
hungry, and so we began the walk
downhill towards the city center.
We found ourselves in the Queens
Square (with a gated park) that contained 4 lions inside , three outside, which necessitated two walks
around to photograph all, and in the center was an obelisk built in 1767.

Following a road down, we came to Abbey Square where the Royal Baths and the Abbey are.
Around the corner is a Burger King so we popped in for burgers for the girls to satisfy their hunger until
we have a proper dinner. The town was now quieting down and when we entered the Roman Baths, it
was a totally different experience than earlier in the day. We picked up our audio guides and began
making our way through these ancient ruins. I visited this attraction 32 years ago, and since that time,
the baths were further excavated and the exhibit of archeological finds has been made much more
modern, accessible and interactive. Still, one of the most impressive sites is one that I photographed
back in ͚78, and again now, of the scalding water (96 degrees) pouring from an overflow drain of rock,
red-stained from minerals, with steam rising up. We must have spent at least an hour and a half
wandering, listening to some of the audio (it
would take hours to hear it all), marveling at
this ancient engineering feat and admiring it all
as night and drizzle fell, illuminated by torches.cc

c c   c
c

When we left the baths the city was all but

desolate; the tour busses had long since departed, the
locals tucked in at home. The stone streets glistened
with raindrops and we still needed to find a place to
dine (although, truthfully, I wasn͛t at all hungry).
During the day the city was teeming with every kind of
bar, café, tea shop, restaurant and baguette eatery.
Now, around 8:30, most were closed. We stumbled

19
upon a nice Turkish restaurant where Marina enjoyed lamb chops & rice (ate 3 of the 4 and all the rice),
Malka savored a chicken kebab & rice and I had a delicious vegetable stew. The cute elderly waiter gave
us complimentary fruit for dessert, offered us an umbrella to walk home with (it was raining heavier but
we just had a short way to go) and seemed almost embarrassed that we left a small tip. We rushed
home in the rain, the only people out and about, and so ended our first full day in Bath.

Ê



It poured last night. We slept right through it as I actually had the room curtains drawn shut
since we were in absolutely no rush to get up today. I slept until a little before 8, turned on the news
and that͛s when I heard that parts of Bath actually experienced flooding! The sun was shining when I
pulled the drapes but all day it played hide and seek with us and it was very windy at times as well.
Marina took a shower and no sooner had she gotten out then the hotel fire alarm let out a PIERCING
sound. It turned out, luckily, to be a false alarm but it took a while for our ears to recover.

Today͛s game-plan was to be out of the room by 10:00. As soon as we had walked out the hotel
doors a young ͞homeless͟ man with dreads and a dog politely asked for money. Malka has a thing for
͞hobos͟ and since there are many around and I had but one coin, I gave him 50p. We didn͛t have an
itinerary to follow today but headed towards the center, the square between the Abbey and the Baths,
to have breakfast. At Pret-A-Manger we picked up coffee, hot chocolate (extra milk added ͚cause last
year Malka burned her mouth on this franchise͛s cocoa), a cheese and tomato croissant for Marina and
a regular one for Malka (who already had pop tarts in our room). We sat on a bench, enjoying our food
and the atmosphere. Once this was done, we entered a few shops looking for nothing in particular, and
buying nothing either, and then we went to the Pultney Bridge which, like the Ponte Vecchio of
Florence, has shops on top. From the water one side of the bridge is really attractive and made of stone,
while the backside looks like wood sheds were crazy-glued on the façade. I imagine that since the city
was built in the 1700͛s the bridge was as well, but the stuck-on sheds date from Victorian times
(according to our boat tour guide ʹ more on the boat ride later.)

We went down some stone steps in the bridge to

a river-walk along the far side of the Avon across from
the town center and we took a stroll through
intermittent sprinkles. Up to another bridge we went
and then bought tickets for the verdant and brightly
flowered parade garden on this side of the river. I must

20
say, the flowers that adorn the city are so full, luscious and colorful whether they are in hanging baskets
from light posts, flower boxes or parks. I guess being in a good, damp and partially cloudy climate is
better for the impatiens than the scorching dry N.Y. summer we͛ve had this year. Anyway, we walked
around and sat in the garden. We came across a little cemetery which the kids first thought was a
children͛s͛ burial site but on closer examination of the tomb stones with names like Tim, Lou-Lou, Bozy
and adjectives like small dark, furry and references to ͞our boy͟ and ͞our little pal͟ we realized it was a
pet cemetery. We stayed in the park for about 45 minutes and then
went to the glassblowing store across the street because we wanted
to see the 12:15 demo. Only problem was, the demo was NOT at the
store but rather quite a bit up the road past our hotel. So that was
postponed until later in the day.

We then
went to the Bath
Sweet Shop where
candy is sold by the
piece, bought some
cavity-inducing treats and sat in a square
watching/listening to a street performer sing. It was
now approaching 1:00 and we THOUGHT there would
be a 1:30 organ recital next door at the Abbey so we
entered thinking to have a look around first. I gave an
optional donation and both ͞little girls͟ were handed a
kids͛
quiz
and shiny Bath Abbey pencils to help them enjoy the
Abbey experience. Bath Abbey, founded in 1499, is built
on the site of a much larger Norman cathedral. The
soaring vaulted ceiling has a beautiful fan design. The
girls made their way around the building filling in all the
quiz͛s answers, some with the assistance of sweet elderly
volunteer stewards. During our visit there was a Bible
reading and a fair amount of people actually sat to listen.
Quiz completed, a man took it from the girls,
congratulated them on answering all questions correctly,
and presented them with their prizes.. colored rulers
saying ͞God loves me͟ and a picture of the Abbey.

It was now a little past 1:30 and I didn͛t hear the

organ playing so I inquired of the same nice man and he
informed me that there was no recital today.  Oh well..
we͛ll try for tomorrow. During our time indoors, the
skies opened up outside so we exited to much cooler
temperatures and wet streets. We decided to stop at
the hotel before attending the 2:15 glassblowing
demonstration but passing a supermarket first, we went
in for some snacks, fresh mozzarella and a roll for

21
Marina. We went to our room, prepared some food and for some reason I kept thinking the demo was
at 2:30. Marina asked what time the TV said and I told her 2:21 and she screamed that we were already
late! We went up the road at a quick clip arriving 10 minutes late for the beginning of the
demonstration but getting 50% shaved off the entrance price. I paid an additional fee for Marina
because she wanted to try blowing
glass which she did. (Doesn͛t she
look great in the photo!?) They let
the guest blowers blow as much as
possible so that when her bubble
actually burst, the glass was as thin,
flexible and harmless as cellophane.
Marina received a certificate and
token blue glass glob for having the
experience.

Now it was a little past 3:00

and the weather looked fine so we
decided to go back to the riverbank
for the ͞cruise͟. The boat left the ͞weir͟ at 3:20 and the wind quickly whipped up. We went at a slow
pace up the River Avon which is NOT the same Avon as in ͞Stratford-Upon͟. It turns out that the word
Avon means ͞running water͟ and there are SEVEN ͞Avons͟ in England! The water certainly was running
today thanks to last night͛s storm. We went about 2 miles upriver before turning around at another
weir that was built in the 1300͛s. From the wind and rain of yesterday many (some large) branches of
the willows and chestnut trees
lining the banks were flowing
in the current and in one
instance our boat had to
gently push a huge limb to the
side. The water looked muddy
and unattractive (again, from
the downpour) but we did
learn that in a British system
of rating water on a scale of A-
G with ͞A͟ the top grade, this
Avon rated a ͞B͟ making it
both swimmable and
drinkable. I͛d pass! By the
way, NO river in England has
an ͞A͟ mark. By the cruise͛s
end we were substantially chilled and Marina wanted to eat. We came up to street level, crossed the
bridge, walked into the mall and situated ourselves in a restaurant called ͞California Kitchen͟. Both girls
enjoyed a kid͛s meal complete with ice cream, drink AND a lollipop and I decided to try a stuffed jacket
potato that appears on most every menu. Filled from my chicken,-cheese and onion- stuffed spud, and
wiping chocolate ice cream from their mouths, the girls and I walked up the block to our room to catch
up on our journals and clean out my tote bag. The girls have long-since finished writing and I guess this
is it for me for now as well.

22
 Okay, it͛s 9:00 now and we just got in from a 50 minute circle around town. I have a pamphlet
listing 100+ shops and looking through it for what MIGHT be interesting I marked a map and off we
went. Of course I knew the stores would be closed at this hour, but it gave us an idea of where things
were and if they looked worth revisiting in the morning. It was brisk outside, few people were out, but
the Abbey bells were ringing from 8:00 until we returned. We stopped by an ice cream shop for a scoop
of rich chocolate ice cream for the girls (second serving today) and now we are back in the room. I͛m
enjoying a cup of coffee, watching TV with Malka as Marina talks with Lloyd. Tomorrow we pack up and
check out, but we have our morning planned here before returning to London. Hope it goes well.

 


I didn͛t sleep so well last night as there was a knock on the door (no one there) at 3:20. In the
morning the bill was on the floor but would they have knocked in the middle of the night??? Aside from
that, and the fickle and uncooperative weather, everything went EXACTLY as planned today. It was
brilliantly sunny first thing and really raining the next. We actually took the umbrellas out of the
suitcase and used them for the first time.

We packed up and checked out of the hotel around 9:15, leaving the suitcase there for the day.
We began our walk a few blocks to the center and the sky opened up. We ducked into Guildhall Market,
which we had passed, unbeknownst to us, numerous times EVERY day and which actually contained
some places we had checked off to go shopping; one being Funtastik, a gag/costume stall. Don͛t ask
why, but Malka has wanted a fake mustache for some time. I checked this place out on line from NY and
saw that they had mustaches and so we made the purchase. (aside: it͛s now October 1st and as I͛m
typing this journal, the mustache is STILL sitting on my kitchen counter never even having made it to
Malka͛s room!). Where she͛ll wear it͙???? The shop also had a full box of fake turds (so as not to use a
worse word) that looked SO disgustingly real. Marina and Malka wanted to get one for Marcus but I
vetoed that idea. Sorry Marcus in case that was on the top of your ͞must have/wish list͟. From there
we went to the Abbey to catch the 10:00 tower tour. The sun was out and the sky a beautiful blue. The
first leg of the vertical journey consisted of 120 steps up a very tight and windy tower. I couldn͛t even
get half my foot on the stair and I wondered what I had gotten us into as the climb was exhausting. At
the 120 step level we stopped and walked outside along the roof, towards the clock tower, taking in a
beautiful vista in the bright
sun. We then ducked low
into a tiny door and entered
the bell ringing room. We
saw the Victorian mechanism
that still rings the bells to this
day although it is now
automated and not
dependent on weights that
had to be pulled weekly like a
grandfather clock. We also
saw the eight ropes that ring
the bells manually on
Sundays and for the long
practice Monday nights. That
answered my question as to

23
why the bells pealed so long last night when we walked around. There was also another machine like a
giant pegged music box which used to play hymns and tunes with the bells, but that is now replaced
with an electromagnetic box. We (tourists) were then split into two groups and the girls and I followed
a nice young college student guide through another mini-door into an area above the fanned ceiling of
the abbey. We saw where the ceiling vaulted and where the columns supported it and we could look
down through a peep hole to the floor hundreds of feet below. (see the photo looking UP at the hole).

We were then escorted through ANOTHER

small door (even Marina had to duck) and
along a gang-plank-like walkway to the back of
the clock. There we learned that whereas
now it is illuminated nightly by fluorescent
lights, back in the day it was someone͛s job to
sit in this cramped room, 120 stairs, up for
twelve hour shifts manning lanterns. What a

boring and claustrophobic job that

would be! The church clock was
extremely important to the
people of Bath because only the
rich could afford to have clocks in
their homes. Those of more
modest means paid their taxes
and depended on this council
clock to tell them the time. (Oh
the things one learns on a tour!)

With this part of the visit

complete, we had to climb
another, even tighter, staircase to
the actual bell tower. Luckily it
wasn͛t as many stairs up. There
are currently 8 bells. Originally
there were 6 but they were
melted down and two more were
added from the metal. The
frames are all the original wood
ones even though modern
hammers have been added for
when the bells are rung mechanically. Marina even got to pull a little rope to activate a hammer. While
we were being given the history and such, we could hear the wind absolutely HOWLING and feel the
spray of rain coming in through the tower͛s vents. Unfortunately, this corresponded to the time when
we had to make our final ascent of a few stairs to the roof top of the tower. It was really windy and wet

24
and we didn͛t last too long there. I did get some soggy photos
through the moisture-filled air and then we descended the 212
stairs. My legs were trembling by the bottom, but I was rewarded
with a bookmark saying ͞I climbed up the 212 steps of BATH ABBEY
tower and down again.͟ It should have said ͞I climbed up and down
and didn͛t have a heart attack!͟

By the time we exited the Abbey, wouldn͛t you know, the rain had ceased and the sky was blue
again! WHAT???? British weather ʹ humbug! We made a quick stop at the restrooms across the square
at the Baths to clean our hands which helped us along the stone staircase of the tower (Marina even
said she crawled partially up!) One great thing
about England, especially Bath, is the number of
plentiful free public toilets! Hands clean, we
went back to Guildhall market to eat at a diner-
like snack place called Time Out. How English can
the girls get? Marina had an ͞American hot dog͟
and Malka had a bagel with cream cheese. I, on
the other hand, had a scone with clotted cream.
We͛ve been hearing about clotted cream since
our Cotswolds trip and it really is as good as its
reputation; rich, rich, rich!

After lunch we did a little shopping,

bought a cute sweater for Marina, who was chilled, at a store where so much only cost 10 pound. Malka
got all pissy because Marina always gets stuff and she doesn͛t and yaddah-yaddah- yaddah the bitch fest
began between the two of them and lasted a good part of the day! We walked back to the Abbey
AGAIN for a 1:10 organ recital which was projected (the organist) on screens all throughout the building.
I have no understanding of the three keyboards, foot keyboard and all the buttons that can be pushed
and pulled on the instrument but it was impressive even if I didn͛t care much for the musical selections
(see program ʹ most pieces were too contemporary for my taste)

25
 It was now nearing 2:00 so we headed up town, up the hill to the Royal Crescent which we
visited two days ago during an overcast evening. It was much more photogenic this time. We paid
eleven pound entrance fee to No.1 Royal Crescent. The pounds are flying out of my wallet (would be
nice if the other pounds flew off my body as fast) and I actually made my second bank withdrawal today
having exhausted nearly 500 pound already! Okay, back to Number 1. There are thirty houses on the
Crescent ʹ only 6 of which remain complete; they which must be huge. The others have been divided
into flats. No.1, the smallest
of them all, has been
redecorated and furnished by
the Bath Preservation Trust to
look as it might have towards
the end of the 19th century
aristocratic Georgian times.
There were 5 rooms to view,
each with an informational
sheet to read and with an
eager volunteer to answer
questions. I learned that ͞high

season͟ in Bath was from September to

May when fashionable people of great
wealth came to partake of the spa
waters, socialize, gamble and party the
night away down the block at the
Assembly Rooms which we visited the
other day. The Crescent was owned by
5 entrepreneurs who rented out the
buildings fully furnished to other rich
people and made a small fortune doing
so.

From there we high-tailed back down towards the hotel where we fetched our bag. It was now
a little past 3:00 and our train to London was at 4:13. I knew we didn͛t need so much time to get to the
station, especially now that we knew our way and the city, but we actually got there really early. As luck
would have it there was a 3:43 train so we didn͛t have to rush nor wait. The train ride was simple
enough, depositing us back at Paddington Station before 5:15. A quick tube ride (without switching
trains) and we were back to the familiar surrounds of the Victoria Plaza. We checked into the hotel in a
͞handicapped room͟ complete with stall shower with a seat, and then crossed the street to the familiar
Giraffe for an early dinner. Sadly, it͛ll be the last meal there. We went back to the hotel to collect the
two suitcases we had left with the concierge; I purchased Buckingham Palace tickets for the morning
(another 36.50 pound gone) and up to the room we went to settle in for the night.

26
 
 


We slept well and happily awoke to partially sunny skies (rain is forecast for later today). We
showered and promptly left the room around 9:00. We took the short walk to Buckingham Palace.
There we traded our ͞paid for͟ vouchers for entrance tickets, waited a few minutes and were admitted
at 9:45. We had to pass thorough security equal to that at the airport, then pick up our audio guide and
from there thoroughly appreciated the hour and twenty minutes we spent amongst opulence and
phenomenal examples of architecture. Unfortunately, NO PHOTOS WERE ALLOWED inside. This was
unfortunate because to describe what we saw in words is impossible and also unfortunate because I had
to carry a heavy camera and two umbrellas the entire time! The tour was very thorough covering
history, art, décor and costumes and it wasn͛t overly crowded. We opted not to buy the official souvenir
booklet so for anyone interested͙ best to Google!

We exited through the Palace Gardens out

back (the only photo I have of the outing) and walked
about ½ mile to the street and probably another ¾
mile back to the hotel. Malka finally bought (if she
pays me back) the scarf she͛s been pestering me for.
(Now that I͛m typing this and she͛s sitting next to me I
just read this to her ʹ she obviously has NOT paid me-
but she says; ͞it͛s alright, it͛s a present!͟ cheeky girl!)

We intended to make a real quick

stop at the hotel to collect what we needed
for the afternoon in Three Bridges, Lloyd͛s
town. Our room was being cleaned so we
had to wait about 10 minutes and the dark
cloud started circling over Marina͛s head͙
she was anxious to see Lloyd. Once out of
the hotel we made our way around 3
eateries to pick up a snack/lunch: Croissant
for Malka at one, mozzarella sticks from
McDonalds for Marina, and a cheese, cucumber, tomato baguette for me at the third stop. All this, plus
looking for a pay phone to tell Lloyd when we͛d be arriving caused us to miss our 12:32 train. Uh-oh..
now that cloud over Marina BURST!! No big deal for me and Malka. So we wait another 20 minutes for
the next train. Marina didn͛t see it that way and stormed ahead of us at the station being in a ͞right old
mood!͟ We finally caught the 1:02 train and about 42 minutes later arrived at Three Bridges. Lloyd was
there waiting at the platform and said he had been for twenty minutes. It must have seemed an eternal

27
wait (oh these love-struck teens) because Marie, his mom, who was waiting in the car, said it had only
been five minutes!

The weather was dreadful all afternoon. We drove straight to their house where we stayed until
we went to dinner around 5-something-o͛clock. Lloyd͛s parents are absolutely lovely and fun with great
senses of humor. I had met Marie last year but met Lloyd͛s dad, Lee, for the first time today and
immediately felt at home. Even Malka was far from shy! Lloyd and Marina spent most of the day
upstairs and with time three of his friends came over. The Paines have 2 dogs, Ruby and Holly who has
OCD with the ball and didn͛t cease to bother us all afternoon. Malka had fun with her and was a good
sport. They had wanted to take us down to Brighton (the beach) but obviously the weather was
uncooperative. They offered to take us to the mall and Malka had wanted to go shopping, but we were
enjoying the conversation and decided to stay put at home. After a while, Lloyd͛s sister Laura, her
husband Mike and baby Ava arrived. When meal time approached, we went to a lovely pub for a nice
family meal. The atmosphere, company, talk and food were more than pleasant. We really enjoyed
ourselves.

Back home for dessert of a lovely chocolate cake and more entertainment by Ava who was
getting punch-drunk-over-tired the conversation never lulled. Lee͛s mom (Nan) came over for a visit
and we felt like one big family. Eventually I went upstairs to phone Pepe; Happy 25th anniversary to us!
I also attempted to print out our boarding passes but my many attempts failed and I was getting
frustrated with the computer and didn͛t even try to read my e-mails. Honestly, being away from the
technology for 10 days has been NICE! Lee had to leave for work a bit before 9:00 and I think we were
all getting somewhat tired. The lovebirds were also getting melancholy and mushy.

Marie took us back to the train station where we caught the 9:33 train back to London (almost
there now as I write this) and so our day, and our holiday are coming to an end. 

28
  


It is 9:10 a.m. We are basically packed but have a long time to go before checking out, making
our way to Heathrow Airport and then waiting for our flight. It͛s going to be a drag of a day͙sigh.

We͛re excepting Lloyd sometime real soon. He͛s planning on spending extra money on a rush
hour train ticket to be able to have more time with Marina. Can we say; ͞awwwwwwww͟? Oh, it͛s now
9:15 and he͛s here!!!! I guess I͛ll pack this journal away now as I don͛t expect anything worthy of writing
to happen between now and our plane͛s departure and I hope we͛ll get off without a hitch.

It͛s been a really nice holiday despite some hormonal outbursts from the girls. It is incredible
how much we have managed to pack into 9 days (10 if we͛d count today but since we are not doing
anything͙). And even though we did two full day trips, three days in Bath and saw new sights in London
there is still so much more of the country to discover.

We ARE expecting Lloyd to make a U.S. appearance sometime this coming year and we will need
to visit Spain soon, so I don͛t know when we͛ll be seeing England again. Who knows͙ maybe I͛ll surprise
myself (and the girls) and book another last minute impulse vacation? But in the meantime I have over
300 photos and many memories to look back on. Happy travels!!!

Somewhere over the rainbow: A view from our window minus the flying couple, but, the rainbow was real (or part of it at least)

29