London Day 3 & 4 and a wedding!

The weather in London was great, mainly blue skies and temperatures of around 19 degrees. Our winter woollies have stayed in our cases and won’t be coming out until we return to our New Zealand winter.

When we were last here in 2010 Lance and I enjoyed a trip to Camden Market, so I decided that I would train out to Camden town once again.  

The market supposedly opened at 10am, but half of the stalls were not open until much later. And after about an hour I decided that Camden Markets no longer hold the same charm as they once did. It was a much more commercial market with shop after shop of the same merchandise and only a few here and there that had something worthwhile.

I had downloaded the Underground app when still in New Zealand so that I could easily access the train information. But we both found the Maps app on our phone to be much more helpful. The information was really specific, what line to take, how many stops, and when trains were due. So it was very easy for me to jump on the train at Camden town and arrive at Borough Market with one train change on the way.

Borough Market Fish Monger

Borough Market is a food market almost directly under London Bridge. I wish I had got there earlier as it was packed wall to wall with people. Or maybe this was fortunate because I would have wanted to buy all sorts of food that would have been no use to us here.

I did manage to purchase some lovely cheese and bread that would serve as our evening meal and went up to London Bridge where I spotted the Tower Bridge which made me finally feel like a tourist in London.

Lance in the other hand had sat in Soho Square which, was a little park just along from our hotel, and did some people watching. Then popped into a Vietnamese street food restaurant which was also close by and then flowed up with a pint at The George.

That evening we went to a show, which was also just around the corner. Ain’t Too Proud was the story of the Temptations and we loved every minute of it. The singing and dancing was great and of course it was music that we know and love. 

Yes that is a new green jacket that I am wearing.

The next day we joined our friend Emma who we had met on a trip to Vietnam in 2014. She had planned an action packed day that she quickly changed to accommodate our situation. And after a bite to eat we went to another show. Hamilton has been our list to see so we welcomed the opportunity. 

The show was fast paced and initially I found it difficult to follow. But once I adapted to the rhythm I started to understand the story. Unfortunately my knowledge American history is not robust enough to have been able to follow it completely, but the music, dancers and costumes made up for my lack of knowledge. The music was a blend of rap, jazz and R & B. There were only a couple of small narrations that were not rapped or sung. It was very clever and I imagine very difficult to ad lib if an actor forgot their lines. 

After the show Emma took us to Dishoom for dinner. Dishoom has a blend of Iranian and Indian food and not only was the food delicious but the staff were really lovely and so well organised from the minute we arrived to queue for dinner.  We would highly recommend this place. 

For dessert Emma got us back to Soho and nice and close to our hotel. Bilmonte sells gelato that is creamy and rich. I really didn’t think that I could fit in another morsel but the chocolate gelato just a slipped in and fortunately it wasn’t served in a Sicilian bun like some there other patrons were consuming!

The next morning we packed an overnight case and left our large cases at the hotel. We were off to Essex to attend a wedding! 

Lance’s family were in the UK for the wedding so it was a great catch up with UK dwellers and NZ travellers. 

We had booked a room at the venue, ‘Ye Olde Plough House’ a few months earlier and went for the executive suit rather than a standard room. We also arranged an early checkin as the usual check in time is the same time as the 2pm wedding. 

On arriving in our room Lance said that the woman at reception had said that it was a standard room. But by then we were starting to unpack and thought we would just leave it. Later when Lance’s brother checked in he was given the executive suit! We couldn’t be bothered changing and our current room was number 17 which was close to the reception area, Matt’s executive room was number 72 and would have take a week for Lance to walk there so it all turned out well. And Matt bought the drinks all night! 

Lance escorting his elderly relations, but I think they may have been escorting him!

The wedding was lovely and I think we both shed a little tear at differences points. It was very much like any NZ wedding except the toast master was wearing a gorgeous tailed coat.  And he and his wife were everywhere organising and checking that everyone was okay. 

Thanks so much to Mark and Jo for having us. 

London Day 1 & 2

 

We grabbed a taxi in Edinburgh with a couple of kiwis that had been on our tour and headed for the Waverley train station to board the fast train to London. When I say fast, it still took over five hours.

The train station was vast but well organised and we sat for a coffee and cake while we awaited for our platform to be shared on the screen, because of course we were way early.

I took a wander to check out some horns that we could hear bearing played and came across a couple of guys on the platform with a trombone and a trumpet, they appeared to be just warming up as they waited for their train. Maybe they do this every morning? But it sounded great, just imagine the scales being played in a huge train station, great acoustics.

Spot the horn

When it was time to find our platform I asked the guy directing people on platform 2 where we stand for coach J. He replied “Just go around the bend” to which I replied, “Oh I’m already around the bend!”

Fortunately he got my joke and smiled and said I need to be a bit more around the bend for coach J.

The train ride was pretty painless, were were sitting at a table and had about 20 young American girls who were doing a University tour sitting with us. 

Flying along on the train

After we had hurtled back down into England we arrived at Kings Cross Station. I wish that I had my phone ready when a very reverent looking priest in black gowns and a very large gold crucifix hanging from his neck dived into the taxi ahead of us. As he opened the door to the cab I noticed that the whole side of the cab was covered in a scantily clad underwear model. She lay along the full length of the cab. It could have been out of a comedy show.

Arrived in London and in the taxi. 

As the finale to our tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland we planned a week in London to see and do as much as we possibly could. Months of YouTube clips had filled our travel planner with all sorts of sights, bars and eateries.

But this story took a different turn.

Lance’s knee had got progressively worse throughout the trip, and he was only able to walk, well I hesitate to use the word comfortably, for about 100 meters maximum. An email has been sent to the doctor to line up an MRI as soon as possible when we get home.

Fortunately our hotel was very central in Soho so we had a variety of eating places close by and the train station was just a stones throw away. But we were still very limited in what we could do. The Resident, was recommended by friends and was perfect although our room was small. But I guess that is what it is like in central London. 

The Resident Hotel

When we walked out on to our street at around 6:30pm I thought that there must have been some sort of gathering on. The noise of the crowd hit me first, it was like half time at a football match. And people were all milling around on the footpath and oozing onto the narrow road. And . . . They were just all having a pint at the pub! This seems to be the thing to do, stand outside and drink. At most of the pubs that we passed the same arrangement was happening. We were told that it was because there were not enough seats inside. But later on in the week we ventured into one of these pubs and there were plenty of seats! I think that they just like standing out on the footpath.

And this was not a busy night!

Dinner on our first night was at a place recommended by a friend who is a fellow foodie. 

Entering Temper you have no idea what you are in for. The lobby is quiet and modern with a guy at the desk. But as he leads you downstairs the whole game changes. 

We were placed at the counter, which at first I was disappointed about, but that only lasted for a millisecond. The counter surrounded the fire pit that was filled with flames and great smells and the food had a Mezcal vibe.

The food and service was fantastic. All meat is sourced locally and I was surrounded by baskets of veges artfully arranged as if no one had arranged them. We loved everything and recommend you visit if you are in an area where they have a restaurant.

A plan was hatched to find some more sedentary activities for Lance while I did a bit of exploring by myself. One of Lance’s activities was to go to a Matinee show, and he managed to see ‘Back to the Future - the musical’ which is a family favourite and funnily enough he watched all three movies back-to-back on the long flight here from New Zealand.

On our first full day I spent the morning shopping on Oxford Street and then went to the British Museum in the afternoon. My feet were screaming!  There was a noticeable change in the people around me with more of an ethnic mix, not including tourists. And of course a huge range of ‘types’. I loved looking at the array of clothing that adorned some of people.

We met back at our hotel and Lance had been more adventurous than me and had caught a bus and a train. We had an Oyster card each which is an essential item when in London as you can use it on buses, the Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, most of the Elizabeth line, IFS Cloud Cable Car and Thames Clippers River Bus services. 

Dinner that night was at a beautiful restaurant call Mere. Click on this link to read my review.

Last afternoon in Edinburgh

On our last afternoon in Edinburgh I got dropped into the city as I had booked a tour at ‘The Real Mary King’s Close’. I really had no idea what it was but it had been recommended by a Scottish friend. One of our tour buddies joined me which was good because it was kind of creepy. 

I couldn’t get photos as they are not allowed, but have a couple that I have borrowed.

‘The Real Mary King’s Close‘ is located at the higher end of the Royal Mile where tiny lanes are called ‘close’ and named after important people of the time. It was unusual for anything to be named for a woman who was not of royal descent however, Mary King was the widow of a prominent man and continued to run the merchant business. 

Close is the Scottish name for ancient alleyway and they run a labyrinth through this part of Edinburgh. 

The narrow streets appeared to be underground, but back in the 1600s were at ground level. Over time the city buildings were built above ground however, they would have still been a grim place to live and work. 

This was a time before the toilet was available and the slop buckets were thrown out into the close, and the barn like rooms that held the animals also flowed down into the cobbles. The cry of “Gardyloo” was the warning that the slop was about to be flung.  I guess that is where the word loo must have come from for toilet.

Our guide shared terrible tales of the plague and the suffering. Dr George Rae was Edinburgh’s official plague doctor and had an an unusual take of managing to stay safe from infection. He wore clothes and a coat made of leather and a beak like mask that had the beak filled with herbs to mask the terrible stench. The leather suit was impenetrable and the plague germs could not reach him. Remember that this was a couple of hundred years before the germ theory was discovered, so he was way before his time in his thinking. He would not touch his patients, but prod them with his walking cane.

I do recommend a visit to The Real Mary King’s Close if you are in Edinburgh.

Wandering down the Royal Mile I spotted a woman who I thought was wearing a face mask with tiny ornaments hanging off it, but when I got closer I saw that they were piercings. I recall that I have used a photo of this woman from Google as a creative writing prompt for my students. Apparently she is the most pierced woman, and has over 15,000 piercings! This is a photo of her that I have borrowed from Google as I was too shy to ask her and also she looks a bit scary.

That evening we arranged to meet with some of our tour friends. As the tour had finished most had departed for far off places. So the remaining six joined us at a local pub Torfin for dinner. The food was really great and the service exceptional. 

After a couple of drinks back at the hotel we all retired for the evening and Lance and I were to be boarding a train to London the following morning.

Edinburgh

Bright and early we departed for the city centre in our coach. It was so nice not to have to get the bags downstairs by 7am.

Once again as we entered the city of Edinburgh we just didn’t know which way to look. We have been travelling in the United Kingdom and Ireland for over two weeks and had begun to get used to the incredibly quaint buildings and the age and detail everywhere we have been, but Edinburgh is just another level.

Edinburgh is made of of two distinctive areas. The New Town was developed in an orderly fashion in the 18th century and has many Georgian style buildings. 

The Waverley Vally divides New Town (which is 300 years old) from Old Town which seems to hover over the newer area as it is built on a ridge that runs from Edinburgh Castle down to Holyrood Palace. 

Edinburgh Castle dominates the landscape as it sits above the city on a shear rock face. The Royal Mile runs all the way down to Holyrood Palace however, it is made up of many Streets running end to end beginning with Castlehill , which obviously runs down from the castle, the Lawnmarket, the High Street, the Canongate and Abbey Strand. The narrow lanes and closes that run perpendicular to these streets are contained by tall buildings which were the tallest of that age. They were occupied by merchants and nobles and some are as high as six stories.

Some of these building have been constructed on top of the original house which now appear to be underground. More about that when I cover my visit to The Real Mary kings Close.

These were the times when the slop buckets were emptied onto the street and human and animal waste ran down into the midden. 

It was a time when any woman who was a little ‘different’ or stood out in some way would risk being accused of sorcery. The only way to check whether she really was a witch or not was to tie her up and throw her into the midden. If she managed to survive then she had to be a witch and would be executed. If she died then she obviously was not a witch, but oh dear, she is dead now anyway.

We passed the Grassmarket where between 1660 and 1864 the executions took place. People were taking photos of the spot, but it gave me the shivers thinking of all the poor souls that had died there.

A pub called the Maggie Dickson is located right by where the gallows were situated. In 1724 poor unmarried Maggie fell pregnant. She hid her pregnancy and shortly after the birth the baby was dead, and she was accused of murder. After her hanging her body was taken by cart to be buried however, on the way there she woke up! The law said that a person could not be punished for a crime twice so Maggie got to live to see another day! After that the term ‘Until death’ was added to an execution sentence.

Edinburgh Castle was great, I think that it may be the largest Castle that we have visited on this trip. We were early and had to wait a wee while and it was freezing even though the sun was shining. Waiting in the courtyard that leads to the Castle gate we watch the construction of the seating for the Military tattoo that occurs at the end of July. 

Edinburgh Castle stands on Castle Rock which has been occupied by humans since the Iron Age. It is a great fortress and it generally houses the ‘Stone of Scone’ also known as the ‘Stone of Destiny’. 

The Stone has been used in the coronation of the monarch’s of Scotland, and after the 13th century has been used for the coronation of the monarchs of England. And that is why I didn’t see it, because it is still in England after being sat on by our new King Charles the 3rd a couple of weeks ago.

There have been plenty of times where the canniness of the Scottish has been mentioned. We had to laugh when one of our guides, who hales from Glasgow, said that the Scot’s are so canny that copper wire was invented in Scotland when two Scottish men were fighting over a penny.

On our last day in Edinburgh we hired a private car and driver to take us out to see the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel. These were two things that we really wanted to see. We took one of our new tour buddies with us as her husband was playing golf.

A kelpie is a shape-changing water spirit of Scottish legend. Kelpies are said to haunt rivers and streams, usually in the shape of a horse. The kelpie may appear as a tame pony beside a river. It is particularly attractive to children but they should take care, for once on its back, its sticky magical hide will not allow them to dismount! Once trapped in this way, the kelpie will drag the child into the river and then eat him. Horrifying isn’t it! 

When standing under these magnificent sculptures they almost felt like they could move. It was quite unnerving that a solid structure made you feel like he was going to bend down and snap you up in his metal mouth.

Along side the kelpies is a river with river boats moored, and  this leads to our next adventure.

We had seen a YouTube clip of the Falkirk wheel and were amazed, hence the need to get a car and go and see it. The wheel is a lock that transfers boats to a different level in the river however, this is the world’s only rotating lock and stands 35 meters high, that is 8 double decker buses stacked up!

Fortunately for us a couple of river boats were coming down from the higher end of the river and we got to see it in action. The recording is on time lapse so is speeding through the process.

And then the boat appears

It was fascinating and an engineering feat and it is powered using the same amount of power as 8 electric kettles. 

A few meters along the same boat took the next, more traditional, lock.

Our driver took us to Stirling castle but it was too busy so we just drove around the village, which is once again very olde world and charming. 

Our last stop was to see the William Wallace memorial, and I think We will be watching Braveheart again on our return to NZ.