GREENWICH
The pirate exhibit was too expensive.
The observatory was closed for remodeling.
We got no service at the pub.
But, Bob got a great picture.
Jackie needs to read Mark Twain! Especially his journals of travels. Her narratives lack something.
Greenwich needed more time (no pun intended.) We arrived late in the day and many things were close to closing. With the last boat back at six there wasn’t a lot we could do. We caught the last boat. Jackie bought some outrageously expensive cans of Guinness and trounced me at cribbage. I may have made a mistake teaching her the game. We will have to see, actually I was making a comeback and only lost by eight points. When we get back to Westminster Pier we will look for a restaurant for dinner, preferably an Indian one.
8:00 PM LONDON (12:00 NOON PORTLAND)
After wandering aimlessly our bladders decided it was time to look for a pub. Bladders are amazing organs. They can suddenly override all other inputs to the brain and scream NOW!!!
We found a pub not far from the hotel and ducked in to use the W.C. We bought one lager and rested my feet. Then we headed back toward the hotel. A couple of blocks from the hotel, Jackie spotted an Indian Tandoori restaurant. We went in. Jackie asked for non-smoking which they didn’t have. She then asked if we could be seated away from any smokers. The waiter said no one was smoking and pointed repeatedly to the table he wanted us to sit in. Jackie relented and we sat. She wasn’t too pleased however, for while the whole conversation was taking place, the table across the aisle resembled Chicago during the Great Fire. Obviously the service was only so-so but the food was good. Mildly spicy. We had chicken bhuna and curry vegetables.
THURSDAY MORNING
Both of us slept pretty well. We woke up at approximately 4 AM and dozed to about 6:00. We are currently sitting in the hotel’s TV lounge watching the news waiting for the second B in the B&B.
Breakfast was scrambled eggs, bacon, fried toast and toast, with orange juice, coffee and tea. On a scale of one to ten it was a five.
The plan for the day is to swing by a bank and get some money. Then head over to the Victoria and Albert museum. Along the way we will try to buy an umbrella and some post cards. The train to Stansted leaves from Liverpool St. Station while we have situated ourselves next to Victoria Station. “The best laid plans…’ I’d like to see the Design Museum, but we will have to see if we have time. Trains leave about every half hour and Jackie wants to get to Newmarket before five PM.
2:41 – LIVERPOOL STATION
Both of our pairs of feet are killing us. We ate breakfast and then walked to the Victoria and Albert museum. It didn’t open till 10:00 so we continued to walk – past Harrods – Jackie bought some sundries at Boots – and up to Kensington Park. In the park we watched some soldiers practicing horse jumping (equestrian training for the more posh of you).
Jackie decided she would like to buy something at Harrods so we began to walk back. The morning was very nice – sunny but with a cool breeze. I checked my camera gear at Harrods cloak room. Harrods doesn’t allow packs in the store. Jackie decided that she didn’t want to shop so we gave the ground floor a quick tour and then headed up to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
At the V&A we bought tickets to the “Sov ER eign” exhibit. This exhibit covers the life of the queen from the time she was a teenager. Jackie got all teary eyed at the exhibit (’’m not quite sure about her). The exhibit included Elizabeth’s coronation. It was quite well done. Headsets with infrared sensors picked up narration in each room. Each room had its own different narration. After the exhibit we walked through some other sections of the museum Gewelry, plaster casts, firearms) until my feet gave out. Jackie made some inane comment about my advanced age. Fortunately for her, at my age the hearing goes so I didn’t catch all of the comment. She left me on a bench and went upstairs to look at an exhibit she was interested in. I rested and watched people. When she returned we walked back to the hotel to pick up our luggage.
Near the hotel was a small Turkish restaurant that we went into for a late lunch (1:00 PM approximately.) I am amazed at how bad the service is. The food is O.K. We just order some appetizers. Then back to the hotel to our luggage. At the thought of lugging our luggage from the hotel to the underground we decide to treat ourselves to a London Cab.
London cabs are great. These are those black jobs seen in the movies, although we have seen red ones and ones painted like newspapers. What makes them great is that they are designed for humans. The doors are big and there is a lot of leg room for putting your bags. At least three or four feet of leg room. The back seat is a bench and facing it are two pull down jump seats. It was a nice treat. The cab took us from Westminster to Liverpool Station. Unfortunately we just missed the train for the airport at Stansted by two minutes or so. The next train is at four. We popped into a small upscale coffee bar (similar to Starbucks, but more European.) We grabbed a couple of coffee lattes and sat. A couple of lattes later, I had updated the journal and it is now 3:00. Jackie just left to find out the arrival time at Stansted and to find a place to purchase post cards to mail home.
The feeling in my legs is starting to come back, kinda like being pricked by thousands of little needles. I decided that I’m not wired enough so I just spent 55 pence for a cup of expresso. I can see Jackie at the telephone calling her grandparents.
Glad I went to check the time again for the train. It’s leaving at 3:30. Couldn’t find any post cards so I decided to call Granny and Granddad. Granddad answered with a “we were just talking about you…” I explained where we were and that we still had to rent a car and make the hour drive to Newmarket. They have got a private house rented for us so we’re to call when we get to Newmarket and they will drive in and take us to the place.
Granddad sounds like a card. I’m sure looking forward to our visit. Granddad said that “Grandma sounded better than Granny… Granny sounded old… They have done such a nice job of refurbishing Liverpool Station. The columns and ironwork at the ceiling has been painted cream and navy with burgundy trim. It looks beautiful for a train station. High tech computerized digitized clocks are — everywhere and the trains leave right on the dot.
I enjoyed the V&A. It’s one of my favorites. When Bob pooped out on me I took the chance to go up to the fourth floor and found the Stafordshire collection. They didn’t have a lot of pieces – Mom and Dad’s is a lot larger collection, but the V&A have some rare ones that I’ve only seen in the books before.
It’s nice to take a break and put our feet up. The 40 minute ride to Stansted will be relaxing. Bob is beat – he’s already asleep with his head doing the “bob” from side to side. She should talk… her feet are up on the seat in front of her and her eyes are closed with her head swaying to the rhythm of the train.