Cousin Stephie's Visit

Westminster Abbey

Day 1 (Thursday): I picked up Stephanie from Gatwick airport on Thursday morning. We got a chance to catch up on the train ride home and at our apartment before meeting up with Travis after his class at school. We walked into Kingston and came across the Kingston Museum. It had some photos taken by Eadward Muybridge who proved that horses lift all 4 feet when running. The museum also had an exhibit about the Hawker Center plane manufacturing and artifacts found in the Thames River. We then walked through the Kingston town center and to the river. There was a bit of a problem that night because our pump for the air mattress didn’t work. Stephanie had to sleep on the fold out couch which could not have been very comfortable.

St. James Park

Day 2 (Friday): Unfortunately on Friday I had to work and Travis had school so Stephanie was on her own for a while. I got out of work early at about 2pm at the same Travis got back from school. We got a new pump for the air mattress then headed into London Waterloo. We took the tube to Embankment and walked along to our first attraction, Big Ben! Steph seemed very excited once we got to Big Ben. We saw everything else in the area, Parliament and Westminster Abbey then walked through St. James park to Buckingham Palace. We tricked some squirrels into thinking we have food and coming up to us. The sunset was incredible over the pond in St. James Park, behind Buckingham Palace. After visiting the palace it was starting to get dark so we went to visit Harrods then to dinner in Leicester Square. We ate Mexican food at Chiquitos. We visited Trafalgar Square at night which had a countdown clock to the Olympics set up. Last we walked over to Piccadilly Circus before heading back home. That night we discovered how much longer it takes to use a foot pump to fill the air mattress then an electric one. I’m sure we also disturbed the woman down stairs since the foot pump made some strange noises. I think Steph slept much better.

Buckingham Palace

Harrods

Olympic Countdown in Trafalgar

Changing of the Guards

Day 3 (Saturday): Travis needed to do school work before going to Ireland on Sunday so stayed home while Stephanie and I went into London for the day. After getting into Waterloo we went to see the end of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham. We got there in time to see the band march down the Mall. Walked through St. James Park to Horse Guards. It was a perfect beautifully sunny day with trees and daffodils blooming. We of course had to take some pictures in the daffodils. We got to Horse Guards in time to see their changing of the guards. It looked more disorganized because it happens around all the people. We then walked over to the other side of the river to the London Eye. We waited in a long line for tickets to the London Eye. We got combo tickets for the Eye and Aquarium. The Eye tickets come with a time slot posted and we were advised to get in line about 30 minutes before the time. We had a bit of time so wondered around. By the time we got into the line it had gone all the way from the Eye back to the tree line and looped half way back. We ended up waiting in this line for over an hour. It was really exciting to finally get onto one of the pods. I was amazed by the views. We could see all the way to Canary Wharf, the Gherkin, and Tower of London all the way over to Regents Park, Hyde Park and Buckingham. Also could see the Battersea power station. Parliament and Big Ben looked great from above even though the sun was glaring. The whole ride lasted about 20 minutes. It ended up being really fun. We then went on to Hyde Park and walked through past the Peter Pan statue and Princess Diana memorial fountain. After having a snack at the Lido Café on the Serpentine we went to Harrods again. That night we saw a full moon called a super moon because it’s the closest it will be to earth until 2060.

St. James Park

Changing of the Horse Guards

On the London Eye! Finally made it!

Almost at the very top

Great view of Parliament and Big Ben from the Eye

We had to quickly walk off as it was moving

Our photo

We left London for a few days on Sunday for Dublin! See next post about that amazing visit!

My favorite riding the River Taxi

Back in London (Day 7 to 11) Travis had school again on Wednesday so Stephanie and I went into London. We did one of my favorite things, take the Thames river taxi! We went from the London Eye to the Tower of London. We went into the Tower which is another one of my favorite places. We took a Beefeater guard tour and got the same guard as when the first time I went. We saw the big things like the chapel, crown jewels, and white tower plus some stuff I had missed the first time. I think Stephanie really enjoyed the Tower of London as well. If anyone comes to London it should definitely be on the list of places to go.

Tower of London Beefeater guide

One of the Tower Ravens

Watch out invaders!

Tower Bridge

History of the World written by Walter Raleigh prisoner in the Tower of London

Portrait of Walter Raleigh supposedly there's a ghost that wonders

the Tower that looks like this portrait

River Thames

London Aquarium

On Thursday we all went into London to go to the Aquarium. Stephanie and I had gotten tickets along with our London Eye tickets from before. The Aquarium is located right next to the Thames and London Eye. London being such a major city we expected the Aquarium to be much better but I think it was the worst museum we had ever been too. The best part was the pool of rays and the shark tank being fed. After the Aquarium we went around London to see some of the last must see places for Stephanie like Trafalgar Square and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Dried up fountain in Trafalgar Square

Bye Stephie!

Unfortunately again on Friday I had to work and Travis had school so Stephanie was on her own. She went to Hampton Court Palace which is only a couple train stops away from us. We all went out for dinner on our last night in Kingston. Saturday morning I got up with Stephanie to take her to the airport. It was a really busy and great visit. It’s always fun to show our family our new London home.

Dad's March Visit

In Kingston

My Dad had a business trip to Germany in March. On the return flight his layover was in London so decided to extend that for the weekend! He came in early Saturday morning from Hamburg. We met him in Kingston and showed him around. We passed through the market and walked along the river and on to our apartment. We spent the rest of the day sitting and talking there. Travis and I tried to show my Dad some good Indian food in Surbiton. We had some good stuff but Dad didn't like his Korma chicken too much. I promise that is usually good!

On Sunday we met my Dad, who was coming from a hotel near Heathrow, in London at Piccadilly Circus. As we waited there for him we saw part of the St. Patrick's day parade that was going on. They had closed off some streets for it. There was lots of green and bagpipes! And a drunk man playing the harmonica. We then went over to the Imperial War Museum which is on the other side of the river by Waterloo station. This museum used to be the famous Bedlam mental hospital. It was a great museum with too much to see. First walking in is a room filled with old tanks, planes, and submarines. Including a tank that looks like the one from Indian Jones and the Last Crusade and the largest bullet ever made. We saw everything of the WWI exhibit including a replica trench. We also saw a lot of the WWII exhibit which had the death mask for Himmler that was very creepy. After the museum we just went for some dinner. My Dad had to leave early the next day so that was it for the visit. It was a very short but nice to see my Dad. I'm glad we got to show him around where we live.

Dad and I in front of our big green door

Piccadilly with the St. Patty's parade

outside the Imperial War museum

shots into the tank right at the driver

biggest bullet ever made

aiming at Travis

Britain's version of Uncle Sam

trench sign

Himmler death mask

outside the museum

Sevilla for Renee's Birthday

Day 1 (Thursday Feb 3)- We flew into Sevilla, Spain on my birthday. Getting there after it was already dark. We took a bus into town and then a taxi to where our hotel was located. After dropping our things at our hotel, Eurostars Regina, we went in search of dinner. The only decently priced place we could find still open was actually a Mexican food restaurant. We shared some tasty nachos.

Day 2 (Friday Feb 4)- After breakfast we headed into the city to get one of the double decker tour buses. We passed by Palacio de San Telmo, an orange and red building that is now the governors mansion. The bus took us in a loop around the city. We went through a park that had pavilions that were built to celebrate something about the Spanish colonies in the Americas so every county had their own pavilion built. We went across the river into a very cute area called, Triana. The bus tour lasted just over an hour. It was really nice seeing an overview of the city before doing any other touring. We sat on the top deck and when stopped the temperature was nice but whenever moving pretty cold.

Torre del Oro

Once we made it back to the start of the bus tour we met up for the walking tour that was included in our ticket. Both tours met near a tower called Torre del Oro. We went into the city where the streets were to narrow for the bus. We then went by the Cathedral which is the third largest Christian church in the world (after St. Peter’s and St. Pauls). The statue of a woman with what looks like some kind of sail is a replica of the one on the bell tower (Giralda) and represents the triumph of faith in the church. The Giralda tower original structure was started in the 12th Century and the top was completed in the 17th Century. I think this church was built over what was originally a mosque. In the 13th Century Cathedral was completed in a Gothic style. Christians thought that if they made the church so large people would think they were crazy. The building across from the main entrance to the Cathedral holds important papers and things from the Americas. Spain had lost its colonies and supremacy in the 18th century. The Palace called Reales Alcazares is where the archbishops and bishops live today and was next to the Cathedral as well. We walked through the courtyard of the palace and then in a circle through some very narrow streets. We came out by the Giralda tower. Surrounding the Cathedral were lots of orange trees. In the 18th Century Spain exported lots of these oranges to London to be used to make marmalade since they are bitter. We never tried any of the oranges. We moved to the exit door side of the Cathedral. It was originally another entrance. There were 2 doors with inscriptions from the Koran about paradise. On the other side of the gate is a courtyard filled with orange trees. In the relief over the arch is a representation of the story from the Bible when Jesus tells the people of the market to leave the temple. We next stopped at St. Francisco Square. The name comes from the archway connected to what is now the Town Hall that connected the community with the Franciscan monastery. During the 16th Century the square was a place of execution during the Spanish Inquisition. When facing the Renaissance style Town Hall the right side is unfinished because it’s newer and became too expensive to complete. We finished our tour in a little bar where we had a free glass of sangria. The tour guide did every stop in both Spanish and English. It appeared he said more about the stops when speaking Spanish.

Seville Cathedral

Cathedral again

Giralda tower of the Cathedral

Exit of the Cathedral

Town Hall

After our tour we went back to the Cathedral to see the inside. It was built in 1172 over a mosque. Ferdinand II (“The Saint”) retook Seville in 1248. Over the alter is the statue of St. Mary of the Holy Sea. The Cathedral was rebuilt again in 1433 to the church it is now. The last stone was laid in 1506. The church is 161 meters long, 141 meters wide, and 30 meters high. The walls of the church were lined with many chapels. Above the alter is a statue of Mary made of wood. After walking through the church we went up into the Giralda. It was an Islamic minaret in 1184. In 1336 it was damaged in an earthquake. Rebuilt again in the mid 16th Century. It was 34 flights of ramps going all the way up. It has 24 bells which is the most in Spain. On a higher level than where viewing area was is another bell that marks the hours. The tower is topped with the figure of faith triumphant in response to the reformation. There were amazing views from the top of the tower. It was a very clear day so we could see very far. We could see the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza (bull fighting ring), the Spanish Plaza and across the river. Once back down we walked through the Orange Tree Courtyard. The courtyard was also part of the original mosque. It was where Muslims would wash before entering the mosque. There was an irrigation system and fountains that were from the Roman era. It was used to bring water from the fountains to the orange trees.

Alter

one of the many chapels

inside the Cathedral

Christopher Columbus tomb

On the Giralda

View from the top

orange courtyard

Day 3 (Saturday Feb 5)- We first went to Alacazar Palace in the morning. The courtyard was built during the reign of Peter I of Castile in 1364. It is where he would gather his hunters before a hunt. From here there were several entrances into different areas of the palace that looked to be built in different time periods. After entering one entrance we went into another small white courtyard call the Doll’s Courtyard which interconnects the rooms of the private area of the palace. The name comes from the heads decorating one of the archways. The Damsels’ Courtyard was the main public zone. I believe this was the outdoor courtyard with a pond. A room that came off of this courtyard was Charles V ceiling room where he married Isabella of Portugal. It was originally the chapel of Mudejar palace. The dark wooden ceiling was built for the wedding ceremony in 1541-43. Another area off the courtyard was the Royal Alcove which was possibly the monarchs’ bedchamber. This whole area of the palace had a Moorish influence. It was very open, tiled, and had many arches. There were several other rooms as well. We then went into the gardens, Garden of Troy and Damsels Garden behind the palace. The Garden of Troy has some of the oldest Moorish origins of the palace. The Damsels Garden was built in the 16th Century. It is bordered by the Grotto Gallery which was a stone tall wall with a hallway. There is also the Fountain of Fame that has a hydraulic mechanism that produces musical notes in pipes of an organ on the hour as water rushes through. We weren’t able to find this fountain anywhere. In the gardens were peacocks and a maze. Back inside we went to another area of the palace that looked newer. We went into the Cuarto del Almirante it was part of the “Casa de Constratacion de Indias” and was built because of the high level of commerce in Seville during the 16th Century. The most important cosmographic enterprises and discoveries of the Americas were organized in this room and the expedition that made the first trip around the world. We then quickly went through the last rooms of the palace before leaving. This palace was different from other ones we had visited because there were lots of open areas and rooms. We then went back to the hotel for a couple hours to charge the camera battery before going on a walking tour of Triana at 5pm that was included in our bus tour tickets. We arrived late and had to catch up with the group before crossing the river. We walked across the Triana Bridge. Before the bridge was built in 1854 the 2 sides of the river were connected by a bridge of connected boats. The bridge marks the end of the port of Seville and its defence. The wall along the river of the Triana side has looked the same since the 16th Century. Once we crossed over on the right side was a small chapel with a Moorish influence and the Castillo de San Jorge, an Islamic Castle that is now a market. The area of Triana is known for religion, bullfighting, and flamenco. Flamenco music has origins in New Orleans jazz as being sort of free flowing and based only on scales. Cruzcampo is the locally made beer. The name means “cross field” there was a place with that name which became the location of the brewery. We walked over to an entry to a gated alleyway of homes which the guide explained was typical of the area. We then walked to another street with White Chapel which was built in the 17th Century for sailors. Then on to a yellow church further down the street, Sant Ana Church. It was built in the 13th Century I think by Alfonso V (King of Seville) who had a close relationship with the city. It is the religious center of Triana and also the location for those who suffered from floods to go. There were 6 major/important floods in history. We ended the tour along the river by a building that was a school for sailors to learn the trade. It was a cream colored building with yellow trim.
We then went over the Spanish Plaza. It’s a huge area/square surrounded by a curved, half circle red building. At each end were towers. Along the curve of the building are tiled sections marking each of the states/provinces of Spain. I think this may be a government building. We spent the rest of the evening there seeing the sunset before going on to dinner. We last had ice cream across from the Cathedral.

Palace courtyard

into the gardens

Grotto Gallery

entry to the palace facing the Cathedral

Triana

The White Chapel

Sant Ana Church

Spanish Plaza

Each space represents a different area/state/region of Spain

Spanish Plaza at night

Ice cream by the 3 largest Christian church in the world

Palace entrance

Day 4 (Sunday Feb 6)- On our last day we went back to the Spanish Plaza to see it during the daylight. We then took the bus to the airport.

Back to the Spanish Plaza