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| Our Globus Tour Group a better picture |
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Will Longstaff
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| Menin Gate at Midnight |
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| Ghost of Vimy Ridge |
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| Discription of each print and the artist. I order the Vimy one online on canvas |
Monday, October 11, 2010
London Pictures
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| Canada Gates at Buckingham Palace |
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| German Focker at Imperial War Museum |
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| Plane at War Museum |
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| Tank at War Museum |
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| Part of the Berlin Wall |
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| By warship guns outside war museum |
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| Westminister Catheredal |
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| London Eye |
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| Mime on the street |
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| Ryan in the Royal Navy |
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| London Bridge opened really rare according to our guide |
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| My beautiful girl |
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| a church tower on one of our haunted walks |
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| area some of Harry Potter scenes were shot |
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| on a haunted walk |
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| Mimes on the street |
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| Big Bens tower |
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| St. Pauls in background |
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| Our tour group in front of the Vimy Memorial |
Friday, October 8, 2010
Conclusion
My Big sister Marg tells me to finish my blog as Sarah took it over and I never finished. Some of this will be from memory as almost two weeks have past since we returned. I always listen to my Mom when she tells me to do something so I guess Marg is next in line so I should listen to her also. I hope this doesn't give her the notion she can boss me around all the time though.
On Thursday we went to the Churchill Museum and War rooms which I mentioned in my last blog. We also toured the Westminister Abbey that afternoon as Sarah has already told you. Thursday night we went out to our farewell dinner at a really neat old pub which has been a pub since 1520. It is called The Prospect of Whitby and is in London's east end right on the banks of the Thames. We had Garlic Mushrooms for an appetizer, Steak and Ale Pie, and I had Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce for desert while Susan had the Chocolate Fudge Cake. Everyone then went to the dock by Tower Bridge and went on a nighttime boat cruise of the Thames. We went up the river about a mile to the Parliment Buildings then back down to the Tower Bridge. It was cool and had just rained but all the hardy Atlantic Canadians and a few of the wimps from away sat on the top deck and enjoyed the view and the commentary from our guide. When we got back to the hotel Sarah played a couple of tunes on the small bagpipes just inside the hotel for everyone.
I think Sarah covers Friday pretty well in her blog. On Saturday we escorted the kids to the meeting point of their photography tour and arranged with the guide to meet them at 2pm at Weatherbys pub outside the Tower of London. Susan and I then went to Tottenham Rd on the underground and bought theatre tickets for We Will Rock You ( The Queen Musical) for 2.30pm that afternoon. We walked to Leichester Square and window shopped and had lunch at a Chinese Noodle take out place which was really good. After lunch we walked back to the theatre where Susan was the first patron while I went by underground to The Tower to meet the kids. I waited outside the pub until they finally arrived about 2.15pm. We ran to the subway and despite a few delays were able to get to the theatre at about 2.40pm. The usher rushed us right into our seats so we only missed the first number.. The show was great the story was a bit corny but the music was fantastic. That evening Sarah and I went on yet another haunted walk which was actually the best of them all. The guide a lady was really informative and wore one of those portable mikes so you could hear really well. We went to a graveyard where both Sarah and I had tingles and chills up our spines as soon as we entered. Turns out over 2000 plague victims were buried there in a mass grave. The tour had lots of history as well as a few good ghost stories. On Sunday Susan and Ryan both wanted to sleep in so off Sarah and I went on The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour which was led by a really strange little man who has met Paul McCartney numerous times and has a beatles shop at the underground stop near Abbey Road. We visited lots of sites in the Soho area where the Beatles performed and recorded. Then we took the underground to Abbey Road where we saw the studio and walked across the road dodging the crazy London traffic. Sarah bought a few souveniers at the strange guides shop then back to our hotel to get the others.
Then off to the Tower of London for a whirlwind hour visit. We were here last time so knew what we wanted to see again. We saw the Crown Jewels, toured the army museum in the White Tower and went to Beaumont Tower which is the neatest place. Prisoners over the years scratched all kinds of messages into the walls which are now covered in plexiglass so you can read them. There are also plaques on the wall describing the prisoners and writing out some of the hard to read sections. We then toured the torture equipment at the tower including a model of a Rack. We stopped in the gift shop for some gifts then went to Weatherspoons pub ( where I spent an hour waiting for the kids on Saturday) for some really good pub food at great prices. You go up to the bar and order but they do take the food to your table. Back to the hotel to pack and get some sleep. On Monday we left the hotel at 7.30am and took the underground to the airport and caught our plane back to Halifax. We arrived in Halifax about 2.40pm got our car and went to the Big Stop in Enmore for lunch then drove home. We had a great trip, learned a lot about the wars and got a real appreciation for what our soldiers did for all of us so that we would be free. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is a Canadian as you will come away a lot prouder of your country given the way the cemeteries and memorials are looked after and you have witnessed first hand where the battles took place and the tremendous difficulties our troops overcame to complete their missions. I will try to post a few more pictures later.
On Thursday we went to the Churchill Museum and War rooms which I mentioned in my last blog. We also toured the Westminister Abbey that afternoon as Sarah has already told you. Thursday night we went out to our farewell dinner at a really neat old pub which has been a pub since 1520. It is called The Prospect of Whitby and is in London's east end right on the banks of the Thames. We had Garlic Mushrooms for an appetizer, Steak and Ale Pie, and I had Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce for desert while Susan had the Chocolate Fudge Cake. Everyone then went to the dock by Tower Bridge and went on a nighttime boat cruise of the Thames. We went up the river about a mile to the Parliment Buildings then back down to the Tower Bridge. It was cool and had just rained but all the hardy Atlantic Canadians and a few of the wimps from away sat on the top deck and enjoyed the view and the commentary from our guide. When we got back to the hotel Sarah played a couple of tunes on the small bagpipes just inside the hotel for everyone.
I think Sarah covers Friday pretty well in her blog. On Saturday we escorted the kids to the meeting point of their photography tour and arranged with the guide to meet them at 2pm at Weatherbys pub outside the Tower of London. Susan and I then went to Tottenham Rd on the underground and bought theatre tickets for We Will Rock You ( The Queen Musical) for 2.30pm that afternoon. We walked to Leichester Square and window shopped and had lunch at a Chinese Noodle take out place which was really good. After lunch we walked back to the theatre where Susan was the first patron while I went by underground to The Tower to meet the kids. I waited outside the pub until they finally arrived about 2.15pm. We ran to the subway and despite a few delays were able to get to the theatre at about 2.40pm. The usher rushed us right into our seats so we only missed the first number.. The show was great the story was a bit corny but the music was fantastic. That evening Sarah and I went on yet another haunted walk which was actually the best of them all. The guide a lady was really informative and wore one of those portable mikes so you could hear really well. We went to a graveyard where both Sarah and I had tingles and chills up our spines as soon as we entered. Turns out over 2000 plague victims were buried there in a mass grave. The tour had lots of history as well as a few good ghost stories. On Sunday Susan and Ryan both wanted to sleep in so off Sarah and I went on The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour which was led by a really strange little man who has met Paul McCartney numerous times and has a beatles shop at the underground stop near Abbey Road. We visited lots of sites in the Soho area where the Beatles performed and recorded. Then we took the underground to Abbey Road where we saw the studio and walked across the road dodging the crazy London traffic. Sarah bought a few souveniers at the strange guides shop then back to our hotel to get the others.
Then off to the Tower of London for a whirlwind hour visit. We were here last time so knew what we wanted to see again. We saw the Crown Jewels, toured the army museum in the White Tower and went to Beaumont Tower which is the neatest place. Prisoners over the years scratched all kinds of messages into the walls which are now covered in plexiglass so you can read them. There are also plaques on the wall describing the prisoners and writing out some of the hard to read sections. We then toured the torture equipment at the tower including a model of a Rack. We stopped in the gift shop for some gifts then went to Weatherspoons pub ( where I spent an hour waiting for the kids on Saturday) for some really good pub food at great prices. You go up to the bar and order but they do take the food to your table. Back to the hotel to pack and get some sleep. On Monday we left the hotel at 7.30am and took the underground to the airport and caught our plane back to Halifax. We arrived in Halifax about 2.40pm got our car and went to the Big Stop in Enmore for lunch then drove home. We had a great trip, learned a lot about the wars and got a real appreciation for what our soldiers did for all of us so that we would be free. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is a Canadian as you will come away a lot prouder of your country given the way the cemeteries and memorials are looked after and you have witnessed first hand where the battles took place and the tremendous difficulties our troops overcame to complete their missions. I will try to post a few more pictures later.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday afternoon and evening
After our jolly spin around the London eye, we went back to our hotel in Westminster, checked out and took a cab to our new hotel in Victoria- The Luna Simone. It's really cute, and I'm exited for the breakfast tomorrow! The bacon here is to die for. The Luna Simone also has 3 beds, two twin and a double, so I get to sleep on a bed for the first time in three nights... Yay! That is if I get any sleep. As most of you know, Mum's a mighty good snorer. Dad is also quite talented, and Ryan's learning well from the masters. So I spent most of last night listening to a choir of snores, grunts and snorts. Dad's gonna kill me when he reads this }:->
After checking in, we went down to Harrods, which I really enjoyed. I even bought a shirt there. For those of you who aren't familliar with Harrod's... It's a multi-level, high end store that sells a bunch of different brands under one roof. Think luxury Sears. The food hall was really neat. I'm posting photos now... www.flickr.com/sarah1313
After Harrod's, we made our way to Fish Hill Street, where our walk called Haunted London started. We were the only ones who showed up, so our tour was personalized. Our guide, Corriana, was alot like Auntie Karen! You guys are probably wondering how we convinced mum to go on this walk... I told her it was called ''Flowers & Towers". She actually wasn't too upset with me when she learned the truth. We saw where the fire of London started, learned of ghost stories while passing old churches, and Corianna even sang a neat little tune about body snatchers.
Our tour conveniently ended at Tower Hill, where we had tickets for the centuries old Ceremony of the Keys, which consists of the Yeoman Warders locking up the tower for the night. They've been doing this for 700 years at precisely 10 pm, except for one day during WWII when a bomb fell on the tower, causing the ceremony to be 6 minutes late. The ceremony lasts about 15 minutes, and happens with perfect timing, as the bell tower tolls, the Chief warden shouts " God save Queen Elizabeth", and we all yell " Amen". It's really neat. The keys are called Queen Elizabeth's keys and when she moves on, they will be named after the next monarch, hopefully William. Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures of the ceremony. I'll have a few sketches done of it when I get back.
Tomorrow, We have our rescheduled photography tour, the Queen musical and another walk, this time Blood-Curdling London. Check out flickr for the pictures. I've got to go to bed now, but the choir's singing at their best, so it might take a while !
Sarah
After checking in, we went down to Harrods, which I really enjoyed. I even bought a shirt there. For those of you who aren't familliar with Harrod's... It's a multi-level, high end store that sells a bunch of different brands under one roof. Think luxury Sears. The food hall was really neat. I'm posting photos now... www.flickr.com/sarah1313
After Harrod's, we made our way to Fish Hill Street, where our walk called Haunted London started. We were the only ones who showed up, so our tour was personalized. Our guide, Corriana, was alot like Auntie Karen! You guys are probably wondering how we convinced mum to go on this walk... I told her it was called ''Flowers & Towers". She actually wasn't too upset with me when she learned the truth. We saw where the fire of London started, learned of ghost stories while passing old churches, and Corianna even sang a neat little tune about body snatchers.
Our tour conveniently ended at Tower Hill, where we had tickets for the centuries old Ceremony of the Keys, which consists of the Yeoman Warders locking up the tower for the night. They've been doing this for 700 years at precisely 10 pm, except for one day during WWII when a bomb fell on the tower, causing the ceremony to be 6 minutes late. The ceremony lasts about 15 minutes, and happens with perfect timing, as the bell tower tolls, the Chief warden shouts " God save Queen Elizabeth", and we all yell " Amen". It's really neat. The keys are called Queen Elizabeth's keys and when she moves on, they will be named after the next monarch, hopefully William. Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures of the ceremony. I'll have a few sketches done of it when I get back.
Tomorrow, We have our rescheduled photography tour, the Queen musical and another walk, this time Blood-Curdling London. Check out flickr for the pictures. I've got to go to bed now, but the choir's singing at their best, so it might take a while !
Sarah
sarah's photos going on flickr...
The pictures i've taken so far are currently being uploaded to Flickr... www.flickr.com/sarah1313
today's visit to the London Eye features a three part video documentary, filmed by yours truly... enjoy
today's visit to the London Eye features a three part video documentary, filmed by yours truly... enjoy
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thursday Sept 23rd
Today we went to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet war rooms. The war rooms have been preserved as is since the end of the war and only opened in the 90`s. There is an audio guide which tells you all about how Churchill and his staff ran everything from here during WW2. This is underground with a cement roof and buildings over the top. The Museum was really interactive and hi tech and you could find out anything about WW2 and Churchill. The kids went to the stop where they were supposed to meet the photo guide but could not find him so came back early. I emailed the lady and she says the guide was there and was looking for them. She says they can go Friday or Saturday. This afternoon we toured Westminister Abbey with the kids. There is and Audio guide here also which explains everything. Lots of Monuments and Toombs and Susan was creeped out. It rained this morning for the first time on our trip but is not this afternoon. The kids are gone to the Tate Modern and Susan and I are off to our farewell Pub dinner and river cruise with our tour group. We hope to have Sarah play the pipes for everyone when we return this evening. Sorry no pictures but will post lots later.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Wednesday Sept 22
Hi There, I am still in charge whether Ryan knows it or not. Their airplane landed at 7.30 but they didn't appear til at least 9.30. Customs was really slow and they were detained because they are minors. They paged me on the loudspeaker to report to the info desk. I talked to the customs lady and they were released, I thought about not bailing them out but knew what a hassle Susan would give me if I came back without them. After going to a restaurant on the South Bank and feeding them Susan and I went with our group to the Imperial War Museum. Really a neat place with lots of real airplanes and tanks. Lots of exhibits about both wars and each front had their own sections. This evening Sarah, Ryan and I went on the Jack the Ripper walk with London Walks. It was very informative and through a really neat part of town with narrow streets lots of pubs and ethnic restaurants but was not scary at all. Susan stayed with the tour group this morning and toured the downtown area by bus. They saw the Changing of the Guard and were inside St. Pauls Cathedral. Susan and I also went to the Wed evening prayer service at Westminister Abbey at 5pm which lasted about an hour. Tomorrow is the last day of our tour. We do a bus tour to various sites and go inside the Winston Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. We also have a dinner with a river cruise after dinner. Ryan and Sarah go on the Hairy Goat Photography Tour at 11 tomorrow which goes to various parts of downtown where they show people how to take unique pictures of the area. They plan to visit the Tate Modern art museum in the afternoon. I will post photos of London tomorrow I hope.
ALL YOUR POSTS BELONG TO US!
Hello, this is Ryan, and I am now controller of this blog! We arrived in London at 730h local time, but left at 1000h after going through customs.
All for now, Ryan.
All for now, Ryan.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
More Sept 21 Pictures
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| Big Ben Tower at night |
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| London Eye with Full Moon |
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| The City of London |
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| Mimes on Street |
Tuesday Sept 21 Pictures
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| Lighthouse on Dover Cliffs |
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| Dover Harbour |
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| On Ferry in Dover harbour |
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| Susan on Ferry |
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| White Cliffs of Dover |
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| V1 rocket in La Coupole |
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| V2 Rocket in La Coupole |
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| Tunnel leading into La Coupole |
Monday Sept 21 Pictures
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| Cloth Hall and Cathedral in Ypres at Sunset |
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| Last Post at Menin Gate they close the road each night at 8pm for this ceremony daily since WW1 |
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| Beds at Ardene Hotel in Ypres beautiful hotel |
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| Our Belgian Guide at Ypres and Passchendale very knowledgeable |
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| Tyne Cot Cemetery in Passchendale |
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| Old Windmill near Ypres |
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| St. Julian Memorial near Ypres |
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| Grave of a 15 year old soldier in cemetery where John MacRae wrote In Flanders Fields |
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| Bunker where John MacRae did field dressings |
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| Street in Ypres |
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| R. Simpson a unknown grave soldier one of 55,000 whose names are on the Menin Gate |
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| The Menin Gate in Ypres |
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| Cloth Hall in Ypres where In Flanders Field Museum is located |
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| Our French tour guide Vic between our vets Frank and Al |
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| Tyne Cot Cemetery the flowers were beautiful |
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