Greetings All,
After arriving at Colleen and Mike's, just past midnight we hit the sack for some much needed sleep having been up for 48 hours. We slept in. Fred had set the alarm for 8:30 a.m. but did not change the time on the clock which was still on Maui time. When I woke and saw a large clock that I missed last night it said 10:30 a.m. I woke Fred and told him what the time was and that we should be leaving for Mississauga now, not just getting up. I had a quick hello with Colleen and made a call to Fred's Aunt Doreen who we were to meet at 11:30 in Mississauga. We hit the floor running to say the least. We had a great visit with Doreen and then headed over to visit Ellen and Amanda. I did not call Ellen to let her know that we were running late and Ellen was a bit panicked as I am always on time. Oh well day one is done and we have had a good visit with family.
I left what I thought were just a few boxes in my girlfriend's basement and boy did I get an eye opener. Sixteen boxes in all and I am not absolutely sure what was in them so we dragged them out and opened all of them. In the end we managed to get the number of boxes down to 10 and also we now have an itemized list of what remains. We donated some stuff to goodwill, given stuff away and now have to decide which of the remaining boxes I really want to ship to the UK when we next visit Canada.
We had a very short visit with our best friends and managed to get some other personal things taken care of as well. A week was just not enough time to see all the family and friends we would have liked to see so I think a longer trip back maybe next year is in order.
We are now headed back to the UK and home with an overnight stay in London so I can take care of my passport renewal at the Canadian Consulate in preparation for our big trip in January.
Cheerio,
Sandy & Fred
Sunday, November 11, 2012
October 25, 2012 - The Last Adventure in Maui
Aloha All,
As our flight to Vancouver was not until 10:45 p.m. and the boys did not want to check our bags or use a common room to clean up after a day on the beach so we decided to explore the northwest part of the island. The first part of our drive was easy and the roads were well paved and a good two lane highway, however, that was about to end.
We made a number of stops for photos. The road quickly narrowed to a narrow single lane with two way traffic with barely enough pace to pass. As we traveled the road seemed to get narrower and narrower. We came across a wide cutoff with a food vender and pulled in as we decided whether to carry on or turn around. While Fred was waiting to ask the vendor I asked a man who had just pulled in driving a large SUV how the road ahead was and whether it was as narrow as where we were. He replied yes for about a hour. We waited a while to see if the road back from where we came cleared. It became apparent that it would be better to continue on as we would be going with the flow of traffic rather than against it as cars continue to come down the narrow winding road we have just traveled.
Fred made an executive decision and decided to carry on. The scenery was breathtaking but the drive was a white knuckle scary one. As stated earlier, the road was a single lane track with sheer cliff on one side and drops down to the ocean or to a valley with no guard rails on the other. At times we had the cliff wall on our side of the road and thankfully it was under these circumstances when we meet most of the on coming cars. We did have one very scary moment. A car came driving toward us faster than what we thought was safe for the road, we just hugged the cliff wall in time. Needless to say, the air in the car at that point was a bit blue. We carried on, arriving safely although a little tense in Kahului. We found a place for a late lunch before heading off to K-Mart as Jonathan wanted to pick up some rum that he had seen when in the store earlier in the week. I scored myself a cheap Hawaiian shirt for $4.00 which will make a great coverup for our trip in January.
As we still had some time to kill before heading to the airport we headed to Paia, parked and walked around the town. A lady I met at the pool said it was a great little village to visit and that they spent over 2 hours in it. Well, we really wondered what the attraction was and were they would spend that much time in it. We had seen it all in about 20 minutes. The village was mostly boutique shops, of which a lot were closed so it really was rather boring. We drove a bit more along the coast, stopping at a lookout to take the last of our photos; surfers and views of Haleakala. After taking photos we headed to the airport and drop off the car.
It has been a long day and we are ready to head back to Vancouver, only we are about to find out just how long the day was going to be. We went to check-in our bags and were told by an agent behind the counter we were too early and that our flight has been delayed 3 hours. In Maui airport there was nothing until you get past security, no air-conditioning or restaurants, only a Starbucks and a small souvenir store. We waited for 3 hours before we could check in and Jonathan managed to get us checked in on-line using his phone. After checking our luggage we were given a $20.00 voucher for food that can be used at any of the food outlets after we had cleared security. The voucher had to be used in one go and not on alcohol. We picked a restaurant that had seating and had a late supper. By the time we finished all the stores were closed so we headed to the lounge. The flight ended up being delayed 5 hours. The lounge had people snoring and sleeping in crazy positions. As none of us could sleep, we read or played games on our iPads or phones. When the plane finally arrived the staff were good about getting us boarded quickly and the flight in the air.
The stress for Fred and I had not yet ended. Originally we had a lot of time to connect with our flight to Ontario, but with the delay we had about 80 minutes. When we arrived we said our goodbyes to Jonathan and Amy, picked up our bags, and I must say I have never hustled my butt through an airport that fast in a long long time. As luck would have it, the flight to Toronto was delayed 40 minute so we ended up having plenty of time.
We hope you have enjoyed this portion of our blog and our family reunion in Maui.
Ta ra,
Sandy & Fred
As our flight to Vancouver was not until 10:45 p.m. and the boys did not want to check our bags or use a common room to clean up after a day on the beach so we decided to explore the northwest part of the island. The first part of our drive was easy and the roads were well paved and a good two lane highway, however, that was about to end.
Fred made an executive decision and decided to carry on. The scenery was breathtaking but the drive was a white knuckle scary one. As stated earlier, the road was a single lane track with sheer cliff on one side and drops down to the ocean or to a valley with no guard rails on the other. At times we had the cliff wall on our side of the road and thankfully it was under these circumstances when we meet most of the on coming cars. We did have one very scary moment. A car came driving toward us faster than what we thought was safe for the road, we just hugged the cliff wall in time. Needless to say, the air in the car at that point was a bit blue. We carried on, arriving safely although a little tense in Kahului. We found a place for a late lunch before heading off to K-Mart as Jonathan wanted to pick up some rum that he had seen when in the store earlier in the week. I scored myself a cheap Hawaiian shirt for $4.00 which will make a great coverup for our trip in January.
As we still had some time to kill before heading to the airport we headed to Paia, parked and walked around the town. A lady I met at the pool said it was a great little village to visit and that they spent over 2 hours in it. Well, we really wondered what the attraction was and were they would spend that much time in it. We had seen it all in about 20 minutes. The village was mostly boutique shops, of which a lot were closed so it really was rather boring. We drove a bit more along the coast, stopping at a lookout to take the last of our photos; surfers and views of Haleakala. After taking photos we headed to the airport and drop off the car.
It has been a long day and we are ready to head back to Vancouver, only we are about to find out just how long the day was going to be. We went to check-in our bags and were told by an agent behind the counter we were too early and that our flight has been delayed 3 hours. In Maui airport there was nothing until you get past security, no air-conditioning or restaurants, only a Starbucks and a small souvenir store. We waited for 3 hours before we could check in and Jonathan managed to get us checked in on-line using his phone. After checking our luggage we were given a $20.00 voucher for food that can be used at any of the food outlets after we had cleared security. The voucher had to be used in one go and not on alcohol. We picked a restaurant that had seating and had a late supper. By the time we finished all the stores were closed so we headed to the lounge. The flight ended up being delayed 5 hours. The lounge had people snoring and sleeping in crazy positions. As none of us could sleep, we read or played games on our iPads or phones. When the plane finally arrived the staff were good about getting us boarded quickly and the flight in the air.
The stress for Fred and I had not yet ended. Originally we had a lot of time to connect with our flight to Ontario, but with the delay we had about 80 minutes. When we arrived we said our goodbyes to Jonathan and Amy, picked up our bags, and I must say I have never hustled my butt through an airport that fast in a long long time. As luck would have it, the flight to Toronto was delayed 40 minute so we ended up having plenty of time.
We hope you have enjoyed this portion of our blog and our family reunion in Maui.
Ta ra,
Sandy & Fred
Oct 24, 2012 - Makena State Park & Final Family Night
Aloha All,
Today the kids and I headed off to Makena State Park to the Big Beach to snorkel or so we thought with Fred electing to stay around the pool. A good 40 minute drive and we arrived at the Big Beach. It was quite a walk to reach the beach and did we get a big surprise. There will be no snorkeling or for that matter swimming as the waves are crashing on the beach. The beach has two large lifeguard towers that are manned as well as a jeep that patrol along the beach. It was a busy beach and there were a number of surfers and bogie boarders. The lifeguards announced that the waves are dangerous and not to enter the water if you were an inexperienced boarder or weak swimmer. The wave pictured above on the right was at least an eight footer as it crashed on shore. We walked a piece along the beach and found an area where the waves are not as high and people were in the water. Christopher was the only one who actually braved getting into the water and on his return to shore was literately washed up on shore head over heel.
Even the Lab pictured on the left had the sense to stay out of the water while his owners braved the waves. He was rather comical as he did get splashed by a large wave and decided to make himself at home on a stranger's blanket. I lied on my float on the beach in an area where I thought I was safe from the waves, however, one did catch me, washing over me and pulling me towards the water depositing sand in every crevasse of my body. I finally righted myself and got up when two ladies asked whether I was okay. I advised them I was and that I was not expecting what happened. We decided to head back to the villa after washing what sand we could off ourselves and spent the balance of the day in calmer waters, namely the pool and the last bit of Maui sun we could get it. We also got our laundry done so we could pack after our last family dinner.
Fred booked us into Longboards, a restaurant on the Marriott property, for our last family dinner together. We had a great meal and discussed that we should do this again next time in Spain, and get a 3 bedroom villa so that no one has to have a pullout couch for a bed.
We all went for a final walk along the promenade and Fred and Christopher went out and enjoyed cigars that Christopher had bought earlier for all the guys. Everyone was now all packed and Fred arranged an 11:00 a.m. checkout, the latest he could get. Christopher and Meaghan were the first to leave at 7:00 a.m. with Fred taking them to the airport.
Sandy & Fred
Today the kids and I headed off to Makena State Park to the Big Beach to snorkel or so we thought with Fred electing to stay around the pool. A good 40 minute drive and we arrived at the Big Beach. It was quite a walk to reach the beach and did we get a big surprise. There will be no snorkeling or for that matter swimming as the waves are crashing on the beach. The beach has two large lifeguard towers that are manned as well as a jeep that patrol along the beach. It was a busy beach and there were a number of surfers and bogie boarders. The lifeguards announced that the waves are dangerous and not to enter the water if you were an inexperienced boarder or weak swimmer. The wave pictured above on the right was at least an eight footer as it crashed on shore. We walked a piece along the beach and found an area where the waves are not as high and people were in the water. Christopher was the only one who actually braved getting into the water and on his return to shore was literately washed up on shore head over heel.
Even the Lab pictured on the left had the sense to stay out of the water while his owners braved the waves. He was rather comical as he did get splashed by a large wave and decided to make himself at home on a stranger's blanket. I lied on my float on the beach in an area where I thought I was safe from the waves, however, one did catch me, washing over me and pulling me towards the water depositing sand in every crevasse of my body. I finally righted myself and got up when two ladies asked whether I was okay. I advised them I was and that I was not expecting what happened. We decided to head back to the villa after washing what sand we could off ourselves and spent the balance of the day in calmer waters, namely the pool and the last bit of Maui sun we could get it. We also got our laundry done so we could pack after our last family dinner.
Fred booked us into Longboards, a restaurant on the Marriott property, for our last family dinner together. We had a great meal and discussed that we should do this again next time in Spain, and get a 3 bedroom villa so that no one has to have a pullout couch for a bed.
We all went for a final walk along the promenade and Fred and Christopher went out and enjoyed cigars that Christopher had bought earlier for all the guys. Everyone was now all packed and Fred arranged an 11:00 a.m. checkout, the latest he could get. Christopher and Meaghan were the first to leave at 7:00 a.m. with Fred taking them to the airport.
Sandy & Fred
Saturday, November 10, 2012
October 23, 2012 - Haleakala' National Park
Aloha All,
Today we were up handily to go to Haleakala' National Crater Park. We had the choice of leaving at 3:00 a.m. to see the sunrise but the majority of us did not want to get up that early. The drive took just under 3 hours from our villa to the summit. The roads were once again winding going up to the summit. Haleakala' means "House of the Sun". The park covers an area of 33,265 acres of which 19,270 is wilderness. The picture on the upper left was taken from the Leleiwi Lookout (8800 feet) about 3/4s of the way to the summit. At this point we were above the clouds. We have driven through tropical rainforest, pasture land, dry forest and are now in subapline shrubland. The views from here were spectacular with various colours from green to the reds of the volcanic earth. We continued our drive to the summit (10,023 feet) with our ears popping a number of times. The earth here was just red ciders and there were a few species of plants and animal life that have adapted to
the harsh environment. The crater itself is 6.99 miles across, 2 miles wide and 2600 feet deep. It is not a caldera but was formed by erosion. As we took in the view we could see the clouds rolling in below us. On a clear day the Big Island of Hawaii is visible to the naked eye. The summit is also home to the Haleakala Observatory and because of its location above the tropical inversion layer it has very clear sky's and excellent viewing conditions (fourth best in the world). For over 40 years the University of Hawaii Institute of Astronomy has managed the site conducting astrophysical experiments that cannot be done elsewhere in the world.
The weather conditions have changed dramatically for our drive down. Much of the area is now covered with a dense fog so we drive even slower than the trip up. We eventually came out of the fog and once again into the sun. We arrived back at the villa in time to catch the late afternoon sun.
Fred and I were on KP duty and took a walk along the promenade before preparing our last cooked supper. The sunset looked like a biblical scene in a movie and the picture on the left does really not due it justice. Supper was pork chops and ribs marinated in a teriayki sauce plus a mix of sweet and regular potatoes with onion, all barbecued together with a salad. We managed to use up all the meat we had purchased.
We did some laundry and had our usual walk before heading off to bed. Our time together as a family was quickly coming to an end with one last day left in paradise.
Sandy & Fred
Today we were up handily to go to Haleakala' National Crater Park. We had the choice of leaving at 3:00 a.m. to see the sunrise but the majority of us did not want to get up that early. The drive took just under 3 hours from our villa to the summit. The roads were once again winding going up to the summit. Haleakala' means "House of the Sun". The park covers an area of 33,265 acres of which 19,270 is wilderness. The picture on the upper left was taken from the Leleiwi Lookout (8800 feet) about 3/4s of the way to the summit. At this point we were above the clouds. We have driven through tropical rainforest, pasture land, dry forest and are now in subapline shrubland. The views from here were spectacular with various colours from green to the reds of the volcanic earth. We continued our drive to the summit (10,023 feet) with our ears popping a number of times. The earth here was just red ciders and there were a few species of plants and animal life that have adapted to
the harsh environment. The crater itself is 6.99 miles across, 2 miles wide and 2600 feet deep. It is not a caldera but was formed by erosion. As we took in the view we could see the clouds rolling in below us. On a clear day the Big Island of Hawaii is visible to the naked eye. The summit is also home to the Haleakala Observatory and because of its location above the tropical inversion layer it has very clear sky's and excellent viewing conditions (fourth best in the world). For over 40 years the University of Hawaii Institute of Astronomy has managed the site conducting astrophysical experiments that cannot be done elsewhere in the world.
The weather conditions have changed dramatically for our drive down. Much of the area is now covered with a dense fog so we drive even slower than the trip up. We eventually came out of the fog and once again into the sun. We arrived back at the villa in time to catch the late afternoon sun.
Fred and I were on KP duty and took a walk along the promenade before preparing our last cooked supper. The sunset looked like a biblical scene in a movie and the picture on the left does really not due it justice. Supper was pork chops and ribs marinated in a teriayki sauce plus a mix of sweet and regular potatoes with onion, all barbecued together with a salad. We managed to use up all the meat we had purchased.
We did some laundry and had our usual walk before heading off to bed. Our time together as a family was quickly coming to an end with one last day left in paradise.
Sandy & Fred
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
October 22, 2012 - Mama's Fish House
Aloha All,
Today we all did our own thing. I headed off to the pool before breakfast to get a seat as the Marriott is now very busy. The kids had breakfast then headed off to snorkel and Fred made me a bacon sandwich which he brought to the pool. The women around the pool commented how did I rate such service to which I smiled and and said I'm special.
As I said the kids headed off to snorkel while I relaxed around the pool until it was time to get ready for our Christmas present from Christopher and Meaghan. They booked a table for the six of us at Mama's Fish House rated the second best restaurant in Hawaii. It is located on the beach in Paia. Christopher arranged our seating time to be just before sunset as seen in the picture in the top right. The restaurant was very busy and fully booked. We over heared that people who did not have a booking had a wait of over two hours. We all had a cocktail and relaxed while looking over the menu. The menu changes daily as the fish provided is caught by local fisherman. The location and who caught it was identified on the menu you can't get any fresher than that. I had macadamia nut crab cakes and Fred had wasabi crusted calamari. Christopher had a sashimi and I can't for the life of me remember what the rest had. The rest of the family had various fish dinners while I had crispy Kaula duck. I know; one of the top fish houses in all of Hawaii and I had duck. Well I am not a fish lover and the duck was awesome. We had a very leisurely dinner and were not rushed given how busy the restaurant was. Fred and I pass on dessert as the portions are large but I do have a specialty coffee along with Christopher. The girls had dessert a Hana Banana Macadamia Nut Crisp and a Liliko 'i Creme Brulee .
What an awesome family night and great Christmas gift. Everyone enjoyed their meal and then we headed back to the villa.
Sandy & Fred
Today we all did our own thing. I headed off to the pool before breakfast to get a seat as the Marriott is now very busy. The kids had breakfast then headed off to snorkel and Fred made me a bacon sandwich which he brought to the pool. The women around the pool commented how did I rate such service to which I smiled and and said I'm special.
As I said the kids headed off to snorkel while I relaxed around the pool until it was time to get ready for our Christmas present from Christopher and Meaghan. They booked a table for the six of us at Mama's Fish House rated the second best restaurant in Hawaii. It is located on the beach in Paia. Christopher arranged our seating time to be just before sunset as seen in the picture in the top right. The restaurant was very busy and fully booked. We over heared that people who did not have a booking had a wait of over two hours. We all had a cocktail and relaxed while looking over the menu. The menu changes daily as the fish provided is caught by local fisherman. The location and who caught it was identified on the menu you can't get any fresher than that. I had macadamia nut crab cakes and Fred had wasabi crusted calamari. Christopher had a sashimi and I can't for the life of me remember what the rest had. The rest of the family had various fish dinners while I had crispy Kaula duck. I know; one of the top fish houses in all of Hawaii and I had duck. Well I am not a fish lover and the duck was awesome. We had a very leisurely dinner and were not rushed given how busy the restaurant was. Fred and I pass on dessert as the portions are large but I do have a specialty coffee along with Christopher. The girls had dessert a Hana Banana Macadamia Nut Crisp and a Liliko 'i Creme Brulee .
What an awesome family night and great Christmas gift. Everyone enjoyed their meal and then we headed back to the villa.
Sandy & Fred
October 21 - 22, 2012 - Relaxing Day then a Luau
Aloha All,
After a day in the car yesterday we decided to have a day of relaxing with everyone doing their own thing. The kids were off snorkeling, I relaxed in the pool with my float and Fred stayed in until later in the day when the sun was not as strong. Fred and I were on kitchen duty and supper tonight was steak kabobs and baked potatoes. Dessert was the last loaf of banana bread. After supper we headed out for a stroll along the boardwalk before heading to bed.
Sunday and once again we all did our own thing during the day with most of us catching some rays. Jonathan and Amy were not going the Luau as they attended one in the past year. Christopher Meaghan, Fred and myself opted for the Polynesian Luau which was a smaller venue of 150 people and you were served at your table rather than lining up at a buffet with 600 other people. The meal consisted of food from Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti and Samoa. There were drinks recommended
for each course as well as any other drink you wanted.
As each islands food was served we were entertained with a story of the island and cultural dances. Starters were dried banana and sweet potato chips with a tropical salsa ago seaweed and whatever drinks we desired. Our Hawaiian menu was Pohole Fern, Asparagus and Heart of Palm salad, Seared Island Catch with Mango sauce, Kalu'a Pork and Poi. The recommended drinks were a chardonnay and Bikini Blonde Lager. I decided to try the Chardonnay but after a few sips give it to Fred and replaced it with a local red wine. New Zealand was the next island up and the food from this island consisted of Upcountry Greens Duck and Poha Berry Vinaigrette, Harore Kumara (roasted mushrooms and sweet potato), Kuku patties (a fishcake of scallop, shrimp and fish). The recommended drinks were a Sauvigon Blanc and a stein lager. Tahiti came next and the food was E'iota (poisson cru), Baked Scallops, Fafa (steamed chicken and taro leaf in coconut milk). The recommended drink for this was a chardonnay or Hinano Beer. Last but not least on the menu was the food of Samoa. Shrimp and Avocado with Passion Fruit, Palusami (young taro leaf and coconut milk with breadfruit) and Supasui (grilled steak). Recommend drinks were a Pinot Noir or a Big Swell IPA. The final service for the night was dessert, a caramel macadamia nut tart with Haupia , Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Truffles and Tropical Fruit served with a port wine. The food was amazing and just the right amount for a decent taste for the four of us. Dessert was decadent and very sweet so I did not finish it all but did taste everything.
We really enjoyed our night at the Luau. Totally satisfied we all headed back to the villa to catch up with Jonathan and Amy. They went to a fish and pasta place at Whalers Village. Fred and I had our evening walk along the promenade to work off some of the food and drink before heading to bed.
Sandy & Fred
After a day in the car yesterday we decided to have a day of relaxing with everyone doing their own thing. The kids were off snorkeling, I relaxed in the pool with my float and Fred stayed in until later in the day when the sun was not as strong. Fred and I were on kitchen duty and supper tonight was steak kabobs and baked potatoes. Dessert was the last loaf of banana bread. After supper we headed out for a stroll along the boardwalk before heading to bed.
Sunday and once again we all did our own thing during the day with most of us catching some rays. Jonathan and Amy were not going the Luau as they attended one in the past year. Christopher Meaghan, Fred and myself opted for the Polynesian Luau which was a smaller venue of 150 people and you were served at your table rather than lining up at a buffet with 600 other people. The meal consisted of food from Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti and Samoa. There were drinks recommended
for each course as well as any other drink you wanted.
As each islands food was served we were entertained with a story of the island and cultural dances. Starters were dried banana and sweet potato chips with a tropical salsa ago seaweed and whatever drinks we desired. Our Hawaiian menu was Pohole Fern, Asparagus and Heart of Palm salad, Seared Island Catch with Mango sauce, Kalu'a Pork and Poi. The recommended drinks were a chardonnay and Bikini Blonde Lager. I decided to try the Chardonnay but after a few sips give it to Fred and replaced it with a local red wine. New Zealand was the next island up and the food from this island consisted of Upcountry Greens Duck and Poha Berry Vinaigrette, Harore Kumara (roasted mushrooms and sweet potato), Kuku patties (a fishcake of scallop, shrimp and fish). The recommended drinks were a Sauvigon Blanc and a stein lager. Tahiti came next and the food was E'iota (poisson cru), Baked Scallops, Fafa (steamed chicken and taro leaf in coconut milk). The recommended drink for this was a chardonnay or Hinano Beer. Last but not least on the menu was the food of Samoa. Shrimp and Avocado with Passion Fruit, Palusami (young taro leaf and coconut milk with breadfruit) and Supasui (grilled steak). Recommend drinks were a Pinot Noir or a Big Swell IPA. The final service for the night was dessert, a caramel macadamia nut tart with Haupia , Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Truffles and Tropical Fruit served with a port wine. The food was amazing and just the right amount for a decent taste for the four of us. Dessert was decadent and very sweet so I did not finish it all but did taste everything.
We really enjoyed our night at the Luau. Totally satisfied we all headed back to the villa to catch up with Jonathan and Amy. They went to a fish and pasta place at Whalers Village. Fred and I had our evening walk along the promenade to work off some of the food and drink before heading to bed.
Sandy & Fred
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
October 19, 2012 - Highway to Hana
Aloha All,
We were all up early and headed off to tour the Highway to Hana. Amy provided us with a CD and map from a friend that guided us on our way. The Highway to Hana is 68 miles long and is a narrow and winding road. It has 620 curves and passes over 59 bridges of which 46 are one lane only. The highway cuts through lush tropical forests and provides some stunning views of the coast. Our first stop was Waikamoi Nature Trail. The picture on the left is of the roots of the trees that were along the trail we hiked. The view of the valley was amazing with the different shades of green that identify the different types of trees that grow here, from Bamboo to Pines. Along the trail there are a number of fruit trees growing in the wild. Guava seemed to be everywhere.
Our next stop along the road was the Garden of Eden an Arboretum and Botanical Garden. This site was the creation of Alan Bradbury Maui's first certified arborist and landscape designer. The project began in 1991 and opened to the public in the fall of 1996. There are 26 acres of trails which have been laid out to restore and promote Hawaii's natural ecosystems as well as plants and trees of the South Pacific Region. The picture on the right is of a tree that had these gorgeous coloured berries. Unfortunately the tree was not labeled so we have no idea what it was called. We spent a good hour and a half exploring with all of us going our separate ways. We also had a great view of Keopuka Rock and Puohokamoa Valley which was used in the opening scene of Jurassic Park as seen below on the left.
We also got some great views and shots of Puohokama Falls in the valley below from the Garden. It has been a very dry season and the rainy season doesn't start till late November so the waterfalls are somewhat disappointing. Also along the route many waterfalls are on private property so you cannot get up close and personal to them.
Onward we headed with our next stop being on the coast of Keanae. The coast itself is rugged and home to a Hawaiian Village. We did not explore the village but did stop to get pictures of the beautiful coast line. The picture on the right is just a taste of what we see. I have posted pictures to my Facebook page and Fred still has to post to our Flickr page. Once everyone had completed their photo ops we headed on and stopped at the the half way mark a roadside stand that is reputed to sell the best banana bread in all of Maui. Meaghan, Jonathan and Amy bought shaved ice. They were absolutely huge and Fred, Christopher and myself all helped Meaghan eat hers while Jon and Amy have no problem tackling theirs alone. We purchased banana bread that was still warm from the oven to take back to the villa for dessert. Christopher also purchased home made beef jerky which he shared with everyone in the car. It was my first taste ever of jerky and it was quite pleasant, chewy and not at all salty.
Our next stops were Wailua Overlook that looked down on the coast and into a taro plantation and small village and Pua'a Ka'a Wayside Park which is home to a waterfall. However, due to the dry season it was merely a trickle and the pool that you are supposed to be able to swim in looks very uninviting.
Our last stop before Hana was Wa'anapanapa State Park. This park has the only black sand beach outside of the big island of Hawaii. There was also a lava tube and beautiful rugged shores. While we were there Jonathan spotted a sea turtle. He is becoming the King of spotting turtles and I keep missing them. We also saw I a teenaged boy and girl climbing the cliff and jumping into the ocean, then swimming out to other smaller islands or rock formations, climbing up and jumping in. They must have been from the area as they seemed to know what was safe as the water was somewhat rough but they did end up safely on the beach.
Our last stop was Hana. A very small town which basically has nothing. We were hungry but wanted something light. Jonathan and Amy got a lunchable snack from the small grocery store while Fred, Meaghan, Christopher and I bought lunch from the take-away side of what appears to be the only restaurant in town. We decided to head back to the villa rather than stop at the last sight on the route, which was another nine miles away. The road back to the villa was the same one we have traveled out to Hana on and if the traffic was busy the ride back will be a couple of hours without any stops. The last picture was of the sites we saw on the way back and was taken from the car as we travelled.
We made a short stop at the local Safeway in Lahaina to stock up on a few things. Once back at the villa Fred, Jonathan, Amy and myself headed down to Blackrock Beach to see if we could get pictures of the Sea Turtle. Once again people prove what total idiots they are. The turtle was there but was surrounded by people on floats. One mother gives her kid which was about 3 yrs old greenery that was attached to rocks to feed the turtle. Unbelievable as the turtle could bite off her hand quite easily. Jonathan and Amy were on kitchen duty and we had a great supper of roast chicken, roast potatoes and roast carrots. We enjoyed our purchase of banana bread for dessert and I must admit it was delicious and rivals the one I make.
We have had a great day in Paradise as a family and I am loving every minute of it.
Sandy & Fred
We were all up early and headed off to tour the Highway to Hana. Amy provided us with a CD and map from a friend that guided us on our way. The Highway to Hana is 68 miles long and is a narrow and winding road. It has 620 curves and passes over 59 bridges of which 46 are one lane only. The highway cuts through lush tropical forests and provides some stunning views of the coast. Our first stop was Waikamoi Nature Trail. The picture on the left is of the roots of the trees that were along the trail we hiked. The view of the valley was amazing with the different shades of green that identify the different types of trees that grow here, from Bamboo to Pines. Along the trail there are a number of fruit trees growing in the wild. Guava seemed to be everywhere.
Our next stop along the road was the Garden of Eden an Arboretum and Botanical Garden. This site was the creation of Alan Bradbury Maui's first certified arborist and landscape designer. The project began in 1991 and opened to the public in the fall of 1996. There are 26 acres of trails which have been laid out to restore and promote Hawaii's natural ecosystems as well as plants and trees of the South Pacific Region. The picture on the right is of a tree that had these gorgeous coloured berries. Unfortunately the tree was not labeled so we have no idea what it was called. We spent a good hour and a half exploring with all of us going our separate ways. We also had a great view of Keopuka Rock and Puohokamoa Valley which was used in the opening scene of Jurassic Park as seen below on the left.
We also got some great views and shots of Puohokama Falls in the valley below from the Garden. It has been a very dry season and the rainy season doesn't start till late November so the waterfalls are somewhat disappointing. Also along the route many waterfalls are on private property so you cannot get up close and personal to them.
Onward we headed with our next stop being on the coast of Keanae. The coast itself is rugged and home to a Hawaiian Village. We did not explore the village but did stop to get pictures of the beautiful coast line. The picture on the right is just a taste of what we see. I have posted pictures to my Facebook page and Fred still has to post to our Flickr page. Once everyone had completed their photo ops we headed on and stopped at the the half way mark a roadside stand that is reputed to sell the best banana bread in all of Maui. Meaghan, Jonathan and Amy bought shaved ice. They were absolutely huge and Fred, Christopher and myself all helped Meaghan eat hers while Jon and Amy have no problem tackling theirs alone. We purchased banana bread that was still warm from the oven to take back to the villa for dessert. Christopher also purchased home made beef jerky which he shared with everyone in the car. It was my first taste ever of jerky and it was quite pleasant, chewy and not at all salty.
Our next stops were Wailua Overlook that looked down on the coast and into a taro plantation and small village and Pua'a Ka'a Wayside Park which is home to a waterfall. However, due to the dry season it was merely a trickle and the pool that you are supposed to be able to swim in looks very uninviting.
Our last stop before Hana was Wa'anapanapa State Park. This park has the only black sand beach outside of the big island of Hawaii. There was also a lava tube and beautiful rugged shores. While we were there Jonathan spotted a sea turtle. He is becoming the King of spotting turtles and I keep missing them. We also saw I a teenaged boy and girl climbing the cliff and jumping into the ocean, then swimming out to other smaller islands or rock formations, climbing up and jumping in. They must have been from the area as they seemed to know what was safe as the water was somewhat rough but they did end up safely on the beach.
Our last stop was Hana. A very small town which basically has nothing. We were hungry but wanted something light. Jonathan and Amy got a lunchable snack from the small grocery store while Fred, Meaghan, Christopher and I bought lunch from the take-away side of what appears to be the only restaurant in town. We decided to head back to the villa rather than stop at the last sight on the route, which was another nine miles away. The road back to the villa was the same one we have traveled out to Hana on and if the traffic was busy the ride back will be a couple of hours without any stops. The last picture was of the sites we saw on the way back and was taken from the car as we travelled.
We made a short stop at the local Safeway in Lahaina to stock up on a few things. Once back at the villa Fred, Jonathan, Amy and myself headed down to Blackrock Beach to see if we could get pictures of the Sea Turtle. Once again people prove what total idiots they are. The turtle was there but was surrounded by people on floats. One mother gives her kid which was about 3 yrs old greenery that was attached to rocks to feed the turtle. Unbelievable as the turtle could bite off her hand quite easily. Jonathan and Amy were on kitchen duty and we had a great supper of roast chicken, roast potatoes and roast carrots. We enjoyed our purchase of banana bread for dessert and I must admit it was delicious and rivals the one I make.
We have had a great day in Paradise as a family and I am loving every minute of it.
Sandy & Fred
October 18, 2012 - Kahekill Beach
Aloha All,
Today we were up and at em in good time and headed off as a family to Kahekill Beach to snorkel. The kids headed out while I took pictures and Fred settled himself under a nice big tree for shade. The kids spent a good time out in the ocean and got quite a distance out. Jonathan saw some barracuda and sea turtles resting on the ocean floor as well. I snorkeled and tried to take pictures with an underwater camera I purchased but found I was really missing my fins and struggled, tiring very quickly. LOL either my age is catching up with me but I would like to think it is because I don't have fins that help propel you through the water. I retired to the beach to lay on my floaty and had the water occasionally wash over me. Fred stayed out of the water and in the shade, but still managed to turn a nice shade of pink. The beach itself is nice, has a good reef with a long sandy beach with little shade that we managed to find.
The picture on the left is of the beach. We spent a good 3 hours plus on the beach before heading back to the villa.
Once back we freshened up and changed for a late lunch. Meaghan, Christopher, Fred and myself headed off along the beach from our villa to Hula Bar and Grill to have lunch while Jonathan and Amy went off to do their own thing. This time everyone remembered to take their ID with them so no worries buying drinks. Meaghan ordered a Pina Colada with strawberry and it looked so amazing. We had two starters; coconut calamari and crab and macadamia nut wontons. I had a Hula Cheeseburger which was massive, Fred and Christopher had Kapulu Joe which was a pork sandwich and Meaghan had a foccacia chicken sandwich another massive portion. At this rate I told Fred there was no way that I could eat supper. The food portions were just too large, plus we had a late lunch. Thankfully, everyone felt the same way including Jonathan and Amy who had gone off and did what they wanted to do. So it was decide that snacks would be the order of the day for supper; cheese, crackers, pate and whatever drinks each wanted.
Another great day day in paradise with the family.
Sandy & Fred
Today we were up and at em in good time and headed off as a family to Kahekill Beach to snorkel. The kids headed out while I took pictures and Fred settled himself under a nice big tree for shade. The kids spent a good time out in the ocean and got quite a distance out. Jonathan saw some barracuda and sea turtles resting on the ocean floor as well. I snorkeled and tried to take pictures with an underwater camera I purchased but found I was really missing my fins and struggled, tiring very quickly. LOL either my age is catching up with me but I would like to think it is because I don't have fins that help propel you through the water. I retired to the beach to lay on my floaty and had the water occasionally wash over me. Fred stayed out of the water and in the shade, but still managed to turn a nice shade of pink. The beach itself is nice, has a good reef with a long sandy beach with little shade that we managed to find.
The picture on the left is of the beach. We spent a good 3 hours plus on the beach before heading back to the villa.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHeHNzpY9-2jUU-EYXFwrckZ42fw8_LwONR5el9d1ErkACi0ozqq1mt6P3-bY7NQArdGe65lswv1tajeJ1JJY_UZe6eC7TZdgCbFGxGbS3xzV74V3-DiJr4Rkdzm5QVg703Xand2laTA/s200/DSC01282.jpg)
Another great day day in paradise with the family.
Sandy & Fred
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
October 17, 2012 - A Day in The Sun Maui
Aloha All.
Today we were all off to a fairly early start with some of us exercising in various ways. Running, walking, or heading to the gym. The kids decided to snorkel off the beach by the villa, our home away from home. Jonathan took them all off to K-Mart to buy some cheap snorkels which unfortunately was located almost back to the airport. Geared up they snorkeled just down the beach from our location and also further up the beach at Black Rock. I got a picture of them as they were preparing to head off. The water was fairly warm and not too wavy were they were and there was a good variety of fish according to Jonathan. A couple of moray's, damsels, angel fish and parrot fish. Meaghan did very well as she is not a strong swimmer and was aided with a noodle her first time out. They snorkeled for quite some time while Fred and I retired to the pool to relax and soak up the sun.
Lunch was cheese, crackers, wild boar pate and a Mexican bean dip with chips. More sunning and snorkeling then we cleaned up and headed off for a walk along the beach towards Black Rock Beach, a beach at the end of Ka'Anapali Beach, about a 15 minute walk. There Jonathan spotted a sea turtle. The picture on the right is one Jonathan was able to get when the poor thing came up for air. Now, there are a number of signs indicating the turtles are an endangered species, are wild animals and to leave them alone. People, once again do not disappoint us in how absolutely stupid they are. The turtle was harassed and Meaghan and Christopher left as they could not stand seeing how people were harassing it. We hung around for a bit to try and get a picture but only Jonathan, who was really patient in this case, was successful in getting a video and a picture. I have photoshopped the idiots that were surrounding and harassing the turtle out of the picture.
Supper this night was made by Christopher and Meaghan and was a Japanese curry made with pork and served with rice. It was very tasty and enjoyed by all. After supper we headed out for our usual walk but we were all in bed very early as the sun had got the best of us all after another day in paradise.
Sandy & Fred
Today we were all off to a fairly early start with some of us exercising in various ways. Running, walking, or heading to the gym. The kids decided to snorkel off the beach by the villa, our home away from home. Jonathan took them all off to K-Mart to buy some cheap snorkels which unfortunately was located almost back to the airport. Geared up they snorkeled just down the beach from our location and also further up the beach at Black Rock. I got a picture of them as they were preparing to head off. The water was fairly warm and not too wavy were they were and there was a good variety of fish according to Jonathan. A couple of moray's, damsels, angel fish and parrot fish. Meaghan did very well as she is not a strong swimmer and was aided with a noodle her first time out. They snorkeled for quite some time while Fred and I retired to the pool to relax and soak up the sun.
Lunch was cheese, crackers, wild boar pate and a Mexican bean dip with chips. More sunning and snorkeling then we cleaned up and headed off for a walk along the beach towards Black Rock Beach, a beach at the end of Ka'Anapali Beach, about a 15 minute walk. There Jonathan spotted a sea turtle. The picture on the right is one Jonathan was able to get when the poor thing came up for air. Now, there are a number of signs indicating the turtles are an endangered species, are wild animals and to leave them alone. People, once again do not disappoint us in how absolutely stupid they are. The turtle was harassed and Meaghan and Christopher left as they could not stand seeing how people were harassing it. We hung around for a bit to try and get a picture but only Jonathan, who was really patient in this case, was successful in getting a video and a picture. I have photoshopped the idiots that were surrounding and harassing the turtle out of the picture.
Supper this night was made by Christopher and Meaghan and was a Japanese curry made with pork and served with rice. It was very tasty and enjoyed by all. After supper we headed out for our usual walk but we were all in bed very early as the sun had got the best of us all after another day in paradise.
Sandy & Fred
October 16 - 17, 2012 - Maui Family Reunion
Aloha All,
This was our first family reunion and I was very excited to be spending time with all the kids. Christopher and Meaghan had arrived well before us as they had an early flight out of Portland while Fred, Jonathan, Amy and myself had a late afternoon flight so we arrived after 10:00 p.m. After settling in we headed off to bed for an early start the next day.
I couldn't sleep and was up and out around 7:30 a.m. for a walk along the promenade and there were a number of joggers and walkers out already. I am guessing to beat the heat of the day. By the time I got back the rest of the family was up and we headed off to grab something for breakfast. Our first real task of the day was to decide on foods that everyone liked and then to go food shopping, so we all headed off to the local Safeway. We all got a shock on how expensive fresh produce was, as well as food in general. A loaf of bread was over $6.00, a cucumber was $2.49. Our first food bill was $375.00 US and that was not for a whole week. Yikes, you've got to eat, and we did not want to be eating out all the time. Once back at the villa and the groceries were unpacked we headed off to lunch at Leilani's, a restaurant on the beach. The kids were all asked for ID before they could be served drinks. I told the waitress they were all over 30 but that didn't matter. Amy & Meaghan did not have their ID with them so they decided to head back to the villa to get it, and because they did, the waitress did not charged them for their drinks. That was a nice touch. Apparently if you look under 30 wait staff are required to ask for ID due to the strict liquor laws in Maui. When our waitress finally returned and asked how things were Amy let her know her meal was cold so she also deducted that from our bill. Now that was good customer service. The balance of the day was spent sunning around the pool or on the beach, all of us catching our first real rays of sun.
Fred and I were first up on KP duty and what a delight to cook for everyone. Something I have really missed. Barbecued steak, potatoes and a salad was the menu for our first family dinner in well over 5 years. After supper some of us headed out for a walk before hitting the sack.
Sandy & Fred
This was our first family reunion and I was very excited to be spending time with all the kids. Christopher and Meaghan had arrived well before us as they had an early flight out of Portland while Fred, Jonathan, Amy and myself had a late afternoon flight so we arrived after 10:00 p.m. After settling in we headed off to bed for an early start the next day.
I couldn't sleep and was up and out around 7:30 a.m. for a walk along the promenade and there were a number of joggers and walkers out already. I am guessing to beat the heat of the day. By the time I got back the rest of the family was up and we headed off to grab something for breakfast. Our first real task of the day was to decide on foods that everyone liked and then to go food shopping, so we all headed off to the local Safeway. We all got a shock on how expensive fresh produce was, as well as food in general. A loaf of bread was over $6.00, a cucumber was $2.49. Our first food bill was $375.00 US and that was not for a whole week. Yikes, you've got to eat, and we did not want to be eating out all the time. Once back at the villa and the groceries were unpacked we headed off to lunch at Leilani's, a restaurant on the beach. The kids were all asked for ID before they could be served drinks. I told the waitress they were all over 30 but that didn't matter. Amy & Meaghan did not have their ID with them so they decided to head back to the villa to get it, and because they did, the waitress did not charged them for their drinks. That was a nice touch. Apparently if you look under 30 wait staff are required to ask for ID due to the strict liquor laws in Maui. When our waitress finally returned and asked how things were Amy let her know her meal was cold so she also deducted that from our bill. Now that was good customer service. The balance of the day was spent sunning around the pool or on the beach, all of us catching our first real rays of sun.
Fred and I were first up on KP duty and what a delight to cook for everyone. Something I have really missed. Barbecued steak, potatoes and a salad was the menu for our first family dinner in well over 5 years. After supper some of us headed out for a walk before hitting the sack.
Sandy & Fred
Friday, September 21, 2012
September 14, 2012 - Our Last Day With Jonathan
Cheers All,
Sadly this was our last day with our son as he had to return to reality the next day. We headed out rather handily in the morning via the tube to St Paul's Cathedral with tickets Jonathan had for him and his friends. We took the tube as I had hoped to climb the 528 stairs to get to the galleries in the dome of St Paul's, and wanted to save my knees as walking with my son and Fred had proven to be challenging at times.
The present day St Paul's church dates back to the late 17th century and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London (1666) destroyed the existing church. The church went through 5 different stages of design before the final design was given approval by the king and building began. On December 2, 1697 the first service was held in St Paul's. St Paul's in terms of area is the second largest church in the UK, the first being Liverpool Cathedral. Once inside the cathedral, photography was not allowed and prayers take place on a hourly basis along with daily services. We took in the magnificence of the main floor, the dome and statues before walking up to the Whispering Gallery, 215 steps that wound gently up and were not steep but they did leave me a bit winded. The Gallery is 90 feet above the floor and you really can hear when someone is across from you and whispers a message. Jonathan and Fred took on the other two galleries, the Stone and Golden, while I sat and admired the Whispering Gallery before heading down. One of the stewards chatted with me and did advise me that the steps up to the remaining galleries are narrow and steep. She also told me of a place to go where we could get good photos of St.Paul's from a sixth floor terrace in a nearby shopping centre. I returned to the main floor and listened to the history behind the artifacts and areas in the church on an audio guide until the boys returned from the Stone and Golden Galleries. Fred felt that I could have made it to the Stone Gallery but not to the Golden Gallery as the steps were very narrow and steep. Next we headed down to the Crypt which holds over 200 memorials. Sir Christopher Wren was the first to be interred in 1723. A few of the more notable people interred are Lord Nelson, Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale and the Duke of Wellington. I did purchase postcards that show the interior of the cathedral so we can scan them to have a record and to share its beauty.
After leaving St Paul's, we located the shopping centre and got our photos of St Paul's from the terrace we walked along the embankment to Borough Market. The market is open on Friday's and Saturdays and is usually very busy. As it was the afternoon it was very crowded. Jonathan was able to take in all the sites, the different foods available for purchase and the eateries. We purchased lunch and walked around. The picture on the left is of small cucumbers. They are about 8 inches long so I would not really call them small at all. We also found gluten free sausages, unfortunately a bit late for Jonathan this time.
Our last stop of the day was a visit to Harrods. Jonathan needed to purchase something for Amy and as she is a tea drinker I suggested we go there and check out the teas. Something I used to get for my Mom when we visited the UK before our move here. As well as the tea, he also purchased a lovely cast iron teapot for her. While in Harrods we also checked out the electronics section and Jonathan shows us a TV he would like, it only cost 66,000 pounds.
Harrods already had a floor ready with Christmas items. The picture on the right is a man made out of Lego outside the toy department. From Harrods we walked back to the flat with a stop at the Grenadier Pub for the cider festival that they were supposed to be holding. Some festival, they did not have one cider on tap as advertised. Just before we left I took the glasses back inside as we sat outside. A man stopped me to ask if he could help me. I laughed and said no I needed to use the facilities so I might as well take the glasses in. He and his friend made a comment to Jonathan and Fred about allowing a young lady to wait on them and Jonathan commented this young lady is not mine she is my mom. While inside, I heard a question about cooking and cleaning and upon my return I let these gentlemen know that both of my men are good cooks and they clean up as well. The men laughed and responded that it was good to see you trained them well. We continued our walk back to the flat with Jonathan taking some last minute photos. We had a quiet night with Jonathan packing for his return home the next day. We had a fairly early night as we had to drop him off at Heathrow at 10:00 a.m. for his flight.
We hope you have enjoyed this portion of our blog,
Sandy & Fred
Sadly this was our last day with our son as he had to return to reality the next day. We headed out rather handily in the morning via the tube to St Paul's Cathedral with tickets Jonathan had for him and his friends. We took the tube as I had hoped to climb the 528 stairs to get to the galleries in the dome of St Paul's, and wanted to save my knees as walking with my son and Fred had proven to be challenging at times.
The present day St Paul's church dates back to the late 17th century and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London (1666) destroyed the existing church. The church went through 5 different stages of design before the final design was given approval by the king and building began. On December 2, 1697 the first service was held in St Paul's. St Paul's in terms of area is the second largest church in the UK, the first being Liverpool Cathedral. Once inside the cathedral, photography was not allowed and prayers take place on a hourly basis along with daily services. We took in the magnificence of the main floor, the dome and statues before walking up to the Whispering Gallery, 215 steps that wound gently up and were not steep but they did leave me a bit winded. The Gallery is 90 feet above the floor and you really can hear when someone is across from you and whispers a message. Jonathan and Fred took on the other two galleries, the Stone and Golden, while I sat and admired the Whispering Gallery before heading down. One of the stewards chatted with me and did advise me that the steps up to the remaining galleries are narrow and steep. She also told me of a place to go where we could get good photos of St.Paul's from a sixth floor terrace in a nearby shopping centre. I returned to the main floor and listened to the history behind the artifacts and areas in the church on an audio guide until the boys returned from the Stone and Golden Galleries. Fred felt that I could have made it to the Stone Gallery but not to the Golden Gallery as the steps were very narrow and steep. Next we headed down to the Crypt which holds over 200 memorials. Sir Christopher Wren was the first to be interred in 1723. A few of the more notable people interred are Lord Nelson, Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale and the Duke of Wellington. I did purchase postcards that show the interior of the cathedral so we can scan them to have a record and to share its beauty.
After leaving St Paul's, we located the shopping centre and got our photos of St Paul's from the terrace we walked along the embankment to Borough Market. The market is open on Friday's and Saturdays and is usually very busy. As it was the afternoon it was very crowded. Jonathan was able to take in all the sites, the different foods available for purchase and the eateries. We purchased lunch and walked around. The picture on the left is of small cucumbers. They are about 8 inches long so I would not really call them small at all. We also found gluten free sausages, unfortunately a bit late for Jonathan this time.
Our last stop of the day was a visit to Harrods. Jonathan needed to purchase something for Amy and as she is a tea drinker I suggested we go there and check out the teas. Something I used to get for my Mom when we visited the UK before our move here. As well as the tea, he also purchased a lovely cast iron teapot for her. While in Harrods we also checked out the electronics section and Jonathan shows us a TV he would like, it only cost 66,000 pounds.
Harrods already had a floor ready with Christmas items. The picture on the right is a man made out of Lego outside the toy department. From Harrods we walked back to the flat with a stop at the Grenadier Pub for the cider festival that they were supposed to be holding. Some festival, they did not have one cider on tap as advertised. Just before we left I took the glasses back inside as we sat outside. A man stopped me to ask if he could help me. I laughed and said no I needed to use the facilities so I might as well take the glasses in. He and his friend made a comment to Jonathan and Fred about allowing a young lady to wait on them and Jonathan commented this young lady is not mine she is my mom. While inside, I heard a question about cooking and cleaning and upon my return I let these gentlemen know that both of my men are good cooks and they clean up as well. The men laughed and responded that it was good to see you trained them well. We continued our walk back to the flat with Jonathan taking some last minute photos. We had a quiet night with Jonathan packing for his return home the next day. We had a fairly early night as we had to drop him off at Heathrow at 10:00 a.m. for his flight.
We hope you have enjoyed this portion of our blog,
Sandy & Fred
September 13, 2012 - Greenwich
Hi All,
We were up and out early again, as thanks to Jonathan, we had tickets for the hop on hop off bus and a river cruise. We got the tickets because one of his mates missed his train from Paris last week and his other buddy Adam who was in town felt they would see and accomplish more by walking rather than using their bus tickets. We collected our tickets just outside Victoria Station and headed down to the pier by the London Eye to get the boat tour down to Greenwich.
The boat operators were not tour guides, however, they did give a good commentary of life on the river and pointed out various sites we passed on our way to Greenwich. The picture on the right, taken from the boat as we pulled into the dock at Greenwich, is of the Cutty Sark, a clipper ship that has been restored as it was partially destroyed by fire in May 2007. The trip down the river Thames took about a hour with a brief stop at Tower Bridge to let customers on and off. We stopped outside the Old Royal Naval College and enjoyed our picnic lunch before starting our exploring.
Fred and I visited Greenwich in 2006 during one of our visits to the UK so we kind of know the lay of the land. Our first stop was The Royal Naval Hospital. This site was originally The Palace of Placentia in the 15th century and was the birth place of many a Tudor, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The palace fell into disrepair during the English Civil War and was rebuilt into the Naval Hospital by Christopher Wren. These buildings became the Royal Naval College in 1873 and remained as such until 1998 when they passed over to the Greenwich Foundation. The picture on the left is of the ceiling in the Painted Hall of the Naval College. A spectacular piece of artwork that encompasses the whole hall right from the entrance to the end of this huge hall. There were a couple of rooms open that were not open on our previous visit. When we entered one such room I took a picture of a statue of Nelson. Fred and Jonathan gave me dirty looks and pointed to a sign. Oops no pictures allowed; I did not see it when I entered as a man was standing in front of it. I am very careful to respect requests about no photography and I always ask, particularly, when we enter churches if photography is allowed. We headed down to the crypt area, another area that was not opened on our previous visit and explored a tunnel that took us into the Royal Naval Chapel. Again the architecture is a sight to behold.
From here we headed out and to The National Maritime Museum. The museum was created by The National Maritime Act 1943 and was officially opened by King George VI on April 27, 1937. The museum has the worlds largest maritime historical reference library with books dating back to the 15th century. The museum covers the history of all aspects of naval travel and war as well as artifacts related to the sea, time and travel. We spent a good hour exploring and Jonathan completed a virtual navigation of a vessel and received a 100 out of 100 score.
We then set off to the Royal Observatory of Greenwich. The trek up to the observatory was rather a challenge as they were dismantling the Olympic Equestrian Area and a lot of the park was fenced off. We finally got to the observatory after hiking up and down hills and behind fences. I certainly got my exercise in this day. Much has changed since our last visit. Now there is a fee to enter the observatory. We had a slight debate about whether or not to pay and I told Fred we had not hiked our asses all the way up here to have Jonathan miss this opportunity to see the the museum. Once our exploration was done I asked the lady outside the museum if there was an easy way down. She advised there was not. We found the path to go down the hill into Greenwich, and it was an easy walk and it was the path we should have taken to go up. We had enough time to enjoy a pint of cider and beer in a pub, The Greenwich Arms before boarding our boat back to Westminster Dock. We walked back to the flat, relaxed and had dinner after our full day of exploration.
Cheers,
Sandy & Fred
We were up and out early again, as thanks to Jonathan, we had tickets for the hop on hop off bus and a river cruise. We got the tickets because one of his mates missed his train from Paris last week and his other buddy Adam who was in town felt they would see and accomplish more by walking rather than using their bus tickets. We collected our tickets just outside Victoria Station and headed down to the pier by the London Eye to get the boat tour down to Greenwich.
The boat operators were not tour guides, however, they did give a good commentary of life on the river and pointed out various sites we passed on our way to Greenwich. The picture on the right, taken from the boat as we pulled into the dock at Greenwich, is of the Cutty Sark, a clipper ship that has been restored as it was partially destroyed by fire in May 2007. The trip down the river Thames took about a hour with a brief stop at Tower Bridge to let customers on and off. We stopped outside the Old Royal Naval College and enjoyed our picnic lunch before starting our exploring.
Fred and I visited Greenwich in 2006 during one of our visits to the UK so we kind of know the lay of the land. Our first stop was The Royal Naval Hospital. This site was originally The Palace of Placentia in the 15th century and was the birth place of many a Tudor, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The palace fell into disrepair during the English Civil War and was rebuilt into the Naval Hospital by Christopher Wren. These buildings became the Royal Naval College in 1873 and remained as such until 1998 when they passed over to the Greenwich Foundation. The picture on the left is of the ceiling in the Painted Hall of the Naval College. A spectacular piece of artwork that encompasses the whole hall right from the entrance to the end of this huge hall. There were a couple of rooms open that were not open on our previous visit. When we entered one such room I took a picture of a statue of Nelson. Fred and Jonathan gave me dirty looks and pointed to a sign. Oops no pictures allowed; I did not see it when I entered as a man was standing in front of it. I am very careful to respect requests about no photography and I always ask, particularly, when we enter churches if photography is allowed. We headed down to the crypt area, another area that was not opened on our previous visit and explored a tunnel that took us into the Royal Naval Chapel. Again the architecture is a sight to behold.
From here we headed out and to The National Maritime Museum. The museum was created by The National Maritime Act 1943 and was officially opened by King George VI on April 27, 1937. The museum has the worlds largest maritime historical reference library with books dating back to the 15th century. The museum covers the history of all aspects of naval travel and war as well as artifacts related to the sea, time and travel. We spent a good hour exploring and Jonathan completed a virtual navigation of a vessel and received a 100 out of 100 score.
We then set off to the Royal Observatory of Greenwich. The trek up to the observatory was rather a challenge as they were dismantling the Olympic Equestrian Area and a lot of the park was fenced off. We finally got to the observatory after hiking up and down hills and behind fences. I certainly got my exercise in this day. Much has changed since our last visit. Now there is a fee to enter the observatory. We had a slight debate about whether or not to pay and I told Fred we had not hiked our asses all the way up here to have Jonathan miss this opportunity to see the the museum. Once our exploration was done I asked the lady outside the museum if there was an easy way down. She advised there was not. We found the path to go down the hill into Greenwich, and it was an easy walk and it was the path we should have taken to go up. We had enough time to enjoy a pint of cider and beer in a pub, The Greenwich Arms before boarding our boat back to Westminster Dock. We walked back to the flat, relaxed and had dinner after our full day of exploration.
Cheers,
Sandy & Fred
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
September 12, 2012 - Hampton Court
Greetings All,
After a day of rest for all of us, then a day of separate exploration with Jonathan visiting more museums and Fred and I walking for exercise, we all headed off to Hampton Court Palace. To get to Hampton Court Palace we took the train. Fred and I had visited Hampton Court once before, but gladly accompanied our son for a second visit. We left early and arrived at the Palace shortly after opening time. What a difference time makes, we were able to get photo's without having to dodge people or have shots ruined by people getting in the way. I am not going too say much about the history of Hampton Court as I have posted a blog on the Palace on September 15, 2010 if you are interested. However, I will say that the estate house was taken over in 1514 by Thomas Wolsey, The Archbishop of York and he spent the next seven years spending lavishly to build the finest palace in England. In 1528 seeing his up and coming downfall Wolsey made the palace a gift to King Henry VIII. Within six months of ownership Henry started his own expansion. Hampton Court was the main residence for Henry VIII and is one of only two surviving palaces out of the many that were owned by Henry. The other is St. James's Palace.
The picture on the left is the ceiling in The Great Room. The craftsmanship is truly amazing when you think of the time and tools that were available. We spent a good three hours exploring before it started to get really busy with rug rats on school trips and other tourists. We headed back into London to find a pub for a late lunch and once again our timing was perfect as the train was there when we arrived at the station.
We decided to eat at The White Swan, a pub across the street from the flat as Jonathan wanted fish and chips as a way to re-introduce some gluten into his diet in preparation for tests on his return home. We had decided that it was best to be close to the flat depending on his reaction. Jonathan and Fred had fish and chips and I had scampi.
After lunch we headed back to the flat to relax, down load our photo's and enjoy some cider, beer and wine.
Cheers,
Sandy & Fred
After a day of rest for all of us, then a day of separate exploration with Jonathan visiting more museums and Fred and I walking for exercise, we all headed off to Hampton Court Palace. To get to Hampton Court Palace we took the train. Fred and I had visited Hampton Court once before, but gladly accompanied our son for a second visit. We left early and arrived at the Palace shortly after opening time. What a difference time makes, we were able to get photo's without having to dodge people or have shots ruined by people getting in the way. I am not going too say much about the history of Hampton Court as I have posted a blog on the Palace on September 15, 2010 if you are interested. However, I will say that the estate house was taken over in 1514 by Thomas Wolsey, The Archbishop of York and he spent the next seven years spending lavishly to build the finest palace in England. In 1528 seeing his up and coming downfall Wolsey made the palace a gift to King Henry VIII. Within six months of ownership Henry started his own expansion. Hampton Court was the main residence for Henry VIII and is one of only two surviving palaces out of the many that were owned by Henry. The other is St. James's Palace.
The picture on the left is the ceiling in The Great Room. The craftsmanship is truly amazing when you think of the time and tools that were available. We spent a good three hours exploring before it started to get really busy with rug rats on school trips and other tourists. We headed back into London to find a pub for a late lunch and once again our timing was perfect as the train was there when we arrived at the station.
We decided to eat at The White Swan, a pub across the street from the flat as Jonathan wanted fish and chips as a way to re-introduce some gluten into his diet in preparation for tests on his return home. We had decided that it was best to be close to the flat depending on his reaction. Jonathan and Fred had fish and chips and I had scampi.
After lunch we headed back to the flat to relax, down load our photo's and enjoy some cider, beer and wine.
Cheers,
Sandy & Fred
September 9, 2012 - RAF Museum & Stonehenge
Greetings All,
Today we headed out early to visit the RAF museum which is about a half hour drive from the flat. The museum is located on the former Hendon Aerodrome and is a relatively new one when compared to the other museums dedicated to military history in London. It was opened on November 15, 1972 by the Queen and is dedicated to the history of aviation and the British Royal Airforce. Upon opening the museum hangers just had 36 aircraft. Today, it is home to over 100 aircraft and has five different exhibits. Jonathan was like a kid in a candy store. We all took a ton of pictures and Fred and Jonathan stay together discussing the various aircraft while I wandered off on my own to explore. We spent a good three hours exploring and completed about 3/4 of the site. We had our picnic lunch at the museum before heading off to Stonehenge. Additional pictures can be seen on my facebook wall or our Flickr site once Fred gets them posted.
The traffic to Stonehenge was very heavy. We think it was because it was a very beautiful day so the drive took a bit longer than we had anticipated. The picture on the right was taken by Jonathan lying on the ground and focusing on the stones from the grass. The result being Stonehenge looks small from that perspective. Jonathan and I went into Stonehenge and the queue (line up) was huge. As we arrived at the end of the line, a lady came along and asked if there were any National Trust or English Heritage Members. As we are National Trust members, we were then escorted into the grounds. Jonathan had Fred's card, as Fred did not want to walk around the stones again. With photo opportunities completed we headed back to London. Back at the flat, we ordered in a curry dinner from Pimlico Spice, an Indian Restaurant in Pimlico which Jonathan had googled and it had a very good rating. The food was excellent and even better, I didn't have to prepare a meal.
Cheers,
Sandy & Fred
Today we headed out early to visit the RAF museum which is about a half hour drive from the flat. The museum is located on the former Hendon Aerodrome and is a relatively new one when compared to the other museums dedicated to military history in London. It was opened on November 15, 1972 by the Queen and is dedicated to the history of aviation and the British Royal Airforce. Upon opening the museum hangers just had 36 aircraft. Today, it is home to over 100 aircraft and has five different exhibits. Jonathan was like a kid in a candy store. We all took a ton of pictures and Fred and Jonathan stay together discussing the various aircraft while I wandered off on my own to explore. We spent a good three hours exploring and completed about 3/4 of the site. We had our picnic lunch at the museum before heading off to Stonehenge. Additional pictures can be seen on my facebook wall or our Flickr site once Fred gets them posted.
The traffic to Stonehenge was very heavy. We think it was because it was a very beautiful day so the drive took a bit longer than we had anticipated. The picture on the right was taken by Jonathan lying on the ground and focusing on the stones from the grass. The result being Stonehenge looks small from that perspective. Jonathan and I went into Stonehenge and the queue (line up) was huge. As we arrived at the end of the line, a lady came along and asked if there were any National Trust or English Heritage Members. As we are National Trust members, we were then escorted into the grounds. Jonathan had Fred's card, as Fred did not want to walk around the stones again. With photo opportunities completed we headed back to London. Back at the flat, we ordered in a curry dinner from Pimlico Spice, an Indian Restaurant in Pimlico which Jonathan had googled and it had a very good rating. The food was excellent and even better, I didn't have to prepare a meal.
Cheers,
Sandy & Fred
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
September 8, 2012 - Proms in the Park
Greetings All,
Today Jonathan went off on his own to visit some more museums while I prepared our picnic supper for tonight's BBC Proms in the Park which is held in Hyde Park. Fred and I headed off to get the food from Sainsbury's. I decided to roast a whole chicken and to have potato salad, carrot and celery sticks, humus for a dip, crisps, doritos, cherry tomatoes, a mixed green salad, chocolate, wine, cider, Irn Bru and water.
The Proms were founded in 1895 and seasonally consist of over 70 concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, a series of chamber concerts in Cadogan Hall as well as on the final night, a series of concerts in parks around the UK. We were attending the final night of the Proms in Hyde Park. The music played covers a large range of genres. Contemporary, pop, classical, as well a choirs from schools and churches. The evening ends with a fireworks display which are quite spectacular.
We headed off to the park separately as Jonathan had an upset stomach as he could not find gluten free sandwiches for his lunch while he was out and ate salmon sandwiches. Fred and I took the bus to the park and Fred was a very happy camper as he got to use his Merseytravel National Travel Pass. The travel pass is valid for bus travel on any local bus service in England. When Fred and I arrived the crowds were massive and I wondered how the hell Jonathan would ever find us even with the programme he and Fred have on their iPhones. It took us approximately 30 minutes to get into the park and we found that the grounds had changed since the last time we were at the Proms. The lovely grass has been replaced with wood chips so it will be rather uncomfortable to sit on even with a blanket. We only had 2 chairs so we kind of shared them between us once Jonathan arrived. He found us quite easily and basically walked in with out the queues (line ups) that we endured. It was announced that the attendance this year was a record, 45000 people in the park. Jonathan decided to wander around the park taking in all the sights before we had our picnic supper. People had come dressed in all sorts of costumes as well as tuxedos and gowns. The sunset was beautiful but it soon turned rather cool and damp. The previous night was very pleasant and balmy,
so the coolness tonight took us a little by surprise particularly as it was very hot day today. The highlight of the evening for me was the performance by Il Divo. I had taken a stroll around the grounds to take pictures of the stage all lit up when they came on so I managed to get a video. When I returned to the boys we enjoyed more of the concert together and the munchies and drinks. Fred and I then strolled around while Jonathan watched our stuff. Upon our return Jonathan had decided to call it a night as his stomach is really acting up again which was unfortunate as he will miss the finale and the fireworks. We stayed for about another 1/2 hour and as it was turning very cool we decided to call it a night as we had not dressed for it. We took the tube back to the flat as it is quicker even though we have to change lines. Once back at the flat we can hear the booming of the fireworks. Too bad Jonathan had to miss them.
Cheerio for now,
Sandy & Fred
Today Jonathan went off on his own to visit some more museums while I prepared our picnic supper for tonight's BBC Proms in the Park which is held in Hyde Park. Fred and I headed off to get the food from Sainsbury's. I decided to roast a whole chicken and to have potato salad, carrot and celery sticks, humus for a dip, crisps, doritos, cherry tomatoes, a mixed green salad, chocolate, wine, cider, Irn Bru and water.
The Proms were founded in 1895 and seasonally consist of over 70 concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, a series of chamber concerts in Cadogan Hall as well as on the final night, a series of concerts in parks around the UK. We were attending the final night of the Proms in Hyde Park. The music played covers a large range of genres. Contemporary, pop, classical, as well a choirs from schools and churches. The evening ends with a fireworks display which are quite spectacular.
We headed off to the park separately as Jonathan had an upset stomach as he could not find gluten free sandwiches for his lunch while he was out and ate salmon sandwiches. Fred and I took the bus to the park and Fred was a very happy camper as he got to use his Merseytravel National Travel Pass. The travel pass is valid for bus travel on any local bus service in England. When Fred and I arrived the crowds were massive and I wondered how the hell Jonathan would ever find us even with the programme he and Fred have on their iPhones. It took us approximately 30 minutes to get into the park and we found that the grounds had changed since the last time we were at the Proms. The lovely grass has been replaced with wood chips so it will be rather uncomfortable to sit on even with a blanket. We only had 2 chairs so we kind of shared them between us once Jonathan arrived. He found us quite easily and basically walked in with out the queues (line ups) that we endured. It was announced that the attendance this year was a record, 45000 people in the park. Jonathan decided to wander around the park taking in all the sights before we had our picnic supper. People had come dressed in all sorts of costumes as well as tuxedos and gowns. The sunset was beautiful but it soon turned rather cool and damp. The previous night was very pleasant and balmy,
so the coolness tonight took us a little by surprise particularly as it was very hot day today. The highlight of the evening for me was the performance by Il Divo. I had taken a stroll around the grounds to take pictures of the stage all lit up when they came on so I managed to get a video. When I returned to the boys we enjoyed more of the concert together and the munchies and drinks. Fred and I then strolled around while Jonathan watched our stuff. Upon our return Jonathan had decided to call it a night as his stomach is really acting up again which was unfortunate as he will miss the finale and the fireworks. We stayed for about another 1/2 hour and as it was turning very cool we decided to call it a night as we had not dressed for it. We took the tube back to the flat as it is quicker even though we have to change lines. Once back at the flat we can hear the booming of the fireworks. Too bad Jonathan had to miss them.
Cheerio for now,
Sandy & Fred
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
September 7, 2012 - Buckingham & Kensington Palaces
Cheers All,
We were up and at it fairly early as we headed out to tour Buckingham Palace. This is something I have wanted to do for a while and with Jonathan here it was the perfect opportunity. I had purchased tickets from the Visit London site much to Fred's horror. If I had used the Royal Collection website (the Palace's official website) we would have been able to extend our tickets to provide for unlimited access for a year. Needless to say I have been banned from buying tickets in the future. Access to the palace is by booked timed entry and they were very strict about it. Photography is not permitted in the Palace so I purchased a set of postcards that shows the staterooms which we will scan upon our return to Liverpool. I wandered around the store while Fred and Jonathan went off to explore a bit of St James's Park as we had forty minutes to kill before our entrance time. Fred had his camera over his shoulder and was given a big ass plastic bag marked video/photographic equipment to put his camera into while we toured the state rooms. The tour itself took about one and a half hours and you have an audio guide that explains the various rooms and their functions. As you can imagine it was extremely busy but we didn't find it overly crowded until we came to the Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration exhibit. This is a special exhibition showing the many ways in which diamonds have been used by British monarchs over the last 200 years. We did a perimeter walk around the display cases which allowed us a good view of the diamond jewellery, diamond encrusted swords and crowns. To get close to the displays as many tourists seemed to want to do, we would have been there quite some time, as tourists get in front of a display case and don't move. The Tower of London has the right idea for the Crown Jewels display, you get on a people mover that takes you past the display cabinets. No stopping to gawk at the Crown Jewels. The picture in the upper left hand corner is Buckingham Palace from the gardens. Pictures were allowed in the gardens but to be honest it was more of a parkland area than a garden. Grass, trees and ponds are not really a garden to my way of thinking. The exit brought us out onto Grosvenor Place, a relatively short walk to Hyde Park. We walked along Knightsbridge to purchase lunch as Jonathan did not want sandwiches. A picnic lunch would have been a better choice as we seemed to be walking forever before locating a place from which to buy. Jonathan had sushi and Fred and I had sandwiches. We then headed off to find a bench in Hyde Park and eat lunch before walking to Kensington Palace.
Hyde Park eventually becomes Kensington Park and the picture on the right is a memorial to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. This was the first time we had seen it in the daylight and it is quite magnificent. Our previous views have all been at night from Royal Albert Hall when we have attended the Christmas Eve Carol Concert with family.
On arriving at Kensington Palace, Jonathan used his pass to the Historic Royal Palaces, while Fred purchases two concession tickets (seniors discount) for us. The cashier asked us for identification as he didn't think were old enough (60 years) for the concession price. Kensington Place has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century. With its many apartments, it is still home to many of the royal family and is used by Prince Harry and Zara Philips (Princess Anne's daughter) on occasions. It was also the home of Princess Diana after her divorce from Charles up until her death. In the 17th century it was referred to as Kensington House rather than "Palace" as it was a private royal retreat. Some of the rooms were very dark, hot and rather sparse. While others had very little furniture in the room they were quite opulent.
The picture on the left is of the ceiling in The Kings Gallery. It has very detailed artwork along the whole hall. We only get to tour a small portion of the palace itself as it is still home to a number of the extended royal family and is to be the future residence of Prince Henry but as palaces go we were unimpressed.
From here we went our separate ways as Jonathan wanted to visit another museum and I was slowing him down as I can't walk as fast as him or his Dad for that matter. He has so little time in which to get in all that he wants to see. It was a very hot day so we meandered our way back through Hyde Park along old stomping grounds and stopped at the Cask for a much needed bit of refreshment before heading back to the flat to prepare supper which a beef, tomato, macaroni and cheese dish.
After supper Fred and I decided to head to Tower Bridge as I wanted to get pictures of the Paralympic Sign lit up as I had missed the Olympic rings. We took the tube as the days walking had tired me out and thought that maybe we would walk back. We were to be disappointed, the Bridge itself was lit up but the sign was not. Kind of made one feel that the Paralympics did not hold the same importance for the city that the Olympics did. It was an absolutely gorgeous night and we walked along the Queens Walkway stopping along the way to take more photos of sites that are lit up. We did take the tube back to the flat from London Bridge as it had been a full day. Tomorrow is the BBC's Proms in the Park and I will need to prepare our picnic supper in the morning.
Cheerio for now,
Sandy & Fred
We were up and at it fairly early as we headed out to tour Buckingham Palace. This is something I have wanted to do for a while and with Jonathan here it was the perfect opportunity. I had purchased tickets from the Visit London site much to Fred's horror. If I had used the Royal Collection website (the Palace's official website) we would have been able to extend our tickets to provide for unlimited access for a year. Needless to say I have been banned from buying tickets in the future. Access to the palace is by booked timed entry and they were very strict about it. Photography is not permitted in the Palace so I purchased a set of postcards that shows the staterooms which we will scan upon our return to Liverpool. I wandered around the store while Fred and Jonathan went off to explore a bit of St James's Park as we had forty minutes to kill before our entrance time. Fred had his camera over his shoulder and was given a big ass plastic bag marked video/photographic equipment to put his camera into while we toured the state rooms. The tour itself took about one and a half hours and you have an audio guide that explains the various rooms and their functions. As you can imagine it was extremely busy but we didn't find it overly crowded until we came to the Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration exhibit. This is a special exhibition showing the many ways in which diamonds have been used by British monarchs over the last 200 years. We did a perimeter walk around the display cases which allowed us a good view of the diamond jewellery, diamond encrusted swords and crowns. To get close to the displays as many tourists seemed to want to do, we would have been there quite some time, as tourists get in front of a display case and don't move. The Tower of London has the right idea for the Crown Jewels display, you get on a people mover that takes you past the display cabinets. No stopping to gawk at the Crown Jewels. The picture in the upper left hand corner is Buckingham Palace from the gardens. Pictures were allowed in the gardens but to be honest it was more of a parkland area than a garden. Grass, trees and ponds are not really a garden to my way of thinking. The exit brought us out onto Grosvenor Place, a relatively short walk to Hyde Park. We walked along Knightsbridge to purchase lunch as Jonathan did not want sandwiches. A picnic lunch would have been a better choice as we seemed to be walking forever before locating a place from which to buy. Jonathan had sushi and Fred and I had sandwiches. We then headed off to find a bench in Hyde Park and eat lunch before walking to Kensington Palace.
Hyde Park eventually becomes Kensington Park and the picture on the right is a memorial to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. This was the first time we had seen it in the daylight and it is quite magnificent. Our previous views have all been at night from Royal Albert Hall when we have attended the Christmas Eve Carol Concert with family.
On arriving at Kensington Palace, Jonathan used his pass to the Historic Royal Palaces, while Fred purchases two concession tickets (seniors discount) for us. The cashier asked us for identification as he didn't think were old enough (60 years) for the concession price. Kensington Place has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century. With its many apartments, it is still home to many of the royal family and is used by Prince Harry and Zara Philips (Princess Anne's daughter) on occasions. It was also the home of Princess Diana after her divorce from Charles up until her death. In the 17th century it was referred to as Kensington House rather than "Palace" as it was a private royal retreat. Some of the rooms were very dark, hot and rather sparse. While others had very little furniture in the room they were quite opulent.
The picture on the left is of the ceiling in The Kings Gallery. It has very detailed artwork along the whole hall. We only get to tour a small portion of the palace itself as it is still home to a number of the extended royal family and is to be the future residence of Prince Henry but as palaces go we were unimpressed.
From here we went our separate ways as Jonathan wanted to visit another museum and I was slowing him down as I can't walk as fast as him or his Dad for that matter. He has so little time in which to get in all that he wants to see. It was a very hot day so we meandered our way back through Hyde Park along old stomping grounds and stopped at the Cask for a much needed bit of refreshment before heading back to the flat to prepare supper which a beef, tomato, macaroni and cheese dish.
After supper Fred and I decided to head to Tower Bridge as I wanted to get pictures of the Paralympic Sign lit up as I had missed the Olympic rings. We took the tube as the days walking had tired me out and thought that maybe we would walk back. We were to be disappointed, the Bridge itself was lit up but the sign was not. Kind of made one feel that the Paralympics did not hold the same importance for the city that the Olympics did. It was an absolutely gorgeous night and we walked along the Queens Walkway stopping along the way to take more photos of sites that are lit up. We did take the tube back to the flat from London Bridge as it had been a full day. Tomorrow is the BBC's Proms in the Park and I will need to prepare our picnic supper in the morning.
Cheerio for now,
Sandy & Fred
September 6, 2012 - Jonathan Returns - Imperial War Museum
Greetings All,
Jonathan returned from Paris today and was due in around 1:00 p.m. However, the train was delayed because some nob had left their luggage on the platform and they had to evacuate for safety reasons. Better safe than sorry but still flustering for him all the same. After he'd arrived and we'd had lunch we all headed off to the Imperial War Museum which is a nice little walk from the flat.
The IWM is a British National Museum with five locations through out England, three of which are in London. Founded in 1914 it was intended to record the civil and military war effort and sacrifice by Britain and its Empire during the first world war. It has since expanded to cover all conflicts right up to the current conflict in Afghanistan. The museum's collection includes personal memoirs, official documents, photographs, film and video materials, recordings of soldiers personal experiences, a library and art collection and finally examples of military vehicles and aircraft, equipment and other artefacts. The picture on the
right is of a section of an Avro Lancaster I - Old Fred 1943-1944. We explored the
museum for a couple of hours and for Fred and I we noticed that some major changes had taken place since our last visit a couple of years ago.
They have taken away the displays that kids could climb all over which I personally think is a good thing. Respect for the tragedy that accompanies war and the sacrifices of the men and women should be shown rather than having a play area for kids. The museum itself is free and is funded by government grants, charitable donations and the sale of books and other commercial items on site.
We headed back to the flat for supper and a somewhat early night for all.
Cheerio,
Sandy & Fred
Jonathan returned from Paris today and was due in around 1:00 p.m. However, the train was delayed because some nob had left their luggage on the platform and they had to evacuate for safety reasons. Better safe than sorry but still flustering for him all the same. After he'd arrived and we'd had lunch we all headed off to the Imperial War Museum which is a nice little walk from the flat.
The IWM is a British National Museum with five locations through out England, three of which are in London. Founded in 1914 it was intended to record the civil and military war effort and sacrifice by Britain and its Empire during the first world war. It has since expanded to cover all conflicts right up to the current conflict in Afghanistan. The museum's collection includes personal memoirs, official documents, photographs, film and video materials, recordings of soldiers personal experiences, a library and art collection and finally examples of military vehicles and aircraft, equipment and other artefacts. The picture on the
right is of a section of an Avro Lancaster I - Old Fred 1943-1944. We explored the
They have taken away the displays that kids could climb all over which I personally think is a good thing. Respect for the tragedy that accompanies war and the sacrifices of the men and women should be shown rather than having a play area for kids. The museum itself is free and is funded by government grants, charitable donations and the sale of books and other commercial items on site.
We headed back to the flat for supper and a somewhat early night for all.
Cheerio,
Sandy & Fred
Monday, September 10, 2012
September 5, 2012 - Jersey Boys
Greetings All,
Today Fred and I spent a mostly relaxing day but did get in a walk along the South Bank. The picture on the right is a sculpture made out of fabric outside the Arts gallery. The sculptures are changed on a regular basis. We walked along to Blackfriars Bridge, cross over and walk back to the flat along the North Bank. Celebration of the Olympics was very evident as the Unilever Building was covered in flags. We covered 2.87 miles on our walk and stopped for a quick pint and 1/2 pint on our way back.
We took the tube to Leicester Square and searched out a place for a meal before the show. We settled on the Angus steakhouse. Fred had steak and a baked potato and I had roast chicken and fries or chips as they are called in England. We had a nice bottle of red wine to accompany our meals and coffee to finish. The theatre was a short walk from the square and we were still early so we visited a pub the Coach and Horses as seen on the right. It was very busy with a somewhat young crowd, but a nice little pub. I stuck with wine while Fred enjoyed a pint of bitter called Hopspur. The show itself was awesome. The person who played Frankie Valli was amazing and truly sounded like him. Jersey Boy's tells the story of Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons, the trials and tribulations of 4 boys from Jersey (the 4 Seasons) and how Frankie Valli came into being a star in his own right. The music brought back some good memories and was great music for those who just love music. We would highly recommend seeing it if you get the chance. It was a beautiful night so we decided to walk back to the flat a 2.6 mile walk.
Cheers,
Sandy & Fred
Today Fred and I spent a mostly relaxing day but did get in a walk along the South Bank. The picture on the right is a sculpture made out of fabric outside the Arts gallery. The sculptures are changed on a regular basis. We walked along to Blackfriars Bridge, cross over and walk back to the flat along the North Bank. Celebration of the Olympics was very evident as the Unilever Building was covered in flags. We covered 2.87 miles on our walk and stopped for a quick pint and 1/2 pint on our way back.
We took the tube to Leicester Square and searched out a place for a meal before the show. We settled on the Angus steakhouse. Fred had steak and a baked potato and I had roast chicken and fries or chips as they are called in England. We had a nice bottle of red wine to accompany our meals and coffee to finish. The theatre was a short walk from the square and we were still early so we visited a pub the Coach and Horses as seen on the right. It was very busy with a somewhat young crowd, but a nice little pub. I stuck with wine while Fred enjoyed a pint of bitter called Hopspur. The show itself was awesome. The person who played Frankie Valli was amazing and truly sounded like him. Jersey Boy's tells the story of Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons, the trials and tribulations of 4 boys from Jersey (the 4 Seasons) and how Frankie Valli came into being a star in his own right. The music brought back some good memories and was great music for those who just love music. We would highly recommend seeing it if you get the chance. It was a beautiful night so we decided to walk back to the flat a 2.6 mile walk.
Cheers,
Sandy & Fred
September 4, 2012 - City of London Revisited
Cheers All,
Today Fred and I headed out to revisit The City of London for some sites we had previously seen 3 years ago and some new sites not previously visited. Picnic lunch in hand, we took the tube to Monument Station to start our explorations. Monument station is named as that is where the monument to the Great Fire of London Fire of 1666 is located. Our first stop was Leadenhall Market as seen in the upper right hand corner. The market dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest markets in London. It also stands on the site that was once the centre of Roman London. Originally a meat, game and poultry market it is now home to some cheese mongers, pubs, restaurants and other specialty retail stores. Designed in 1881 by the architect Sir Horace Jones. The ornate design makes it the tourist attraction that it is. It underwent redecoration in 1990-91 which enhanced it's period features. The market was used in Harry Potter films as a representation of Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron. This may also look familiar to anyone who watched the London 2012 Olympic marathon as the runners ran through the market.
The streets around the Market are really tiny alleyways and after a few twists and turns we came upon the Jamaica Wine House established in 1652 as London's first coffee house.
The picture on the left is of an old pub the The George & Vulture 1660 and the Olde Pickwickian Hostelrie. The front is very narrow, however, once you go through a small alcove at the back of the building, it is a normal sized building. We continued our walk back to Guildhall as the weather was much nicer than on our previous visit with our son Jonathan. The first documented reference to the London Guildhall is 1128 but the current building was begun in 1411 and is the only stone structure not belonging to the Church to survive the Great Fire of London of 1666. It was used as a town hall for several hundred years and is now used as function rooms, a library and art gallery. The whole hall is also opened yearly to the public during the London Open House Weekend. The building roof was damaged during the blitz in the Second World War and was replaced in 1954.
We continued our walk back through the financial district stopping to take pictures of many of the buildings. The picture on the right is of the Royal Exchange. This is the third Royal Exchange to be built on this site. The first was opened by Queen Elizabeth I on January 23, 1571 was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. The second opened in 1669 was also destroyed by fire on January 10 1838. The Exchange was designed by Edward L'Anson in 1837 and was opened by Queen Victoria on October 28, 1844. Today it is a luxurious shopping centre something I was not aware of as Fred kept it a secret as it is all very high end stores.
We stopped and had our lunch in the gardens of St Paul's Cathedral, joining hoards of other mostly business people. Once refreshed, we went along to the Silver Vaults, a place my sister-in-law Adrienne thought I would enjoy as I love sterling silver jewelery. The Vaults are really a series of 22 stores down in a basement. There are individual vaults for each store that are loaded with silver in all shapes and forms. Some amazing antique pieces with price tags to match. As well there is jewellery that I would say were estate pieces. I did make a small purchase two silver charms for 40 pounds, a crown and a ship in a bottle. Once we finished exploring the Vaults we headed to Leicester Square to see what shows were available on discounted tickets. There were a number of ticket sellers all advertising half price tickets or reduced tickets for the shows currently on, but Fred has a preferred
ticket seller in the middle of the square as any profits they make goes to support the theatre rather than line some one elses pockets. He purchased us tickets to see Jersey Boys on Wednesday night. The picture on the left is of a clock in the square that was part of the commemoration of Swiss 700 year anniversary. The bells chime out tunes on the hour and the figures rotate around. We now meandered our way back to the flat having covered 7.34 miles. We stopped at the Cask for some much needed refreshment before heading into the flat.
Ta ra for now,
Sandy & Fred
Today Fred and I headed out to revisit The City of London for some sites we had previously seen 3 years ago and some new sites not previously visited. Picnic lunch in hand, we took the tube to Monument Station to start our explorations. Monument station is named as that is where the monument to the Great Fire of London Fire of 1666 is located. Our first stop was Leadenhall Market as seen in the upper right hand corner. The market dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest markets in London. It also stands on the site that was once the centre of Roman London. Originally a meat, game and poultry market it is now home to some cheese mongers, pubs, restaurants and other specialty retail stores. Designed in 1881 by the architect Sir Horace Jones. The ornate design makes it the tourist attraction that it is. It underwent redecoration in 1990-91 which enhanced it's period features. The market was used in Harry Potter films as a representation of Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron. This may also look familiar to anyone who watched the London 2012 Olympic marathon as the runners ran through the market.
The streets around the Market are really tiny alleyways and after a few twists and turns we came upon the Jamaica Wine House established in 1652 as London's first coffee house.
The picture on the left is of an old pub the The George & Vulture 1660 and the Olde Pickwickian Hostelrie. The front is very narrow, however, once you go through a small alcove at the back of the building, it is a normal sized building. We continued our walk back to Guildhall as the weather was much nicer than on our previous visit with our son Jonathan. The first documented reference to the London Guildhall is 1128 but the current building was begun in 1411 and is the only stone structure not belonging to the Church to survive the Great Fire of London of 1666. It was used as a town hall for several hundred years and is now used as function rooms, a library and art gallery. The whole hall is also opened yearly to the public during the London Open House Weekend. The building roof was damaged during the blitz in the Second World War and was replaced in 1954.
We continued our walk back through the financial district stopping to take pictures of many of the buildings. The picture on the right is of the Royal Exchange. This is the third Royal Exchange to be built on this site. The first was opened by Queen Elizabeth I on January 23, 1571 was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. The second opened in 1669 was also destroyed by fire on January 10 1838. The Exchange was designed by Edward L'Anson in 1837 and was opened by Queen Victoria on October 28, 1844. Today it is a luxurious shopping centre something I was not aware of as Fred kept it a secret as it is all very high end stores.
We stopped and had our lunch in the gardens of St Paul's Cathedral, joining hoards of other mostly business people. Once refreshed, we went along to the Silver Vaults, a place my sister-in-law Adrienne thought I would enjoy as I love sterling silver jewelery. The Vaults are really a series of 22 stores down in a basement. There are individual vaults for each store that are loaded with silver in all shapes and forms. Some amazing antique pieces with price tags to match. As well there is jewellery that I would say were estate pieces. I did make a small purchase two silver charms for 40 pounds, a crown and a ship in a bottle. Once we finished exploring the Vaults we headed to Leicester Square to see what shows were available on discounted tickets. There were a number of ticket sellers all advertising half price tickets or reduced tickets for the shows currently on, but Fred has a preferred
ticket seller in the middle of the square as any profits they make goes to support the theatre rather than line some one elses pockets. He purchased us tickets to see Jersey Boys on Wednesday night. The picture on the left is of a clock in the square that was part of the commemoration of Swiss 700 year anniversary. The bells chime out tunes on the hour and the figures rotate around. We now meandered our way back to the flat having covered 7.34 miles. We stopped at the Cask for some much needed refreshment before heading into the flat.
Ta ra for now,
Sandy & Fred
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