From Primark to the British Museum

Yesterday, Sunday, Katy went to church with me. We attended the South Kensington Branch for Spanish and Portuguese speakers.

After class and breakfast this morning, since it was freezing cold, we went to find a jacket for Katy at Primark on Oxford Street. There was success and we proceeded to the Courtauld Institute Gallery (it's cheapskate day on Monday mornings and we got in for free) at Somerset House. When we finished there, we crossed to the middle of the Strand to St. Mary le Strand where we rested for a moment and enjoyed the church ambiance. Since it was past lunchtime, we stopped at Pret and picked up some lunch and ate it in the Temple Church yard. We wandered through the alleys off of Fleet Street to Dr. Johnson's house. The house is fine, but it is the alleys that we love. We continued down Fleet Street to St. Bride's Church with it's interesting crypt filled with artifacts and structures dating clear back to Roman times. Since we were so close, we walked up Ludgate Hill to St. Paul's Cathedral and Paternoster Square -- they have such nice toilets there, you know. We tried to see Postman's Park but it was closed because the police are investigating an "incident" there.

At that point Katy and I put Kris on the Tube and we took the #25 bus to Tottenham Court Road and walked to Paperchase where Katy checked out all the great journals. It was still early so we walked to Russell Square for a look at the Russell Hotel in all its Victorian magnificence. There was still time so we doubled back to the British Museum for a quick look at the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles. We caught the 390 bus back to Palace Court for supper.

Waiting for the bus after church

The new jacket from Primark

Somerset House, home of the Courtauld Institute Galleries

St. Mary le Strand on an island in the middle of the Strand

Lunch from Pret in the Temple Church yard

St. Bride's spire is reputed to have inspired
the multi-tiered wedding cake

Kris and Katy at Paternoster Square with the Temple Bar (gate)
and St. Paul's behind them

Katy jumped for sheer joy at the sight of the Russell Hotel

The British Museum central court

Tonight Katy has gone for a look at Harrod's Food Halls (and more) with Kate Leavitt, Katy Lund, and Katy Younger; she certainly has the right name to go with that bunch. More soon.

Good night all and OXO

D.

The Lord Mayor's Show

As soon as Katy was unpacked and had everything neatly stored away, we went for a walk down Portobello Road for a little looking and some German lunch: bratwurst and schnitzel. We came home by way of Westbourne Grove and Queensway. We stopped in Whiteley's for old times sake and then picked up a few groceries at Tesco.

Lunch on Portobello Road

Westbourne Grove

Queensway with Whiteley's in the background

Today was the Lord Mayor's Show, when the Lord Mayor of London is installed for another year. There is a parade in the morning (which we missed because we were making airport connections) and fireworks on the river in the evening. We went to the fireworks with the Ringers and Bartons and ended up being joined by a fairly large group of students. Both sides of the river were filled with people -- it seemed like millions. We crossed to the south bank and caught the 148 bus home, which was slick considering the thousands of travelers who were jamming into the Tube. We went with the Ringers for dinner at Tuk Tuk, a cheap but very good Thai restaurant on Queensway.

On the Embankment for the fireworks display

The fireworks were great

The good old 148 got us home without a hitch

Thai food at Tuk Tuk

We are home now and Katy has created a blog (see her link on this page). It's time for bed now, but watch for more posts that will follow later as stuff happens.

OXO

D.

Katy Is In London!

I just returned from Gatwick where I picked up Katy. She looks so good and it was so nice to give her a huge hug. We will keep her moving today in the standard jet-lag-evasion technique. Some of the students were here when she came in and were moved to tears when Kris gave here a hug and kiss. I guess they were thinking of their mommies. The quality of some of these photos isn't great, but they are all I have.

Katy entering the arrival hall at the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport

The Gatwick Express to London Victoria

On the front steps of 27 Palace Court, having just arrived
from the Bayswater Underground Station

The happy reunion with Kris

Welcome home (to London), Katy!

We will keep you posted on the adventures as they unfold.

OXO

D.

Dover and Canterbury

This week our day trip was on Friday rather than Wednesday because of problems scheduling a visit to the War Tunnels at Dover Castle. We set off at 8:00 A.M. with our good friend Martin Featherstone driving. It was yet another spectacular day with beautiful blue skies and sunshine. It was cold and there were fierce winds at Dover, but that made it all the better. As we arrived in Dover we caught a glimpse of the Channel and could see France clearly a few miles away. We spent the morning exploring the Castle and then around noon toured the Secret War Tunnels that were carved into the soft chalk cliffs below the castle as early as the time of the Napoleonic Wars and as late as WWII. In that more recent war the tunnels housed a hospital and various command centers. They are very interesting and reminiscent of the coal mine we visited in Wales, but cleaner somehow.

We left Dover and traveled a short 30 miles to Canterbury where we visited the magnificent Cathedral, home of the shrine of Thomas a Becket who was murdered there. The shrine was the destination of the pilgrims portrayed in the Canterbury Tales. They work very hard at keeping the place quiet and reverent and some of the students mentioned a feeling something akin to the spirit. I reminded them that these wonderful buildings are great monuments of the faith of those who labored and sacrificed to build them. We then had a couple of hours to wander the medieval streets of Canterbury, now lined with shops of every sort.

The White Cliffs of Dover sans bluebirds

Dover Castle built beginning with Romans and continuing right on
through WWII - the keep is Norman

A photo of Jeff and me standing atop the castle keep
in gale-force winds

The view of the Channel from the top of the castle keep --
the crumbling tower behind the church is a Roman light house

Canterbury Cathedral, built starting in Norman times and
finished in the Gothic style by French master builders

Kris with the Sanderson sisters, Emily and Jan, about to enter the quire

The medieval alley-like streets of Canterbury
(with a very non-medieval Gap)

Tomorrow Katy arrives and we will certainly post news of her arrival here on the blog. Thanks to all who helped her this week (although we don't yet have a clue exactly how the week unfolded -- I'm sure Katy will bring us up to speed)

OXO

D.

Out of the Kitchen and Off to Westminster

For the past couple of days we have been spending lots of time in the kitchen. There is an agreement with Tina that the faculty will cook once a month. We have, however, taken all our turns in one fell swoop so the Wilcoxes can spend time with their children who are visiting from South Africa. Yesterday we made a Brazilian dinner and today we made pasta. Once the sauce was made we went with the Ringers to Westminster by bus. We found the door of the Methodist Central Hall open and we went in. We were instructed that the main sanctuary was open to the public so we went up for a look. It is a very impressive space with a fine organ that put us in mind of the tabernacle in some ways. We also visited the Cabinet War Rooms before busing back to finish supper.

Jennifer, me, and Amy finishing the pasta sauce

The pot is so large that Amy needed a stool to stir the sauce

Headed to Westminster on the upper deck of a 148 Bus

Westminster Abbey looked spectacular with its towers
bathed in afternoon sun

An interior shot of the Methodist Central Hall, which sits
across from Westminster Abbey

The Cabinet War Rooms are so interesting and the new
Churchill Museum is great --
Hansen said it is the best museum he has visited

One of the underground council rooms protected from bombs by
six feet of solid concrete and steel in the ceiling

The Churchill's kitchen underground

Tomorrow is a class day and I don't believe there will be any adventures to report on, but we will keep you posted.

OXO

D.

Guy Fawkes Day

Today was Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night when the Brits celebrate a very old foiled plot to blow up Parliament. Historically the celebration included bonfires, burned effigies, and recently fireworks have been added to the mix. The fireworks are exploding outside our window as I type. We can hear the booms in the distance over the rooftops across the way.

Most of the students are still on live in and so we were free to roam. Jeff and Amy had a few ideas for a day trip, including Rochester. I remembered it as a very interesting place with a great part-Norman/part-Gothic cathedral, a wonderful Norman Castle, many Dickens sites, and a charming High Street. They added us to their family rail pass and thanks to that clever stroke we were able to get reasonable rail tickets and away we went from Victoria Station for a great day out.

It is getting dark by 4:00 P.M. now, so we trained home in the dark and could see bonfires and fireworks along the way. They sort of made the day complete; they were a nice finish to a great day. Thanks, Ringers!

The Eastgate House that was a setting used by Dickens in several of his novels. Charles Dickens' home at Gad Hill is very close by and he spent a lot of time in Rochester.

This Chalet was on Dickens' estate at Gad Hill and was a place where he could write. It has been moved to Rochester.



Kris and the Ringers on the Rochester High Street. (Colton, a High Street is like a Main Street in America; every town has one.)

Rochester is full of great architecture

The Ringer chilluns prior to their precipitous climb
to the top of Rochester Castle

Rochester Castle was one of the first built after the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is ruined as you can see, but is very impressive and very high -- I have a hard time with open high spaces, so I didn't get clear to the top with the Ringer mountain goats (they scale everything!).

Some of the troops at Rochester Cathedral

Headed to the Restoration House

In the background you can see The Restoration House, so named because Charles II stayed here on his way back to London to be "restored" to the throne in 1660. It is the house Dickens used as the setting for Miss Haversham's house in Great Expectations.

Amy's candid portrait of the concerned photographer
of the previous picture

A late lunch/early supper at a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant in Rochester. Our waiter was from Portugal and we engaged him in conversation about our travels there many years ago. It is always fun to find a Portuguese speaker.

Returning home, we were able to visit on the phone with Katy who returned to Provo after completing her mission in Washington. She sounds great and if you want to see her, click on Anna's link at the top of this page to view some photos from this morning in Salt Lake City.

The students come back tomorrow so our wings will be clipped, but we will keep you posted.

OXO

D.

Highgate to Hampstead

The Hastings flew off to Virginia on Halloween and yesterday the students left for their live-in experience. We reorganized and cleaned the flat in anticipation of Katy's arrival a week from tomorrow and went shopping for groceries with Tina since she will not be cooking while the students are away. After our supper we watched Amazing Grace. We highly recommend it to any who have not yet seen it.

Today, since we were free as birds, we took the 390 bus all the way from Notting Hill Gate where it starts to the Archway Station, where it ends. We walked up High Gate Hill from the station to Waterlow Park. It is a beautiful little park hidden away up on the north side of London. It is next to the High Gate Cemetery which we also visited. We ambled down to Parliament Hill, which is actually the lower-right side of Hampstead Heath. From the "kite hill" there are commanding views of London below and Highgate behind. We crossed by the bathing ponds and into Hampstead Village where we purchased a baguette to take home for a late lunch. It is all too charming for words. We caught the 46 bus right across from the bakery in Hampstead and it took us all the way back to the Lancaster Gate Station where we caught a 94 bus back to the top of Palace Court. We LOVE the buses. You can see everything and it is so much more interesting than the dark inside of tunnels.

Here is Kris surveying the beautiful lawns and gardens
at Waterlow Park

The view at Waterlow Park looking back to St. Joseph's Church
(tall tower with dome hiding in trees on the right) on Highgate Hill

Highgate Cemetery has a wonderful overgrown,
almost-forgotten feeling

Karl Marx is the most famous defunct buried at Highgate Cemetery

In this photo, Kris is taking in the very fine view of London from
Parliement Hill -- if you click and enlarge this picture you can see
St. Paul's dome on the far right

This is the impressive view back towards Highgate from
Parliament Hill -- you can see the copper dome of St. Joseph's
Church next to Waterlow Park and the bathing ponds below

This is me at the mixed (sexes) bathing pond at the bottom of Parliament Hill

Kris is admiring a castle full of knights in the window of a toy shop in Hampstead Village

Our days just kind of unfold, so we don't know what we will do tomorrow after the laundry is done. Likely we will go to Portobello Road -- it will be Saturday after all, and that's a Saturday favorite. We'll keep you posted.

OXO

D.