London Trip - Day Five

We started our day (Monday, June 24th) touring Kensington Palace.  This palace is most widely known as being the Royal residence of the late Princess Diana and now the future home of the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge - William and Kate.

I didn't and still don't think the palace looks very palace-y.  It just looks like a huge mansion.  The palace has been home to various members of the Royal family since the late 1600s. The palace is made up of two parts; the state apartments which we visited and the apartments that are home to various members of the Royal family.

We were able to learn many interesting facts while going on several tours.  First we visited the state apartments that belonged to both Queen Mary II and Queen Anne who was the last member of the Stueart dynasty.  The saddest thing was learning that Queen Anne had seventeen children and she passed away without any surviving heirs, thus making her the last monarch of the House of Stuart.

Another our we took was called "Victoria Revealed."  It provided detailed information about both the public and private life of Britian's longest reigning monarch.  The dress pictured below is the actual black dress Queen Victoria wore during her first Privy Council meeting on June 20, 1837.  The black ink has faded and know looks light brown.

Here is the actual wedding dress that Queen Victoria wore when she married Prince Albert.  A bit of trivia - she was the first member of the Royal family to wear a white wedding dress.

After grabbing some lunch at Marks and Spencer, we took the tube to tour Westminster Abbey.  The church is absolutely beautiful inside and out.  One of the most fascinating things to me is this Abbey has more than a thousand years of history.  It has been the coronation church since 1066 when King Harold and William the Conqueror were crowded.  The construction of the Abbey that stands today began in 1245 by King Henry III.

Unfortunately no photography is allowed inside.  I know this sounds really corny, but while I was walking through the nave to the alter I kept thinking "wow, I think I would have passed out if I was Kate Middleton walking down this LONG aisle with tons of people staring at me!"

The north entrance of Westminster Abbey.

Directly behind Westminster Abbey is the Palace of Westminster or as it is more commonly known Houses of Parliament.  Neither Matt or I could get over the intricate detail of the architecture.

We all recognize this as Big Ben, but it is actually called the Elizabeth Tower.  The hands on the clock are fourteen feet long.

London Trip - Days Three and Four

The only item on our agenda today (Saturday, June 22nd) was to visit Hampton Court Palace. It was originally built for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a favorite of  King Henry VIII, around 1514.  In 1529, Wolsey fell from favor when he was unable to convince the Pope to grant Henry an annulment from Catherine of Aragon.  When this occurred the King took the palace back and enlarged it.  I was very excited to come and see and walk through the actual places where such historical figures lived and breathed: Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymore, and many more.  (I watched "The Tudors," to learn more about Henry and also read biographies of Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn - both books were quite interesting).

Walking through Fish Court on the way to the view the various kitchens and wine cellar. They  are the most extensive surviving 16th-century kitchens in Europe today.

We have a fascination with peacocks at our house so I made sure we got a picture of them.  

This is Clock Court and is the middle court within the palace grounds.  The fountain in the middle of the picture is actually a wine fountain.  When parties were held, wine flowed through openings so at any given moment one could fill a goblet of wine for themselves.  It looks small in the picture, but it is approximately ten feet tall.

This is Anne Boleyn's Gateway that leads up to the Great Hall.

This is the Great Hall that King Henry VIII built. It was beautiful inside and any picture we took didn't do it justice.  The hall has an intricate hammer-beam roof and you can even see a wood carving of Henry and Anne's initials that were accidentally left after her beheading.  I thought that was pretty neat as it has been there for almost five hundred years.  The most marvelous items in the Hall were the tapestries that tell the story of Abraham.  Each tapestry had been beautifully restored after being subjected to sunlight and other elements for hundreds of years.  The restoration of one tapestry took TEN years!

Another portion of the palace we were able to visit was William III's apartments.  This is the grand staircase that takes you up to the King's Guard Chamber.  The steps were very shallow per the kings request. He was unable to walk up steep stairs due to his asthma.

Soon after William III and and Mary II's accession to the throne, in 1689, they commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild Hampton Court.  Both wanted the Tudor palace torn down and a new improved palace built. In 1694, work came to an abrupt stop when  Mary suddenly passed away.  Long story short the palace wasn't torn down, but the east and south facades of Hampton Court were completely transformed with elegant baroque exteriors.

Here you can see the dramatic change of architecture - Baroque on the left and Tudor on the right.  

After our tour, we came back to London and went to dinner at a Turkish restaurant called Sarastro.  It was listed as one of the best places to go in the particular area it is in.  I looked online and the menu looked pretty normal.  Matt and I ordered a set three course menu and the appetizers were really good and came out after a twenty minute wait.  Sadly this was "good" service. (One thing we learned about servers in London is just that - they serve you and that is that. They don't wait on you, they don't come and offer you something to drink, they walk up after about ten minutes of you sitting there and say "are you ready to order food?" and then bring it and never come back unless they are bringing you the bill that you asked for.  It was so annoying, but I was glad to know that you don't have to tip them...it isn't expected.)  Then the main course showed up and I thought I was going to barf just looking at my plate.  It was duck confit and it seriously looked like someone dumped a container of Fancy Feast on my plate.  I think the cat food would have probably tasted better...that's what I get for going out on a limb and trying something new!  Dessert was okay, but that restaurant was not the best by a long shot.

On Sunday (June 23rd), we went to the morning worship at Hillsong London.  It was a good service, but I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be.  Hillsong is so famous that I thought it would be much better.  The band and music was great. It was neat to be singing Hillsong songs, with Hillsong, at Hillsong.  The sermon wasn't that great and that is what surprised me. I was afraid to say anything to Matt because the only thing he HAD to do when we went to London was to go to this church. I finally told him I wasn't impressed and he agreed that the pastor was kind of "off" this particular Sunday.

After church we grabbed a bite to eat and headed up to the Kensington area.  Our first stop was Harrod's department store.  Let's just say that this place gives the NYC Macy's a huge run for its money.  We made it through the crazy tourist crowds up to the third floor and found the girls a souvenir.  Matt and I purchased them Peter Rabbit (with a Union Jack on the cover) and The City of London children's book.  

After our shopping expedition we headed over to see the Wellington Arch.  We arrived five minutes before closing so were unable to climb the stairs to the terraces to get views of the city. It was still nice to see.

After seeing the Arch, we headed back to our hotel to get ready for dinner.  I found this great deal, on Travelzoo.com, to an upscale restaurant inside this uber fancy hotel.  When we arrived they didn't have a table for us so they had us sit at the bar.  There was an American couple behind us and I was deciding if I should strike up a conversation with them.  They seemed like they could be my parents so I thought "why not," I was bored anyway.  I started speaking to the gentleman and he was telling us why he was there and then we met his wife.  They got up to leave and he introduced himself to me as Trent and to Matt as Trent Lott.  I turned around when I heard Matt say something along the line of "oh my goodness, may I have my picture taken with you?"  That's when I found out this man was a former US Senator and I knew he had to be a Republican when Matt wanted a picture taken.  And to think Matt told me not to talk to them and to leave them alone!

London Trip - Days One and Two

Background info: I have wanted to take a trip to London for as long as I can remember.  My mom went when I was little and has always talked about what a wonderful time she had.  Hearing her stories is the main reason I have wanted to go. Not to mention, they speak English, have wonderful accents, and have a Royal family.  Matt knew that London was my dream vacation spot and for several months he worked with our parents to plan a surprise trip for my 35th birthday.  On Easter, he surprised me by handing me a card he created with all the details. I just sat there staring at this card.  I couldn't put two and two together and then my brain finally sent a signal saying "LONDON!!!"  I started screaming and was so excited.  He told me early for several reasons: so I could help plan the trip and so I wouldn't bug him about where we were going. I knew he was taking me somewhere and I was convinced it was the beach. I was so happy it wasn't a tropical vacation. Just not a fan of them.

On Wednesday (June 19th) we took the red eye from DFW to London Heathrow and arrived around 10am the next morning.  Of course we didn't sleep well on the plane, but who cared we were in LONDON!  We finally made it to our hotel and couldn't check in so we set off to start seeing the sites.

Our first stop was touring the Banqueting House.  This building is the only surviving part of the great palace of Whitehall.  Whitehall was largely the creation of Henry VIII, but the Banqueting House was commissioned by Charles I in 1622.  The house was intended to hold fantastic theatrical performances, but it is now most famously remembered as the location site of Charles I execution in 1649.

The ceiling of the Banqueting House was painted by the famous Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens.  The paintings were breathtaking and it was amazing to see them just as Royals and courtiers have done for over 400 years.

Across the street from the Banqueting House was the Royal Horseguards.  This was the entrance to the original palace of Whitehall and two royal guards sit there every day, all day, protecting it.  It was really neat to see, but that job would be the pits.

Our next thing to do was walk down the Mall.  The picture below is one of my favorite pictures that Matt took.  I love all the Union Jack flags and then at the back of the picture you can see the Queen Victoria Memorial and Buckingham Palace.  I bet it would be really awesome to see this from the opposite direction while looking out a window of the palace.  Prince Charles lives about a football field away from the palace, but his residence is hidden behind a gate so no pictures of it.

Queen Victoria Memorial in front of the palace.

When I finally saw Buckingham Palace it really sunk in that I was in London.  I knew it would never happen, but I was so hoping we would spot the Queen or any of the Royals for that matter.  Of course, that was the hope of every other tourist there too.

Finally our room was ready and we went and took a much needed nap. We had dinner at our hotel and then were asleep again by 9 pm local time.  The six hour time change and the inability to sleep on the plane made us both extremely tired.

We woke up bright and early (Friday, June 21st) and took the tube to the Waterloo station to catch a train to towns of Windsor and Eton.  Our first stop was to get lunch and then we headed up the hill to Windsor Castle.  The original castle was building during the 11th century by William the Conqueror and has been used by the monarchy since King Henry I.  It is the oldest and longest-occupied palace castle in Europe.

The walk up to the castle was so beautiful.  One of the most interesting things was seeing the openings in the walls that were made specifically for the guards to shoot their bow and arrows from when enemies were approaching.  Out of all the castles and palaces we visited this one was my favorite.  I'm not exactly sure why because they don't allow you to see much of the inside.  I think my main reason for liking it so much is the fact it is a REAL castle and is so rich in history.

In the middle of this photo (that far back corner) is where Queen Elizabeth lives when she stays here.  The castle is her preferred weekend home.  This is also the area where her visitors stay as well. The grounds surrounding it play host to many events that take place here. 

I think the most interesting event that takes place here is the Order of the Garter. It was founded in 1348 and is the highest order of chivalry exiting in England. Only 24 people may be part of this membership at anytime.  For another person to be chosen another member must pass away.  The ceremony takes place here at St. George's Chapel.

Many people have been buried here including Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymore.

After touring the castle, we walked down the road to Eton College and took a guided tour there.

Then we walked back and took the train back into London. For dinner we went to this great place called Masters Super Fish.  I read about it in my London City Guide and it did not disappoint.  They served steamed shrimp with the heads still on them with the food - so weird. I ate them, but Matt refused.  

Fun Day

Today was so much fun.  All we had planned for the day was to drive to Addison to trade some clothes with my friend Jessica.  When we left her office it was pretty close to lunch time.  On a whim, I sent Aunt Betty a text telling her I knew it was last minute, but could she do lunch.  She unfortunately couldn't get away from the office.  

On the way to Addison, I had been telling Mallory how I used to work over in this area and it wasn't far from our old house in Richardson.  I mentioned that the neighborhood had a new park and we should go eat lunch there.  The shaded pavilion made the heat bearable (and the wind helped too) and we had fun eating our Chick-fil-a outside. While the girls were off playing, Aunt Betty said why don't we come up to her office. It was about ten minutes away.  I loaded up the girls and away we went.

Enjoying time with Aunt Betty at her office.  Everyone thought the girls were so cute. Mallory was sad that Sam wasn't there to play.

Looks like Maggie had a little too much fun today.  

My Birthday

Last week or so, Mallory asked me what type of birthday party was I going to have. I didn't want to tell her I could care less about having a birthday party so I just said "I don't know, what type of party do you think I should have?" We talked for a couple of minutes and then I thought about Chuck E. Cheese. Mallory has been wanting to go and I enjoy the place so Chuck E. Cheese it is. Mallory started counting down the days and was so excited when we got there.

The excitement lasted about fifteen minutes.

Here is Mallory hiding from Chuck E. Cheese.  I mean seriously!

Maggie had so much fun. She went right up to Chuck, waved to him, and almost got her picture taken with him.  Those two girls are like night and day when it comes to being afraid.

Overall, a good time was had by all.  I realized that I'm really no good at ski-ball anymore, but I enjoyed playing. I got some really crummy prizes with my coupons, but the girls liked them.  Matt thought this picture was a must since my first job was at Chuck E. Cheese.

Airborne

Today we went swimming at Kaylee's house.  I took Maggie back home and while I was gone Mallory finally "jumped" into the pool.  She is so scared of the swimming pool and finally had the courage to jump into the pool...so to speak. She jumped off the first step that is in the pool, but that is great progress.   I am so proud of her.  I just pray she gets a little braver each time and finally gets over her fear of the water.

Father's Day with Guy Guy

Today the girls and I went to Greenville to celebrate Father's Day with Guy Guy. Guy Guy, Mallory, and I went to breakfast and Maggie stayed home with Mammy. Next year, she will be old enough to with us.

When we got back from breakfast, Mallory and Maggie helped Guy Guy do some gardening.

Mallory holding a worm that she found in the compost pile.  I couldn't believe she actually picked it up!

Sitting on the riding lawn mower.  Both girls wanted to take a ride, but as soon as Guy Guy started the motor they got scared.

I love this picture.  Today was a fun day!