London

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The Amazing Summer 2023 European Vacay, Part Three: Jolly Ole London

The third installment of our summer 2023 European adventures.

After disembarking in Southampton again at the end of the cruise, we walked to the train station and caught the very crowded train to London. It turned out that weekend the weather forecast not only was expected to be lovely, but it also coincided with the Wimbledon tennis match. We all managed to get seats though none of us were sitting together, but it was better than the standing-room-only passengers who boarded after us had to take.

A view of the iconic Tower Bridge from the Tower of London on another gorgeous weather day

Once at London’s Waterloo Station again, we took a taxi to our hotel in the St. Giles neighborhood, close to Tottenham Court Road and the British Museum. We had only two hours to check in, store our bags with left luggage, and grab a light lunch before heading off on foot for Somerset House, where we would meet the first of our arranged activities for London – a Peppa Pig-themed bus tour.

Delicious treats on our Peppa Pig bus tour

OK, sure our kiddos, C at 11.5 years and Little CZ at 9, are a bit over the projected age group for the British animated series about a young animated piglet and her family, but we all found Peppa charming when it was one of our kids’ favorite tv shows and are still quite fond of it. Briget’s Bakery has specially decked out double decker buses, “the only two Peppa Pig themed buses in the world!” and combines them with a tasty English tea experience as one takes a one hour spin past some of London’s most famous sites like the Tower, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Big Ben.

Unfortunately, we had at last encountered a stereotypical overcast and rainy London day; the first really wet day of our trip. Though we had booked the best viewing spots on the bus, the two upper deck front tables with straightforward views out large windows, the condensation made it hard to see much. Still, the delicious sweet and savory treats somewhat made up for it. But it was not quite the introduction to London we had hoped for the kids.

C after the show

That evening we made our way to the Apollo Theater in Soho to catch the West End production of the musical Wicked! I had seen it in 2006 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while on a vacation to run a half marathon, and absolutely loved it. I very much wanted C to see it and West End productions are rather less expensive than Broadway. The show was spectacular! Both kids really loved it.

On our second day, Saturday, we headed over to the Tower of London. Like many people, I have long had a fascination with English history and particularly the times and lives of Henry VIII and am pretty sure I was introduced before I was 11 years old through Public Broadcasting Service’s period documentaries. Tudor history has not played as prominent a role in my daughter’s education or experience overseas, but I still thought she might enjoy a trip to one of the city’s most famous landmarks.

A poppy among the wildflowers in the Tower’s moat

We assembled, alongside a good crowd of maybe 60 people, in once-moat-now-wildflower-garden along the right-hand side of the gate to the Tower where we would meet the Yeoman who would serve as our tour guide. TC was already showing their discontent with the day’s activity, complaining of having to visit an old building and doing so in a group tour. Oh, lordy… But once our Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater, a not-so-tall man with a booming voice, a Marines-like presence, and a magnificent beard began to regal us with an introduction to the Tower and those who hold the prestigious title of Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, the kids gathered round and took notice, though it did not last long. It was not very easy to keep up with the Yeoman as he walked briskly from site to site when you were also in competition for a good spot near him with some 60 other people. Sometimes we were successful, other times not. And the further away we were, the easier it was for at least C to lose interest. The Yeoman’s storytelling was great and I would highly recommend it, but it was difficult to hear at times, despite the impressive projection of the Yeoman’s voice, in a crowd and with the wind kicking up. I recalled a Yeoman’s Tower tour from when I visited in 2006 that included some parts of the courtyard and inside the palace that we did not visit this time.

Our afternoon plan was to visit the British Museum and due to expected crowds we had reserved our entrance time in advance. Yet on arrival there was apparently no checking of tickets, no turning folks without them away. The British Museum is reportedly the United Kingdom’s most visited attraction with some 6.5 million visitors a year. It felt like every last one of them was jostling his and her way through the museum’s rooms that day.

The British Museum’s façade and two of my favorite artefacts on display

We came in the back entrance and then tried to visit Room 24, where we would see one of the two resident Easter Island Moai. While we did make it in and through, it might be best described as “muscled our way.” The Great Court too was thronging with people, but most in our party were thrilled to see the very well stocked museum shop. I wanted to see the collection though and to have C see it as well. CZ, who always manages to find clever activities for the kids, had got her hands on a scavenger hunt. But though the kids started out strong in the Mesoamerica section, they quickly tired of dodging others to see into displays. We thought the Egyptian section would be fantastic. It was but unfortunately so did everyone else. CZ and the kids could not stand it and CZ said she would take the kids back to the hotel. I tried to stick it out, but made it less than half an hour more. I love museums, but I also enjoy space and quiet for contemplation, and I was not finding it shuffling through rooms with thousands of fellow patrons.

C and the Knight Bus

On Sunday, our third day, we were up on the early side for our next planned adventure: the Warner Brothers Studio Tour on the making of Harry Potter. After several days in London, we were quite used to taking the Tube, so we made our way from Tottenham Road to Euston station, then caught the train to Watford Junction, and finally boarded the shuttle bus to the studios. Our tickets were for 9 AM, just as the Studios opened, and we were some of the first people inside.

CZ and I absolutely love the Harry Potter books and movies and have tried to instill some of the magic in our kids. I have been reading the books to C slowly over the years (we have made it through Book 5) and then watching the movies. The tour was fantastic! We walked through sets like the Great Hall, Diagon Alley, and the Forbidden Forest; we searched for hidden objects in sets, and answered trivia questions. In the Backlot Cafe, we enjoyed some Butterbeer drink and ice cream. We spent nearly five hours there, including lunch, and could have stayed longer had the kids not rushed us along.

On our last day in London, CZ and I had not really hit upon a plan. We had ideas: CZ was keen on the Churchill War Rooms; I floated the idea of the Kew Gardens. We decided on Hampton Court, but for some reason we did not buy our tickets in advance and in the summer of predicted floods of tourists in Europe, this was a mistake. No tickets were available. We then considered Westminster Abbey – no tickets available for that day. The Horrible Histories Thames Boat tour was also sold our. Tower Bridge tour? No dice. I was glad we had purchased our Harry Potter tour tickets way back in the Spring as I checked, our of curiosity sake, I saw it was sold out for the next two months.

London’s Little Venice

We decided on riverboat tour from Little Venice to Camden Market along the Regent’s Canal. The morning started with a lovely breakfast at a canal side café, then we boarded our long, narrow canal boat for our tour. The original 1906 boat slipped quietly down the slender waterway passing through Regent’s Park (once part of King Henry VIII’s private hunting forest) and the stately Victorian residences, including that of the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, past the London Zoo (the world’s oldest scientific zoo), a floating Chinese restaurant, privately moored houseboats, and then arriving at the colorful and lively Camden Town.

A side street in very funky Camden Town

There we first watched a boat travel through the Camden lock and then had lunch, with each of us choosing something different from the plethora of small food shacks. We ate at a large, shared picnic table enclosed in a big plexiglass bubble. After lunch, we strolled and window shopped through the area, full of trendy-punk (if that is a thing) stores with vibrant, decorative facades. It was fun to walk around, people watch, and pop into some shops.

Then we headed again for the Tube and rode to the end of the line at Stratford. There one can find the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, site of the 2012 Olympics, and in it the ArcerolMittal Orbit, the United Kingdom’s largest piece of public art. It stands 376 feet tall, 71 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty upon her pedestal. At the top one has magnificent views of the surrounding area, including the West Ham United Stadium, and all the way to central London.

But also at the top was the real reason we were visiting – The Slide. At 584 feet long, it is the world’s longest tunnel slide, and it takes its riders down twists and turns and corkscrews and drops down its length in less than 45 seconds. What was especially nice is that there were only a few people in front of us in the practically non-existent line. After days of crowds around London, this was unexpected and refreshing.

The ArcerolMittal Orbit – from atop (left), afar (center), and below (right)

C volunteered me as the first slider, so I donned the protective head and arm gear and lay down on the provided mat and then with a sign from the attendant away I went. Oh, it was exhilarating! I scream-laughed the whole way down. It went all too fast. And then I got to wait at the bottom for the rest to reach the slide’s end.

We returned to the top for the view and then meandered our way back to the Tube and Tottenham Court road and our hotel. Dinner was in the hotel pub where we talked and laughed and reviewed the best parts of our two weeks together. Then it was time to bid CZ and Little CZ goodnight as we would part the next morning as C and I head off on the next part of our adventure.

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The Amazing Summer 2023 European Vacay, Part One: Preparation and Arrival in the UK

The parliament buildings in typical London cloudy weather on our first morning

The last eight months since curtailing from Guinea have been a mix of wrestling with disappointment at what led to our departure and adjusting to being back in the U.S. and relief. One big plus with returning to the U.S. for work though was being able to plan and take a long summer vacation. Had I stayed in Guinea, I expect that between the summer transfer season turnover and continuing staffing gaps, I would have had difficulty taking much time, if any, off.

Yet back in the U.S., in an office flush with staff and work/life balance, the request was approved quickly and very early. A week after starting my new job in January, my boss had signed off on my 3.5 weeks of leave in July. Frankly, I was a little stunned but extremely pleased. Time off overseas has often required a great deal of coordination between myself, my colleagues, and bosses. Here it was just a matter of asking and then receiving. I could then begin planning for all the moving parts of this incredible trip that would include a planes, trains, automobiles, and a cruise, coordination with my friend CZ and my sister and brother-in-law CH1 and CH2, summer camp, some solo time, and six countries.

Although I have been in the U.S. several significant chunks of time for language and/or functional training (July 2011-July 2012; July 2014-January 2015; April 2017-August 2017; August 2021-June 2022), the only vacationing has been during home leave, which must be taken in the U.S. The leave policy during training is strict and does not allow for time off except in very few circumstances (maybe your own wedding, and even that is not guaranteed). During summers we have either been arriving for training or departing for Post, or I was at Post and time off tended to be maximum two weeks to accommodate the travel and transfer schedules of colleagues. This summer has been the first summer where I have been based in the U.S. since 2008!

I was determined to make the most of it.

The weather turned uncharacteristically stunning for our trip on the London Eye

We flew out the early evening of July 5. In preparation, I had worked to get my daughter C and I to bed early on the two evenings before. This involves some melatonin and another light sleeping draught. My rather dramatic pre-teen proclaimed loudly to anyone who would listen that I had drugged her. We may have been in bed before the fireworks started on July 4th, but we were plenty tired to sleep on our red-eye flight and adjusted to European time a sight easier.

We landed at 6 AM and after collecting our bags and going through immigration we caught a Bolt (like an Uber) from Heathrow to CZ and her son Little CZ’s hotel on the Albert Embankment. Initially, the plan had been to stay a night in London and then make our way down to the cruise ship port the following morning, but the logistics and cost of booking a car transport or the possibility of a train strike on the day of made me wary and it just felt better to go down to Southampton the day before. My friend and her son had arrived a few days before us and were settled into a nice room with a late checkout, so we would meet them, have a bit of a stroll around, and then catch a southbound train.

We had advance booked a flexi-fast pass ticket for the London Eye that allowed us to not only skip the line but ride the wheel whenever we wanted on a given day. It was much pricier, but gave us a lot of flexibility. One thing that was paramount on our trip was advance bookings, as we had heard that tourist numbers in Europe would be very high and we wanted to be sure to get into the venues and see the attractions on our must-see lists. The few times we failed to do this during the trip resulted in us missing out.

We walked along the embankment, alongside the National COVID Memorial Wall, a stark reminder of the pandemic that we were only starting to put in the rearview mirror. In the space of our stroll’s beginning and our arrival at the London Eye, the grey clouds had scattered and the sun had come out in force, and C and Little CZ had been reacquainted as if little time had passed since they had last seen one another a little more than a year before. We enjoyed our turn on the wheel, at least CZ and I did; the kids may have been rather blasé about it, though happy enough with some food truck eats and time on the playground by the Eye.

Some of Southampton’s Titanic Memorials – the Memorial to the Titanic Musicians (left), the Titanic Crew Memorial (center), and the Titanic Engineers Memorial (right)

We took the long way back to the hotel crossing over Westminster Bridge then passing Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Parliament buildings, to cross back over Lambeth Bridge. We took a little rest in the hotel room and then, in one of the roomy black traditional-looking cabs, arrived at London Waterloo station to catch our just over an hour train to Southampton.

We arrived just before 5 PM and then walked the short distance to the Novotel, where we would stay the night. With a cruise ship in port, we had not had a lot of lodging options and had worried a little about the lack of air conditioning, common enough in England, at the hotel, but it was cool enough and we were all jet lagged, so after some dinner we all turned in early.

I woke up around 3:30 in the morning. I was wide awake and hungry.

There are times when I quite enjoy a little jet lag. Not when I have to be awake for a meeting or get through a full day of work, no, but when I am in a place where it is nice to see the sunrise or there may be something to do in the middle of the night (from trying on feather boas in a 24/7 Walmart or visiting the top of the Burj Khalifa at 5 AM), it can be rather fun. But lying awake in the dark while the other three people in the room sleep? Not all that jolly. As soon as breakfast started at 6 AM, I was there, reading my book. I was not sure how long the rest of my party would sleep, but CZ had mentioned waking around 9 AM so we could visit a local museum that opened at 10. I did not want to sit around that long.

The imposing Medieval Bargate (left) and the ruins of Holyrood Church from its courtyard

Southampton is perhaps most famous as the departure point for the RMS Titanic. I knew there was the museum, but wondered if there were any where else in town that commemorated the historic tragedy? I checked my phone and saw there was a memorial to the ship’s musicians just 15 minutes from the hotel and another memorial to the Titanic’s engineers just a minute from there across the street. I looked at my watch, I had more than two hours to go for a stroll…

It was a beautiful Friday morning before the businesses and shops opened and it felt like I had the city almost to myself. After finding the musician and engineers memorials, I realized it was not even 7 AM and the map showed there were several more heritage and historic landmarks not far away. Off I went! The 12th century Norman Bargate, smack dab in the shopping street, was used to collect local taxes from those entering or leaving the town. Further down the street stood the atmospheric ruins of the Holyrood church, which was built in 1320 and then destroyed in the Blitz in 1940. In the base of the clock tower stands a stone ornamental fountain, with a small relief of the Titanic at its top, dedicated to the ship’s crew, most of whom came from Southampton. I also passed the God’s House Tower, a 13th century gatehouse, a medieval merchant’s home, and parts of the town’s original walls. It was such a joy to walk for so long in the quiet morning seeing the sights, but I ran out of time and had to head back.

Back at the hotel the rest of the party was roused and had breakfast and we headed to the see the Titanic exhibition at the SeaCity Museum. It was a really spectacular! There was information and photos (those that had them done) of the crew living in Southampton, mementos from the ship, recreations of the ship’s interior, and audio of survivors’ stories and transcripts from the Senate hearings on the disaster.

A real 2nd class breakfast menu (passengers often mailed their menus to loved ones) and part of the carved grand staircase from the Olympic, nearly identical to that on its sister ship the Titanic

Unfortunately, we had only an hour at the museum as we needed to get back to the hotel to check out and then head to the City Cruise Ship Terminal to begin the next phase of our vacation.