Day Ten - The Pocono Hillbillies Take London

Trying to Get Our Bearings

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Cassie keeps a careful eye on the subway map while Gail and her mother look through our notebook full of reservations and confirmations. It may be a pain to lug that big notebook around, but having written copies of e-mails and confirmations with us set things right with more than one front desk clerk.

Into the Lap of Luxury

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I wish I had had the presence of mind to video our walking into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel later that evening. We looked like street people walking in bundled-up against the cold in our dirty jeans and bulky coats while dragging in our bags behind us. Yet no one told us to leave, so we bravely walked up to the hotel desk all the while staring dumbfounded at the beautifully decorated lobby.

My Humble Little Room

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This picture should be maximized to appreciate all the nifty gear available to me. On the far right on the serving table are my complimentary bottles of fancy apple juice. Moving up to the night table you can see one of the 4 phones in my room. On the bed you might be able to pick out the pile of different sized bed pillows tucked beneath the bedspread while another half dozen throw pillows decorate the California King bed. In the back corner was my writing desk with another phone to match the two on the two nightstands. The sofa and armchairs would look great in any home. Going to bed that night took extra long as I tried to figure out how to turn off all those different lights.

Another View of My Suite

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Hard to believe that the kids' room was a significant upgrade over my room, but it truly was. Had I been really greedy I think I could've gone to the front desk and shown them our reservations for THREE turret suites. In truth I was kind of uncomfortable having this whole big room just to myself.

I

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The giant screen TV had to pay its respects to me. Little did it know that I wasn't the usual $1200 a night guest staying there.

Heading into the Bathroom

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Check out all the towels on the warming rack as well as my extra fluffy bathrobes hanging on the door. My bath salts sit in the black bowl on the widow ledge.

Uh-Oh! Where Do I Sit?

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Interesting side note: After the first time I used the toilet and toilet paper the next time I went out of the room then returned, I found the tp refolded into a triangle at the tip. After that, I made sure each time I went out to tear off at least a little paper just to see if my butler refolded it when I returned - he/she did.

Checking Out the Closet

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That blue rolled-up thing is the exercise mat with attached instructions. There were also three separate bags for laundry and that very snazzy grooming kit. Each morning a newspaper was hanging on my door stuffed inside a fancy blue linen bag.

The Elevator Lobby

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After completing my tour around my new digs, I was summoned to the eight floor to see Cassie's and Tyler's palace. To get there I had to pass through the fanciest elevator area I'd ever seen.

The View from the Turret Suite

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The kids' suite featured a walkaround balcony. Despite the chill December night we took advantage of the view over the city of London. Here we are looking East up Knightsbridge.

It Looks Like Harvey Nichols Is Still Open

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Right across the street was Princess Diana's and Fergie's favorite store, Harvey Nichols. We were able to look down and into the store from our perch high above the traffic.

The Western View

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The building in the forground is some kind of bank with the Knightsbridge Underground stop housed down below. The building above this one, the one with orangish-brown lights and resembling a Turkish palace, is Harrod's department store. Obviously we were smack dab in the middle of the posh district of London.

The London Eye Was Visible from the Room

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Off in the distance we could see the gigantic ferris wheel known as the "London Eye". Despite being in London about ten times since its debut in 1999, we've only been on it once. At $25 per person, once was enough.

The Street Below

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Down on the street London was still bustling, even on a Saturday night. By now I was famished after not eating since breakfast.

A Warm Welcome for the Starving Yanks

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We headed out of the Mandarin unsure of what we wanted to eat or where to find it. We would've eaten almost anything so we walked East away from the shopping. To our left was Hyde Park. Before we could spot any restaurants we saw the glittering lights of a German Christmas market inside the park.

Skating in the Park

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We decided to make a scouting foray through the Christmas market before settling on a place to eat. We were hoping to find someplace warm, away from the elements and serving good German food. One out of three wasn't bad.

Talking German Moose

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I never understood the connection but this animatronic moose entertained marketgoers with jokes and songs in English and German. The only reason I took the picture was because the sausage stand we stopped to eat at was right next to Bullwinkle.

Christmas Decorations That Were Out of This World

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With the market closing the next night one might have thought there were deals to be had, but even though we saw a couple of Christmas items of interest, there were none that would've justified the lofty London-sized prices the merchants were charging. I actually thought Tyler might be interested in one of these for Gen, but even Mr. Moneybags felt the prices were ridiculous.edit delete replace

I Think Even Cassie Was Enjoying Herself

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There were lots of sweets available and hot toddies galore. Cassie had a green tea chai latte laced with some sort of booze that seemed to lift her tired spirits. Behind her was a big sliding board with only adults riding on it.

Another Pretty German Treat

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Like the Schneeballen we stupidly bought in Rothenburg because they looked so delicious, I suspect these wafer cookies look much better than they actually taste. We were more interested in finding more meat to eat.