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If this is Saturday then we must be back in England. With everything we have been doing, it sure seems like longer than one week since we got off the ship. We have really packed a lot into this vacation.
This morning we got to sleep in a little (7:30) in Paris before going down to the hotel breakfast. This was check-out day but only the first time we had gone to see their “restaurant”. It is in the basement and is accessible only by descending the typical 400 year old stone stairs into the cellar. Janet did not like it –said it was dirty and moldy. The food was a typical continental breakfast with coffee/tea, juice, and croissants with a tray of sliced ham and cheese - nothing like a classic American breakfast.
We got everything packed into the suitcases again and took a taxi down the street to Gare du Nord. It is within walking distance, but would have been much more difficult with all the luggage we have with us. Then up to the second level, through customs and security checks, and into the waiting room before our train was ready. It was pretty crowded with
everyone waiting for the train, but once they let us out of the waiting area, then we were able to get the bags and ourselves on the proper train car and into our seats. The train left punctually on time. Again the seats are more spacious than an airplane, the aisles are wider, more lavatories, etc. They also served a meal that was much better than the “snacky meal” from British Airways the week before. And before too long we were in and then back out of the Chunnel, and arrived in London on schedule.
Before we leave the topic of Paris, we should report having seen several occasions when the police were walking around the major attractions, and sometime the army. We asked a guide and were told that this is just a normal status (being seen – armed – but not really doing anything in particular). If there is an elevated terror concern than the soldiers are far more numerous, but happily there was nothing special going on during our visit.
We queued up for a taxi and were driven right to our hotel. This is one of many hotels on the street, and a vast many number of streets, but somehow the taxi driver knew how to get here. We were early so the room wasn’t quite ready for us, but after a 30 minute wait we were all registered and into our room. This room is much bigger than our room in Paris with a bathroom that you can really move around in.
In the meantime we found ourselves on the London map and located the site we had been looking forward to visiting this afternoon – the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was within walking distance, although the weather has been chilly all day and a little overcast. But we got there ok. It is a very big place, but we were sadly disappointed because the primary purpose for our visit was closed. That was going to be a display of the needlework textile goods from across the years. Janet had been looking forward to this particular display since before we left the states, but the display is closed until sometime in 2013. We did get to see a bunch of other interesting things, but ultimately it was a disappointment. They have enough displays that one could have spent a full day wandering around, but we didn’t try to see all of it. Maybe this is a reason to come back again in a couple of years.
Back in the hotel room, we got connected to the internet and had a chance to catch up on some of our e-mail. The days we were in Paris we could not connect to Wifi so David had to go down and sit in the lobby (almost in the front door) to publish the blog. This is a big improvement. David did have to borrow an adapter from the front desk to be able to plug into the English power plugs. Their electrical plugs are substanially different from the US or from Europe, but fortunately we we able to get our batteries charged up for more blogging.
We gained an hour on the clock when we came back to England from France, but that did not change when our stomachs got hungry. So we ate an early dinner (by their standards) at a cute little Italian restaurant down the street and adjourned to the room to get ready for our last set of tours. That extra hour also is making us feel a little more tired than the watch would make you think, so this evening may adjourn early. There is a big soccer game tonight (Manchester against Barcelona), so we are hoping that it will be a quiet night and not regailed by crazy soccer fans.
FYI … so far the suitcase repair has worked just fine. One more packing and one more flight before the bag will be back home again. It will probably be fine but we will keep our fingers crossed until we are finished.
Unfortunately our attempts for internet connections did not work during the evening, so this had to be sent at a future date. We hope to be back on the network tomorrow to give you an update on our activities in London. Good night.
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