Advertisement
Published: July 20th 2010
Edit Blog Post
London, England
At the Tottenham Vs. Portsmouth EPL soccer match. The beer and hotdog I couldn't take back to my seat Saturday, March 27th was a personal day for me. I skipped the city tour, deciding to instead do a load of laundry. Those of you who know me know that I am a clean freak with germ issues. By this point I’d had enough of Febreze and Axe - it was time to do a load of laundry. London was to be the “about me” part of the trip. Fellow DrakeSMART traveler Joe and I had secured tickets to an English Premier League soccer match: Tottenham Hotspur Vs. Portsmouth F.C. When the rest of the group returned to the hotel from the city tour, he and I headed via the London Underground to White Hart Lane in Northern London, home of the Hotspur.
Built in 1899, the area surrounding White Hart Lane reminded me of Wrigleyville - Chicago during a Cubs homestand...only with riot police on horseback. With droves of passionate fans as far as the eye could see, Joe and I were glad to be off the subway which had been packed beyond capacity; the people standing against the doors fell out every time they opened at a stop. Once inside the stadium it was off to the hotdog
London, England
At the Tottenham Vs. Portsmouth EPL soccer match. COME ON YOU SPURS! stand for me. The only beer being sold was Carlsberg, which by this point I was beyond sick of (it’s like the Miller Lite of Western Europe). Oh well, I bought as many as I could carry and headed back to my seat, only to be stopped by security. As it turns out patrons are unable to drink alcohol while in the stands in the interest of preventing drunkenness and fights. I happily accepted the rule without argument, enjoying my hotdog and beers from the concourse while trying to picture what Soldier Field - Chicago would be like without intoxicated NFL fans…
The soccer match was great, Tottenham coming out ahead! There were goals, injuries, vuvuzelas, cheering and chanting. A fantastic day, and well worth the price of admission. After the soccer match, Joe and I headed back to our hotel via the Underground. There were a few inebriated Portsmouth fans on board singing and looking for Tottenham fans to heckle. After we nonchalantly hid our bags full of Hotspur souvenirs under the seat, Joe and I sat back and watched the show.
Once back at the hotel, a few of us headed to the district of Whitechapel
London, England
At the Tottenham Vs. Portsmouth EPL soccer match for the Jack the Ripper Tour. Jack the Ripper was the nickname given to the unidentified serial killer who murdered a number of prostitutes in 1888. We had a good time, our guide leading us on foot through the murder sites. The tour involved street theatre and several members of the group got to participate, while I was happy to sit back and enjoy.
Returning from Whitechaple, a few of us headed out for dinner. Let me just say that it is no myth; the fish & chips in London are fantastic. I spent three nights in London and am proud to say I had fish & chips for almost every meal. This was to be the end for many of the DrakeSMART travelers, nearly half of whom hadn’t paid the extra money to stay a third night in London.
Sunday, March 28th we enjoyed a traditional English breakfast at the hotel and then headed by bus to Heathrow airport. After our homebound friends had departed for America, those of us who remained headed to Windsor Castle. Located in the county of Berkshire, construction on Windsor Castle began in 1070. It is an official residence of the royal
London, England
At the Tottenham Vs. Portsmouth EPL soccer match family, and as it turned out Queen Elizabeth II was in residence during our visit. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed inside of Windsor Castle but I have posted a few of the grounds. If you are ever in the London area it is a must see. Monday would be the end of the trip, our bus set to depart for Heathrow airport at 11:30AM. I would lie if I said I was ready to return to reality.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.093s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 10; qc: 55; dbt: 0.0666s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb