The Beginning of the Win- Pt 2

.London August 1986

     SATURDAY MORNING, WE WALKED DOWN TO WESTMINSTER ABBEY AND TOOK A TOUR OF THE PLACE. A LOT OF FAMOUS PEOPLE RESIDE HERE,TOO MANY TO LIST. ONE THING WE NOTICED AS WE WALKED AROUND READING THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE BURIED IN THE FLOOR AND IN THE WALLS AND IN THE CRYPTS, ARE THE TOURISTS FROM JAPAN OR CHINA GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO AVOID STEPPING ON A BURIAL SITE. IT WAS A HARD THING TO DO OWING TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE UNDER THE FLOOR. FROM WESTMINSTER ABBEY, WE WALKED ALONG THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. THEN ACROSS THE STREET TO THE INEVITABLE T-SHIRT SHOPS. WE LOADED UP ON SOUVENIRS AND GIFTS, WHICH WE TOOK BACK TO THE HOTEL ROOM.THEN WE WALKED OVER TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE AND THROUGH GREEN PARK TO THE FRAMES-RICKARD PICK UP POINT.FOR THE AFTERNOON TOUR. SINCE WE WERE EARLY WE BOUGHT LUNCH AT A HOT DOG STAND. WE BOTH PUT ON THE MUSTARD THICK,ONLY TO DISCOVER IT WAS ALMOST AS HOT AS CHINESE MUSTARD.AFTER A FEW TEARS AND WIPING MUSTARD OFF WITH THE NAPKINS THE HOT DOG WAS QUITE GOOD.

THE BUS ARRIVED AND WE FOUND THE ONLY SEATS LEFT WERE IN THE VERY REAR. SO WE SHARED THE BENCH SEAT WITH A COUPLE OF FELLOW AMERICAN LADIES. WE WERE GOING TO SEE LEEDS CASTLE,ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LONDON.

THE CASTLE WAS 6 OR 7 HUNDRED YEARS OLD. HENRY THE 8TH MET ANNE BOLEYN THERE. IT WAS USED IN WWII AS A MEETING PLACE FOR THE BRASS. A VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE,WITH BLACK SWANS SWIMMING IN THE MOAT. WE HAD TEA AND SCONES WITH CLOTTED CREAM ON THE GROUNDS AND OF COURSE A VISIT TO THE GIFT SHOP. THE NATIONAL DOG COLLAR MUSEUM WAS ALSO THERE. ON THE DRIVE BACK THE GUIDE POINTED THE CHALK DEPOSITS IN THE HILLS THAT FORM THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER. BACK TOWARDS LONDON WE STOP IN GREENWICH TO SEE THE CUTTY SARK AND THE GYPSY MOTH. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE BUS STOP,WE WALKED BACK THROUGH GREEN PARK AND STOPED AT THE ALBERT FOR A GUINNESS OR TWO AND BUY A T-SHIRT THERE.

UP AT 6:30 FOR THE DAYS TOUR. OUT OF THE HOTEL AT 7:45 TO RETURN TO THE FRAMES PICK UP POINT FOR A COACH TOUR OF STONEHENGE AND BATH. BY NOW CRYSTAL AND I ARE PROFESSIONAL WALKERS. THE BUS WAS ON TIME SO WE BOARD AND HEAD WEST, PAST HARRODS,THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM AND HEATHROW AIRPORT. IN THE DISTANCE WE CAN SEE WINDSOR CASTLE. AFTER A 1HR RIDE WE ARRIVE AT STONEHENGE. IT IS IMPRESSIVE. IT IS ALSO FENCED IN TO KEEP GRAFFITI OFF THE ROCKS.WE WALK AROUND IT FOR A WHILE THEN OFF TO THE GIFT SHOP WHERE THEY ALSO SELL COFFEE. THEN BACK ON THE BUS FOR THE RIDE TO BATH. THE TRIP THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE IS NICE. WE ARRIVE IN BATH AROUND LUNCH TIME SO AS PART OF THE TOUR THEY FEED US.

THEN WE GET A GUIDED TOUR OF THE 2000 YR OLD ROMAN BATHS. THEN THEY LET US LOOSE ON OUR OWN. WE WALK AROUND AND SHOP OF COURSE. THE PUBS ARE CLOSED ON SUNDAY UNTIL 7 PM SO IT IS A DRY DAY FOR ALL. BATH IS LIKE A VERY OLD KEY WEST. WE FOUND A LOT OF GOOD PLACES TO SHOP. SOME OF THE BUILDINGS STILL HAD BOMB DAMAGE FROM WWII. CRYSTAL DISCOVERED ENGLISH ICE CREAM IN BATH. I BOUGHT A REX HARRISON HAT FROM WALES. AFTER A NICE DAY IN BATH, WE BOARDED THE BUS FOR THE TRIP BACK TO LONDON. WE SAW THE TOWN OF BRISTOL FROM A DISTANCE. AS WE PASSED HEATHROW AIRPORT WE SAW THE CONCORDE SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT LAND.

WE LEFT THE BUS AT THE HYDE PARK CORNER NEAR THE HARD ROCK CAFE. THE LINE TO GET IN WAS TOO LONG SO WE WALKED DOWN PICCADILLY ST. PAST ARTIST AND STREET VENDORS TO GREEN PARK. THROUGH IT,PAST BUCKINGHAM PALACE,UP BUCKINGHAM GATE STREET TO CAXTON ST. AND THE ST. ERMINS. EVEN WHEN THE PUBS ARE CLOSED, IF YOU TRAVEL WITH ME YOU NEVER SUFFER. WHILE RESTING IN THE ROOM WITH SOME HAIG AND CHEESE AND CRACKERS.IT OCCUR ED TO ME THAT THE BRITISH ARE A ROOM TEMPERATURE CULTURE. MOST OF THE FOOD IN THE PUBS IS COLD, THE BEER THE SAME AS THE AMBIENT TEMP. ICE IS NOT A NORMAL THING TO WANT. BUT IT'S ALL GOOD. WE CALLED TINA AND ED TO CHECK ON THE HOME FRONT AND ALL WAS O.K. THEN WE WALKED TO VICTORIA STATION TO A LITTLE FRENCH RESTAURANT WE HAD SEEN AND HAD AN EXCELLENT MEAL.

WELL, IT'S OUR LAST DAY IN LONDON,SO WE ARE UP EARLY TO TAKE THE UNDERGROUND TO MADAM TUSAUDS WAX MUSEUM AND BEAT THE LINES. IT IS A VERY INTERESTING PLACE. THE EXHIBITS ARE EXTREMELY LIFE LIKE. IN FACT THERE ARE SOME REAL PEOPLE STATIONED AROUND ON THE BENCHES WERE YOU CAN SIT AND REST THAT SUDDENLY COME TO LIFE AND GIVE YOU A START. WE SAW A NEW EXHIBIT OF THE MARRIAGE OF ANDREW AND FERGIE AND THE REST OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. THE DUNGEON IS DARK AND FULL OF FOLKS LIKE JACK THE RIPPER. FROM THE WAX MUSEUM WE WALKED TO THE LONDON ZOO,-BEING PROFESSIONAL WALKERS. IT'S NOT VERY BIG, BUT NICE. FROM THE ZOO WE CAUGHT A DOUBLE DECKER BUS TO A UNDERGROUND STATION. BEFORE GOING UNDERGROUND, WE HAD LUNCH AT A PLACE CALLED GARFINKLES. THE WE TUBED UNDER THE RIVER TO TRY TO VISIT THE 'LONDON DUNGEON',A TOURIST ATTRACTION. ALAS,THE LINES WERE TOO LONG AND IT WAS BEGINNING TO RAIN,SO BACK ACROSS THE RIVER. HERE WAS THE FIRST TIME WE NEEDED OUR PLASTIC RAIN COATS. SO WE PUT THEM ON AND HAD A LEISURELY BUT DAMP STROLL THROUGH ST. JAMES PARK ON OUR WAY BACK TO THE HOTEL. WE SPENT THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON PACKING FOR THE TRIP HOME, WHICH SINCE WE HAD ABOUT TWICE AS MUCH STUFF TO TAKE BACK AS WE CAME WITH,WAS NO EASY TASK. SINCE IT WAS RAINING QUITE HARD,WE DECIDED TO SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY IN THE HOTEL. WE FOUND A NICE LITTLE PUB OFF OF THE LOBBY AND A BIG DINING HALL NEXT TO IT. WE CHECKED IT OUT AND FIGURED WE HAVE DINNER THERE SO WE MADE RESERVATIONS. AS WE WATCHED THE PEOPLE GOING IN TO DINE WE SAW ONE OF US WAS DRESSED A LITTLE TOO CASUAL, SO CRYSTAL WENT BACK TO THE ROOM TO CHANGE FROM HER SNEAKERS. WE HAD A TYPICAL ENGLISH MEAL AT A LEISURELY PACE THEN CALLED IT A DAY.

THE NEXT MORNING WE CHECKED OUT, TOOK A TAXI TO VICTORIA STATION AND CAUGHT THE TRAIN TO GATWICK AIRPORT. AFTER CHECKING IN AT THE AIRLINES WE VISITED THE DUTY FREE SHOP FOR OUR LAST MINUTE PURCHASES. THEN WE HAD A 10 HR. FLIGHT BACK TO MIAMI WERE TINA AND ED MET US. WE WENT HOME AND RESTED FOR A FEW DAYS, THEN BACK TO WORK. OUR FIRST BIG INTERNATIONAL TRIP WAS A GREAT SUCESS.