Going Home

Actually I am at home. This is the last entry. Normal life will be resumed, soon. I chose to do something very ordinary on my. Last day in London - to go shopping - surprise! Jaime gave me directions to bus to Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Seeing all those people at retail and play made me realism again how big this city is. I had fun looking though shops like Zara, Tommy Hilfiger and Banana Republic, but after a couple of hours it was back to Cricklewood to pack. Jaime escorted me on the bus to Kilburn Park Tube, then on to Paddington Train Station where we caught a train which took us directly to Heathrow. Contrary to rumours, queues are not always a problem at Heathrow.Jaime saw me to Security and we said our goodbyes. Premium Economy was a good way to fly. Having more room to sleep in and being able get more choice about a number of aspects made the experience more enjoyable. I had a great trip to London. Looking forward to the next trip already. Samoa in September!

An Eye on London

The day started early - the only way to beat queues, school trips and catch parties. I was only the Eye just after 10. The day was clear and sunny in small patches, though once up on the Eye, sun and rain were chasing each other. The London Eye is a really unique experience, and worth ignoring slight feelings of vertigo to achieve. London seems at once very familiar and very new from this vantage.Since the trip
Only takes 30 minutes, there was much more day to fill. Over to London Bridge, where the outdoor Borough Market won over the Tate Modern, as the sun was out. Then I returned to Southwark Cathedral, for a closer look around. There are so many treasures and curiosities there.(I can hear the foxes below in the garden as I write). A trip down the line to West Ham
Was the start for about 40 of us on the Olympic Walk which took us to some new and some old parts of East London which were sites of the Olympic Games, ending with vista over thensite from the second floor of John Lewis in the Stratford shopping centre.

Regents Canal and Coventry Garden

Jaime kindly took me to Warwick Avenue where I met Kerry to take a 106 year old narrowboat on a short trip to Camden market. What a lovely journey! Green trees, water birds and elegant houses and a very quiet space all in the middle of London. There is a large alternative community of narrow boat dwellers along this stretch with very colourful boats. We docked a Camden Lock and we walked through part of the market and down the street, parting company. My next stop was Covent garden and I enjoyed seeing the phone boxes, part of an art installation.I went to the National
Portrait Gallery and did some shopping in Oxford Street. Later that evening we went out to Haddon Gardens to a restaurant called The Bleeding Heart, run by John Hancock (Trinity Hill) and his partners.We had a great meal - wonderful food and wines.

V&A and Kensington Palace

Just for a change it was a grey day! So the V&A was a good place to be. I think you could speed about a year in this place and still not see it all. As I came in a small group of students were being briefed by their teacher on their task. I later saw them industriously - there was no shortage of subject matter.
Still I chose an exhibition of British Ball Gowns with designers ranging from Hartnell to McQueen. No photos allowed. The exhibition of British
Art was interesting because it focused on art for public places - chairs, screens and installations. There was
also a display of 18th century clothing with beautiful handwork. At 1 pm I met Kerry at Sth Ken. Tube and we bussed to Kensington Palace. This was a treat as we found out after lunch in the cafe - very good. Four independent exhibitions all had clever and interactive aspects. The challenges they offered with their combination of art, history and storytelling were never dull. The views from the windows of the new gardens were elegant. Loved this.
Next we went back to the tube and I went off to Hammersmith to meet Liz a former HGHS colleague. Lots of catchup in a short time.

A Tower and Three

Today was an early start. I met Kerry and Emily in the anteroom for the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. As we were early we rode the travellators several times and had a really good look at the impressive items on display. The Queen's crown was definitely the piece de resistance, with the Cullinan diamond in the front as large as an egg.The rain was a spoiler as we sloshed from the White Tower to the Salt Tower and walked around the battlements with great views of the city and London Bridge. The animal sculptures and displays were well placed. I parted from K. & E. To go the the British Museum to met Naamah ex-HGHS. We had lunch in a pub, The Plough, and then watched part of the Wimbledon Finals. Later we walked on through Russell Square to Leicester Square, Piccadilly and Covent Garden where we had a hot chocolate and went our ways on the Tube. another great day in London.

Hampstead Saturday

Today Jaime got up early and went off to work. That was to take a while. After a couple of phone calls - from Renuka and from John - the morning was shot. We went out to do the shopping at the Co-op! I now understand what it means as Reena got £20 off her groceries with a Co-op voucher.
When Jaime came home we set off for Hampstead. We walked through a number of lanes and streets uphill to Hampstead Cemetery. That proved to be a rather beautiful space with some really well-kept graves and others which were very neglected. Next up was Hampstead Village. We stopped in a pub, the Horseshoe for a drink. After checking out out a couple of shops we caught the bus home through Primrose Hill and Camden, rather posh places all round.

B.P.

Today Reena and I got to have a girls' day out at Buckingham Palace - or B.P. as the insiders call it. The tour was in three acts - or four if you count lunch! We set off in miserable rain early as we had a 10am entry time. Our first tour was an exhibition of Da Vinci's anatomical drawings which were quite beautiful and over 500 years old. Then we did a tour of the State Apartment - sorry no photos allowed. The Dianond Exhibition was VERY bling and so entrancing that the queue came to a complete halt. They had to get staff to urge people along. Reena and I had lunch in the Garden Cafe (pictures allowed) where it was a bit parky as they say here! Then we exited through the shop (as you do) for more delights.
The fourth part of this event was a visit to the Royal Mews where they keep their cars and horses. This was a treasure. First of all there were less people - by a factor of about 500 - it was outdoors and it was fine! Check out the Gold Coach! The last event of the day was afternoon tea at the Landmark Hotel Marylebone. Gorgeous is the word.

Globes and Dinosaurs

First up a confession:this is being written a day late. The day ended at the theatre and we did not get home until VERY late (for moi!). The day started with a tube down to London Bridge and a now-familiar walk past the market and Southwark Cathedral to the Globe. I got my free admission and went around a very interesting exhibition before joining the tour. A very personable young woman took the tour and managed to drop many quotations from the Bard into her presentation. I learned more about the new indoor Inigo Jones designed theatre which is to open in two years. Next it was off to South Ken and then Then Natural History Museum where I met Alex. We had lunch in a really great Turkish place just down the road from where we met a few years ago - the Zetland Arms. Later I got a guided tour of the dinosaurs which Alex works on (check below). Wished I could take all grandchildren there, but maybe not all at once - sensory overload! The "Animals Inside Out" exhibition was quite astounding. By then I needed to get outside again and - rare event - it was sunny! So Charing Cross and a good book store beckoned. Then is was time to meet Jaime at the Young Vic where Reena joined us for a drink and a meal then we went to the Old Vic to see Michael Frayn's play "Democracy" so late home.

The Castle

Today was Windsor day.I set off by tube to Waterloo and then train to Windsor. The castle seems to rise up at you from the river and is very imposing. The security is much more in evidence with screening of bags and policemen on all gates. I visited the State Apartments and St. George's Chapel. The side Chapel for the Queen Mother, George VI and the ashes of Princess Margaret is very modest - just a flat granite slab. I did see the soldiers in the busby and the gardens around the Tower were very beautiful.

Lambie:lost in London

Yes, steel yourselves. Lambie is lost in London. Somewhere near the centre of this great city, Lambie went AWOL. It put quite a dampener on the day. Still, he is off on his own adventure and who knows? - we may meet again.
Today was all about finding where Shakespeare wrote his later plays, the London Wall, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Globe. So, lots more walking around. I am starting to feel like I can handle the transport system, having been in rush hour twice. I might have misplaced Lambie but I nearly got adopted by a red squirrel when I was having a sandwich in St. Paul's gardens. My visit to St. Paul's coincided with Sung Eucharist, which was very lovely.They have a good audio system to carry around with lots of information. I went around the High Altar and the Crypt then set off for the Globe and "The Taming of the Shrew". It was a wonderful production - very bawdy and funny - featuring a nearly nude moment which really got the attention of the many students in the audience.

Hampton Court and their flower show.

Today was the first day that I managed the London traffic system by myself! I took the Jubilee line into Waterloo then took SWTrains to Hampton Court - all by myself. Finding Hampton Court (H.C.) was no problem. I just followed the crowd out of the station and over the bridge and there it was. Small and domestic looking really. I had a lovely day looking through most of the exhibitions and apartments, going out into the gardens when the weather allowed and coming inside when it did not. On Home Park, just beyond the palace grounds, I found the opening day of the Royal Horticultural
Show, which I had seen on the web. A lovely woman exhibitor who I spoke to told me it was the Press day and admired the fact that I had "blagged" my way into the Show. Some very excited children were also there because of a competition for scarecrows on an Olympic theme (!) I also discovered that the Royal School
Of Needlework had a shop there - how convenient! Enough said!

To Greenwich and back

Had a great today with Jaime. We took the tube to Westminster and a river cruise down to Greenwich. The Shard speared the clouds, the Olympic rings hung from the Tower Bridge and the Golden Hind hid away in dry dock. We walked through Greenwich Village, through a covered market and around some carefully preserved streetscapes. We walked up the hill past where well-muscled Polish workers were erecting the equestrian arena for the Games to the Observatory. A great view back down the river and over Greenwich Palace is slightly marred by the Games facilities being placed there. However,since the arena seems to be made of fridge packing and bread crates, it will all come apart easily. The Maritime Museum was really impressive: the boy stuff absorbed Jaime while I went off to see the Royal Rivers exhibition. We met Reena in a pub called the North London Tavern and some ales (Golden Arrow) was supped. Great day! Love and hugs

Mapesbury Court

After another 12hour flight, the last four hours of which were accompanied by about 27 crying children, Heathrow was a welcome sight. It is a sunny warm summer's day, some wind and few clouds. Jaime met me and we have had a chatty time catching up. A brisk walk around several blocks helped to clear some of the threatening jetlag, as well as to get the sense of Kilburn and their flat, which is on top of a 4 story building of this name.

Hong Kong airport

Here we are half way to London ...it is 8.29 am local time. My body clock does not know WHAT time it is! Lambie and I had about 6 hours' sleep (chose to have no dinner) and breakfast was great. Here is a picture of Lambie looking out of the window at our plane being re-stocked.

A Practice Run

Lambie has had a busy weekend! Leaving Hamilton in near white out conditions...the de-icing machines were needed ... Grey weather Wellington then brilliant weather in Blenheim.

London living

Hi there

For those of you who are catching up with us, here is the possibly only London blog. We have been crazy busy since we got here, except for one day when we had a domestic day - with a slight cold brewing. Even then we managed to get out and about...just not all day!
Well it's 9.33am and I am in an internet cafe just around the corner from where we are staying which is just across the road from Kensington Park, and the Palace where Diana lived. The day is 12 degrees, grey and overcast, slightly damp-feeling but though it has been raining there is no rain currently.We have been really fortunate with the weather on this trip. The cold weather was quite easy to cope with - dry snow. During this whole nearly four weeks now, we have had about 15 minutes of light rain while we have been getting around - not bad for winter!

So with time against me, here are some editted highlights.No pictures - will add those into the mix later.

1. Trains.
Having taken the Thalys from Amsterdam to Paris, we took the Eurostar from Paris to London. It was really weird thinking about the fact that we were zooming along at nearly 100 metres under the sea - at times. They show you a diagram to make it clear in their in-train booklet! It is really easy to get from tube to train to tube to our accommodation. These services are noticeably improving with better escalators and lifts. Being able to shift from one country to another in a train was a bit strange - but they had customs for the UK in Paris!

2.People.
We had dimsum just off Oxford Street (in a cafe called Ping Pong in James street!)with Jaime, Reena and J's grooms Nathan and Flash. Then the boys went off to measure John up for the kilt he is to wear at the wedding. We are to be parent-substitutes at the double ceremony. The photos should be good!
We also met up with my colleague from Hillcrest High, Linda Hood, who is teaching at a posh girls' school here. She also chose a pub, The Zetland Arms. because her grandmother had worked there in 1916. It was good to find out her news and she had just got back from NZ following her mother's illness which necessitated a shift into Matariki in Te Awamutu.
We met up with Barry's brother, Alex, in The Zetland Arms (again!)in South Kensington and had a meal and catchup with with hm in an Italian restaurant, of which there are about three on every side of every block in London it seems. He was in good form and was pleased to hear how all the people in Auckland were doing.

3. Places.
We have seen a lot of these as you can imagine. On Saturday we did a "London Walk" around Notting Hill which took us around the older parts of this )used-to-be) village.We also met up with a woman who had just moved from Waikato Hospital and whose daughter was at Waikato Uni.We now know where Robbie Williams used to live; where Annie Lennox does live and where Prince Charles's Highgrove meat can be bought. Organic meat, this will cost you NZ$97 per kg for rack of lamb. Yes we did find the bookshop from "Notting Hill" and shopped at Portobello Market. That night we did a "London Walk" around Hampstead - more famous people's places and more strange histories. This included the house where JM Barrie wrote "Peter Pan" and about three pubs - they were part of the walk too. The ales were interesting! We also did another walk, around the City this time - on Sunday - which enabled us to be taken to some places that would have been tricky on a working day. The Gherkin close up is quie an amazing building. We were taken down some medieval passages and shown some of the original Saxon buildings and places of London - including the original Roman wall.

4. Performances.
We have seen "Totem" (Cirque du Soleil) in the Royal Albert Hall - the building almost as amazing as the show.We walked around Covent Garden yesterday and then happened past a matinee of Oscar Wilde's "An Ideal Husband" at the Vaudeville Theatre and went to it. This was a very clever and timely commentary on politics and social morality.Then last night we went to "We Will Rock You" the story by Ben Elton, based on the music of Queen, was also a social commentary - if you wanted to read it that way - about the perils of plastic music. It was a HUGE show with lights and sound effects which were very overwhelming at times. One surprise character was played by the actor who used to be Curly Watts on Coro Street - and he was a real rager. Nigel and many other would really like this one!

Tomorrow we head up to The Wedding and if I can I will post a blog to you from there. Home on Sunday....our beds will be good!!

Love to all J&J

et encore auvoir de Paris

and again goodbye to Paris...which also means hello to London in a few hours. I am sitting in the lobby of our hotel, where no conciefge seems to know how to load up photos on their system so I will add the snaps in later.
We have had a very busy last three days. Tuesday was a visit around the Ile De La Cite - the original part of Paris as the island offered good defences.It was quite cold that day and we spent some pleasant time in a heated flower market. The Palais Royal was part of that walk and included stunning shops such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Stella MacCartney ( hand on VISA card - no problem. John was a astonished to see a pair of shoes at 850 euros! There is also a very "royal" Metro with glass making up a good part of its decoration.
The focus of Wednesday was a visit to Pere Lachaise, a cemetery of 105 acres (do not worry our demise is not yet at hand, as far as we know!). Many of you will know that many famous people are buried there - including Jim Morrison of the Doors, for some reason.Getting to that side of Paris took us to a very different part of the city.It was very multi-ethnic, Africans, Eastern European and Muslims of all colours and shapes.It was also quite cool that day but it did not stop people coming to Jim's grave - which was in a very hidden place,though he is on the map if you ever get this way.A tree nearby has names carved into it and "show me the way to the next whiskey bar" painted on it too.
Returning into Paris we spen some time at the Louvre as it had a late opening that day. I would hate to come here on a really busy day. We saw a lot and got a case of museum fatigue, but not before seeing some wonderful art works and contributing to the economy in the museum shop.

Thursday we spent getting to the Viaduc des Arts - another walk from the box. The focus was this collection of artists working in their shop.Now I am going to stop here as a man has come to paint the ceiling and things are getting a little close. Talk to you soon.

Bon soir from Paris

Cher amis et famille
That would be actually bonjour from Montmartre,the arty bit of Paris,and the most hilly. We got here yesterday afternoon by train from Amsterdam. That was a great trip and very easy to accomplish. (I am trying to type this on a keyboard that only likes French so everything I type nearly is currently underlined in red, which is a bit unnerving for an English teacher!)

Anyway we found our way here (Hotel de Relais, Rue Constance) with little problem at all as it was only a latter of one change on the Metro and a walk of a few blocks.We are only just around the corner from the Cafe which featured in the movie "Amelie" so you can see that this is a very authentic area. It is also the centre of the girlie shows and sex shops. Evidently this hotel used to be a rent by the hour hotel a few iterations ago. Yesterday we got our bearings around this neighbourhood and walked a good bit before finding a cafe for a simple meal and another for a glass or two of wine!

This morning we walked much further around this area and took ourselves up onto the top of Montmartre where the church of Sacre Coeur gives the best view of Paris.Today it was a bit misty, but there were still plenty of people visiting. The Place du Tertre nearby, traditionally the haunt of artists (Picasso, Dali et al). was practically ring-fenced with artists' easels. Even when you broke through them, it was very hard to get away from those who were wandering around with clipboards, trying to get you to stop still for a portrait (15 euros) It was interesting, while we were in Amsterdam, to see how Van Gogh had painted the windmills of this hill (used to grind flour) when he was here about 1886. The place he stayed in is also just up the street. Now, the whole of this area is very settled indeed and there is only a bit of room left in the Montmartre cemetery, which we also visited today. Anyway,we must go and enjoy Paris a bit more!

Happy New Year from Fireworks Frenzy

Hi everyone
Happy New Year! This is our last night in Amsterdam. Last night there were times when we wondered if it would be our last night ever!

They do fireworks in a major way in this city - and there is no rubbish bin or public place which is immune.No health and safety controls here - they just go for it: hand held rockets;throwing crackers around; lighting fireworks inside bottles - it is all on - and that was the run-up to New Year!Yesterday we went out to Haarlem for lunch and then went into Neuemarkt near the red light district where we met up with Jared and Jo's friends. We had drinks in their apartment then set off into the square just before midnight. A solid sound wall of explosions ensued - there was no possibiity of hearing anything else - sign language was needed here! The fireworks went on and on. Eventually, about 1.30am we walked back into the Dam Square and then back to our hotel, about 35 minutes walk. The litter - cans, bottles, plastic and fireworks detritus was fairly indescribable. However, when we went out today there were signs of cleaning up having been done in some places.

Since this is the last post from Amsterdam, I wanted to put up some more photos so you could see some more of the idiosyncratic sights of Haarlem and Amsterdam. I have been entranced by the flower markets; the small transport solutions - especially bicycles and by some of the shops! Enjoy the snaps and we will meet again in Paris.
Bon soir mes chers.

Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Anne Frank

Hi there
On Sunday, Boxing Day here, we went out again to Jo and Jared's place in Haarlem.We walked through streets and parks and there were children and parents tobogganing on anything which resembled a slope and having a great time.We managed to persude Jared NOT to walk on the ice over the canal as none of was going to pull him out with any ease! Since most place were shut we went into the Grote Markt (big market place in photo) and had lunch at Brinkman's Cafe opposite the Grose Kerke (go on,work it out!). The Dutch do good soups we have found and that was a welcome lunch sitting outside in the week sunshine.Our walk back was a long way round and we saw many pretty sights including a large windmill(in another shot).

We have been having a real cultural overload here recently.On Monday we went to the Anne Frank House. The Anne Frank House is a respectful and well organised museum and NO gift shop!!Using the building itelf, Anne's writing, models,audio-visual displays Anne's story (and her family's) ae told very powerfully.Obviously,I knew her story - what English teacher doesn't? What I hadn't realised was how small the spaces where we she lived for those years. To be able to look out through the window which was Anne's only view of the world was a moment I will not forget.We all met up in the cafe for a restorative hot drink and time to come back to ourselves.It was a moving experience for us all.

After meeting up with Jo at the Club Med offices we walked to a sandwich place,Vlaamisch Broothuis for lunch - melts and open sandwiches. Delicious.As a complete contrast to the morning, we followed up in the afternoon with the Heineken Experience.Set in an old brewery, this sales experience cum museum makes skilful use of video screens, interactive games, beertasting, dray horses and even real beer drinking and Lambie had a good thirst!Dinner that night was at a Dutch restaurant - not really a cuisine that I had experienced before. Satay chicken was a colonial variation,other meals had a lot of mashed vegetables - or there was fondue!On the way back we had dessert - a crepe at a stall in the Winter Plaza near our hotel.

On Tuesday we decided to take the Hop On Hop Off canal boat which takes you around the canal system for about 14 euros for 24 hours.This city is amazing - the systematic settlement of this boggy set of islands (built on the Amstel River)
dates back to the 14th century and the trading history is apparent in the buildings you see along the canals. The variations in the building styles on the roof tops (see the photo) and building fronts all tell a story.As we motored along in the boat we crunched through the ice and occasionally had to divert for swans who do not get out of the way.There are also about 2500 houseboats along the canals in Amsterdam, many of them very elegant and well-appointed but some little more than floating slums. Having done a loop of the city we got off the boat and found lunch in the Hansel and Gretel Cafe (complete with oven!). Then we checked out the museum queues at the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum and formulated a plan for the next day.

Two main principles have been revealed to us about going to big name places like this.First,whenever possible, book tickets on line because you avoid one line (always the longest)and a priority queue is a wonderful thing when its cold or wet!The desk staff at our hotel (Vondel Hotel-recommended highly)booked and print our tickets at any time which has been great.Second,always go early. The crowds which arrive for these places usually come in buses from about 10.00am and it is then that the crowds happen in full.

The next stop was the Rembrandt House after another journey on another canal boat. This museum is set out as Rembrandt would have lived in it. They know this because he went broke after taking a mortgage to buy the house and then having to sell up.They inventoried all his possessions and were able to set things out as they had been.It is a great way to get a feeling for the man and his work.The high windy staircases are a bit of a trial for large feet, but it's worth it!To see his works, studio where he worked and the collection of artefacts he used in his paintings was amazing.There was also a Caravaggio - a study of John the Baptist - which was really stunning too. Dinner was at Wagamama - the first time we had been there. Highly recommend that - and I know lots of you will have eaten at this great food place.

So today (Wednesday 29th) we got going really early to get to the Van Gogh Museum which is about 10 minutes walk away from our hotel, getting there just as it opened - and with tickets in hand. That was another amazing morning. There were so many great paintings. I loved a painting of a chestnut tree in full bloom.John loved the Monet of the bridge in the garden at Giverny.They really do Museums well in this city and there are so many to see. We walked back to the hotel to leave the purchases from the shop and get washing as we are currently at Jo and Jared's for dinner. Jillian, Struan and Kimberley (Jo's parents and sister) have been great company and with Jared we have had another wonderful day. We walked (about 5 kms) from our hotel to the Central Station, getting lunch and dinner at La Place in the V&D building.So we are sorted and looking forward to another great day in Amsterdam tomorrow.Lots of love to you all.