suchnone #372 Day 7 Shopping in Birmingham

I just realized that the summary of my trip is taking as long or longer than my actual trip. Another case of real life getting in the way.

I had some last minute Christmas shopping to do so PSP and I headed to the Bullring in Birmingham to check out the stores and see what we could find. Needles to say two days before Christmas the area was packed and within 10 minutes I was ready to go. But, we had things to shop for so we pressed on. We decided to hit Selfridges since he had to pick up some cherry flavored vodka for his wife for Christmas. You can sample any of the liquors they have there so after 8 or so shots we were feeling mighty good. I also looked at the whiskeys for a present for my friends near Manchester. I would come back later to get it. We wandered around the mall, stopping at a few bookstores and a tea shop so I could pick up tea for several of my friends back home. Then we made our way to the German Christmas Street fair. Booths lined the street all the way to the city hall. There was food, beer, crafts, music, a merry go round and tons and tons of people. I found a nice nativity scene for my parents but could not find a christmas ornament of any kind.







After shopping was done we made our way to the first of 3 pubs to spend the rest of the afternoon. The first one was getting ready to close so there was only 7 or so folks in there and I think they were regulars. They were singing 70s and 80s pop songs mixed in with irish folks songs( I think) and pretty much whatever came to their minds to sing. As they were leaving they all wished PSP and I a happy christmas and new year and shook our hands. I really liked the Turf in Oxford but there was something about this pub that really connected with me. So, catching the bus we headed back closer to Moseley for the second pub. A few pints later it was time to move on to the the pub near PSP's apartment. My memory is hazy, we may not have actually had a pint there that day but I am pretty sure we stopped in. We also stopped by the Drinksville to pick up more beer and some candy for after dinner. For dinner we went to a Nepali resturant just around the corner. I had tandori chicken which is similar to barbequed chicken in the states but with different spices as well as being soaked in yogurt. It was very tasty.

Birmingham pictures

Next Day 8 Christmas Eve, Christmas and Boxing Day

suchnone #371 Day 6 Stratford

Stratford was very cool and thank goodness it was not as cold as Oxford. But it did rain most of the day. Just that misty rain that can be annoying. It really is a tourist town dedicated to everything Shakespeare. All the shops are named for him or for a character in one of his plays or a line in one of his sonnets. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has done a great job in telling his story with a great museum and several houses in the area that he lived in or his children and grandchildren lived in. We took in 3 of the houses: his birthplace, which really is not where he was born but it is the house he grew up in, Nash's House and New Hall, - New Hall is his last house and where he died but while it was later destroyed, the original wall is still there. Nash's House was next door and was the house of Shakespeare's granddaughter first husband. The upstairs of Nash's House now holds a retrospective of the published works of Shakespeare from the First Folio up to those published in 2007. And finally we went to Hall's Croft, the house of Shakespeare's eldest daughter Susanna and her husband Dr John Hall. The house also contains interesting medical artifacts and a first edition of his medical notes published in 1657. One room still contains original glass in its windows.

Now the stupidest thing we did on this trip was missing Shakespeare's burial site which was just two blocks from Hall's Croft.

We also made a stop by the Harvard House which was the house of the John Harvard's mother. Harvard University is named for him.

There was a nice garden behind Nash's House that had statues representing many of Shakespeare's plays. Below is a statue of Falstaff.











After walking around in the rain and sort of cool weather we decided we would have tea in a little place called Benson's. There were many places we could have had tea in Stratford but you see, PSP and myself grew up in a little town called Benson so it seemed appropriate. The tea and scones hit the spot.

To be honest I am not sure what we did after we got back to Birmingham. I am sure we had dinner which I think was leftover fish and chips for myself and soup for them. We may have watched a movie afterward but I am not sure. I know we watched A Christmas Story but just not sure what night we did.

Next - Day 7 Shopping in Birmingham

suchnone #370 Day 5 Oxford

I was more excited about going to Oxford than when I first landed in London. May have been since I was jet- laggless or maybe it was because I was in where Tolkien and Lewis lived, taught and wrote for most of their lives. On the downside it was the coldest day I was in England. Think it is right at or below freezing with a constant wind. We arrived midmorning and made our way to one of the bookstores to find a map of the town and other literature on the area. After two stops I found a nice pamphlet that gave a walking tour of the Tolkien and Lewis sites around Oxford. We could not do all of them due to the cold and some where in outlying areas of Oxford and the buses were not on a regular schedule, but we did see a good deal of Oxford. We went into three of the pubs that the Inklings frequented including the Eagle and Child and the Turf. The Inklings met once a week at the Eagle and Child and that was where Narnia and Middle Earth were first talked about and read. The Turf was where Tolkien and Lewis met on Mondays for mead since it was halfway from both of their respective colleges. The Turf was my second or first favorite pub, very homey, very warm and the food and pints were very good. The Turf is also the place where Bill Clinton did not inhale.
Some of the other highlights were: The Radcliffe Camera, a circular library in the middle of Oxford University, The Bridge of Sighs(replica of the one in Venice), Christ Church where the dining hall scenes of the Harry Potter movies are filmed.








That evening I had fish and chips from a local chip shop in Moseley called Atlantis. It was the best, it fed me for two meals. Two big meals. I did not get a chance to go back there. They had reduced hours due to the holidays. We capped the night off with a few more pints.



Oxford Pictures
Next - Day 6 Stratford

suchnone #369 Day 4 Tower of London and off to Birmingham

I expected a hangover after all the pints of Guinness and London Pride from the night before but I did not have one. We were on a short schedule but knew we wanted to see the Tower of London before heading up to Birmingham. The Tower is just incredible and we had great weather, though it was cold, to see the Tower. Our Yeomen Warder guide was a lot of fun and told many stories about the Tower, its construction and the many lives that were lost over the years within its walls. It was not built as a prison, it was built to be the castle of William the Conqueror as a show of his power and might after his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Originally built in 1078, many additions were added to secure the palace, with two sets of walls, many turrets and other Towers including:
The Bloody Tower
Beauchamp Tower
Bell Tower

and others.




Traitor's Gate is where the prisoners were brought for imprisonment, execution, torture or worse. Among those who climbed the stairs at Traitor's Gate are:

Anne Boleyn
Sir Thomas Moore
Elizabeth I
Sir Walter Raleigh



The main Tower itself contains a collection of arms and armor and a remnant of Roman Walls stands nearby. Also, the British Crown Jewels are located the Tower. Our Yeoman Warder assured us that they were the real thing and not to pay attention to the rumors that they were stored somewhere else. He said, If they are fake, why are we here?(we meaning the Yeoman Warders).









We left around 1pm after spending about 3 hours at the Tower of London. There was train and rail maintenance and we had been in the crowds the evening before so we decided to leave earlier than we originally planned so we did not go by the Tower Bridge or The Globe Theatre.

We had no problems on the train ride to Birmingham. The train was not even full and it was nice to relax for a little over an hour after walking the ground of the Tower. We got into Birmingham going towards 3:30 and we made our way through the Bullring(the main shopping area) to catch the bus to Moseley where PSP and his wife live. It is only a 30-45 bus ride depending on traffic and time of day. We arrived in Moseley, dropped our bags off at the apartment, went down to the local grocery for a few items, stopped by Drinksville, a nice beer and drink store in their neighborhood and then headed back to relax in their apartment.

Next: Oxford

nonesuch #368 Day 3 British Museum, British Library and Wesley House

I have a cold so that is why I have not updated since last week. I wanted to do an update a day about my trip but that just did not happen. Anyway, I am picking up on day three.
We did not need to wake up as early on the 3rd day. By then I had adjusted to the time change and the early sunsets and later sunrises. We ate breakfast and made our way to the train station to buy my ticket to Birmingham. The station was near the British Museum so it was not out of the way. I could have stayed in the Museum all day, well no, but for many days. We just did not have the time. Each room had something else I wanted to see. The highlights were, the Parthenon and the Rosetta Stone. Again, will not go into details but here are a few pictures that stood out for me.













British Museum Set

When I do go back to England, the British Museum will be one the first places I revisit and I will give myself an entire day or more to see as much as I can.

After 4 or so hours at the Museum we set out for the British Library. We were not allowed in the main part of the Library but they have a rare books room containing copies of Shakespeare's Folio, William Blake's diaries, the Beatles original lyric sheets(napkins, letter, poetry, diaries), and the Magna Carta. Pictures were not allowed in the room and I do not know why I only took one picture of the outside of the building but I did take a picture of the statue that is near the entrance.



My Father is a retired Methodist minister so the visit to the Wesley House was special. My Dad went to England in the 70's but I am not sure if they got to the Wesley House or not but below are few of the pictures I took there. John Wesley was the founder of Methodism and with his brother Charles who wrote some 9,000 hymns spread their "method" of worship.







Across the street from the Wesley house is a graveyard where at first I thought the Wesleys were buried. Just their Mother, Susannah is buried there but we found there were others buried in this little graveyard in the middle of the city. William Blake, John Bunyan(Pilgrim's Progress), The Cornwalls, and Daniel Defoe are all buried there.

The sun was setting and the graveyard was closing so we left out the other end and went into a pub for a few pints and some rest. After an hour or so, we headed back to our room at the hotel and then went to a nearby pub for some food and more pints. I had fish and chips and many pints of Guinness and London Pride. PSP had a veggie burger I think. It was our last night in London so we wanted to make the most of it. We wanted to close the pub down but that didn't happen but we were close.

Day 4 - Tower of London and off to Birmingham

suchnone #367 Day 2 Walking Tour of The City of London

We woke up early to make the 10am walking tour of the City of London. The tour started at Tower Hill just across from the Tower of London. As you can see from the pictures, it was a clear day. A clear day but chilly and a bit windy from being right on the Thames. PSP and myself were clearly the oldest members of the tour by at least 10 years. The tour guide was Australian and had lived in London 7 or more years. He was a good storyteller and kept the 3hr tour interesting with many stops along the way.

I will not go into minute details about the tour but will show pictures of the stops that stood out for me.


World War I Memorial at Tower Hill



Close up view of Sundial at Tower Hill.


Monument to the Great Fire of London


Part of the Roman London Bridge built in 75A.D.


Tower Bridge



St. Paul's Cathedral




Globe Theatre



Temple Church

This link takes you to the rest of the Walking Tour of London pictures I took.


After the tour we walked around Covent Garden looking at the street vendors. We then headed into the Theatre district to find the theatre the Lord of the Rings Musical was playing in and the restaurant we were to have dinner in that evening. After finding both, we headed back to the hotel and then to a local pub for a few pints. I had promised a friend I would have a London Pride first but I went for a Guinness and yes, it is true, the Guinness is so much better there than in the States. It is smoother, no bite, very tasty.

Dinner was in an upscale pizza place called Fire and Stone. With the ticket package we got, we had choice of pizzas and a free cocktail which we could only get a seabreeze which is ok but really wanted a beer with the meal but anyway. The pizza was very good. I got the Sydney - Which is crisp oven-roasted smoked bacon, free range egg, shaved smoked ham, mozzarella, Fire & Stone’s tomato sauce, basil & chives. Will definitely go back there if and when I get back to London. The musical, not so good. I had read some not so pleasant reviews and I can see why. I do not want to go into detail, but it had problems. But, I am happy I did get to see it. The special effects were awesome, best part of the show. And the story is by Tolkien so that part was good. If anyone would like details of the show, let me know.

We headed back to the hotel. PSP went to the chip shop on the corner and got an order of chips and a few candy bars to eat before we went to sleep.

Up next: Day 3 British Museum, British Library and Wesley House

suchnone #366 Day 1 Arrival

I left for the airport a good 4 hours before my plane was to take off. It only took an hour for me to get there and then a record 10 minutes to get through security and to be seated at the gate waiting for boarding to begin. So I wait for 3 and a half hours but I know if I would have been late, I would have been even more stressed and anxious. Thanks again to my co-worker and her fiance for giving me a ride to the airport.
I read about half of Blood Sucking Fiends, a book by Christopher Moore while waiting at the gate. Also talked to a few friends on the phone and my parents before takeoff. I noticed a young boy running around, playing with his trucks, being loud, being a typical boy and I hoped he would not be near me.
Boarding began about 45 minutes before takeoff. It went smoothly and I ended up having no one sitting next to me but the boy and his mother were in my row. Sort of diagonal from me were a group of very loud and probably drunk guys. I worried I would not get any sleep at all, I do not sleep well to begin with so I just knew I was going to be worn out when I arrived in London. I had nothing to fear. The boy soon fell asleep and the guys passed out shortly after dinner was served. The trip was most quiet from then on. But not before two things happened.

First, about 5-10 minutes into the flight and while we are still climbing to our cruising altitude and with the fasten seat-belts sign still on, a passenger gets up starts walking around, opening the overhead compartment and so forth. The captain has to tell him twice to sit down and the second time he did not sound very happy. I think we were close to turning the plane around. But, the man sat down. Then 5 minutes after that, the intercom comes on and says:

"Are there any doctors on board?"

I begin to look around and no one is moving and then we hear:

"Are there any nurses on board?"

About 6 people in my area stand and go to a woman about 9 rows in front of me. She had never flown, was going into a panic attack and started hyperventilating and having asthma attacks. She was able to be calmed down and there were no more problems of this nature the rest of the flight.

The in-flight meal was good, barbecued pork roast with mashed potatoes. I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix which I had wanted to see for some time. Very good.

Then I tried to read some more. Then I tried to sleep some. Watched Meerkat Manor, then tried to read and sleep some more. I am guessing I slept more than I realized because just after thinking we had so many more hours left to go, the captain said:

"We are just off the coast of Ireland and will be landing in London in about an hour and a half."

I watched the sunrise over the green coast of Ireland.

We landed and I prepared myself for the long process of getting into England. Fifteen minutes later, after going through security, having my passport checked and then through customs, I was in England, but in a line, I mean a que, to get a Gatwick Express train ticket to meet my friend PSP(I cannot remember what I have called him before) at Victoria Station.

Arrived at Victoria Station in about 30 minutes time from Gatwick. Walked around looking for the Krispy Kreme where I was to meet PSP. Krispy Kreme was a small coffee cart like structure and sure enough there was PSP waiting for me. We made our way to the Underground ticket office where I purchased a three day pass. We then set out for Paddington Station which our hotel was near to. Actually less then five minutes from the station. Our room was not ready so they let us leave our bags in a back room and we walked down to a little diner on the corner and had tea. It was so good. The day was somewhat overcast or maybe it was cause I was in a fog what with jet lag but the rest of that day is a blur. I know we finally got in our room. It was on the 3rd floor and the heat rose so we had to keep the window open or it would have been too hot, well at least for me. It was below freezing at night and in the 40s (Fahrenheit during the day. We walked around Paddington Station, near a big park which I cannot remember the name of right now, walked to the Jordanian part of London where PSP who has lived in Jordan told me what all the smells were, so many spices, fruits, tobaccos etc in the air. London does not smell like other big cities I have been to, maybe it was the closeness to the park or maybe it was cause I was in a fog but it was pleasant. We walked around some more, basically trying to keep me awake. I had said I would stay awake at least until the sun went down. What I did not realize was the sun went down at 4pm. We went back to the diner for a light dinner. I was not that hungry but knew I needed food to help me adjust. I had a bacon and egg on toast.

We went back to the room(will describe it later) watched some BBC, think it was the news and a quiz show called Mastermind Junior(I think). I have no idea when I finally went to sleep that night but I slept some of the time and woke up ready to go the next morning.

Up next: Day 2 Walking Tour of London

suchnone #365

Here's a meme I got from Vi. I know I said I would post about my trip and it is coming. Just finished the pictures(see previous post) but I had told Vi I would do this one so here it goes.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?

Traveled to England



2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I do not make resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

One of my co-workers had(well her daughter did) her first grandchild.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Dr Russell, a retired professor where I work who I worked on a history of the university with. He also was one of my Father's professors when my Father was in school here in the 1950s.

5. What countries did you visit?

England


6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?

More relaxing days, more time to see NC.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

December 17th - day I landed at Gatwick airport in London

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

going to England


9. What was your biggest failure?

never cleaning my house


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I had a cold for almost 3 weeks last Fall. not fun


11. What was the best thing you bought?

an iPod shuffle

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?



13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?


14. Where did most of your money go?

my trip to England


15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
again, my trip to England

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?

all the songs off Radiohead's In Rainbows, Ryan Adams' Cold Roses

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?
happier

b) thinner or fatter?
thinner, I think


c) richer or poorer?
richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
visited friends

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
not damn thing


20. How did you spend Christmas?
In England visiting friends


21. What was your favorite month of 2007?
Ok, getting old but December since I spent most of it in England


22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
no

23. How many one-night stands?
none


24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Dr Who, Heroes, Jeopardy!



25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
no. its so easy to hate, so easy to hurt, it takes strength to be gentle and kind. hating is a waste of my time.


26. What was the best book you read?
Harry Potter #7, Blood Sucking Fiends and Children of Hurin


27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Radiohead's In Rainbows, my album of 2007.


28. What did you want and get?
Wanted to travel to England and I did



29. What did you want and not get?
Would have liked to have met a nice girl but did not happen and do not seeing it happening.


30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Transformers. Saw both of them on the flights to and from England



31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing, 37

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I did want to see the beach but I am not sure if that would have made my year "immeasurably more satisfying".


33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
pretty much the same one I have had since 1989


34. What kept you sane?
beer, playing lord of the rings online, my blog friends, my friend Sally



35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Scarlett Johannson and Nicole Kidman are both nice to look at



36. What political issue stirred you the most?
the selection of a new president.



37. Who did you miss?




38. Who was the best new person you met?
Gareth, my friend Heidi's fiance, very cool guy. They complement each other very well.


39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007
Not to put expectations on anything, they can lead to disappointment

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Just not sure on this one. Tried to look up songs that I listened to a lot this year but none of them really fit. Oh well

suchnone #364

I have upload the first of quite a few pictures from my trip to England on to Flickr. It took longer to process the images yesterday that I thought it would. Plus, I have to deal with a flat tire so that took up some of my day as well. More on that later.
Here is a link to the pictures I have posted so far.
Link

suchnone #363 welcome back, welcome back

I am back in the States after 17 days in England. Had an awesome time, saw and did a lot of things I had thought about doing for years. Took many pictures, keep an eye here, some will be posted here, all will be posted on my flickr page(see link on the right). Also will make link here when the pictures are posted. I will being more proper posts after I get some rest detailing what I did, where I went and all the different ales I drank. Bottom-line, I will be going back, maybe sometime in 2008. On the downside, did not get to see Vi. The last few days I was there I was a little under the weather and one of my friends I was staying with got a bad cold so did not do much those last few days where my days and Vi's days right after she got back from Australia overlapped.

Hope everyone had a great holiday and here is to a great 2008.