Lesli's Live Long and Strong WISH Journal

[pearlieq]

Congrats on 211! I can't wait to see you next clippie!

I know it can be very frustrating to take care of family members--I can relate to wanting to hide for a while. But you're doing a good thing, and I do believe it comes back to you, someway, somehow. At the very least I bet you're helping your DH sleep better at night and I'm sure he appreciates it.

Have a wonderful day! Can't wait to read more about London!

 

[TigerCheer2009]

Congrats Lesli!!!!

The "Nearly 20 lbs lost for Lesli boogie"!

 

[Lesli54]

You guys are great!

I am going to post a few recipes that Shuana asked for a few weeks ago. These are both from Dr. Phil's book, so I do not take credit.


Dijon-Roasted Salmon
4 servings
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns (I would use less, as this is ALOT)
1 Tbsp dried dill
1/4 tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg (see NOTE)
4 (5 oz) salmon fillets, checked for bones
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp Dijon mustard (I tried to make fresh, unless you have a great recipe for that, buy it prepared)
Nonstick spray

1. Preheat oven to 500F. Place a shallow metal roasting or broiler pan in the oven and let it get very hot as you prepare the salmon.
2. Place the peppercorns in a mortar and grind with the pestle until coarse and cracked. Alternatively, place the peppercorns between two small sheets of wax paper and crack them with a meat mallet or the bottom of a large, heavy saucepan. Pour the cracked peppercorns into a small bowl and combine with the dill and nutmeg.
3. Lay salmon fillets on a clean work surface or a cutting board, skin side down. Coat flesh of each fillet evenly with 2 tsps mustard, spreading it all the way to the edges. Sprinkle each fillet with 1/4 of the cracked peppercorn mixture.
4. Using a sturdy oven mitt or pot holder, take the hot roasting pan out of the oven; spray it lightly with nonstick spray. Use a metal spatula and tranfer the fillets to the pan, skin side down. Return the pan to the oven and roast until the fillets are cooked through, about 10 minures. (You can use the point of a knife to separate the meat's filaments slightly to make sure it's opaque, not gelatinous. Do not overcook.) Serve at once.

NOTE: Ground nutmeg is more pungent than freshly grated and tends to become rancid rather quickly. Although it takes a little more time, try to grate it fresh if possible.




Tuna Salad Wrap
2 servings
1 (6 oz) can solid white tuna packed in water, drained (I use the 3oz fresh pack, yeilds the same amount and less hassle)
1 rib celery, minced
1 dill pickle, minced
3 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise or Miracle Whip Free
2 Tbps finely chopped red onion (I use the small green onions)
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried dill, or 1 tsp packed fresh dill, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 fat-free whole-wheat tortillas

1. Combine the tuna, celery, pickle, mayonnaise, onion, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Cover and store in the refirderator for up to 24 hours. (Mine never makes it to the fridge.)
2. To make the wrap, spoon about 1/2 c. filling into each tortilla and roll closed.



DH loved the salmon if you use less peppercorns. I don't care for fish, but I did try it. The Tuna Wrap is one of my favs though. Add with a small salad and you have an excellent lunch.

 

[TigerCheer2009]

Yum-o!

 

[Lesli54]

Back to the London trip.

Did I mention that it was cold in London? It seemed that we never got much beyond 59F. Now, that may not be too bad, but when you add in that it is overcast with some drizzle or rain here and there, then it gets cold. Not to mention how windy it can be there. That one surprised me. And did I mention that my curling iron decided to die on our first day? I knew that it was going and I should have bought a new one before the trip. So you can imagine how wonderful I looked trying to style my hair with the hairdryer and then going out into the wind. Oh well.

Well, we got up and went down for breakfast. Can you guess what it was? 1 1/2 c. bran cereal, 1 c. milk, 8 oz grapefruit juice, and 1 sm croissant. How did you guess?

Then we were off to find Shakespeare's Globe Theater. We went down to Lancaster Gate, jumped on the Underground and took the Central Line to Oxford Circus. From there we took the Bakerloo Line to Embankment. Then switched again and got on the District Line to Mansion House. Really, it doesn't take much time to switch from line to line. It sounds long, but it's not and when you consider the amount of ground that you cover, it saves alot of time. Ok. Anyway, we went above ground at Mansion House and had to walk South to go down across the Southwark Bridge.

As you cross the bridge, you can see the Globe Theater standing proud and tall on the other side of the River Thames. Unfortunately, it looks a little out of place in amongst the newer buildings. Just after you cross the bridge (it's long, but doable), we went down in along the river walkway. We found some steps that lead into the water where, I assume, people would get on and off a boat sometime ago. It was kind of neat. Now that we are on the South side of London, when you look back across the river to the north, you can see the dome on St. Paul's Cathedral rising high above the modern buildings.

Just a short walk down along the river and we were at the Globe. We did pay to take a tour of the building and of the Rose Theater. It cost close to $40 altogether, but worth it to us. The globe has a little museum set up dedicated to Shakespeare and the age old question of who he really was. DD17 thinks that he and Christopher Marlow were one and the same, and there is some evidence suggesting that. Obviously, she has studied this slightly more than I, for I felt as if she were teaching me, even though I had read some works form both men. We were lead on a tour that explained how the theater was built and how measures were taken to make sure that the building contained the same natural elements in the reconstruction as did in the original building. It was very beautiful, lots of wood, but you still keep wondering if the voices of the actors could actually be carried without a speaker system. Amazingly, as we found out later, they can.

Then we went on the tour to the Rose Theater. This is actually an archaelogical dig (which really interested DD17). However, the Rose theater was the first theater in the area and in fact, the Globe theater was designed similar to the Rose. Christopher Marlow had his works done at the Rose. It was interesting, but what was more interesting was the tour guide who told us about the area and what it would have been like at the time. During the time of Marlow and Shakespeare, London was still a walled city on the north side of the river and the only bridge coming from it was London bridge. Theaters were not allowed in London, so they set up shop in Southwark, just across from the river. You could walk across the bridge (which had shops on it, but also had the heads of unlucky people on spires, not a great site) or you could take a wharf (small boat) across for your entertainment. There was a lot of different types of entertainment in the area, such as bear fights, and women (so to speak). If you think Oliver Twist, it will give you an idea of the roughness that the area went through. At the end of the tours, I bought some postcards from the gift shop.

After seeing the theaters (no we didn't se a show), we decided to sit along the river and have lunch. Boy was it windy. I ate a sm apple, a ham sandwich on white bread (very good tasting bread), and 2 carrots. It gave us a chance to contemplate what to do next. We thought decided to go tot the Tate Britain Museum.

So we walked over to London Bridge station, which is a decent walk from the Globe. Along the way, we found Southwark Cathedral, which was covered in a black stone. Very unusual and beautiful. After that we got a good view along the river to take a picture of London Bridge (remember, not what we think). It's just a modern concrete bridge. Big let down. After that we came across something unexpected, the Winchester Palace! Well actually it was just a few walls that remain and they are trying to salvage them. It was built about 1220. If anyone wants to find it, it is next to the Clink Prison Museum. It was just that little bit of history in the midst of all the new. Just beyond that, we found another little surprise. Part of the London Bridge (second building of it in the 1800's) and stairs leading up to Borough High Street, with a plaque next to the stairs that read "Nancy's Stairs". These are all that remain of an older London Bridge. The stairs were named after Nancy in Oliver Twist, because this was the area that she had fallen to her death in the book. It was kind of interesting.

Ok. Moving along, we went to London Bridge Station and took the Northern Line over to Stockwell, then took the Victoria Line to Pemlico. From here we had to walk a few blocks to the museum. Very nice and quiet neighborhood. The museum is full of paintings and we went there mainly to see "The Lady of Shallot", but found many others that were of interest as well. It is so neat to see paintings from the 1500's.

Then we went back to the station and took the Victoria Line up to Victoria, switched to the District Line and went to Embankment. From there we hoped the Northern Line to Waterloo. Here we went up to the Eurostar station to inquire about getting tickets to Paris for the following Monday. Well, I read something wrong on the internet before the trip, as I could only get the 59 pound (about $115) tickets if I booked them 21 days in advance. As it was, the best that I could do was get tickets that would have cost about $300 each, or more. Needless to say, I did not get the tickets and had to rethink the whole Paris idea.

So we thought we would jump back on the Northern line and carry out the rest of the plans for the day. Wrong. Trying to get to the Northern line from the Eurostar part of the station is very confusing. We ended up out of the building and down on the street without a way to get back in easily. An older lady noticed us looking at our map and told us how to get back to the Underground. So we started in the direction she showed us. As we were walking, we notice the London Eye (a gigantic ferris wheel with enclosed cabins rather than open seats) and decided to take a walk over there to see it. We were on Belvedere Road. It is very large and moves very slowly, but we decided not to go on it, as the cost is about $50 for two and is only about 1/2 hour. I am sure the view is nice though.

Even better was the fact that we could see Big Ben from where we stood and I was just saying earlier that we needed to find him. So we decided to walk over there and get pictures. Lots of walking, but so close. We crossed the Westminster Bridge. You know, Big Ben is attached to Parliament? I didn't realize that. Don't laugh, I figured out why. Most pictures that we see, shows the top portion, so you get the idea that it is free standing. Also, Big Ben actually refers to the bell inside the tower and not the clock on the outside. Very interesting. It was neat and the House of Parliaments was really beautiful. Actually, there was a palace where Parliament now stands. And what did we find across the way? Westminster Abbey. We took plenty of pictures. It was late, so we were not able to go in, but it was neat just the same. It also costs to get in, but I would have like to have seen Queen Elizabeth I's tomb. The older tombs have a bronze likeness of the individual laid on top of the tomb. Also there is a small church next to the abbey, called St. Margaret's Church. A huge stainglassed window in the church was commissioned by Henry VIII for his marriage to Catharine of Aragon (I believe it was her).

Well, so much for getting back to the hotel early. We decided by then that it was time to eat. I can not begin to tell you how much walking we did on that last jaunt. So we decided to go up to Bond Street to see if there was anything to eat. We caught the Underground at Westminster and took the Jubilee line to Bond Street. From there we went above ground and walked towards Marble Arch. We hadn't been that far yet on the street, so we looked at shops and looked for food. The first thing we saw as McD's and we both said "no". Well, there really isn't much for eating in the area we were looking, at least not at a "reasonable" price. We got to Marble Arch and there was a Pizza Hut and a McD's, so we chose the former. Not reasonable, but we were too tired and hungry to go anywhere else. We ordered a medium (smaller than here) with two soft drinks for $25 and it only had pepperoni! It was a thicker crust and I ate 2 1/2 slices and left the rest for DD17. I had sprite to drink. The waiter was supposed to also bring us garlic bread, but never did, so we had to correct the bill. It tasted ok (a little different), but was too pricy and the service wasn't great. It was here that I taught DD17 how to eat European style with a knife in the right hand and a fork in the left at all times pretty much. For her it wasn't backwards as she is a lefty.

After supper we saw the Marble Arch, then got on the Underground and headed back to Lancaster gate, to the hotel. It was getting late and we needed to turn in so that we could check out the Saturday market in Notting Hill. Oh yes, I also ate 1 apple bake bar, 1 wheat cracker, and drank 36 oz water. I feel like all we have eaten is bread, bread, bread, bread, bread since we arrived.

That was a very long day, we were tired, my legs were aching, and my feet felt like they were on fire! I figured we walked for about 8.5 hours, probably more.

I will post more when I can.

 

[Lesli54]

Just wanted everyone to know..............I got a new clippie! WI this morning was 209!

I don't have much time to post now, as I need to get cleaned up to walk in the Memorial Day Parade with the Girl Scouts. They're riding, I am walking. So I will catch everyone up later.

Have a good Memorial Day!

 

[pearlieq]

Congrats on the new clippie! It truly looks stunning on you!

I'm really enjoying your trip report, but I can't believe some of those prices! Amazing!!! At least all that bread, bread, bread got burned right off with the walk, walk, walk!

Have fun at the parade today!

 

[rcyannacci]

I always got confused at the underground stations across the Thames also. I think we were at that same station...and all I remember was the advert for Disneyland Paris. My DH was scared I would abandon our plans on the spot and grab the quickest train there .

Congrats on 209!!!! That's awesome!

Have a great Memorial Day!

 

[Lesli54]

Back from the parade and taking a small break before I go over and finish painting. BIL wants to sleep there tonight and has already put boxes in the midst of painting. It will be done soon, It will be done soon.

BTW, I rode the float in the parade. We didn't have too many girls show since they are in other sports as well, so there was enough room for all the leaders. But I had to walk back home, as the ending point was across town, so I probably got in a good half hour of walking (with a stop at the store first).

Looks like I can get that manicure and pedicure at SSR. Maybe I should have broken those two up into seperate goals. I am only 4lbs from another mini-goal and I just don't know what to do for it.

So 209! and the pants fit better. I am just so happy, but not happy enough to stay here forever. To walk around WDW as a thinner person (and not pregnant), what a treat! Oh yes, I am making a solemn vow to never weigh 210 again! Only 59lbs until 150! WOW! That sounds sooooooooo much better than 80. I must have sped up my metabolism with all the walking in London, because the lbs. are melting off. Now to keep it going until we leave for WDW. I know it won't always be this way, but I am taking all I can get. I actually was hoping to get to 200 by the time we left for WDW, which won't happen, but I will be close!

Yesterday we did about 10.5 hrs of painting! I am counting 5 as exercise. Talk about tiring. I am hoping that we can just hit spots we missed in the bedrooms and not do second coats there as the paint went on well in those rooms. That would definitely save alot of time today.

I got my AM snack. Lunch was more around the time of the PM snack and consisted of 1/2 apple that DH brought me. When I get really busy in a project, I just am not very hungry and don't even think about food. That's good, but not always healthy. Supper was 6" Chicken Teriyaki sub w/cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers and sweet onion sauce on wheat. I also had a good handful of chips. Basically, they were there and I knew it wouldn't blow my calories for the day. Should have skipped the chips as they weighed heavy on me.

Breakfast: 1/2 slice 7 grain toast w/jelly, 1 c. green tea, 2 slices ham, 1 sm banana
AM snack: missed due to parade
Lunch: a large salad w/ ham, raisins, almonds and mozerella, 1 c. green tea, 12 potato chips (I know I shouldn't have)
PM snack: maybe a yogurt
Supper: Haven't thought that far, maybe grill out

Goals for day:
1. Paint!
2. Enjoy my family

Well I better get going, we have lots to do.

 

[rcyannacci]

Lesli- we are so in sync! I'm also weighing in at 208/9 and working my way toward 150 (this is what my doctor said would be my ideal weight, although 160 is my goal for health). I'm really hopeing with all my recent exercise that I've raised my metabolism too.

Good luck pulling everything together for WDW- aren't you excited about all the energy you'll have? Your family won't even be able to keep up with you!

 

[calena]

I'm enjoying your London trip reports. It is a different lifestyle with all the walking, but the food is expensive. We lived in Europe when we were first married - lots of good memories.

 

[Zela]

Great job on getting to 209!!!
Go Lesli!!

You'll be gettin' to your goal in no time!

 

[Clare]

Lesli,
You are doing so great!! I am so happy for you - WDW will be so much fun & you London trip sounds awesome! You took such great notes or have an excellent memory! Thanks for sharing all the wonderful details with us.

Have a great day!

 

[pearlieq]

Hey! Good morning!

Hopefully we're finally on a warming trend here--it was so for a few days!

Sounds like you had a full, productive day yesterday. Glad you can see light at the end of the tunnel for BIL's house. This too shall pass!

I can't wait to hear about the great time you have at WDW! Between your recent weight loss and exercise and the simple fact that you're not going to be very, very pregnant should make you feel like you're floating around the parks. It sounds like such a nice trip--I'm sure you'll have a great time at the SSR spa!

Hope you have a wonderful day today!

 

[Lesli54]

2 days of painting ! But the good news is that all rooms are done (including ceilings) with the exception of the front living room (our local store ran out of paint), the mud room, and the ceiling in the spare bedroom. So we painted a kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms (only walls in one), and a large dining room/family room. Went over to rehang the curtains this morning. I told BIL that the rest of the painting may wait until we get back. Now I know how they do it on Trading Spaces, they don't let the paint dry. We painted for 7.5 hours yesterday and I am counting 4 for exercise. You know painting in a small bathroom can be quite precarious.

I missed the PM snack. Supper ended up being Pizza Hut. I ate 4 slices (thankfully thin crust and slightly smaller pieces) without really thinking about it. We were in the middle of painting and I was just so tired. Also I drank about 10 oz of Pepsi and had 1/2 breadstick. My calories went up for the day. Still not bad, but I would like to keep them towards the lower end of what I set for my intake. Oddly enough, I really do think that the extra couple of slices really wasn't worth it.

Breakfast: 1/2 slice 7 grain toast w/jelly, 2 slices ham, 4 oz. grapefruit juice (it was early and I had to run out for an appt.)
AM snack: 2 slices ham w/cream cheese & chives (obviously, I didn't get enough of these at graduation, but I know now that I can have them any time, just not all at once like I used to for special occassions.)
Lunch: Tuna wrap, sm salad, 1 c. green tea
PM snack: yogurt
Supper: I really want some chicken and green beans (we will see what happens, as I am sure we will be helping BIL move.)

Goals for day:
1. Catch up all bookwork
2. Catch up GS, so I can set it aside for the summer
3. Straighten my office
4. Sort through clothing to see what I need to buy everyone before we leave.

We are leaving for WDW on Saturday and I have lots to do in order to be gone for 2 weeks. This summer is gone before it has started.

Great news! This morning DH looked at me (in the jeans I haven't worn for soooo long) and said "WOW! You are looking good!" I could definitely get used to those comments from hubby.

Oh well, everyone have a great day!

 

[TPCShauna]

Don't you just love it when DH notices! It feels awesome! Thank you so much for those recipes. I am totally thinking that Dijon Salmon is in order for dinner tonight!

 

[Lesli54]

To continue with the rest of the London report. I will admit that the walking lifestyle is very different than what we are used to here, but I really love it. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to live in Denmark (like a 2nd home that I miss) for a year and I loved the walking, biking, and using the trains to get from town to town. We should really do more of it here at home.

On to the trip.

We were up a little earlier today. Breakfast was 1 1/2 c. bran cereal, 1 c. milk, sm croissant, and 8 oz. grapefruit juice. Then back up to the room to pack our lunch.

We had decided to head out to Notting Hill to go to the market on Portobello Rd. But before we got on the Underground, we decided to go into Kensington Gardens to take a picture of the Peter Pan statue. DD7 just loves Peter Pan. I cannot guess how many times she has seen all the movies about Peter Pan. She loves him so much that when we were in WDW 3 yrs ago, she would let Captain Hook sign her book, because he was mean to Peter Pan. Anyway, all along the outside of the park, artists had their paintings hanging. Kind of a way to sell them, I guess. So on to finding the statue. (Actually, DH asked us if it was in the park close to us and if we could get a picture.) We entered Kensington Gardens by Lancaster Gate. Take the right hand path around the huge fountains and Peter Pan is the first bronze statue you will find. I guess it is the same statue that was in the movie "Finding Neverland" (which I still need to see). It was donated to the gardens (before they were public) by the man who wrote the book. The statue did not look like Disney's Peter Pan (which I figured). It is of a very young boy in a what appears to be a short nightshirt and he is pointing upwards as if he were about to fly. He is standing on a tall rock that has all kinds of animals and fairies sitting in various places around the rock. Just below Peter Pan is a girl who has climbed up the rock and is looking up at him in amazement. A very nice statue. I took a lot of pictures and am going to blow one up and frame it for DD7.

Well, this delayed our market day adventure a bit, but it was worth it. Thankfully, the rain was holding off until after the pictures. We went back up to Lancaster Gate, got on the Underground and went to Notting Hill. Well, if you ever go to the market there, do not despair about finding it. There are signs posted that say Portobello Market. And there are tons of people, so just follow the crowd. When you come out of the Underground you go down Pembridge Rd for a few blocks, then turn onto Portobello. It takes a few blocks to get to the heart of the market and once you are there, you cannot believe the crowd and the goods on display. It was really kind of fun. We saw alot of good buys (and some not so good), alot of antique merchandise, clothing, china, knickknacks and much more. Also, food. Some people just sold spices, some just fruit, some just bread (which looked delish), some just cheese (including the mold), and some just pastries. As we walked by the pastry stand, we saw a woman eating a huge pastry (similar to a bavarian cream) that was sliced in half with a filling (similar to filled long johns, but not as sweet) sandwiched between the halves and toped with lots of chocolate. YES! We had found our treat! At the same time, DD17 and I said, "I want one of those". The cost was about $3 for 2. A better price break at 3, but we just couldn't eat that much. It was tempting to eat on the spot, but we put them in the backpack to save for later.

We also found some nice and reasonably priced postcards, so I picked up a few to send home. Then we found some Pashmina's at a good price. A pashmina is a very large shawl that can be worn over the head (think India), as a shawl, or as a scarf. I love scarves/shawls. In Europe, wearing a lightweight scarf around the neck (usually in a bunched fashion) to keep out the wind is very common. They did it when I was there 20 years ago and still do it now. Well, the first day that we went shopping we saw these Pashmina's for $16 (on sale) and not a bad price. At the market however, I picked them up for $8 ea! Same quality. So DD17 got one, I got one for DD15, and I got one for myself. BTW, I had a hard time finding a hat that I was willing to pay the price for. Saw some beautiful ones, but a little more than I wanted to spend. So, my mini goal reward switched to a beautiful Pashmina done in dark blue, black and a hint of gold. I can change my rewards, right? It downpoured for a bit while we were doing this lovely outdoor shopping. Lovely way to start the day.

After spending enough time at the market and we didn't go the full length (it is long!), we went back up to the Notting Hill station. BTW, this area is a very nice area. I could really see living in this area. We decided to go to the British Museum, but first I wanted to make a stop at the British Visitor Center to inquire about day trips to Paris. So we took the Central Line east to Oxford Circus. Then the Bakerloo Line to Piccadilly Circus. The center was still open (til 4 on Sat), but unfortunately, all of the day trips cost about $250 per person. There are pros and cons to taking a tour. My biggest complaints with the price was that I have been to Paris before and could easily have gotten to various places within the city for a lot less (had I booked earlier) AND that is a lot of money to spend on one day. Especially for something that only takes about 2 1/2 hours to get to. Give me some plane tickets and DH and I could spend $500 in Paris over the course of a few days. So it was looking like the day in Paris was out.

We then got on the Underground and took the Piccadilly Line up to Russell Square. By this time, we were very hungry. Oh yeah! The underground is very, very crowded on the weekends. Luckily there was park (called Russell Square) a block from the station and we decided to stop and eat our lunch. The park benches were slightly wet, so we took our coats off to lay them down and sit on them. It was very chilly, but better than being very wet. We both ate only our sandwich (white bread w/ ham) since we wanted to save room for that treat. Also, we had fun tearing apart our bread and tossing it to the pigeons. Do you know there are various types of pigeons? After lunch we headed over to the museum, which is right next to the park.

The British Museum is HUGE! I bought a guide book to help us get around. The museum is free, but the book cost $12. It was worth it, as it will make an excellent souvenir. We saw stones and statues from the Parthenon (yes, England has them, not Greece). They were really neat. Then we saw a Lycian (Lykian) Temple that came all the way from Lycia (somewhere in Turkey, mentioned in Homer's Iliad). I loved seeing this stuff, but it makes me sad to know that these items are not on there original grounds. We also went through some of the Far East rooms. We saw buddahs (the older ones look mean), and vases, ivory and jade works, and one of my favorites, a statue of Shiva (looks like a girl with many arms, standing in a circle). I have seen this statue in movies, magazines, etc, but I didn't know that it was in England. It was cool. BTW, Shiva is not a goddess, he is a god. Then DD17 wanted to find the medieval stuff. So we went in search. Navigating this museum can be a little confusing. We saw medieval jewelry, artifacts, and such. She loves the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. Also saw some of the findings from the Soo Hutton (I guess they uncovered a ship in which a king was buried, but are not sure who he was). Interesting.

Next we went to take a rest. My feet were hurting so bad and I was really starting to think that I would never make it through WDW. Maybe my foot problem wasn't really gone. In the center of the museum is a small "cafeteria" and gift shops (used to be an outdoor courtyard), so we went to one of the tables and ate our treat. That pastry (donut?) was so good! We both had a hard time finishing them and in reality we should have split one, but we definitely were not going to waste them.

We looked in a few of the shops and I realized that the Rosetta Stone was in the museum (it is THE clue to deciphering hieroglyphs. On one stone is written hieroglyphs, below that demotic Egyptian, and below that Greek.) Each language translating the one proceeding it. We went to find the stone, which we walked by the first time because there were so many people around it. It was cool to see. A fairly good sized stone and yet it is only a smaller fraction of the whole, they believe. It made my day! I just love languages.

We left the museum and just before we got on the underground, I found a shop that was selling postcards cheaper than the ones I bought earlier. Figures, just when you think you have the lowest price. Anyway, they had some really cute postcards shaped like a bear and I bought them to send to DD7 and DS. Then I wanted to run over to Harrods real quick. I just wanted to see the famed store that started out as a grocery (maybe we should consider expanding ). It was getting late, but they are open til 7pm and I knew this was our only time. So we took the Piccadilly Line from Russell Square to Knightsbridge.

Well no need for a map when you get off at Knightsbridge, you come up right next to Harrods. We went in and I could not believe how high end it was (I knew, but it was still shocking, amazing, and very unreal). We saw some rather beautiful barrettes for only $400-800. That's all. They have one of everything dispalyed in the departments (a little more, but not much, in clothing) and there is a salesperson who will gladly help you. We saw hats. Beautiful! We saw evening gowns. There were a few that were very nice, other than that DD17's prom dress was much more elegant. We made a quick trip through the children's clothing and I looked at some of the clothes, I knew I couldn't afford for my youngest ones. $50 for a pair of jeans (size 18 mo)? Then we walked through the toy section. They have a small train that you can set on a white paper and when you draw with a special marker, the train follows the line. They are called Laser Chasers. Really neat. Oh yeah, saw a Hum V for children. Only $40,000. They also had a statue of Hagrid built out of Lego's, so DD17 had to have her picture. Both of us needed to go to the Ladies room and I must say it was nice. They have an attendant on duty and have little cubby holes where you can sit and do your hair or makeup. They also had lotion to put on your hands when your were done washing. Yes, I put it on. Might as well get something free from Harrods. But, I will say it smelled so good and my hands were very very soft. Then we went down to the Food Halls to take a quick peek before they closed. They had all kinds of delis set up to serve various exotic foods, fresh meats, fresh fish, vegetables, fruit, cheese, candies, etc. It was unreal and yet very, very neat. When DH and I go to London one day, we will go back to Harrods so that he can see the Food Halls.

Back to reality. After leaving the store with credit card unscathed, we decided to go up to Oxford Street and look for a few souvenirs. We took the Piccadilly Line from Knightsbridge to Green Park and switched to the Jubilee Line to go to Bond Street. We looked in the various stores (working our way towards Marble Arch), of which many are open til 8pm. DD17 found a store that was having a clearance and she bought a couple of shirts that were more "European-y" (look more like hippie style). I think she picked them up for around $10 each. Then I found a small store that had a double decker bus for DS. Which BTW, we never rode. We tried, but the bus schedules and lines are very confusing to figure out.

By this time we were very hungry and decided to grab McD's at Marble Arch (not much else around). We took it back to the hotel. Yes, I was eating after 8pm England time, not U.S, does it count? DD17 got a value meal (smaller drink) and I got a grilled ceasar chicken wrap, no drink for about $11. Remember, this in London is reasonable. I ate 2 of her fries to see how they tasted. No salt, not as greasy, but similar. The chicken wrap was more like a few pieces of chicken in a pita with a little lettuce, one slice of tomato and a hint of dressing. That was fine, since I ate that wonderful treat, I really wasn't hungry.

Talked to DH early and told him about the day and the fact that I think we walked 80 miles! Every part of my body hurt and my legs could hardly move. The feet were what bothered me the most and the shoes I was wearing really weren't that bad. I discussed Paris with DH and told him that I just couldn't justify the cost for one day, so we would probably take a tour to Cantebury. We even checked into flying and no go. I was going to miss Paris, but at the same time, I know that we wouldn't really have time to see everything that I thought DD17 should see. In the end, it was a good choice to not go and I know that soon DH and I will sneak away to there.

I calculated that we walked about 10 hrs, maybe more. It was a long day, but very fun and we loved the market (thanks Christin!).

I will try to get more posted again shortly. I think I am going to talk to DH about taking the laptop so I can keep up at WDW after everyone settles in for the night.

 

[goldcupmom]

Your trip reports are so wonderful!!

I'm surprised you're not shorter from all that walking!!

 

[Lesli54]

I think I have time to get another day posted before dinner.

London trip report to continue.

We got up this morning very sore and stiff. The walking is great, the sightseeing is great, but it does come at a price. Thankfully, today, we're riding. Maybe it will give us a chance to recoup.

Down for breakfast. Our tour to Stonehenge was a later one, so we had some time to kill in the morning. Breakfast was the same thing. 1 1/2 c. bran cereal, 1 c. milk, 1 sm croissant, 8 oz grapefruit juice. We did not pack a lunch for the tour since we ate our breakfast later and were having an early dinner (not included in the tour price). I figured that if we got hungry then we could grab a quick snack in Bath or eat the crackers that we brought along. Before we left for the meeting point, I called to book a tour for Monday, going to Catebury, Dover, and Leeds Castle.

Instead of spending the money to take the Underground to Marble Arch, we walked. The front desk at the hotel said it was only 10 minutes (maybe to Londoner's), but actually took us about 20. Taking the Underground would have cost us about $8 (for both) the one way and that just wasn't worth it. The walk was nice, even though we were a little stiff. The meeting point for the tour was at Pret a Manger on the corner of Marble Arch. Pret a Manger is a deli with lots of pre-made sandwiches, salads, and deserts. The prices are fairly resonalbe, although we never ate there since sandwiches we made for lunches on most days and sandwiches for supper is a little much.

Finally, time to board the coach (bus) just before 10:45am. We were one of the first pick up points so we got to see a lot of the topside of London as we drove to the other pick up points.

Our bus driver was Phil. Wonderful man, great driver and very knowledgable. As it turned out, he drove for our trip to Cantebury as well. Unfortunately, I didn't catch the name of our tour guide. She was very English, interesting to listen to and was very good at her job.

One of the first things that she pointed out was the homes at that edge of London and their price. These were townhouses with a very busy street running in front of them, a train running right behind them, and no yard that only sell for around $1.5 million. I gasped. They really weren't much to look at and the area didn't look so great to me. Property in London - expensive.

Driving through the countryside was beautiful. Many rolling hills full of canola (yes, used to make the oil), which by the way is yellow. We drove by Windsor Castle, which was a bit of a distance from us, but still a good veiw. It doesn't look like much to me. I guess, I like the really old tall castles (Cinderella's would be one ). We drove by many towns that were definitely centered around a church that usually had a tall spire. Okay, I was beginning to feel like maybe we had driven to Ireland, as there were many sheep in many pastures.

Our first destination was Bath. Once there, we were driven around a circle that has townhouses on it, shaped in a circle. The circle was built on the same dimensions as Stonehenge and the architect used a lot of Roman mythology to adorn the fronts of the buildings. It was very neat. These townhouses, BTW, sell for $3 million. At least Bath is very quaint, even it it has some 80,000 people. At one end of the circle there is a straight road that leads down to an offset square. From the air it looks like a key. They say that the architect was trying to build the Key to Enlightenment.

Jane Austin also wrote the book Pride and Prejuidice, based on things that occured in Bath. I guess she really didn't like the town. It was a place were high society came including those who wanted to be high society. I guess the taller a person's wig (during the time they wore them), the more prominent they thought themselves. It was not unusual for a person to have a 5 foot wig, when they were only 5' tall themselves. Watch out while dancing under the candles! BTW, they didn't take the wigs off every night. They had what was called a wig board proped up in their beds on which the wig could rest as they slept. Not my idea of a good nights sleep.

The Romans were the first to discover the Hot Spring in the Bath area and built temples and buildings to house the spring and act as a bath house. Over the years, much of it was destroyed and forgotten about. One day, a man noticed boiling water coming from his basement and contacted the town. They told him that he had a Roman bath under his house and they proceeded to tear down the houses in the area in order to excavate. All of the lead pipe drainage system that the Romans installed 2000 year ago is still in tact and functioning. It was really neat. We were able to see some of the actual Roman ruins, but most of what you see in pictures was what was rebuilt at a later time (although still quite old). Many thought that the Roman baths would cure them. Then DD17 and I went up to the Pump room where you can taste the mineral water from the spring (and have dinner). We bought a glass of water ($1) and split it. Other than the fact that it was warm, it tasted fine, even with 43 different minerals. Now the water I was drinking was 10,000 yr old rain that eventually came back up in the spring. After I drank it, I could feel the healing powers!

We spent almost 2 hrs in bath and didn't even touch the shops, of which there are alot of cute ones. Oh yes, we there was a offering pool inside the bathhouse. People used to through in offerings to the gods. Well, I don't honor gods, but all the money was going to archealogical research, so we had to throw in a few pennies. Back on the bus to Lacock for dinner. I ate 5 wheat crackers and 2 cheddar crackers at some point during the trip.

Lacock is a small town owned by the National Trust. It has been virtually unchanged for quite a few hundred years. (They do have indoor plumbing). But all of the buildings remain pretty much the same. Beautiful slate roofs, including the moss growing on them. We were supposed to take a walk down to the abbey (can't take the bus), but it was raining so hard that we were dropped off in front of the pub, where we were to eat. It is too bad that we missed the abbey, as it is a place where some of the Harry Potter footage was filmed. The pub is called The George Inn and was built back in the 1300's. It was so neat. I had the chicken & mushroom pie (similar to a potpie, but without a bottom crust). It was delicious. I also had a serving of cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. DD17 had lazange and didn't really care for it. For desert, DD17 got the apple crumble (similar to a cobbler) with real whipped cream. I had three bites. It was great! Also, I had 5 fries, very good. Dinner total was about $48! It was good, but not worth that price. I didn't complain too much as it the first dinner we had where we really splurged. It wouldn't matter what we had ordered, the pub makes a special menu for the tour groups and it is $22 per person (excluding drink and desert). Oh well. Our table sat 4 and two girls who were traveling Europe for 3 weeks as their college graduation trip sat down with us. One was named Megan, and other had Megan for a middle name. It was hilarious since that is DD17's name and she was on a graduation trip as well.

So much fun at the pub and I would highly recommend it to anyone. As we left Lacock, we got a glimpse of the abbey through some trees. Very pastoral as there were sheep in the meadow in front of it.

Then it was on to Stonehenge to see the site in the evening sun. Now Stonehenge is 5000 years old and was not built by the Druids (or aliens ). They have discovered that it was built at least 500 years before the Druids inhabited the area. The Druids did however perform rituals at Stonehenge and to this day they are the only group that is allowed to still perform some rituals, including weddings in the center of the stones. Stonehenge was built during the Bronze Age and the stones were moved from Ireland. There are still many theories as to the meaning and the original intent, but there are many burial mounds close by, so that may be key.

As we approached the site, I was amazed to find that it was much smaller than I had thought. The stones are not as tall and the circumference of the circle is not as wide. Don't get me wrong, it is still big, but I think that due to the angle of pictures and movie clips, we get a sense that it is much larger. It was really cool to see. Just out in the middle of nowhere. There is a fence just off the road that blocks people from just going up to it, but you can walk along the fence all you like. They have had problems with people defacing it and such. If you pay to go inside the fence, there is a path that skirts along the perimeter of the stones at a bit of a distance, but still reasonably close. Going up close to the stones and touching them is not allowed. UNLESS. You are with Premiere Tours and you book the right tour. (Thanks to my friend who told me you couldn't touch the stones, so I jumped on this when I saw it.) SO.......we got to go up, touch the stones and stand in the center. Only a few people at a time, but that is ok. Some people got in trouble for sitting on them (they were warned). I GOT TO TOUCH THE STONES!!!! I must say that standing in the center of the stones, I could feel the energy of the world!

It was really neat and thankfully, the rain held off long enough while we were there. Very beautiful as the sun is going down.

Back on the bus to go home. We were dropped off at Marble Arch and decided to walk back to hotel after we made a quick trip into the grocery store for some breakfast food. Our tour tomorrow leaves early and breakfast in the hotel won't be served yet. In our room, I ate 3 wheat crackers, 1 cheddar cracker, and some ham. 30 oz of water today.

The tour was fun! I will never forget it. We definitely enjoyed not walking all over creation and were feeling much more energetic. I figured we walked for about 3 hours today, maybe more. I was getting a little panicky as the batteries on my digital camera were about ready to die. Mind you I started with fresh and had already replaced them. Batteries in London were not worth the price so we figured, if I run out then we will use DD17's camera, she had plenty of film. Funny thing was, she let me take most of the pictures on my digital so she didn't have to mess with it.

I will update more hopefully later tonight. For now, I need to get some work done. DD7 is already trying to pack for WDW (unfortunately, all her scruffy play clothes) and DS has decided to "clean out" my cabinet in my office.

 

[rcyannacci]

Wow! So much to respond to!!!

I'm so glad you enjoyed the market! The stalls just go on forever and ever, don't they? I was so close to buying a pashmina when I was there, but I really couldn't justify it living in hot TX!

My feet always get the most tired walking in museums. That combination of slow walking and standing just kills them! I had the same reaction to all the "loot" from ancient Greece...really reminds you what a huge imperial power the British were at one time.

The tour sounds fantastic! Bath has always been on my list, but I've not made it yet. Isn't the English countryside just gorgeous!

Can't wait to hear your impressions of Cantebury and Dover...this was our favorite day trip. My DH fell in love with Dover castle!

Good luck w/ all the packing!