Week in Review June 18th - 24th

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

Week in Review, London.

So over a week has gone past since my last post.  I apologise.  


To briefly recap the past week:

1. I have started to figure out some things at work.  I actually feel I have done more than just going around and asking questions.  
2. I can now drive about without, for the most part, having to check the navigator.  I still am not completely comfortable with my knowledge of where the left side of the car is and I still need a little work on my shifting. 
3. I AM now able to get in and drive without a significant increase in my stress levels.

Saturday, I took the plunge and grabbed the train into London.  I had a fairly aggressive list of things to do so I tried to get off at a reasonable time.  Arrived in London around 9:30 and made my first stop at Kings Cross Station to take this picture.

I just couldn’t seem to get the cart to go in any further so I caught the Underground to head a little closer to the city center.


My first destination was the Millennium bridge and a walk across the Thames to Shakespeare's Globe Theater.  Yes, I know the original Globe is gone and this one is recreation but it is a very lovely one.  Checking prices, you can be a groundling for a little less than $25.00 but you stand through the whole show.  Tours pretty much end by 1:00 because they have a 2:00 PM matinee.  Saturday’s matinee was to be the Taming of the Shrew. It was sold out.






In the photo above, the Globe is that white building to the right of center.  The Picture on the right is where those who wanted to be seen sat.


In this picture It is approaching noon and they are preparing the stage for the 2:00 o’clock performance.  That is what I call a tight schedule.  


The set construction added a bit of a challenge for my docent, Maeve.  It seemed that every time she built up to one of her punchlines, the folks on the stage would fire up a power tool.  It made for a disjointed but funny tour.


OK, time for lunch.  


I set out for Borough Market; a VERY popular open food market about a ½ mile from the Globe.  Butchers, Bakers, Cheese merchants, gourmet food supplier, fruit sellers, and greengrocers peddle their wares.  A very interesting diversion, especially as they all pretty much offer samples.  


BUT what I came for was to partake of the offerings of the street vendors and they were there in spades.  Problem was so was half of London; it was Jam Packed.


   



I eventually decided upon the empanadas, one chicken and one beef.  The chicken was good, the beef was FANTASTIC.  I also bought some sausages for later at another stall.  I bought three meet sticks; one of venison, one of wild boar, and one of something else whose name I didn't recognise.  


Next on my agenda was to cross the Tower Bridge and tour the Tower of London. So off I went.  




On the way I came upon a park named Potters Fields.  Part of the park is, and I quote, a "colourful herbaceous garden by Piet Oudolf, world famous plantsman".

The park also has some lovely views of the Tower of London, City Hall and both the London and Tower bridges.


I had a little challenge with both the Millennium and Tower Bridge.  I kept heading to the bridge following the river walk.  Unfortunately, the bridges don't start at the waters edge. So with the Millennium I had to back track a little to get to its access point. I feared I was going to have to do it again with the Tower Bridge but stumbled upon a stairway that lead up to the bridge level.

                        


So I made it to the Tower of London shortly after 2 PM and I caught the next Yeoman Warder Tour which started at 2:30.  The Yeomen are all former military and, if I remember right, have to have at least 18 years of commendable service in one of their armed forces.  The Yeoman that lead my tour must have been a former Drill Sergeant.  He could bark orders that you just naturally snapped to and complied with and yet he would then soften and slip in a very funny bit of humor.  The kids hung on his every word, as you can see from the picture below(so did most of the adults).

The following link is someone else's video of this guy and it isn't great quality but it gives you some idea of his delivery http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YuSc-Vr1rc&list=FLd38rdMqBShGAc4x4WSoruQ&index=1&feature=plpp_video

After a marvellous hour with this man I began my investigation of the area.  There are many different displays in each of the different Towers, from the Crown Jewels (I lucked out as there wasn't that bad a line) to torture devices, to armor from many of the different kings to all the different arms used through out the ages and more than I can put down here and still get this blog posted this week.  It is an amazing place and the 3 1/2 hours I spent could easily have doubled if only my feet could have held up. 

The White Tower.  The first Tower.   Built in the 11th Century

The Tower Garden as viewed from inside Beauchamp Tower

Waterloo Block; Inside be the Crown Jewels, yarrr.

So as the Tower of London closes at 5:30, so do most all of the other venues around.  I thought about possibly taking the underground over to Westminster and taking a photo of The Abbey and Big Ben but my body had given up on me.  I checked out possible bus tours but they were also done for the day except for the night tours and unfortunately I needed to catch the train back before the end of the night bus tour.  

Euston Station

I figured as I wouldn't mind leaving a little cushion for error this first trip back I would head for Euston Station and my Virgin Fast Train connection.  With very little stumbling I made my way back to lovely Milton Keynes and the Abbey Hill Hotel and was in my room by 8:30.  I had a little issue with the cabbies at the Milton Keynes station as I couldn't figure out where the head of the queue was.  They got over it and I got back to the Hotel.

Hey, it looks like I am going back to London this coming Saturday as a coworker has arrived this week to work on IS stuff and she would like to go.  It would be my pleasure.

Later

Sun + Sleep = Nerve

Monday, June 18th, 2012

Sun + Sleep = Nerve

Yesterday I finally went for a drive.  Being rested and with Mother Nature blessing me with a sunny day I left the hotel with guide books in hand and went first to a small town that I have been to before, Stoney Stratford.  

This town is believed to have been around since the Roman occupation and was at a major river crossing along one of the two routes north out of Londinium. They have found Roman coins along the bank of the river leading to speculation that their may have been a fort at this juncture. Later say in the 14 to 1600's this route was called the London Road which ran between London and Cheshire.  Stoney was about a days ride out of London and being situated at the bank of the first major river crossing, travelers stopped and stayed the night. They also often had to wait for the muck and mire to firm up before they could continue their travels.  During this time Stoney boasted about 30 Coach Inns; two of which were the Cock and the Bull.  While waiting to continue on their journey, these travelers would sit and pass the time in the Inn’s pub swapping travelers stories; stories that often stretched the truth and were labeled as typical “Cock and Bull" stories.  Ah, my kind of history.  For Shakespeareans, the town is where Young King Edward was nabbed by “Richard the III” and carted off to the tower of London.    

After Stoney I took a big gulp and opted to try my luck on traveling the local roads.  I picked a place (as close as I could find) recommended by one of my guidebooks called Stowe Gardens.  This isn't a flowery kind of garden but 400 acres of Landscape Gardens.  It consists of some bits of architecture nestled into gentle rolling hills, then throw in a few ponds, gurgling cascades, a grotto and some tree groves.  Toss in a big dose of quirkiness and that describes Stowe.  if there was a theme to the structures, I couldn’t figure it out but it made for a very pleasant afternoon in the sun.  

      
The Grotto The Queens Temple, I think

Each structure has a stone tablet set into the ground in front of it with its name.  They have names like “Temple of British Worthies” and "Palladian Bridge”.  The following, though, is my favorite

:              
Yep, I believe that is what it is.  

So to top off my day, I then drove all the way back to the hotel and didn’t miss a turn until I got to the HUGE roundabout by my hotel.  There I messed up and entered the limited access highway instead of the road to the hotel.  I believe the fates were reminding me to not get cocky.  

Later

Monday, June 11th, 2012: Fear of Driving

Monday, June 11th, 2012

Fear of Driving:

Yesterday, I mentally prepared myself for driving during my walk; visually driving the roads in my mind, seeing myself driving on the left hand side, left turns, right turns and navigating the roundabouts.  Today I was given the company floater car to use while I’m here and had to put all that preparation into action.  There were things I failed to mentally walk through.  

Tonight, after work, I went out to the car and unlocked the doors, threw my computer onto the back seat and got in. Strike #1, I got in on the left hand side, the passenger side, of the car.  Moved over to the right side buckled up and then started the car.  Next I shifted into reverse and then, Strike #2, I looked over my right shoulder to make sure It was clear behind and hit the driver side door frame with my head.  So I shifted about and looked over my left shoulder and eased off the clutch.  Strike #3, the car didn’t move because I hadn’t let off the parking brake.  

Yep not even out of the parking space and I had already gone down swinging.  

I did eventually drive around a bit which got the old cardio going and I only got honked at once.  
Milton Keynes loves their roundabouts.  

Later.

Sunday, June 10, 2012: Be a Slug

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Spent most of the day as a slug and dozed on and off for most of the day.

Accomplishments:

I got down for breakfast about 9:00 am and enjoyed the grilled tomatoes and avoided the bangers.

Took a big risk and used the hotel provided body wash (I don’t have soap in my kit?  Unthinkable!) and shampoo and did NOT break out!  Woot!

After dinner (restaurant doesn’t open till 6:30) of small steak, mushrooms, chips and another grilled tomato, I went for a walk.  The weather forecast was correct; it started to drizzle in the early evening just as I was starting out for my walk.  It was not bad enough to stop me from walking but enough to discourage a long walk.  I walked the ½ mile from the hotel to the office.  To do this, I had to navigate how to get across a reasonably busy road, the A422 named Monks Way.  I was exploring the intersection, contemplating how I should attempt to cross as there didn’t seem to be any crosswalk when I noticed stairs that went down a small hillside slope.  Upon further inspection, I noticed that these stairs led to a path that led under a road bridge.  So simple and so safe.  The path continued between the light factory buildings in the area and came out quite near the office.  It will make a nice walk to work when the forecast isn’t for torrential downpour, which it is for the morrow.

Later