Week 13—A visitor from America

Wednesday, my friend Rebecca came into town to spend a week with me and tour the wonderful sights of London. Despite some jet lag, we had a great time. London is a wonderful city with so much to see and do—at week 13, I am still finding and learning new things about the city.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Continued Birthday Celebration

We continued to celebrate Tony’s birthday by going out to dinner. I told him that I would take him wherever he wanted to go…anywhere in London…any restaurant…and he chose…Chipotle. Yes, Chipotle! Since coming here many people have asked Tony what he misses and I often here that him say a “Chipotle burrito, chips and guacamole.” About a week and a half before birthday we went to a book store on Charing Cross Road and as we approached the store we noticed a Chipotle across the street. Tony was delighted and immediately requested a Birthday dinner at Chipotle. So we enjoyed a burrito, chips and guacamole—tasted just like home.

My London Learning for the day…Chipotle London opened May 10, 2010 and is the first in Europe. There is hopes for expansion of the chain to other areas of the county and Europe. Also in the UK cilantro is known as coriander—so, Chipotle serves coriander-lime rice.


Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A Visit to the Houses of Parliament

(Parliament Square with protesters camped out with the House of Parliament in the background)

After passing through security, my visit to the Houses of Parliament began in Westminster Hall. This is the oldest surviving part of the building dating back to 1099 and has been the site of several famous events, which were shown by plaques on the floor.

After Westminster Hall, cameras were no longer allowed as the visit proceeded to the House of Commons and House of Lords, which were both in session. It was a wonderful experience and enjoyable to see how another country’s government operates, as well as the differences between the two houses. The House of Commons was just like I see it on TV—wood panel and green benches and the two sides of the government facing each other. I loved how each side of the government responded to one another, either with laughs or a “Hear hear” of agreement. This was even more lively in the House of Lords. Also interesting in the House of Lords was how ornate the decorations were—from the wood work, stained glass, lighting fixtures, paintings, and gilded canopy housing the throne.

My London Learning for the day are a few Houses of Parliament statistics…the palace’s length covers 872 feet of the river front, it sits on 8 acres, has 100 stair cases, has the 3 miles of passageways and 1,100 rooms.


Thursday, June 17, 2010
Salisbury Cathedral and the Magna Carta

Today I visited Salisbury Cathedral, which is home to one of the four original surviving copies of the Magna Carta dating back to 1215. The Cathedral was beautiful and the copy of the Magna Carta displayed was in excellent condition. Here are some pictures from the Cathedral; however, no picture of the Magna Carta were allowed.

My London Learning for the day is about the Salisbury Cathedral, not only is it home to one of the Magna Carta’s but also home of the Britain’s tallest spire (404ft)…

and home of the world’s oldest mechanical working clock (1386)…

The trip to Salisbury Cathedral was part of a coach tour, which also took up to Bath, Stonehenge and for lunch at a pub!

The pub

Rebecca and I at Stonehenge

Friday, June18, 2010
Double Decker Bus Ride

A great way to see London is by taking a ride on one of the infamous Double Decker Buses. You will pass all of the major sights and get some great commentary from the tour guides.
My London Learning came from my ride on the Double Decker Bus—all roads that lead to Buckingham Palace are red!

We also enjoyed a Spanish tapas dinner with Tony's cousin Andy who has been in town for the past week rehearsing for a show. Tony has not seen Andy since young childhood and this was our first meeting. Andy was a fun person to talk with--I loved hearing about his career as a singer/actor/performer. Andy shared that he is friends with the actress who plays Christine in Love Never Die, which we saw during one of our first weeks here in London---big city, small world.

See any family resemblance?

Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 19-20, 2010
The Cliffs of Dover

Tony purchased the book Country Walks Near London, which has 30 walks with details directions and great suggestions for lunches and tea stops. So, we decided on the country walk from Dover to Deal. The trip started with a train ride from London to the Dover Priory Stations, a 10 mile walk along the ridge of the famous Cliffs of Dover, lunch at the Coastguard Pub (England's closest pub to France), and ended at the Deal train station where we took a train back to London. It was a great day, for the most part good walking weather, and captivating scenery of the English countryside.

Start at Dover Priory Station

First Views of the White Cliffs

Dover Castle from a distance

Tony reading the Country Walks Near London. He was a great guide!

More Views of the Cliffs

The Coastguard Pub

More views of the cliffs as we approach Leeds, a beautiful coast town.

The End--10 miles later at the train station in Leeds

My London Learning answers the question we had when walking along the cliffs…“Why are they white?” The Cliffs of Dover are white because they are chalk (pure calcium carbonate). The occasional black streaks are black flint. (Wikipedia)