U.K (2015)

Prolog

In the middle of May I received a request to deliver a product in London.  At that time I was in Cleveland, Ohio and texted Tova, asking her if she would like to join me.  It took her about 5 seconds: “Of course” was her answer.

Later on I found out that Emly’s friend Rachel Schwartz, had plans to visit London in the same time period.  I promised Rachel that we’ll should stay in touch and have lunch together.

I flew to San Francisco on 5/26/15 and picked up the product the next day.  My flight to London left SFO on 5/27/15 and I arrived in London on Thursday, the 28th.  I delivered the product successfully and checked in at the Radisson Vanderbilt on Cromwell Road.

Day 1 – May 29^th, 2015

While having breakfast I was texting with our daughter Emly, who lives in Israel.  Emly asked if she could join us and I agreed, in one condition: Let’s surprise Tova.  Emly got a ticket from Tel Aviv to London, via Zurich, and had told me that she should land at 9:30 PM today.  I was so excited!

We estimated that she would be at the hotel at around 11:30 PM.

Tova’s flight on Norwegian Airlines arrived at around 2:00 PM.  I left the hotel at around 12:30 PM and was waiting for her at the terminal.  She had a comfortable flight and to her surprise, Rachel Schwartz, Emly’s friend was on the same flight. 

When she saw a huge smile on my face she asked me what’s going on.  Tova knows that this kind of a smile means that I am hiding something from her.  She continued to ask and reluctantly, I told her about the surprise.  Seeing how her tired face was filled with light and happiness, I told myself that it was worth telling her now about Emly’s arrival.

We took the express train from Gatwick Airport and 45 minutes later we were in the hotel.

  

We walked around and had lunch (Fish & Chips… of course..) at a popular pub and then just walked the streets for about an hour.  We returned to the hotel and Tova closed her eyes and slept for the next 4 hours. 

At around midnight I stood in front of the hotel, on Cromwell Road, and waited for Emly, as light rain had started.  She showed up around midnight.  The reunion with our youngest daughter was very emotional.

Emly was very hungry so we went down to the Gloucester Road and found a Lebanese restaurant that was just about closing up.  They agreed to serve us dinner.

We returned to the hotel, talking up to around 3:00 in the morning.

Day 2 – May 30^th, 2015

After breakfast, I texted Rachel and asked her if she could meet us at 10:00 next to Victoria-Albert Museum (V&A).  I did not tell her that Emly was with us.

We walked towards the museum and arrived to  the Brampton District of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in an area that has become known as "Albertopolis" because of its association with Prince Albert, the Albert Memorial and the major cultural institutions with which he was associated. These include the Natural History Museum (just a short block from our hotel), the Science Museum and the Royal Albert Hall.

We found a bench, in front of V&A.  Rachel showed up a few minutes later and Emly ran towards her.  Rachel was shocked!

  

We entered the museum and started our tour: V&A is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects(!). It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.  Like other national British museums, entrance to the museum has been free since 2001.

      

The V&A covers 12.5 acres and 145 galleries. Its collection spans 5,000 years of art, from ancient times to the present day, from the cultures of Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa. The holding of ceramics, glass, textiles, costumes, silver, ironwork, jewelry, furniture, medieval objects, sculpture, prints and print making, drawings and photographs are among the largest and most comprehensive in the world.

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The museum owns the world's largest collection of post-classical sculpture, with the holdings of Italian Renaissance items being the largest outside Italy. The departments of Asia include art from South Asia, China, Japan, Korea and the Islamic world. The East Asian collections are among the best in Europe, with particular strengths in ceramics and metalwork, while the Islamic collection is the largest in the Western world.

  

We asked one of the guides in the museum what are the most popular items in the museum, as we realized that a tour in such large museum can take few weeks of non-stop viewing.  He told us that the Jewelry Section, The Great Bed, The Library, and the sculptures are among the popular viewing and will fit our time schedule.

We visited the jewelry collection, and found out it contains over 6,000 items and is one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of jewelry in the world and includes works dating from Ancient Egypt to the present day. The museum owns pieces by renowned jewelers Cartier, Jean Schlumberger, Peter Faberge, Carl Hemmerle and Lalique. Other items in the collection include diamond dress ornaments made for Catherine the Great, bracelet clasps once belonging to Marie Antoinette, and the Beauharnais emerald necklace presented by Napoleon to his adopted daughter Hortense de Beauharnais in 1806.  The museum also collects international modern jewelry by world’s renowned designers and African and Asian traditional jewelry. 

The library was closed for visitors and opened only to scholars who come here to research and document.

The collection of sculptures was huge: it contains over 22,000 items.  We took a tour with a professional guide and walked through some of the collections.  It was fascinating!  The highlight of this tour (for me) was The Gloucester Candlestick, the Becket Casket and a replica of David by Michelangelo.

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We were out of the museum at around 1:00 and walked on Exhibition Road towards the Royal Albert Hall.  We purchased tickets and had a lovely guide who took us around.  The Royal Albert Hall was built to fulfill the vision of Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's husband) of a 'Central Hall' that would be used to promote understanding and appreciation of the Arts and Sciences and would stand at the heart of the South Kensington estate, surrounded by museums and places of learning.  It was opened for the first time in 1871 by Queen Victoria.  The concert hall has a capacity of 5,272 seats!

  

The tour included a visit to the Royal Suite.  Queen Elizabeth II has visited the hall at least once a year ever since she became the Queen of England.

   

When we entered the concert hall, we found out that The Beach Boys are going to perform tonight.  Photos were not allowed to be taken because a rehearsal was taken place when we arrived Did not stop me for taking a couple of shots).  Rachel purchased a ticket for the performance tonight and since she was a “Last Minute” buyer, she was able to get an excellent seat for a very reasonable price.

We continued our day and walked around Hyde Park, visiting the grounds and the Italian Garden.  We actually wanted to visit the Princess Diana Fountain but the road to cross over to the fountain was closed as thousands of people participated in the annual decathlon event. We then had lunch in a great restaurant, outside the park.

     

    

We returned to the hotel at around 4:00.  Rachel returned to her own hotel and we prepared ourselves for our next highlight of the day: Dinner at Jennifer Kay's home.

We took the train and arrived an hour later to her house, outside London.  She was so surprised to find out that Emly was with us.  She also invited her sister Adele and her husband.  We had a lovely dinner and then returned to the hotel, as Emly decided to stay there for the night.

We returned to the hotel at around midnight.

Day 3 – June 1st, 2015

We woke up at 7:00 and went for breakfast.  Rachel joined us few minutes later.

We took the underground to the City of Westminster.  Heavy rain welcomed us as we got out to the streets.

We started our walking tour, going to 10 Downing Street, also known in the U.K as “Number 10”, the official home and offices of the Prime Minister.  The house is heavily guarded and a tall iron fence surrounds the complex.

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My back was giving me a problem.  I might have twisted it somewhere.  I sat down at a bus stop nearby and took a pain killer, waiting for the sharp pain to go away.

We headed towards the House of Parliament and crossed the street onto Parliament Square. The square features a large open green area in the center with trees to its west and it contains ten statues of statesmen and other notable individuals.

  

We stood in front of  a bronze sculpture of the former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.  It is located on a spot referred to in the 1950s by Churchill as "where my statue will go.   The statue stands tall opposite the Palace of Westminster and shows Winston Churchill standing with his hand resting on his walking stick and wearing a military greatcoat.

  

Other statues in the park include those of Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, and Mahatma Gandhi.

       

We sat down in the park, waiting for Emly and Jennifer, who showed up at around 11:00 as the rain took a break and we walked around the square to Westminster Abbey, passing Big Ben, and The House of Parliament and then walked towards Buckingham Palace, which has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch.

      

              

The rain decided that it is time to pour again and heavy rain started to fall.  We opened our umbrellas and walked for about 30 minutes until we arrived to Trafalgar Square, built around the area formerly known as Charring Cross. At its center there was Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of commemorative statues and sculptures in the square.

  

It was time for lunch and we followed Jennifer to a simple but a great restaurant.  We had a delicious traditional English lunch and then walked back to the square for pictures taking, as the rain took a break.

We took the underground to arrive at The Tower of London.  Jennifer, who had prior engagement for today said goodbye and we thanked her for the short but interesting tour of Central London.  We purchased the tickets and entered the complex, also known as Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress.

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The historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames.  It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952 although that was not its primary purpose. The peak period of the castle's use as a prison was the 16th and 17th centuries, when many figures that had fallen into disgrace, such as Elizabeth I before she became queen, were held within its walls.

Early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a wide water filled ditch. The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armory, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of England. This was a powerful and trusted position in the medieval period.


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Despite its enduring reputation as a place of torture and death, only seven people were executed within the Tower before the World Wars of the 20th century. Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle, with 112 occurring there over a 400-year period. In the First and Second World Wars, the Tower was again used as a prison, and witnessed the executions of 12 men for espionage.

  

We toured the grounds for an hour and then, after a coffee break, we walked along the River Thames and viewed the spectacular London Bridge.

  

We used the Underground to arrive to Oxford Street, to do some shopping for Emly, but found out that the stores are all closed:  they are opened on Sunday from 12:00 to 6:00.

  

We walked towards Piccadilly Circus and then took the underground back to Gloucester, where we found an excellent Indian Cuisine and had a wonderful dinner.

Day 4 – June 2^nd, 2015

We woke up at around 6:30 as we were scheduled to be picked up for today’s journey, at around 7:45.

We had the traditional English breakfast, and Rachel joined us.

The car, which picked us up, took us to Victoria Coach Station, where we found our modern and comfortable tour bus.

Our tour guide, who was an exact replica of Al Pacino, was very informative and extremely likable and funny.

We arrived to the county of Berkshire and to our first stop: Windsor Castle.  Our guide told us some of the history of this magnificent castle:  The castle is a royal residence and is notable for its long association with the English and later British royal family and also for its architecture. The original castle was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. 

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Since the time of  Henry I, it has been used by succeeding monarchs and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. Originally designed to protect Norman dominance around the outskirts of London, and to oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames.

Windsor Castle was built with a wooden or stone tower situated on a raised earthwork and accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, with three wards surrounding a central mound. Gradually replaced with stone fortifications, the castle withstood a prolonged siege during the First Barons' War at the start of the 13th century. Henry III built a luxurious royal palace within the castle during the middle of the century, and Edward III went further, rebuilding the palace to produce an even larger set of buildings in what would become "the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England". 

     

Edwdrd's core design lasted through the Tudor period, during which Henry VIII and Elizabeth I made increasing use of the castle as a royal court and center for diplomatic entertainment.

Windsor Castle survived the tumultuous period of the English Civil War, when it was used as a military headquarters for Parliamentary forces and a prison for Charles I. During the Restoration, Charles II rebuilt much of Windsor Castle, creating a set of extravagant, Baroque interiors that are still admired. After a period of neglect during the 18th century, George III and George IV renovated and rebuilt Charles II's palace at colossal expense, producing the current design of the State Apartments, full of Rococo, Gothic and Baroque furnishings. Victoria made minor changes to the castle, which became the center for royal entertainment for much of her reign. Windsor Castle was used as a refuge for the royal family during the bombing campaigns of the 2^nd World War and survived a fire in 1992. It is a venue for hosting state visits, and the preferred weekend home of the current queen of England, Elizabeth II.

        

We stood in line for security check.  It lasted more the 30 minutes and then we entered the castle, right in time for Changing of the Guards Ceremony.  Here we saw the full ceremony that was quite impressive

We visited the chapel and then rushed to the “apartments” as time was running out.  We rushed through the lavish and elegant, yet very historic rooms and then exited the castle running towards the location of our coach.  I was extremely disappointed for the time allowed to our tour and I made a note to revisit the beautiful castle next time I visit London, only that this time I will take a public transpiration to the city of Windsor and will allow a full day of exploration.

Our next stop was at one of the most visited places in the U.K and one of the items on my bucket list: Stonehenge.

        

One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is the remains of a ring of standing stones set within earthworks. It is in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.  Archaeologists believe it was built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. Radiocarbon dating in 2008 suggested that the first stones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC, while another theory suggests that bluestones may have been raised at the site as early as 3000 BC (Over 5000 years ago!). The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986.

     

There are many theories why this site was built.  My theory is that it was built as a ceremonial site for some kind of religion that was practiced 5000years ago.

A very strong wind welcomed us and we were told that this type of weather is a constant in this opened place. We toured the site and then watched an exhibition, accompanied with beautiful pictures in the visitors’ center.  We were informed that thousands of people come to the site every June 20^th, spending the night in an anticipation of the sunrise, as June 21^st, known as Summer Solstice.  It is the only time of the year where admission is free of charge.

     

Our next stop was the city of Oxford and its famous university. Our guide told us that the so called “university” is actually a combination of 38 universities, all in the same town.  All the colleges are self-governing institutions as part of the university, each controlling its own membership and with its own internal structure and activities. Being a city university, it does not have a main campus; instead, all the buildings and facilities are scattered throughout the metropolitan center. History takes us back to the year 1096 when the first university opened, making it the oldest university in the English speaking world.  It grew rapidly from 1167 when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. 

         

After disputes between students and Oxford townsfolk in 1209, some academics fled northeast to Cambridge, where they established the University of Cambridge. The two "ancient universities" are frequently jointly referred to as "Oxbridge".

We followed our guide in the narrow streets and were allowed to enter few of the courtyards of some of the colleges.  In one we saw a student covered with paint, shivering all over.  She explained to me that today she took her last exam and was covered by paint by her fellow students, as part of a “graduation” ceremony.  She would stand there for the rest of the day covered with the fresh paint, she informed me.

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We visited The Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Christ Church, Lady Margaret Hall, and Bodleian Library.

Some of the famous graduates from Oxford are: Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Hugh Grant, Rupert Murdoch, Indira Gandhi, David Cameron, Emma Watson, and King Abdullah of Jordan.

                 

Many famous and popular movies were shot in the city including: Saving Private Ryan, A Fish Called Wanda, The Italian Job and the most popular Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, who took the entrance exams for Oxford University but was not accepted!

We returned to Central London an hour and a half later.  Rachel had tickets for a The Book of Mormons in Piccadilly Circus and thought is starting at 8:30.  However when she got to the theater it turned out the show started at 7:30 and she stranded outside the theater until intermission.

Emly planned to take the train to Jennifer home, as her flight back to Israel was scheduled for tomorrow morning and Jennifer’s home was much closer to the airport than our hotel.  Our goodbyes were very emotional.

Day 5 – June 3^rd, 2015

One of the items on my Bucket List is The White Cliffs of Dover.  When we arrived to the hotel last night I booked a tour, which included the cliffs.

We woke up, once again at 6:30 and were picked up right after breakfast.  Once again we arrived, to the now familiar Victoria Coach Station, where we found our tour bus.  

Our new tour guide was a lovely lady with a ton of knowledge.

The weather was a typical London day: low clouds and rain!

  

The first stop was in Kent as we made a stop at Leeds Castle:  “The castle is also known as ‘The Loveliest Castle in the World’”, our guide started her lecture, “a castle has been on the site since 1119. In the 13th century it came into the hands of King Edward I, for whom it became a favorite residence; in the 16th century, Henry VIII used it as a residence for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

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The castle today dates mostly from the 19th century and is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds. It has been open to the public since 1976.  The last private owner of the castle was Lady Baillie, an American heiress, who bought the castle in 1926. She redecorated 
the interior. 

       

  

 During the early part of World War II the castle was used as a hospital where Lady Baillie and her daughters hosted burned Commonwealth airmen as part of their recovery. Survivors remember the experience with fondness. Upon her death in 1974, Lady Baillie left the castle to the Leeds Castle Foundation, a private charitable trust whose aim is to preserve the castle and grounds for the benefit of the public.”

     

We found a beautiful castle surrounded by a lake and a beautiful garden.  We toured the many rooms and were overwhelmed by the collection of historical collection in this castle.  The grounds were very photogenic as the whole scene looks as if it was taken from a fairy-tale book.

We returned to our coach and drove for about an hour when we arrived to the city of Canterbury and its famous Cathedral.  Here we were divided into 2 groups: Those that had paid the extra money for lunch and those that wanted to purchase lunch on their own.  We were on the second group.  We wondered the narrow streets and found a beautiful café’ where we were sipping on a delicious latte and munching on a melted cheese sandwich with vegetables.

The two groups met again at 2:00 PM and we started the tour of the Cathedral, as heavy rain started to fall.

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As I had mentioned, our guide was an endless source of information.  She told us about the Cathedral and its history: “Built in 597,  it is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England; it forms part of a World Heritage Site.  It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England and a symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.  It is being used daily by the local community. It was largely rebuilt in the Gothic style following a fire in 1174, with significant eastward extensions to accommodate the flow of pilgrims visiting the shrine of Thomas Becket, the archbishop who was murdered in the cathedral in 1170.  (When the above was mentioned, I remembered vividly the 1964 movie with Richard Burton and Peter O’toole, about the same Cathedral and about the murder of Becket).

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We toured this magnificent Cathedral for over an hour.  It was, by far, one of the most beautiful Cathedral I have ever seen.  The beautiful stained glass were amazing, the design of the main hall was unbelievable, full with historical exhibitions, including graves of famous persons.  We visited the spot were Becket was brutally murdered and the guide had more details about his death and about the events that were leading to the date when Becket was butchered in this spot. 

Walking down the worn steps which Pilgrims passed so long ago was very special.

When we walked out of the Cathedral the rain had stopped and we prayed it will continue to be the same as we were heading to our next stop: The White Cliffs of Dover.

  

When we arrived to Dover the weather turned to the worse.  Low clouds, wind and rain welcomed us and the bus was not allowed to park close to the cliffs but about a couple of miles away.  When we made the turn, we were able to see a glimpse of what we would have seen if the weather was cooperating.

As I had mentioned, The White Cliffs of Dover were on my bucket list since I was about 15 and was watching war movies, specifically the 1941 movie with same the title. The guide told us that they are part of the English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face, which reaches up to 350 feet, owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk emphasized by streaks of black flint.

I was able to take a couple of photos but those photos are far from what I expected to take and the cliffs will remain on my bucket list.  I will return!

Our next stop was at the top of a hill facing The Dover Castle, the most iconic of English medieval fortresses, commanding the gateway since the 12^th century.  We did not have time left to visit the castle – one more reason for me to return!

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We headed towards London and arrived there about an hour later, as the weather changed to a beautiful clear sky.

Tova & I decided to walk from Victoria Coach Station to our hotel.  About 2 miles of walking and we also entered the world famous Harrods, which is a magnificent department store.

We were at the hotel at around 7:30 and had a nice dinner in a vegetarian restaurant on Gloucester.

Day 6 – June 4^th, 2015

We decided to take this day for just walking around as since it was our first sunny day here we were able to accomplish a lot.

  

After breakfast we headed back to Hyde Park. We passed Queen Victoria Statue, next to Kensington Palace, and arrived to our destination: Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.






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The memorial is dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in 1997. It was designed to express Diana's spirit and love of children. The fountain is just south of the Serpentine lake. The design aims to reflect Diana's life, water flows from the highest point in two directions as it cascades, swirls and bubbles before meeting in a calm pool at the bottom.  The Memorial also symbolizes Diana's quality and openness.

 

We took the Double Decker red bus to Central London, and headed to Piccadilly Circus, to purchase tickets for The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theater.  We bought tickets for the matinee show, at a very reasonable price, and then took the tube to the City of Westminster.  


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We walked around, admiring the beauty and enjoying plenty of sunshine.  Once again we walked around Big Ben and then walked along the Thames River towards The Eye of London, returning to the square and visiting St Margaret Church, next to Westminster Abbey, we looked at the beautiful Parliament Building and then walked all the way to Victoria Station, where we took the tube back to Piccadilly Circus, just in time to walk in to the beautiful theater. 

   

We were seated in row 8, straight in the middle! The show was excellent and we enjoyed it tremendously.

After the show we stopped at a typical English Pub to have the traditional Fish & Chips dinner plate, accompanied by draft beer.

We walked to Oxford Street, made some stops at stores and then took the tube back to our hotel, where we packed for tomorrow’s return home.

Day 7 – June 5^th, 2015

After breakfast we both travelled to Victoria Station.  I made sure Tova is on the right train to Gatwick Airport.  I then returned to the hotel, rested for a couple of hours and then headed to Heathrow Airport, where I boarded my flight to LAX.

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