12 night british isles rt from southampton (with dublin overnight) 9/10/17

We were on this voyage as well, looking forward to your review (and pics).

I just finished posting all of my memorabilia into a scrapbook -- there was a lot of it! We hope to repeat this trip in 2019, apparently on the Regal (taking this itinerary over from Caribbean).

We were on this voyage as well, looking forward to your review (and pics).

 

I just finished posting all of my memorabilia into a scrapbook -- there was a lot of it! We hope to repeat this trip in 2019, apparently on the Regal (taking this itinerary over from Caribbean).

Hope you had as good a time as we did. Aside from missing LeHavre, it was a fantastic cruise for us. a+

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Why did you miss LeHarve, weather?

Port Strike in LeHavre

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Thanks, we are schedule for next June, hopefully it will be resolved by then.

Glad it's not just me.

Yes

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Taking this cruise next June. Wish I could see the pix.

Ditto. Was thinking I was the only one who couldn't view the pics.

No pics :(

Our Bird 747-400

 

 

Mr. Met testing the leg room in row 17. At 5'3", there was plenty of room!

 

 

 

Mrs. Met enjoying pre-flight Chardonnay after a last minute upgrade to Business Class

 

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Our Bird 747-400

Mrs. Met and Her Pre-Flight Chardonnay after a last minute upgrade to business class

Mr Met checking out the space in row 17. It was plenty large enough as he is only 5ft. 3 in tall!

uote=MisterMet;54537935]LONDON CALLING Day 1--9/7/10

After dropping off the luggage at the St. James Court, we visited the hotel’s restaurant for a quick buffet brunch. We then sprung to action to begin our brief, but quite effective assault on the tourist sites in London beginning with a short walk to Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, and the London Eye. Armed with our London Pass mobile app we were quite ready to immerse ourselves in London culture.

We finished up our magical ¾ day self and Rick Steves guided tour with entrance and tour of the Churchill War Rooms and Museum. We ran out of gas at around 5:00 PM as we’d been up for nearly 40 hours at that point and retreated to the St. James Court to unpack, nap, and of course, track Hurricane Irma. A wonderful dinner in one of the hotel’s restaurants left us well fed and ready to tackle our Day 2 plans.

Here ar the pics that should go with this post.

Mr. Met (aka Trip)

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben undergoing renovation and will only ring a few times in the next 5 years.

The Thames and Parliament

Uniform on display from Churchill War Museum

Thank you for following along. We found the black cabbies to be very personable and knowledgeable, and very convenient.

 

 

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Amazing how well they know their city. Many years ago while in college drove cab in NYC and these guys put my knowledge of the city to shame.

LONDON CALLING Day 2-- 9/8/10

 

Master Steves recommended in his guide that getting to the Tower London early to see the Crown Jewels was essential. Since this was one of the focal points or our tourism wants, we heeded his and the hotel concierge’s advice and black cabbed it to the Tower. We were in the queue with our London Passes securely loaded in our phone by 8:50 AM. The passes were quite helpful and saved essential touring time and money. By 9:03 AM we had hurried our way into the exhibit to observe Her Royal Majesty’s exquisite jewels. As a man, I would truly say that I was impressed, so I can’t imagine what the women were thinking! Mrs. Met cracked that I needed to get a better job so I could afford to give her a piece of what she observed. Well played Mrs. Met!

 

 

 

A quick tour on a Hop on Hop Off bus landed us later at world famous Harrod’s department store. I had visited this landmark 40 years prior when my parents brought our family to England for a week. It was everything I remembered it to be. We really enjoyed cruising around each floor with its high-end fashion designers,cutting edge electronics, and wonderful food market sections. One could truly spend 2 or three days there and not see everything. A quick stop in the Burger Bar there for 3 sliders and chips and 3 Diet Cokes cost a cool 50 GBP, but it was totally worth the splurge. Dinner with a member of the golf club where I work was planned for later that evening at Langan’s Restaurant (owned by actor Michael Cain) so we black cabbed it back to the hotel and freshened up for what was a truly wonderful meal at Langan’s.

 

 

Gate at Tower of London

Queen's Guard

White Tower at the Tower of London

Tower Bridge

Mrs Met and a Yoeman Warder

]Shopper's Nirvana

One of Harrod's many food courts

Dessert Menu from Langan's Restaurant in London. Owned by actor Michael Cain

Mr. & Mrs. Met with our host Bill Kelly

We should now be all caught up. Thank you Bimmer '09 (Norris) for the help.

Thanks for sharing and the photos are great.(y)

Tony

Thanks for sharing and the photos are great.(y)

 

Tony

Thanks Tony. Glad you’re following along. Much more to come.

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]Shopper's Nirvana

 

 

 

 

One of Harrod's many food courts

 

 

Dessert Menu from Langan's Restaurant in London. Owned by actor Michael Cain

 

 

Mr. & Mrs. Met with our host Bill Kelly

 

 

 

We should now be all caught up. Thank you Bimmer '09 (Norris) for the help.

Trip, you are most welcome! Now we can all see your photos and follow the adventure.

I used to work across the street (#1 Knightsbridge Green for Texaco's Oil Tanker division (me and ships!) and Harrods food court is phenomenal. Never ate in Langhans but love the menu art and the treats shown for a reasonable price. We're making a beeline for Gordon Ramsay on Hospital Road when we hit London next September to join Celebrity Silhouette.

I learned to drive in London (late in life at age 24) and knew my way around very well eventually and those landmarks were something I got to see almost daily. What beauty there is there, architecturally and culturally speaking. Such a cosmopolitan city.

I am glad you took my advice and ditched Photobucket. They have shot themselves in the foot with their sudden greed. Let it Bleed.

Norris, smitten by London at age 13

Trip, you are most welcome! Now we can all see your photos and follow the adventure.

 

I used to work across the street (#1 Knightsbridge Green for Texaco's Oil Tanker division (me and ships!) and Harrods food court is phenomenal. Never ate in Langhans but love the menu art and the treats shown for a reasonable price. We're making a beeline for Gordon Ramsay on Hospital Road when we hit London next September to join Celebrity Silhouette.

 

 

 

I learned to drive in London (late in life at age 24) and knew my way around very well eventually and those landmarks were something I got to see almost daily. What beauty there is there, architecturally and culturally speaking. Such a cosmopolitan city.

 

 

 

I am glad you took my advice and ditched Photobucket. They have shot themselves in the foot with their sudden greed. Let it Bleed.

 

 

 

Norris, smitten by London at age 13

Norris

Learning to drive in London must’ve been crazy. I would think it’s much harder to get around than NYC. We both loved London. Very cosmopolitan and quite international. Everyone we met was friendly and really liked living there. Thanks again for the help. It saved me from blowing up PhotoBucket’s site!

Trip

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Norris

 

Learning to drive in London must’ve been crazy. I would think it’s much harder to get around than NYC. We both loved London. Very cosmopolitan and quite international. Everyone we met was friendly and really liked living there. Thanks again for the help. It saved me from blowing up PhotoBucket’s site!

Trip

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Insane. My first lesson: Driving school instructor was an Indian guy. Picked me up at home in Turnham Green, West London( I lived next door to the drummer from a band called King Crimson) and off we went for two hours. He told me he would ask me at random to name the last 5 traffic signs I saw so I really had to pay attention. Now we are in Hammersmith. All going well. Now we are going down Edgeware Road and I say- wait a minute isn't Hyde Park Corner up ahead? He laughed! Yes! Yikes....like driving around the Arc de Triomphe! Traffic coming from all over the place. Got through that then along Oxford Street the busy shopping street with buses and lorries and cabbies and pedestrians. We're gonna end up in Piccadilly Circus!! I warned. Yes! and more hysterical laughter from the Indian guy. I went all the way around it at showtime (theater crowds and mayhem) and back down Oxford Street. Ok, now take us back home he said. I needed a shower after all of that and working the gears.

Baptism by fire and from that day nothing was scary in any city I have driven in.

The end result is I took my driving test (very strict) in Teddington, by the Thames, and passed first time. I owe it all to the Indian guy challenging me from the get-go.

As I had passed in a record short number of lessons (9) the Driving School put my test card in their window. I have never missed an opportunity to drive a car since then. Hence my love of the Autobahn in Germany!

Norris

LONDON CALLING Day 3/Part 1--9/9/17

With Hurricane Irma barreling toward the Florida peninsula, we arose to our real reason for visiting London prior to the Caribbean Princess British Isles Cruise: our chance to visit the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. With the Palace only a 7 minute walk from our hotel, we had plenty of time to consume another healthy (just kidding),fortifying breakfast from the hotel buffet.

Our first stop on this day would be the Queen’s Gallery for the Canaletto exhibition. Since our 2015 trip to Italy included a stop in Venice, we truly found this artwork to be fascinating. Mrs. Met loves Venice and I loved seeing how she sparked up she gets every time she said, “remember when…” This exhibit was helping to hold off our anxiety about the storm approaching our home.

We then headed over to the main entrance to Buckingham and enjoyed the views and vibe at gates. We even spotted a contingent of the Queen’s Horse Guards marching right past us as we waited for our tour of the State Rooms.

The State Room tour begins once you’re inside of the courtyard that everyone sees from outside the gates. I admit I even got a little goose bumpy when I realized where we were. The State Room tour prohibited photography for obvious reasons so I have no pictures to show you. The tour was amazing and I’m glad Mrs. Met got to cross it off her bucket list.

Buckingham Palace

The Queen's Gallery

More Buckingham Palace

Rear of Buckingham Palace after the State Room tour

The Queen hosts many Garden Parties out here. You are invited if you've done something wonderful for society. Our invitations must have been lost in the mail.

Lake and gardens further away from the rear of the Palace

Insane. My first lesson: Driving school instructor was an Indian guy. Picked me up at home in Turnham Green, West London( I lived next door to the drummer from a band called King Crimson) and off we went for two hours. He told me he would ask me at random to name the last 5 traffic signs I saw so I really had to pay attention. Now we are in Hammersmith. All going well. Now we are going down Edgeware Road and I say- wait a minute isn't Hyde Park Corner up ahead? He laughed! Yes! Yikes....like driving around the Arc de Triomphe! Traffic coming from all over the place. Got through that then along Oxford Street the busy shopping street with buses and lorries and cabbies and pedestrians. We're gonna end up in Piccadilly Circus!! I warned. Yes! and more hysterical laughter from the Indian guy. I went all the way around it at showtime (theater crowds and mayhem) and back down Oxford Street. Ok, now take us back home he said. I needed a shower after all of that and working the gears.

 

 

Baptism by fire and from that day nothing was scary in any city I have driven in.

 

 

The end result is I took my driving test (very strict) in Teddington, by the Thames, and passed first time. I owe it all to the Indian guy challenging me from the get-go.

 

 

As I had passed in a record short number of lessons (9) the Driving School put my test card in their window. I have never missed an opportunity to drive a car since then. Hence my love of the Autobahn in Germany!

 

 

Norris

Who knew driving instructors were allowed to haze students like college fraternities? We were at both famous spots you mentioned so we know how busy and congested it can be.

That’s why we liked the black cabs so much. It just seemed to be the easiest way for us to see, learn, and experience London without too much stress. Plus, I don’t know how to drive on the left side of the road!

I took my driving school road test to the Bronx Zoo via the highway. I was hoping to bring home a new pet, but no such luck.

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Excellent reading, thanks! We’re on the same sailing in June on the Royal.

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Photos of Buckingham Palace bring back memories of our time there this summer. I loved being able to go inside and am glad I booked it in advance and did not have to wait very long. We also booked the garden tour, which was fabulous. Afterward we ate delicious ice cream from the kiosk near the exit.

So lucky that you got to see the Canaletto collection. On our last trip to BP we were treated to the Queen's Diamond collection -- also quite fun. Your pix are delightful, esp like the garden shots behind the Palace. On this cruise, we had to skip visiting London altogether. I will plan better next time!