Marc Wambolt's Blog - Posts Tagged "vacations"
MARC'S MEMOS
4-15-16
I just returned from a cruise to the Caribbean. We sailed from Galveston, Texas to Montego Bay, Jamaica, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. What made it so special was that my two grandkids sailed with us.
It was the second time that we have been able to vacation together and share some great adventures. It is so exciting to experience excursions to different places that make for some wonderful memories.
We held and swam with sea turtles in Grand Cayman. Went to an all inclusive resort in Cozumel, where food and drinks were part of the admission. They also had a sea lion show there. Then we snorkeled in Jamaica. It was an awesome trip and the weather was perfect.
I always have to pinch myself because I realize that I am very fortunate to be blessed with two amazing grandkids and also lucky to be able to spend time with them. I am looking forward to our next vacation together. I hope it will be soon!
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE. MARC
I just returned from a cruise to the Caribbean. We sailed from Galveston, Texas to Montego Bay, Jamaica, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. What made it so special was that my two grandkids sailed with us.
It was the second time that we have been able to vacation together and share some great adventures. It is so exciting to experience excursions to different places that make for some wonderful memories.
We held and swam with sea turtles in Grand Cayman. Went to an all inclusive resort in Cozumel, where food and drinks were part of the admission. They also had a sea lion show there. Then we snorkeled in Jamaica. It was an awesome trip and the weather was perfect.
I always have to pinch myself because I realize that I am very fortunate to be blessed with two amazing grandkids and also lucky to be able to spend time with them. I am looking forward to our next vacation together. I hope it will be soon!
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE. MARC
MARC'S MEMOS
11-7-16
Nothing very exciting happened this past summer in my little corner of the world. However, later I did do something that I have wanted to do for quite some time now. I took a cruise through the PANAMA CANAL.
The trip started in Los Angeles, CA, and headed south to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I have been there several times, but have always found something different and interesting to do there on each visit. This time we made our way to a tequila factory which was fun and very tasty! Then the ship made a stop in Huatulco, Mexico. I was very impressed with this beautiful city on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The beach there was clean and amazing. It was my first time there and I hope to return some day.
Our cruise continued on to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. We took an excursion to Lake Nicaragua. Looking out on the lake, you could see two volcanoes in the distance which made for some great pictures
There were some days at sea in between some of the ports , so we were not on land every day.
Our next port was in Puentarenas, Costa Rica. We took a short bus ride to a river there and boarded a boat for a two hour adventure. We got to see crocodiles and many native birds that were there along the banks. We even caught a glimpse of a very colorful (more orange than the normal green you might see) iguana. Very relaxing and worth seeing.
Then we set sail to our most educational and sensational achievement of the twentieth century, the PANAMA CANAL. It is unbelievable to imagine this was once land covered by trees and mountains. It was an impossible dream by France and ultimately the United States to make it into a passage for ships to navigate from the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) side to the Pacific Ocean fifty miles away.
Since opening in 1914, over one million ships from all over the world have transited the Canal. The historic millionth mark was reached on September 4, 2010.
After about six hours, we finished making our way through a series of locks that raised and lowered our ship. It is truly an engineering marvel that I think is worth learning about. It was a great experience!
Our next destination was Cartagena, Colombia, South America. We took a harbor cruise and saw a real mix of the old city and a new modern one. Our excursion also included a climb up to San Felipe De Barajas Castle that is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It was hot and humid, but worth every step up to the top. A great view of the city was to await us.
Leaving Cartagena, we sailed on to the island of Aruba. It was time for the beach. Some tropical drinks helped make it a wonderful day out in the sun.
As the calendar began ticking off the days left, it was time to leave for the port of Fort Lauderdale. After arriving in Fort Lauderdale, we still had time before our flight home so we took a ride on an airboat at Holiday Gardens in the Everglades. It was a rush. Two 500 Cadillac engines providing 700 horsepower is really impressive. It was a great way to end our 15-day getaway.
AS ALWAYS, TAKE CARE! MARC
Nothing very exciting happened this past summer in my little corner of the world. However, later I did do something that I have wanted to do for quite some time now. I took a cruise through the PANAMA CANAL.
The trip started in Los Angeles, CA, and headed south to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I have been there several times, but have always found something different and interesting to do there on each visit. This time we made our way to a tequila factory which was fun and very tasty! Then the ship made a stop in Huatulco, Mexico. I was very impressed with this beautiful city on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The beach there was clean and amazing. It was my first time there and I hope to return some day.
Our cruise continued on to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. We took an excursion to Lake Nicaragua. Looking out on the lake, you could see two volcanoes in the distance which made for some great pictures
There were some days at sea in between some of the ports , so we were not on land every day.
Our next port was in Puentarenas, Costa Rica. We took a short bus ride to a river there and boarded a boat for a two hour adventure. We got to see crocodiles and many native birds that were there along the banks. We even caught a glimpse of a very colorful (more orange than the normal green you might see) iguana. Very relaxing and worth seeing.
Then we set sail to our most educational and sensational achievement of the twentieth century, the PANAMA CANAL. It is unbelievable to imagine this was once land covered by trees and mountains. It was an impossible dream by France and ultimately the United States to make it into a passage for ships to navigate from the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) side to the Pacific Ocean fifty miles away.
Since opening in 1914, over one million ships from all over the world have transited the Canal. The historic millionth mark was reached on September 4, 2010.
After about six hours, we finished making our way through a series of locks that raised and lowered our ship. It is truly an engineering marvel that I think is worth learning about. It was a great experience!
Our next destination was Cartagena, Colombia, South America. We took a harbor cruise and saw a real mix of the old city and a new modern one. Our excursion also included a climb up to San Felipe De Barajas Castle that is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It was hot and humid, but worth every step up to the top. A great view of the city was to await us.
Leaving Cartagena, we sailed on to the island of Aruba. It was time for the beach. Some tropical drinks helped make it a wonderful day out in the sun.
As the calendar began ticking off the days left, it was time to leave for the port of Fort Lauderdale. After arriving in Fort Lauderdale, we still had time before our flight home so we took a ride on an airboat at Holiday Gardens in the Everglades. It was a rush. Two 500 Cadillac engines providing 700 horsepower is really impressive. It was a great way to end our 15-day getaway.
AS ALWAYS, TAKE CARE! MARC
MARC'S MEMOS
7-14-17
TRIP OF A LIFETIME (Part 3) Still in Rome
After that we drove a short distance and were escorted into a very nice hotel restaurant for lunch. First course, of course, was Italian pasta. Then they served chicken Marsala as the second course. That was followed by an excellent Tiramisu for dessert and a shot of espresso to top off the meal. It was a great break that gave us a little boost for the next exciting round of history.
Boarding the bus again, I wondered how the sightseeing could get any better. It definitely did! It started in the Vatican museum. Your eyes can not take in all of the beauty at once. From the moment you begin to move past the various art objects and paintings, you are overwhelmed by its grandeur. The scale and immense space for all that is presented was awe inspiring.
Every piece was a masterpiece by someone different. Many artists and many beautiful scenes of various themes. The ultimate in dedication and excellence in religious art was still to come. We were led down a beautiful hallway, down some stairs and through some huge doors. Suddenly, there it was. The Sistine Chapel. It was something that we always wanted to see. It was an incredible sight to behold. It was Michelangelo, the revered Renaissance artist, who spent ten years lying on his back to paint the entire ceiling of this religious site. It was magnificent, awesome and breathtaking!!! However, we were not done.
We went through the Chapel to an exit that lead outside to St. Peters square. It is an unbelievably huge piazza where large crowds gather to see the Pope. It was a grand ending to our day in Rome. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.
To Be Continued...
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
TRIP OF A LIFETIME (Part 3) Still in Rome
After that we drove a short distance and were escorted into a very nice hotel restaurant for lunch. First course, of course, was Italian pasta. Then they served chicken Marsala as the second course. That was followed by an excellent Tiramisu for dessert and a shot of espresso to top off the meal. It was a great break that gave us a little boost for the next exciting round of history.
Boarding the bus again, I wondered how the sightseeing could get any better. It definitely did! It started in the Vatican museum. Your eyes can not take in all of the beauty at once. From the moment you begin to move past the various art objects and paintings, you are overwhelmed by its grandeur. The scale and immense space for all that is presented was awe inspiring.
Every piece was a masterpiece by someone different. Many artists and many beautiful scenes of various themes. The ultimate in dedication and excellence in religious art was still to come. We were led down a beautiful hallway, down some stairs and through some huge doors. Suddenly, there it was. The Sistine Chapel. It was something that we always wanted to see. It was an incredible sight to behold. It was Michelangelo, the revered Renaissance artist, who spent ten years lying on his back to paint the entire ceiling of this religious site. It was magnificent, awesome and breathtaking!!! However, we were not done.
We went through the Chapel to an exit that lead outside to St. Peters square. It is an unbelievably huge piazza where large crowds gather to see the Pope. It was a grand ending to our day in Rome. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.
To Be Continued...
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
MARC'S MEMOS
7-31-17
TRIP OF A LIFETIME (Part 4)
The excitement continues. Our next port was Livorno, Italy. This is the port for Pisa and Florence. Our excursion was to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is just one more icon of the many interesting and ancient structures spread throughout the entire country of Italy.
We had to take a motor coach (bus) ride to Pisa as it is roughly ninety minutes from where we docked. It was quite cloudy while we were on the road, but we kept hoping that it would clear up before we got there. No such luck. In addition to that, the bus had to park some distance from the area we were going to visit. As we exited the bus, we were immediately surrounded by vendors trying to get us to purchase souvenirs. They were persistent, but we resisted and proceeded to leave the parking lot and followed our guide. As she walked up the street, she held a sign on a stick high over her head. This was so everybody would be able to find her in a crowd.
We walked about twenty minutes when the first glimpse of the Tower appeared. It was still cloudy when we stopped to get some historic information from our guide. Trying to listen to her was hard because you wanted to start taking pictures and get closer to the attraction. There were a lot of words spoken so we walked a few steps away but kept close enough to stay with our group.
Meanwhile the sun was attempting to assert itself and make it a great day. Guess what? It did! The gray clouds gave way to puffy white ones and a brilliant blue sky. It was magical. The pictures became much more dramatic and beautiful.
Now the real picture taking started. The main reason for this excursion was, of course, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We took lots of pictures that included the one that everybody takes. You raise your hand and have the camera operator line up the Tower so it looks like you are trying to keep it from falling over. Click, click, click. O.K. Time to see if you got it right. No. Try again. There, that's perfect!
There were other buildings in close proximity, but we did not have much time to explore them. Unfortunately we didn't get all the historical facts as we were concentrating on the Tower. We did take pictures of them though. Then it was off again, down a narrow street to St. Mary's square and more old buildings dating back several hundred years.
After spending some time there, it was time to return to the bus. Another twenty minute walk back, then an attempt to elude the vendors again. We did it. It was easier this time. Now we could sit back and relax as we made the trip back to the ship. We took a peek at some of the pictures we took. WOW!!! The blue sky and white clouds made such a difference in the pictures that they almost looked like postcards you would send back home.
Pisa was such a wonderful sight to see and the excitement of just being there was priceless. It was definitely another check off the old bucket list!
To be continued...
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
TRIP OF A LIFETIME (Part 4)
The excitement continues. Our next port was Livorno, Italy. This is the port for Pisa and Florence. Our excursion was to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is just one more icon of the many interesting and ancient structures spread throughout the entire country of Italy.
We had to take a motor coach (bus) ride to Pisa as it is roughly ninety minutes from where we docked. It was quite cloudy while we were on the road, but we kept hoping that it would clear up before we got there. No such luck. In addition to that, the bus had to park some distance from the area we were going to visit. As we exited the bus, we were immediately surrounded by vendors trying to get us to purchase souvenirs. They were persistent, but we resisted and proceeded to leave the parking lot and followed our guide. As she walked up the street, she held a sign on a stick high over her head. This was so everybody would be able to find her in a crowd.
We walked about twenty minutes when the first glimpse of the Tower appeared. It was still cloudy when we stopped to get some historic information from our guide. Trying to listen to her was hard because you wanted to start taking pictures and get closer to the attraction. There were a lot of words spoken so we walked a few steps away but kept close enough to stay with our group.
Meanwhile the sun was attempting to assert itself and make it a great day. Guess what? It did! The gray clouds gave way to puffy white ones and a brilliant blue sky. It was magical. The pictures became much more dramatic and beautiful.
Now the real picture taking started. The main reason for this excursion was, of course, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We took lots of pictures that included the one that everybody takes. You raise your hand and have the camera operator line up the Tower so it looks like you are trying to keep it from falling over. Click, click, click. O.K. Time to see if you got it right. No. Try again. There, that's perfect!
There were other buildings in close proximity, but we did not have much time to explore them. Unfortunately we didn't get all the historical facts as we were concentrating on the Tower. We did take pictures of them though. Then it was off again, down a narrow street to St. Mary's square and more old buildings dating back several hundred years.
After spending some time there, it was time to return to the bus. Another twenty minute walk back, then an attempt to elude the vendors again. We did it. It was easier this time. Now we could sit back and relax as we made the trip back to the ship. We took a peek at some of the pictures we took. WOW!!! The blue sky and white clouds made such a difference in the pictures that they almost looked like postcards you would send back home.
Pisa was such a wonderful sight to see and the excitement of just being there was priceless. It was definitely another check off the old bucket list!
To be continued...
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
MARC'S MEMOS
10-19-21
I decided to revisit a trip I took back in May and June of 2017. I never finished my journey on this blog. I took a hiatus from Goodreads. The first 5 parts are still available to read if you look back a little (not that far) in my previous posts. It was 35 days in Europe. Here is the next part.
TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Part 6
Our next port was Provence, our connection to Marseille, France. We had decided to take an excursion (usually a bus ride) to visit the famed Church of Notre Dame de la Garde. It is not to be confused with the Notre Dame in Paris. There are many Notre Dame churches in France. It means "Our Lady" in French.
We stopped at several memorials along the way. It was a cloudy day and we were worried it might rain. We have been lucky so far with the weather. A gray sky would not hamper or disappoint us on this particular day.
We caught a glimpse of the church in the distance and as we got closer, the view became more impressive. The church was perched perfectly on a lofty hill with no other buildings on it. It stood dramatically as a beautiful place of faith. Inside was just as dramatic. We were allowed to take pictures inside and out. Some places of worship do not allow photos inside. Anyway, those pictures will be great memories of a wonderful day in France.
This was a very short entry in my blog. Part 7 is more interesting and more detailed. Where could it be? Until next time, take care! Marc
I decided to revisit a trip I took back in May and June of 2017. I never finished my journey on this blog. I took a hiatus from Goodreads. The first 5 parts are still available to read if you look back a little (not that far) in my previous posts. It was 35 days in Europe. Here is the next part.
TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Part 6
Our next port was Provence, our connection to Marseille, France. We had decided to take an excursion (usually a bus ride) to visit the famed Church of Notre Dame de la Garde. It is not to be confused with the Notre Dame in Paris. There are many Notre Dame churches in France. It means "Our Lady" in French.
We stopped at several memorials along the way. It was a cloudy day and we were worried it might rain. We have been lucky so far with the weather. A gray sky would not hamper or disappoint us on this particular day.
We caught a glimpse of the church in the distance and as we got closer, the view became more impressive. The church was perched perfectly on a lofty hill with no other buildings on it. It stood dramatically as a beautiful place of faith. Inside was just as dramatic. We were allowed to take pictures inside and out. Some places of worship do not allow photos inside. Anyway, those pictures will be great memories of a wonderful day in France.
This was a very short entry in my blog. Part 7 is more interesting and more detailed. Where could it be? Until next time, take care! Marc
MARC'S MEMOS
10-23-21
TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Part 7
Gibraltar was next on the itinerary. A very interesting place to visit. The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promotory located in the British territory of Gibraltar, near the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is 426 meters high. Most of the Rock's upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 300 Barbary macaques. Gibraltar flies the flag of Great Britain even though it is geographically far away.
The excursion to the Rock starts in either a bus that carries around twenty people or a full size Grehound-like bus. Today it's on the smaller one.
Our tour was guided as usual and she spoke three languages. Most of all, you could understand her. Some of the other guides we have had were difficult to understand even though they were speaking English.
As a side note, most of the guests on this cruise were British and we had a hard time with them too. With their strong accents and special words to describe things, it made it a real challenge to figure out what they were saying. Sometimes we would ask them again. Sometimes we had to just nod, smile and say yes. We weren't being rude, we simply didn't understand. Out of three thousand guests, only one hundred and sixty were from the U.S., and most of the remaining were Brits. With very few guests from other countries like China, etc., we were definitely at a disadvantage when trying to ask or answer questions.
Of course, the cruise personnel on the ship speak many languages, but sometimes they aren't right there to help you such as on the elevators. That is where you encounter other passengers that you may not understand what they are saying.
Anyway, Gibraltar flies the flag of Great Britain even though it is geographically far away. We had an exciting tram ride to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. It was an awesome ride. The guide warned us that there were wild monkeys (macaques) qat the top and they can be agressive. They will steal just about anything they think may have food in it. Backpacks, purses, or some treat you might have bought at the cafe there, could be targets. One of the monkeys pushed open the door to the cafe and was sitting on one of the chairs before being chased out by two workers.
Our next adventure was to go to the Siege Tunnels. They were created by carving out tunnels inside the giant Rock. These tunnels provided the military here to defend against enemies and invading armies. We got to enter the tunnels and look at life-long figures and signs explaining its history. Access holes were blasted to create windows for outside air and to position cannons to fire on the enemy. It was amazing to see how large this underground labyrinth was and it's strategic effect on this relatively small piece of land.
Then we headed to Europa Point and it's lighthouse. It is the southernmost tip of Gibraltar. It is flat and on clear days you can see Spain and the mountains of Morroco (Northern Africa) across the Straits of Gibraltar (the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.)
It was a wonderful experience and just one of many great places we explored on our TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Where are we going to visit after this?
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! Marc
TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Part 7
Gibraltar was next on the itinerary. A very interesting place to visit. The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promotory located in the British territory of Gibraltar, near the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is 426 meters high. Most of the Rock's upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 300 Barbary macaques. Gibraltar flies the flag of Great Britain even though it is geographically far away.
The excursion to the Rock starts in either a bus that carries around twenty people or a full size Grehound-like bus. Today it's on the smaller one.
Our tour was guided as usual and she spoke three languages. Most of all, you could understand her. Some of the other guides we have had were difficult to understand even though they were speaking English.
As a side note, most of the guests on this cruise were British and we had a hard time with them too. With their strong accents and special words to describe things, it made it a real challenge to figure out what they were saying. Sometimes we would ask them again. Sometimes we had to just nod, smile and say yes. We weren't being rude, we simply didn't understand. Out of three thousand guests, only one hundred and sixty were from the U.S., and most of the remaining were Brits. With very few guests from other countries like China, etc., we were definitely at a disadvantage when trying to ask or answer questions.
Of course, the cruise personnel on the ship speak many languages, but sometimes they aren't right there to help you such as on the elevators. That is where you encounter other passengers that you may not understand what they are saying.
Anyway, Gibraltar flies the flag of Great Britain even though it is geographically far away. We had an exciting tram ride to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. It was an awesome ride. The guide warned us that there were wild monkeys (macaques) qat the top and they can be agressive. They will steal just about anything they think may have food in it. Backpacks, purses, or some treat you might have bought at the cafe there, could be targets. One of the monkeys pushed open the door to the cafe and was sitting on one of the chairs before being chased out by two workers.
Our next adventure was to go to the Siege Tunnels. They were created by carving out tunnels inside the giant Rock. These tunnels provided the military here to defend against enemies and invading armies. We got to enter the tunnels and look at life-long figures and signs explaining its history. Access holes were blasted to create windows for outside air and to position cannons to fire on the enemy. It was amazing to see how large this underground labyrinth was and it's strategic effect on this relatively small piece of land.
Then we headed to Europa Point and it's lighthouse. It is the southernmost tip of Gibraltar. It is flat and on clear days you can see Spain and the mountains of Morroco (Northern Africa) across the Straits of Gibraltar (the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.)
It was a wonderful experience and just one of many great places we explored on our TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Where are we going to visit after this?
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! Marc
MARC'S MEMOS
11 - 13 - 2021
TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Part 8
Then we had two days at sea with no stops in a port. It is nice to have a few days to rest before the end of the cruise. Well, we made it back to the main port of Southampton, England. That ended our fourteen-day cruise to the Meditteran and it was a trip of a lifetime. However, we were not done.
We were scheduled to get a ride back to London and spend an entire week there! We drove about two hours with an Uber driver and arrived at our hotel. It is called St. ERMINS. It has been said that Winston Churchill stayed here in the 1940's during WWll, among other famous people in its long history. It was opened in 1899 and has its own honey bees up on the third floor of the building. Also, it has an herb garden on the fourth floor roof.
We checked in and shortly afterwards, decided to do some exploring. It was about 1:30 p.m. so we had the rest of the day to be tourists. We made our way to Victoria Street and as we turned the corner, there stood Westminster Abbey projected against a beautiful big blue sky. The cumulous clouds looked like decorations placed there just for us. We were so excited and began wildly snapping lots of pictures. To come all this way to be so close to an historic place, on such a perfect day, was amazing. We decided to continue exploring and made our way over to the House of Commons and the House of Lords. A form of government our forefathers copied as our Congress. In America, the House and the Senate.
From there it was only a short distance to Big Ben. We found out that the name Big Ben was not actually the clock, but the BIG BELL inside the clock tower! Very interesting! We were getting hungry so we decided to get something to eat right by the hotel. At the OLD STAR PUB, we got fish and chips plus and a good local beer to cap off Day 1 in London.
Oh yeah, I forgot we had a three-hour tour of London that night after dinner. We did plan this tour perfectly because we were not tired yet and it was still early. We hopped aboard the typical double-decker bus you see in photos and postcards. It was a wonderful experience. We chose the upper deck. You get a better look at the sights because it has no roof to limit your view. The weather was perfect too. The tour took us by all the main icons of the city and we listened to a narration of the sights through headphones that were provided. We crossed over the Tower Bridge and while looking straight up at it, took a picture that later that turned out to be one of my favorites. Sometimes buildings or bridges look so amazing at night if they are illuminated with bright lights or even some colored lights to highlight the architecture. A softer light can be effective too.
Anyway, it was a great tour. Part 9 is next of this adventure is next
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! Marc
TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Part 8
Then we had two days at sea with no stops in a port. It is nice to have a few days to rest before the end of the cruise. Well, we made it back to the main port of Southampton, England. That ended our fourteen-day cruise to the Meditteran and it was a trip of a lifetime. However, we were not done.
We were scheduled to get a ride back to London and spend an entire week there! We drove about two hours with an Uber driver and arrived at our hotel. It is called St. ERMINS. It has been said that Winston Churchill stayed here in the 1940's during WWll, among other famous people in its long history. It was opened in 1899 and has its own honey bees up on the third floor of the building. Also, it has an herb garden on the fourth floor roof.
We checked in and shortly afterwards, decided to do some exploring. It was about 1:30 p.m. so we had the rest of the day to be tourists. We made our way to Victoria Street and as we turned the corner, there stood Westminster Abbey projected against a beautiful big blue sky. The cumulous clouds looked like decorations placed there just for us. We were so excited and began wildly snapping lots of pictures. To come all this way to be so close to an historic place, on such a perfect day, was amazing. We decided to continue exploring and made our way over to the House of Commons and the House of Lords. A form of government our forefathers copied as our Congress. In America, the House and the Senate.
From there it was only a short distance to Big Ben. We found out that the name Big Ben was not actually the clock, but the BIG BELL inside the clock tower! Very interesting! We were getting hungry so we decided to get something to eat right by the hotel. At the OLD STAR PUB, we got fish and chips plus and a good local beer to cap off Day 1 in London.
Oh yeah, I forgot we had a three-hour tour of London that night after dinner. We did plan this tour perfectly because we were not tired yet and it was still early. We hopped aboard the typical double-decker bus you see in photos and postcards. It was a wonderful experience. We chose the upper deck. You get a better look at the sights because it has no roof to limit your view. The weather was perfect too. The tour took us by all the main icons of the city and we listened to a narration of the sights through headphones that were provided. We crossed over the Tower Bridge and while looking straight up at it, took a picture that later that turned out to be one of my favorites. Sometimes buildings or bridges look so amazing at night if they are illuminated with bright lights or even some colored lights to highlight the architecture. A softer light can be effective too.
Anyway, it was a great tour. Part 9 is next of this adventure is next
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! Marc
