Tag Archives: London England

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Exploring Hampton Wick in London

We went to visit our friends Alejandro and Lorraine in London, and together we took a day to explore the Hampton Wick area.

There’s something magical about stepping into an area where history and nature intertwine so seamlessly. Our day in Hampton Wick,  which is tucked along the River Thames in southwest London, was fantastic.  We explored the rich history of the area and enjoyed sharing the day with our friends Alejandro and Lorraine.

Ray, Alejandro, Lorraine and Shelley in Hampton Court Park

 They were our unofficial tour guides and  showed us this unique part of London It made the day feel like a mini countryside escape in the middle of the city.

We began our walk in Kingston upon Thames with Alejandro and Lorraine leading the way, crossing the Clattern Bridge.

This bridge is the oldest surviving bridge in London. Dating back to the 12th century, it has stood through centuries of change, from medieval markets to modern-day shoppers bustling around Kingston. Alejandro and  Lorraine pointed out how easily this hidden piece of history can be overlooked by people rushing past.

Just a short walk from the bridge, we came to a small fenced in Stone on display. This unassuming stone turned out to be the Coronation stone. It is an ancient sarsen block tied to one of England’s most fascinating traditions.

This weathered stone is believed to have been used for the crowning of several Saxon kings between the 9th and 10th centuries, long before Westminster Abbey became the coronation site.

Standing there together, we reflected on how this simple stone once held kings and the weight of a nation’s hopes. It was one of those moments where Alejandro’s love of history and Lorraine’s eye for detail made us appreciate it all the more.

We continued on and walked into the Hampton Court Park.  It is a massive park area and was once Henry VIII’s hunting grounds,. It is now home to herds of majestic fallow deer.

In the park it was not long before we spotted deer and a lot of them. Lorraine was the first to notice them quietly grazing under the trees, and we all stood in silence, watching their graceful movements.

Lorraine in Hampton Court Park

We took our time and walked through many different areas of the park. We came across  so many deer and they would just simply watch us walk by. No fear from these protected deer.

There is a golf course within the park area and we saw an albino deer standing in the shade as golfers walked by.

There were wide open meadows that felt more like the countryside than in the city.  The whole experience was like being in a nature reserve with deer running freely throughout.

We came across an area known as the long water and at the end is a  great view of the Hampton court Palace in the distance.

Hampton Court Palace

It truly was an enjoyable day and reminded us just how much London has to offer beyond its bustling center.

“Travel and have a good chinwag with strangers”

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Unique Indian restaurant in London

While we were in London, the four of us decided to look for a good Indian restaurant. We were told by our tour director to try the Masala Zone Covent Garden. We walked to the restaurant which was located not far from the Royal Opera House and the Covent Garden Market.

The front of the restaurant was unassuming and fairly normal looking, however, when you entered the restaurant it was uniquely decorated. Inside the restaurant, they had different types of dolls on display.

Dolls on display inside the Masala Zone Covent Garden Restaurant

Even on the ceiling and some of the walls, there were dolls on display.

Trapeze dolls on the ceiling of the restaurant

We did not have a reservation and the restaurant was fairly busy but we were fortunate that they had a table available.

Inside view of the busy Masala Zone Covent Garden restaurant

We sat at our table and enjoyed looking at the different dolls that were on display throughout the restaurant.

Dolls on display from the ceiling of the restaurant

Ray and Shelley at the Masala Zone Covent Garden Restaurant

Jim and Anne at the Masala Zone Covent Garden Restaurant

We ordered an Indian dish called “thalis” which is a traditional Indian dish you share.  The thalis dish was a mix of different foods and included curry plus little bowls of varied dishes.

Thalis dish from the Masala Zone Covent Garden restaurant

The meal and atmosphere were excellent and we really enjoyed the thalis dish. Afterward, we decided to take a walk around the area before heading back to the hotel.

We went and looked around the Covent Garden Market which is a popular spot in London.

Inside the Covent Garden Market

We explored the market and then went to the central square at the market. We came across a street performer from Canada who was doing a show.

Street Performer at Covent Garden Market in London

We stopped to watch for a while before eventually heading back to the Hotel. Overall it was a very enjoyable evening out with friends.

“Ta ta and cheerio”

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Imperial war museum in London

We went to the Imperial War Museum in London and spent several hours exploring the museum. There were exhibits from World War One, through to modern-day conflicts.

Ray at the entrance to the Imperial War Museum in London England

We went into the museum through a large pillar entranceway which opened up into a large interior view of the five floors of museum exhibits.

The view from inside the entrance to the Museum

There were original planes and rockets suspended in the air in the central area of the museum. One airplane that was highlighted was the “Spitfire” which is a British single-seat fighter aircraft. It was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries during World War II.

Spitfire on display in the Imperial War Museum

We walked through the museum and started with the world war one displays and worked our way to the current conflicts in the world. There was an enormous amount of information on each war and also artifacts from each period.

Tank on display in museum

We stayed in the World War two exhibits area of the museum for the longest period of time. We saw artifacts from that period and read about the WWII in detail.

We saw items from vehicles, guns, articles of propaganda to clothing and documents from the war. The overall detail of the museum was amazing.

The Iron Eagle on display was removed from the Reichstag building in the heart of Berlin by the Soviets. That afternoon Hitler committed Suicide in his bunker under the Reich Chancellery.

Iron Eagle from the Reichstag Building in Berlin 1945

There was an American airman jacket which had the B-17 Flying Fortress insignia “Leading Lady” on it. This airman was from the 364 Bombardment squadron which carried out 35 bombing missions.

An American Airman’s Jacket from World War Two

General Montgomery was in command of the Eight Army in Egypt in August 1942. He would visit him men in his Humber Staff Car.

General Montgomery’s Humber staff car 1942

We also came to a section of the museum which was focused on the Holocaust. The museum exhibit focused on the Nazi persecution and murder of Jewish people in Europe from 1933 to 1945. We walked through the exhibit and it was sad to see the belongings of Jews which were killed in concentration camps.

Shoes from the concentration camp

The horror of the war is visible in the exhibits and stirs emotions of sadness and grief.

After viewing the exhibits we went outside to admire the monuments and gardens at the museum. The front of the museum was lined with beautiful flowers.

Flowers at the Imperial War Museum

We stopped to smell the roses along the way.

Shelley admiring the roses at the museum

We came to a section of the Berlin Wall that was on the grounds of the museum. The Berlin wall was torn down in 1990 and a section was removed and brought to the museum.

Ray at a section of the Berlin Wall on display at the Imperial War Museum

We enjoyed the visit to the museum and found the exhibits very interesting and comprehensive.

“Ta ta and Cheerio”

 

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Taxi in London

We took a London  taxi for the first time the other day. It was an interesting experience in a unique vehicle. The design of the car is specifically for a taxi. The back doors open opposite to a normal car door. The inside of the back seat has room for up to five people. There are two folding seats facing backwards and a bench seat facing forward.

We got into the back of the cab and Shelley and I sat on the folding seats facing backwards.

It felt like sitting in the back of a fire truck, and brought back some fond memories. Anne and Jim sat across from us on the bench seat of the taxi.

The taxi ride was not the most comfortable because it was a bit cramped for four people. Overall it was a good ride and we saw some of the London icons along the way back to the hotel.

The taxi had a different system as well for the door. There was a lock system which was activated when we began to move. We could use the intercom if we wanted to talk to the driver.

It was one of those small but unique experiences we enjoyed while in London. 

“Ta ta and cheerio”

 

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Fish and Chips

We went to a traditional English Tavern when we were in London called “The Anchor Bankside”. It is located on the Bank of the Thames River in the heart of London. What makes this tavern special and unique is the fact that it is over 800 years old. It is one of the oldest Taverns in London.

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The Anchor Bankside Tavern in London England

We walked over the London Bridge in order to get to the Tavern. The London Bridge is a plain-looking bridge and not overly impressive.

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View of the London Bridge from the Thames River

There is a  small stone marker in the center of the bridge which identifies it as the London bridge.

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Marker for the London Bridge

We arrived at the tavern and saw the unique style of the exterior of the building. It certainly looked like it had been there for many years.

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We went inside the tavern and it was very busy. The tavern staff didn’t greet us at the door and we were left to find our own seats.  We wandered through the tavern looking for an empty table. Eventually, we found a table we could sit at and waited to be served. After waiting for over 10 minutes I managed to talk to a waitress and she told me that they do not take orders that way.

We were told to go to the bar and place our order with the bartender. So we placed our order with the bartender for Fish and Chips. We paid and waited for our meal which was delivered about ten minutes later.

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Authentic English fish and chips at the Anchor Tavern

The meal was good and the atmosphere was unique. It was a strange feeling having fish and chips in a tavern that has been there for over 800 years.

“Bob’s your uncle, Cheerio”