On September 15th, our group of 23 boarded a
British Airways jet bound for London. After settling in at the
beautiful Grosvenor (Gro-vner) Hotel, we got a city tour highlighting
most of the quintessential sites. There was much to see during our
free time. Some of us visited Buckingham Palace, Harrod's, a plethora
of museums, enjoyed the London pub scene (bangers & mash anyone?).
Later that night we took in some London theatre.  After departing London we visited Cambridge, where Mike & Janice spent some quality time in the university bookstore. It was on to the medieval city of York where we shopped the famous "Shambles", a quaint, narrow street that appears today almost as it did during the Middle Ages. Onward to Edinburgh..."yes, folks, we're on tour, not a vacation," Noel jokingly says... on the way we stop to see Hadrian's Wall built in AD121. The landscape begins to change as we head north. Massive green rolling "hills" appear as we wind our way through the valleys. (Yikes, it's along way down!) The landscape is just magnificent!  Ah Edinburgh, your distinctive "smokey" skyline and castle is welcoming! The group toured the castle (home of the Scottish crown jewels); shopped the Royal Mile & then some; visited the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queens official residence while in Edinburgh, and enjoyed (ha!) some authentic haggis.  Through the picturesque English Lake District we travel through Grasmere (home of Wm. Wordsworth). The village could not have been more charming. The authentic gingerbread shoppe was the "icing on the cake". Never will it ever be that delicious unless we return....  A night in a castle... what could we expect... tales of ghosts... no, actually, it was just Larry, Dale and Ron storming the gates! Castles have disturbing histories!  It was on to Stratford-Upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare. We visited his birthplace and Anne Hathaway's cottage and got a feel for what life must have been like back in the day.   On to Stonehenge... completely magnificent! Just a short walk through an underpass which takes you to the opposite side of the road that you arrived on.... and there it is! ("Versus trekking up a gradual hill that looks off to the ocean...look, in the distance...there it is!") Kinda surreal!  And the ancient town of Bath, renowned for its elaborate spas and hot springs. You could even sample a drink of the curative water for .50... did anyone do this?  Bath is also the home to a beautiful Abbey that a number of us enjoyed. Breathtaking!  We had a great group with many stories and memories that will last a lifetime! Thanks everyone! (Special thanks to those of you who unknowingly were included in this section...) And to Ann, Julie, Evelyn & Gail ("The Fab Four"); Joan, Connie & Monica ("The 3 Musketeers"); Joyce (my aero-mate who could walk our socks off!); Barb & Jo Anne.. Ginny & Lois...the rest of you who flew low enough under the radar not to be mentioned (that's a good thing)! As for Sue & Carol.... (just kidding!) |
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