Day 2: Big Ben, Parliament!

Despite going to bed around 5:00 in the afternoon, we still slept in big time. It was around 1:00 before we finally made it out of the hotel.

We stopped at Harrods for lunch, which was pricey, but cool. Also had the convenience of being close to our hotel. Most of the eating establishments seat you at a bar, though we did see one bistro with tables. We found a rotisserie grill that was great. First thing we noticed (which we found true of most British restaurants) is that if you order water, they bring it to you in a bottle and charge you for it.

Marsha wanted to find the Diana Memorial (having grown up in the age of Will and Kate, Madison didn't understand the Diana obsession). It's at the bottom of the Egyptian Escalators, which is cool enough in itself (though hard to photograph).

The memorial has a guest book, a statue of her and Dodi, and a memorial with a pyramid and their photos.

Harder to find was the Godiva Chocolate Cafe. We had to ask directions twice, since it was clear on the other side of the store. The display counter was separated into two sections. The larger one was for sitting and eating there. The smaller, which we chose, was to get some chocolate to go. We each picked one and ate them on our way out.

From there we walked on to Buckingham Palace and finally got an up-close look. We'd missed the Changing of the Guard, but found out when it is, so hopefully we can catch it another day.

We were supposed to meet up with my friend, Michael, but he got tied up, so we just went exploring on our own.

We went down to the River Thames, where we got some much better views of Big Ben and Parliament, which we'd only glimpsed from afar yesterday.

We opted to cross the Thames River on the Jubilee bridge, so that we'd get the better (and iconic) view of Big Ben coming back. On the other side, we walked by the London Eye (too expensive, too long a wait, and Marsha was never getting on it) and a small fair that was going on, complete with street performers and other activities. 

Crossing Westminster Bridge (which I've seen in several movies and the BBC show Spooks (MI-5 in the US) was slightly less iconic due to the huge crowds.

From there we walked up to Trafalgar Square, which is right by the National Portait Gallery and famous for the big Lion statues in the middle. They were a little hard to see, though, due to construction barriers for some repair work.

From there it was just a about a block to Leicester Square, which was much less crowded and very relaxing. We found the TKTS booth (to which we planned to return on Tuesday to get show tickets, just like in NYC), and the Empire Cinema, to which we'd return in just a few hours to see the new movie Spooks: The Greater Good, based on the show. I'd been praying that it would still be playing when I got here, and luckily it was. We also found a bench where we got to sit and enjoy watching the kids play in the fountain.

The one thing we didn't find was the Charlie Chaplin statue, which had been in Leicester Square, but was clearly there no longer. Thanks to Google, I learned that it had been moved just a block away to Leicester Place, which is closer to the West End theaters. I was surprised that there was no plaque explaining why the statue was there. I told Madison that Chaplin was born in London and got his start in English theatre.

Just down the road was Picadilly Circus, which is like a cleaner, more stately version of Times Square. A lot of people like to hang out there (got to watch out for pickpockets), though I'm not sure why. There's also a lot of traffic. The surrounding buildings are beautiful though, with Regent Street (the high end shopping district) branching off.

It was nearly time for our dinner reservations, so we headed up Regent Street ourselves. Madison saw a toy shop she wanted to check out, but we didn't have time and, this being Sunday night, they were already closed.

We found our way to Gordon Ramsey's Maze Grill right on time. Had some confusion because it's inside the Marriott and shares a front door and hostess station with Maze, it's high-end sister restaurant. The decor was typical hotel restaurant (beige and kind of bland), but the food was excellent. Again, bottled water. Marsha complained when I ordered a second one, but I was really thirsty.

Since arriving in the UK, I've been on a quest to find an English tea that tastes like American iced tea. Again I ordered Earl Grey because it's the only one I know (thanks to Captain Picard). It's a bit more bitter, so I'll have to try something else. 

For dessert we had to try the Sticky Pudding, a British classic. It's not actually a pudding; it's a sponge cake soaked with a toffee sauce and served with cream. And it was quite delicious.

Then it was back to Leicester Square where we finally met up with Michael for the movie. We all loved it. I especially loved all the London locations, which were a hallmark of the series, several of which we'd just seen. Even better, Madison is now a fan and wants to start binging the show (which she'd never watched) when we get back home. I hoped she'd like the movie, and that was even better.

Michael took us on a quick tour of Covent Garden, Chinatown, and Soho (where most of the theaters are). Since it was getting close to midnight, it was a little strange to be wandering around, but we knew we were in good hands. It was actually pretty quiet. Even Picadilly Circus was nearly empty. We were really impressed with Covent Garden and definitely want to go back when it's open.

Michael drove us back to the hotel and offered several pointers for when I attempt it myself. More training was quite welcome!

We returned to the room to find one slight damper to an otherwise awesome day. Marsha got a message on her phone from Verizon. Turns out we've been using far more data than we realized, and we've only been here two days. She was already charged extra for going over her limit, and Madison and I both had used half of ours. We'll have to do things very differently from now until the end of the trip.

Day 1: London Calling!

Thankfully, our landing was great. One of the smoothest I've experienced. We had to wait a bit to get off the plane. The pilot kept calling someone to the front, and said he wouldn't let anyone off until that person showed up. We had no idea what that was all about, but finally he let us off.

As we walked through Heathrow, we saw our first signs (literally) of being in another country: words spelled and used differently. We ended up in a large room where we waited in the "queue" for customs. This was all new to us. On the plane, we'd had to fill out a blue card (which no one explained to us; we finally had to ask) to enter the country. Madison remarked that it was just like the airport scene in Argo. Except that we weren't trying to sneak out of Iran with a CIA agent, of course.

Baggage claim went smoothly (I'd worried about our luggage getting lost), then it was off to find our driver. My friend Michael (with whom we were planning to meet up later in the day) had recommended we hire a car instead of taking the Heathrow Express. This was an awesome idea. It wasn't that expensive (much less than NYC) and took out all the worry. 

We located our driver without too much trouble. He helped us with our bags and led us to the "car park." I sat up front and, of course, went to the wrong side of the car. Was glad I sat there, though, because it was good training for when we rent a car later in the week.

Hoped by some stroke of luck our room might be ready so we could freshen up and relax a bit, but it wasn't. So we checked our bags and headed out the door to explore. We took our time weaving through the streets of South Kensington and eventually made our way to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. 

We'd passed on breakfast on the plane (felt like we'd just eaten dinner a few hours earlier), so by this time we were getting hungry. Luckily, we found a nice little cafe in Hyde Park, the Serpentine Bar & Kitchen, which was serving breakfast. Our very first meal in the UK! So glad there wasn't a language barrier (that's next week), other than a word or two on the menu that we didn't understand. The food was excellent, though the place was a bit noisy due to a marathon that had just finished and all the runners that were excitedly checking their times. 

Went through St. James Park and sat down on the canvas lounge chairs that we thought were free (I needed to sit because the pollen was getting to me), but we soon found out they weren't from the guy who collected the money. I tried to catch him to pay, but I guess he just let us go because we were clearly Yanks and I didn't look to well at the moment.)

We passed by the Prince Albert Monument and Royal Albert Hall, both of which were dedicated to Queen Victoria's husband. She clearly loved the man.

We eventually made our way to Buckimgham Palace, where we found everything blocked off by police, Royal Palace Guard, and some other folks that I guessed were military police. Turns out they were rehearsing for the Queen's birthday parade the next Saturday. Even though we wouldn't get to see the real parade, the rehearsal was quite a treat. 

From there we made our way to Westminster Abbey, catching sight of Big Ben and the London Eye along the way. 

The Abbey was amazing, and so much bigger than I expected (understandably, we could not take pictures inside). There's the main room that you usually see at Royal weddings and coronations, but it's divided in half by a little structure in the middle. The other half is just as big. Everywhere you turn there alcoves, hallways, and other sections. It was built, modified, and added to so many times over the centuries, no one knows just how old it is.

I knew that there were people buried there, such as Poets Corner where several of Britain's greatest writers are interred, but I had no idea just how many people are buried there. Most of English royalty are buried in elaborate sepulchers, most of which feature life size statues laying on top, hands praying and pointing skyward. We saw Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots (who were both interred in the same side room), and a large assortment of Williams and Henrys.

By this time (just around 4:00 in the afternoon), we were getting pretty tired. We attempted to walk back (Marsha loves to walk), but finally gave up and took the Tube back. I'd purchased Oyster cards online before we left, which are pre-paid cards for riding the metro. Wish NYC had something like that. Navigating the Tube is amazingly simple; much closer to DC's metro than the NYC subway.

We had dinner at a Pub I'd discovered via the hotel website, the Hereford Arms, which the hotel stated had great fish n' chips. As someone who loves fish n' chips, I was really looking forward to having some in an actual English pub. They were excellent! Some of the best I've ever had.

We went back to the hotel, finally got in our room, and got our bags. Several people (John included), had suggested that we stay up late to adjust quickly to the new time zone, but it was a lost cause. All three of us passed out in no time, around 5:00 pm. We each woke up at some point around 5:00 am, then went back to sleep for a few more hours. Hopefully, tomorrow we'll feel much more refreshed.

Day 0: But Mostly Europe

So begins our great trip across the pond. This is something we've wanted to do forever, but have been hampered by the cost and Marsha's fear of flying. But after seeing America twice and the East Coast more times than we can count, it was time to broaden our horizons. The only downside is that John couldn't join us, but he has a honeymoon coming.

Getting off went more or less according to plan. We dropped Luna off with some friends who graciously offered to "puppy sit," then got stuck in traffic (as expected) on our way to the Charlotte airport. Boy, I sure miss living next to RDU when we lived in Raleigh.

We still made it in plenty of time. The kiosk didn't print my boarding pass and we had to move some stuff from Marsha's suitcase to Madison's, but it was all pretty painless for our first International flight (and Marsha's first flight in fifteen years).

With the help of some meds, we managed to get her on the plane just fine. And praise the Lord, she stayed on, even after the pilot announced "last chance for anyone who wants to get off." Thanks, Dude.

Hit some rough turbulence early on, but the vast majority of the flight has been smooth sailing. Marsha's meds never did knock her out like they were supposed to, but she's done fantastic and is actually enjoying the flight. I couldn't be more proud!

In just about 30 minutes we'll be landing at Heathrow to begin the adventure of a lifetime. All of us with no sleep and jumping ahead five hours. No worries, though. We're all too excited to hit the streets and take in London for the very first time. Been a long time coming baby, and we're ready to enjoy every second of it!

Day 5: Pardon Me Boy, Is That The Chattanooga Choo Choo?

After leaving the Parthenon, we hit the road and drove southeast to Chattanooga. We'd never been there before, but our friend, Oscar had recommended it, and it was relatively convenient to both Nashville and home.

I was most excited about our accommodations: Oscar had also suggest the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel which has been converted from an actual historic train station. What's even better is that you can even sleep in actual historic railroad cars. The main building has regular hotel rooms, but there was no way I was missing out on staying in an historic sleeper car, even if it wasn't moving. I've been wanting to do a long train ride with sleeper cars for years, so that and my love for historic hotels made for the perfect combination. We'd planned to stay two days, so that we could take in the other sights, like Lookout Mountain, Rock City, and the Moon Pie factory.

Our only mistake was timing. It started snowing on the way to Chattanooga and was already a few inches deep when we finally made it that night. What's more, while the train cars were well heated, they weren't all that well insulated, so you had to stay in the center of the car to stay warm. Marsha and Madison took the big bed, which was in the center, while I got the smaller bed next to the wall.

Since it was so cold out, they opted to stay in the train car and watch a Project Runway marathon while I braved the cold to go out and explore and get something to eat.

They "rail yard" has some cool little shops, most of which were closed due to the hour and the time of year. We weren't exactly there during peak tourist season. My hope was to complete the experience and eat in a dining car (another item long on my wish list), but no such luck. Both of the dining cars were closed. Luckily, the Station House restaurant was open (and not surprising, mostly empty), which is famous for its singing wait staff who take turns taking the stage.

Afterwards I braved the cold again to explore more of the hotel, especially the lobby which was the original station and just amazing. I definitely wanted to explore more the next morning when most everything was open, especially the model train museum.

Since it was so cold out, we opted to cut our trip short and come back when it was warmer. We did manage to explore the shops, the rail yard, and most everything else the next morning.

The model train museum was amazing! It reminded us of Durango, but was much bigger. It runs the length of two long rooms and there's just no way to take it all in. Some of it re-creates parts of Chattanooga itself, and you can easily get lost in all of the little details. Just incredible.

Our last stop before hitting the road was brunch. We'd found a little spot just around the corner, The Bluegrass Grill, thankfully within walking distance. There was a bit of a wait (also thankfully, it had warmed up some and stopped snowing), but it was well worth it. The blueberry pancakes easily made my top three list (the other two are The Okd Fashioned in Madison, WI, and Linda Jeans in Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard). 

So Oscar was right. We can't wait to go back to both Chattanooga (and the Bluegrass Grill). When it's warmer.

Day 4: The Parthenon

Our final stop in Nashville was the Parthenon, which is both an historic building and an art museum. The Parthenon had been on our list for some time and we finally made it. I'd been there once before on a Father's Day trip with my Dad, but it was closed the day we went, so we'd only toured the outside. This was our first time going inside.

It's a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It was originally built in 1897 (along with a host of other buildings) for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Nashville was known as the "Athens of the South," which is why they copied the real Athens' most famous structure. Madison remembered reading that it was used in filming Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Like most structures built for grand expos, the buildings (including the Parthenon) were only meant to be temporary. So everything else was torn down, except for one other building, which was moved to nearby Franklin. After a few decades, though the Parthenon was looking rather shabby. By 1925, it was in such bad shape that the city either had to tear it down or restore it to a permanent structure. Luckily, they decided to restore it.

I really wanted to learn more about the building and was not disappointed. Despite the giant doors on the main level (which were open, but covered with glass), you enter through a tiny set of doors into the basement level. The front halls tell the history of the building with a fantastic collection of photos of the Expo. In addition to the Parthenon, the other major attraction was a giant see-saw. There weren't too many photos of it, but there were plenty of photos taken from it, which provided an excellent aerial view of the expo grounds.

The back part of the basement is a small art museum. The collection of paintings were anonymously donated to the city by James M. Cowan on the condition that they not reveal his identity until after he had died.

Upstairs you enter the replica itself, which is divided into two rooms. The smaller room contains pieces of marble statues and the enormous bronze (and glass-covered) doors that look out onto Centennial Park.

The larger room, however, contains the main attraction: a giant, 42-foot high statue of Athena surrounded by columns. This reproduction (again) wasn't added until 1990, and is the "largest indoor sculpture in the western world." She is fully painted and her clothing and more are covered in gold leaf. It's quite a sight to behold and was the perfect ending to our trip to Nashville.

Day 3.2: The Hermitage

We'd wanted to do a couple of historic sites while we were in Nashville, such as Belle Meade Plantation and The Hermitage, but ended up only having time for one (and we had to rush that one a bit).

The Hermitage was the estate of President Andrew Jackson, aka "Old Hickory." On our way there, Madison recounted a story she'd learned in history class where Jackson had gotten into a duel with a man, Charles Dickinson, who'd insulted his wife, Rachel. Jackson took the bullet and then killed Dickinson.

Our first stop was the Vistor's Center, which we actually skipped since it was open later than the house. When we arrived, there was a tour guide telling the exact same story of the duel that Madison had told us in the car.

The house was very nice and roomy. Like most historic homes, they wouldn't let us take pictures inside. Also, the original house was much smaller and had been remodeled a couple of times during Jackson's lifetime. From there the tour led back outside to the outer buildings, such as the kitchen, food storage, and more.

Just past the house was one of the slaves' quarters. But further back was a one-story building that had actually housed slaves, still standing, the he'd given to his slaves. Jackson had converted it from a two-story log cabin where he and his family had lived while the main house was being built.

Much of the estate had been a cotton farm; hence the need for slaves. While Jackson seemed to treat his slaves well, he didn't have any problem with slavery itself. Unlike Washington and Jefferson, who'd clearly struggled with it. That was the first thing that gave us mixed feelings about him.

The property us still quite large. To the back is a small stream and an old well that was a favorite spot of Rachel. We could certainly understand. It was quite peaceful there and the wooded trails made you want to explore.

Jackson and Rachel are both buried near the house, in a small graveyard in the garden that she loved. She died several years before him; though, they're both buried together under a domed monument.

Our last stop was the Visitor's Center, where we got to learn more about the man himself. On the one hand, there was much to be admired and with which to sympathize. His whole family had died by the time he was thirteen. He managed to educate himself, become a lawyer, a devoted husband, and eventually President of the United States. Born a common man, he remained a champion of the poor man.

But he had no regards for the rights of women, Native Americans, or African Americans. He had no problem at all with slavery and, as President, violated the treaty with Native Americans and put them on the infamous Trail of Tears.

They tried to put a positive spin on it, saying that while what he did was wrong, his ideals for poor, white men were right when applied to others. It was a reach, but I couldn't blame them for trying. 

As I said, it all added up to a lot of mixed feelings.

Day 3.1: ICE, Ice Baby!

We'd wanted to do at least one of the many Christmas events at The Gaylord, but since it was New Year's already, most of them had already ended.

The one that intrigued us the most was ICE. We weren't sure what it was, but still wanted to do it. All we really knew was that it was themed to the Rankin-Bass Frosty the Snowman Christmas special. And since this was the very last day, it was our only chance.

We got there 30 minutes before it opened and there was already a bit of a line. It was a bit chilly outside, so between that and the line, we contemplated not waiting. However, we figured they'd open the box office soon enough, so we stuck it out. It was a really good thing we did.

Since we were in the first group, as soon as they opened, the line went quickly and we went straight in. They ushered us right into a little pre-show room with short video explaining just what ICE is and how it got started. This was the first time we really understood what it was. And boy was it incredible! We couldn't wait to see what was behind those curtains.

The pre-show video was all about the annual ice festival in Harbin, China. Every year, artisans carve giant blocks of ice from the Songhua River and create ginormous ice carvings and building-sized sculptures. It was so amazing that we immediately realized that the Gaylord version we were about to see couldn't possibly be as spectacular (but it was close enough).

The Gaylord actually brings artisans from Harbin every year to create their sculptures, which was pretty impressive. Each year has a different theme, from the Grinch, Shrek, and so on. The room, which is divided by curtains to create a maze, is chilled to just eight degrees to keep the sculptures just right. I really wanted to know what happens when it's over. Do they just turn on the heat and let it all melt? That's something I'd love to see.

Went from there to another room where they gave us giant, blue parkas to put on. They were so thick they made you look like a penguin. Finally, we pushed our way through a thick curtained doorway into the exhibit. You could feel the cold the closer you got.

Eight degrees inside! That's bloody cold, I tell you! We were really glad we had the parkas. Luckily, Marsha and I both had our gloves. Unfortunately, Madison had left hers in the car. Either way, we had a hard time taking pictures. With them on, it was hard to work the camera. With them off, your fingers quickly freeze up.

The first section was all themed to Frosty the Snowman. The sculptures were perfect, and walked you through the entire story. They looked exactly like the characters from the cartoon. And Frosty was a perfect match for the ice. And with the songs from the show, it was like walking back into your childhood.

In the middle of the Frosty section was one of the signature pieces -- a giant ice slide. It was a lot of fun, but tough to go down. We thought we'd zip on down, but everyone got stuck and had to keep kicking off to make it to the bottom. Probably needed more of an angle. The exhibit was also billed as having four ice slides, but it was really one ice slide with four chutes side by side. 

The next section was themed to NYC, with a big apple, the Statue of Liberty, and a near life-sized cartoon-style yellow cab. The cab was the highlight with everyone hopping inside to take pictures. 

The final section was a nativity built with clear ice, so that it had a crystal look. With the blue lighting and the music, it was a great way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and end the exhibit.

We spent about thirty minutes walking through the whole thing, and were ready to get out when we did. Even with the parkas, the chill starts to seep in after a while. When we made it to the gift shop area (of course), we were ready to start warming up. We bought a few Christmas ornaments and hot chocolate (big seller). Unfortunately, the hot chocolate was really, really hot and hard to drink. By the time it had cooled down, we'd warmed up enough that we didn't need it as much.

When we went outside, we were even more glad we'd waited. The line was all the way down the sidewalk, so our 30 minute wait had been the shortest of the day. We'd have been idiots to leave. It was definitely an incredible experience, and unlike anything we'd ever done before.