1 week vacation...

So, my passport arrived this week so we can go on vacation to the US.  My parents have offered to stay with PJ for 1 week this summer and BOY and I itching to get out of here.  We haven't had a week vacation since we were in Toronto in 2009 - and I haven't been away from this house since we were in Calgary last summer for 2 nights.

We are planning to go to Seattle...but now that I see there are 3 (that I've found) museums about airplanes, I'm re-thinking my choice.  We were thinking of Vegas or Phoenix...but we were in Phx in 2008 and as much as I love it and know my way around, it would be nice to go somewhere different.  ALSO...it was bloody hot when we were in Phx in Aug 2008 and I don't want to be too hot...hence the kibosh on Vegas (that and GJA will probably go on a guy trip there in Oct).

So, even though it could be colder in Seattle then it is up here in Canada...I'll take my chances with Seattle.

We're booked and ready to fly...except the house needs to be cleaned and we need to pack.

London, England

Most photos are from various sites in the internet.

Since I shall be losing sleep watching the Royal Wedding of William and Kate tonight, I thought I'd do a post about my trips to London. (see website about London)

I was fortunate to spend a few days there in 1984 and then just a lay-over in around 1994?

Its so easy to get around in London - I just loved the tube!  I got to be the official London Underground Map reader and we were able to get around to anywhere we wanted to go without any problem whatsoever.

This was my 1st trip to Europe and my very 1st memory after getting from Heathrow to Victoria Station (through the tube) was talking out of the front door.  It felt like we had walked into a Hollywood set - could it be possible that I'm actually here and all these old buildings exist, the roads are so narrow, the cobblestone is everywhere, on and on - I'll never forget that feeling of...WOW...I'm actually in London, this is just how it looks on TV.

I'll just go through the things we saw (that I can remember...1984 is a LOT of years ago).

MUST SEE - Tower of London (see website) - we wandered around inside the tower - up and down all the pathways.  We chatted with a Beefeater who asked us whether Pierre Elliot Trudeau was still Prime Minister (we said, no).  You can take a tour to see the crown jewels, but at the time, you had to get into the line-up 1st thing in the morning to actually get in and by the time we realized that, it was mid afternoon and we weren't in that area again during our time there - must go back and see them. It has a gruesome history, since this is where everyone was sent to be beheaded.  See if you can find the 6 ravens.

Tower Bridge - right beside the Tower of London is the Tower Bridge.  It looks like it should be the bridge from "London bridge is falling down" but it isn't....there's a bridge in London called London Bridge, which the song is about - that bridge is pretty unattractive.

Tower Bridge

London Bridge - see, ugly

MUST SEE - Buckingham Palace (see website).  During the layover, we took the tube to Buckingham Palace. You actually can go in for a tour of part of in (from late July to end of Sept) but that hadn't started way back when I was there.  Getting there for the changing of the guard is fun to watch as is posing for a photo with a guard. (See changing of the guard website) . 

The 1st time I was there, it just happened to be a day that they were practicing for the Queen's birthday parade...so we got to see all the horses and bands etc go by (without the Queen, as it was just a practice). 

 On the street in front of Buckingham Palace is the Queen Victoria Monument - stop and take a peek.

MUST SEE - Westminster Abbey.  (see website)  Across from the Queen Victoria Monument, there's a huge park which I think is called St. James Park.  If you go through the park (or around and to the right) you will end up at Westminster Abbey.  The building is fabulous to look at.  You can take a tour inside - unfortunately, I haven't been able to, but I'd love to.  This is the church that most of the royal weddings, coronations, and funerals have occurred over all the years its been opened.

MUST SEE - Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. (website)  Literally down the street from Westminster Abby is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben - its a perfect place for a photo.  When I was there the 1st time they were cleaning/repairing Big Ben so it was covered in green crap...boo.

Its so fantastic that you can see all these places so quickly because they are all close together.  After that, we walked to Trafalgar Square and to Piccadilly Circus.   Looked around, had lunch, jumped on the tube back to Heathrow and off to our final destination.

Trafalgar Square

Piccadilly Circus

When I was there a wee bit longer, we also went to Harrods to shop (although, since we were just out of college, everything was too expensive to purchase anything other than cookies).  I'd like to go back and take another look.  It was walking distance from our hotel, so that was fun.

Harrods

MUST SEE - British Museum. (website)  I didn't know what to expect in the museum, but I was flabbergasted to see all these Greek artifacts...even the Rosetta stone.  It is definitely worth a visit.  The museum is constantly under fire for keeping rare artifacts that were "taken" from where they belong and these countries would like them back (Rosetta Stone back to Egypt and various items back to Greece etc).  The best part - its FREE to go to!

MUST DO - take a tour/ride on a double decker bus and a taxi ride - both are great fun!

Other interesting places there that I've never been to or done, but would like to are:

• London Eye - see website. 
• St. Paul's Cathedral - see website.
• Kensington Palace - see website.
• Queen's Gallery - see website.
• Haunted London Walks - see website - lots to choose from
• West End Theatre District - see website.  We actually DID go to a play, but I can't remember what it was.  I'd definitely take in a play or musical if I went back.

I hope you enjoyed your trip to London, England!

Day 22 - Favorite vacation

GEE...I can't pick just 1 - so, in no particular order:

Australia - because of location and all the amazing things we saw

Puerto Vallarta - because of the hilarious things/situations we were in/did

Mexico cruise and Disneyland - because of the the fun we had on the ship AND being kids again at Disneyland

Day 8 - A place you've traveled to

How do I ever choose?  OK, so I'll just do a list of where I've been

Australia (Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, Canberra)

Cook Islands

Bali

Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto)

Greece

England (well, only London)

Mexico

Several places on 2 separate bus tours of Europe (Germany, Holland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, and Italy)

Several places in US (Phoenix, Anaheim, Honolulu, Portland, Seattle, Boston, Yellowstone National Park - plus surrounding states)

Several places in Canada (Toronto, Niagara Falls, Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, Jasper, Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon etc)

We're home

GJA & I went to Calgary for a wedding on the weekend (sans PJ) - left Friday noon-ish and back Sunday around 5pm. It was smoking hot in Calgary (31C of 88F) as it was in Edmonton.

Its always hot in Edmonton the weekend of the Indy race - so the spectators have to sit on unshaded bleacher seats that's on concrete and watch cars race around in circles for 3 days - serves them right.

I'll be back with photos from the wedding....hopefully today, but who knows. We had a nice visit with some of Graeme's closest friends (whom, unfortunately, we really only see at weddings)

GJA seems to think that I've had a vacation now...ummmm....not!

Triathalon - a spectator sport

Did you know that its great fun to watch a triathalon?

I've got a bunch of posts of my brother's Ironman 2004 experience. In August 2003, my parents and I went to Kelowna to watch my brother in a triathalon. It was a great one to watch because you could stay in one spot and see the bike & run several times because they ran the same route a couple of times. Great as a spectator!

One thing we did prior to the race, was go to a winery! YUMMY! As we were arriving in Kelowna...it was getting hotter and hotter outside! Such fun to watch the thermomintor go up in the car as we drove. There were lots of forest fires that year. We were in Peachland for dinner one night and we could see all the fires on the land just accross the lake from us. Very scarey to watch. We could see the planes dropping water and it was doing nothing to help. Later in August, my brother could see the flames from their house and were only blocks away from being evacuated...but thankfully, never were. It was a bad year in Kelowna for fires.

New link added

I added a new link...to my parent's photos from their April 2009 cruise. See links below in "places I visit"or use this:

http://delmitchell.spaces.live.com/