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UK 2023

July - August 2023
  • Sarah Hughes
A 31-day adventure by Sarah Read more
  • Sarah Hughes

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  • Sarah HughesTravelerUK 2023
    The white tower is the oldest part, built by William the Conqueror
    1This was the queue to see the Crown Jewels1This armour was built for a child. Cute helmet! Hopefully he wasn't sent to the front lines.The Constable of the Tower still lives here. At least this guard got a shady post!St John's chapel. At least it was quiet in here.Pipe organ in the chapel1Very relieved to see that someone gave him some water halfway through his 2-hour shift.

    Tower of London

    August 16, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We had booked tickets to the Tower of London before we came. Our entry time was 10:30 am, but entry times seem to bear no relevance here. We got there at 10am and went straight in.

    The place was absolutely thronging with people. Tourists! 😄 It made it difficult to read info signs or take decent photos. The crown jewels part was particularly crowded. We were herded in like cattle, and the most interesting part had us on a conveyor belt so you couldn't linger. I felt quite claustrophobic at times and the noise of everyone talking was overwhelming. Couldn't take photos, but some clowns got their phones out and got yelled at by the security staff. Some of the gold vessels were impressive.

    We enjoyed the armoury in the white tower better (apart from the numerous steps!). After that we discovered the chapel (where Ann Boleyn and others were buried). This was a peaceful spot to rest, and I got my daily pipe organ photo.    Read more

  • Sarah HughesTravelerUK 2023
    4Someone is valiantly trying to take a photo of the Rosetta stoneOttoman tiles1An interesting shop propThe elevators at Liverpool Street station. Two lots of these, 34m below ground.

    British Museum

    August 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Today we attempted to see Stuff the British Stole. It wasn't a huge success.

    Ian was feeling off. He keeps doing RATs and today he was feeling a bit dizzy. We caught the tube again, only 2 stops + 2 stops. We swapped lines at Liverpool Street station which is 34m underground and felt like we were descending into the bowels of the earth. The new Elizabeth line opened in 2022 and is an engineering marvel, but a bit disconcerting for the claustrophobic.

    When we got into the Museum, we were once again swamped by a ridiculous number of people. The noise was overwhelming - we should have used Jeremy's noise cancelling earphones. We couldn't see where we were going. No point taking photos. I did a quick whizz through the Islamic section while Ian found a seat, as I wanted to check out the Girih tiles.

    We decided we'd rather watch a good documentary, and made a hasty exit. At least we hadn't wasted £ on entry fees.

    On the upside, we got back to the hotel to find fresh sheets and towels 🙂    Read more

  • Sarah HughesTravelerUK 2023
    Thames River cruise
    The view of the Traitor's Gate shows how the water level of the Thames has changed.The Cutty SarkMarkets at Greenwich1Globe Theatre. It's a replica as the original was burnt down from using real canons as sound effectsCleopatra's NeedleWestminster Bridge and Houses of ParliamentThe London EyeThe kids and I went on this in 2017. Not Ian - he prefers this view! It turns quite slowly.The boat was more crowded from Westminster but we were upstairs and out in the fresh air

    Greenwich

    August 18, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    The theme for today was "no expectations and no regrets". We have lost the zest to do many of the things we had planned to do. We decided the most peaceful way to spend the day was on a boat, so we booked a Thames River Cruise.

    It proved a good choice. We went to Greenwich first and the boat was fairly empty. There were a few markets on and we saw the Cutty Sark. We strolled towards the Observatory but didn't have the energy to climb towards the top.

    We reboarded the boat and went all the way to the Westminster Bridge. We didn't disembark there, but stayed on until we got back to Tower Hill.    Read more

  • Sarah HughesTravelerUK 2023
    My view from the 4th row
    Church of St Martin-in-the-FieldsThe crypt Cafe below the churchPipe organ at the rear of the church1The divine name in Hebrew on the ceiling rose!The programNelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, across the road1Tower Bridge at night

    St Martin-in-the-Fields

    August 18, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    This was the pinnacle of our holiday: the booked event I had been anticipating the most - A classical concert in the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields 🤩

    I have always loved the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Loads of my first records were performed by them. They used original instruments and had a really intimate chamber feel to their art. Tonight's musicians were not 'the Academy' but the venue was still very appealing to me.

    It did not disappoint! Such a beautiful church. The gilt ornamentation glittered in the (fake) candle light. The acoustics were wonderful. It was as expected a very intimate group of musicians: a conductor, 1 bass, 2 cellists, 2 violas and 4 violins, plus 1 piano obviously!

    And the music 🥰. The chamber works were at a sprightly pace, and the pianist played very expressively. It was all repertoire we know well, but every one of them reminded me of everybody I love. Ian & I walked down the aisle to Bach's Air; Elizabeth & I play Eine Kleine as a piano duet; Jen introduced me to Mozart piano concertos; Moonlight Sonata reminds me of my sweet Jeremy (I played it to calm my nerves the night before I was induced to give him birth, and it is one of the few pieces he plays); Pachelbel reminds me of my unique Emily (who once accidentally played this in D flat major!); the violins reminded me of my lovely mother, and the pizzicato bass reminded me of my Dad pom pomming as he listened. I spent most of the concert with happy tears.

    He played Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu as an encore!

    We went to and from in a black cab as Ian is over the Tube, so it was a very special evening. The Tower Bridge was lit up when we got back.

    💖💗💜    Read more

  • Sarah HughesTravelerUK 2023
    St Paul's Cathedral
    Monument to the great fire of LondonWalking across the Millennium footbridgeView from the footbridgeLooking back at St Paul's Cathedral from the other sideGlobe TheatreThe Golden Hinde: Sir Frances Drake's shipAbsolutely no idea what this is!Vintage markets near the ShardThe leaning tower of London?

    St Paul's Cathedral etc

    August 19, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We saw what we could of London on foot today - a Tube free day. St Paul's Cathedral looked doable at 25 minutes according to Maps. Thankfully my legs were in working order and it was pleasant weather. It's quite nice to go for a leisurely stroll, and we happened upon things that we wouldn't have gone out of our way to see, like the Monument to the great fire of London.

    St Paul's looked very grand. We didn't go inside, partly because a great coach load of tourists just arrived, and partly because we think we have spent enough funding the Anglican church for now. They certainly know how to charge for things here. It would set us back by $100. I've had Mary Poppins' "Feed the Birds" in my head ever since. It was very peaceful in the gardens.

    Next we walked over the Millennium footbridge to the other side of the river, which got us to the Globe Theatre. Again, we didn't feel the need to part with another $100 for the tour. We sound stingy today! (There was one show we were tempted to splurge on: it was virtual reality interactive theatre not far from our hotel. But when we checked the fine print it was not recommended for people with mobility issues, epilepsy, back problems, respiratory allergies, fear of the dark or blood, those of a nervous disposition or who don't like sudden loud noises (among other things). I think the only one we didn't tick was pregnancy!)

    We decided to cross back over the river on the Tower Bridge. Our stroll to the Bridge took us past The Golden Hinde replica ship and the HMS Belfast. We passed some vintage markets, but they didn't have much of interest.

    We did a LOT of walking! It was punctuated by Cafe stops and park benches, but we were glad to get back to the hotel. We rested for about an hour before we decided to stroll back to the pier to see the Tower Bridge lift up to let a Dutch ship through. It has been a good day.    Read more

  • Sarah HughesTravelerUK 2023

    Heathrow Airport

    August 20, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Our holiday is winding up. We had a late check out (midday) of our Tower Hill motel. We were well organised and had time (and presence of mind) for a Memorial service before we left.

    My back has been playing up again, and Ian decided the cab to Heathrow was worth the expense. Sunday morning is a relatively good time to travel as far as traffic goes, and we had a peaceful drive through London. We passed Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey and a few other landmarks we would not have seen on the Tube.

    We are now at the Heathrow airport motel ready for an early flight tomorrow morning. The photo is the view from our room. On the right you can see the connecting tunnel to the Terminal, a 2 minute walk so no need for a shuttle. We've weighed our bags and they are under weight so hopefully no dramas tomorrow.

    Our motel is a 3-4 star budget one, and we decided to eat at the Crowne restaurant next door. Mine was tastier than it looks! Spinach and paneer curry. Yum. Ian had Nasi Goreng. Soon I will be back to having to cook 😒 but on the other hand it will be good to eat normally again. I miss my spinach and banana smoothies!    Read more

  • Sarah HughesTravelerUK 2023

    Doha Airport: Missed connection

    August 21, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ 🌙 34 °C

    Our holiday is definitely over. The flight from London was delayed for about an hour due to technical difficulties then congestion problems with the runway.

    Not all the technical difficulties got sorted, as there was no power down the left side of the plane. There was a spare seat next to me which turned out hot property because everyone wanted to use it to charge their device. A chap sat next to me for the last few hours as he needed to work on his laptop. It also meant we were down one toilet.

    There was a 4yo sitting in front of us who clearly didn't like headphones so we listened to her entertainment 🙄

    We had a tight connection so we missed it and have been put on another flight leaving at 2am. They gave us a food voucher which didn't quite cover a drink and a pizza. So now we wait.

    Tricky to work out what time to take my evening tablets.

    Midnight edit: Just discovered our new flight is actually via Melbourne and involves 6 hours at Melbourne airport so we don't reach Adelaide until Wednesday morning 😵‍💫. I can feel the relaxation of the last few weeks might be reversed in a cataclysmic fashion.    Read more

  • Sarah HughesTravelerUK 2023
    2

    Melbourne Airport

    August 23, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Well that flight wouldn't have been so bad if it had ended up in Adelaide. We basically flew over Adelaide - a pity they didn't drop us off on the way. So close, yet so far away. At least our phones work again.

    I wish I had put a change of clothes in my cabin bag. We are in the transit lounge and we don't have access to our big cases. I did bring a face washer and toothbrush so that's good to freshen up a bit. I was looking forward to some good Melbourne coffee but that's all closed.

    Even their grand piano is out of action (which Ian is pleased about as he thinks it mighty rude of anyone to make a racket after midnight). I will try to get some sleep on the benches here. It's pretty deserted. The most annoying thing is I left my neck cushion and homemade eyepatch in Doha Airport 🤨

    We leave at 5:30 am.    Read more

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