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    • TravelerPlatinum Jubilee Trip
      11

      Diana: 25 years on…

      June 15, 2022 in England ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      It is always a reflective time when I visit Kensington Palace. Sure, I love all the history, particularly related to Queen Victoria and Princess Margaret who both lived here. But, obviously my biggest reflection is Diana. Everybody remembers where they were when they heard the news. I was living in London that year and remember feeling devastated as I travelled around France and Spain at that moment in time. I watched the funeral in Spain and the normally busy streets were completely void of people. It was eerie. Such a waste… Such an outpouring of grief. Can’t believe that it is 25 years this year. I couldn’t wait to get back to London. I lined up to sign the book of condolence at Kensington Palace and I saw the amazing floral tributes in front of Kensington Palace. They were as high as me and as far as you could see…💐🌹🌺🌸🌼

      Today all I had to do was walk out of my hotel room and cross the road to be at the palace. How fantastic is that? ❤️👑 I have visited and toured the palace many times but I get just as excited 😆 when I am doing it again. Today is no different! Last visit I saw Diana‘s dresses 👗 exhibition and this time the exhibition is ‘…life through the Royal lens…’📸

      And, what an exhibition it is! So many wonderful photographs… some never before seen. Queen Victoria started the photographic craze mid 1850’s with her reign. There is one photograph that shows her face smudged. Queen Victoria did this to the negative because she did not approve of the way she looked. It was with her children and they all are untouched. I simply devoured all the information around the photography and how it completely changed the public perception of the Royal family… as expected, the Queen calls all the shots when ever she has a photography session.✊🏻👑

      There was another story about Queen Mary crying for three days when she was to marry William. But, it became a true love story because William would not leave her side for weeks, even setting up a bed right next to her when she was sick and eventually died of smallpox.😢

      I am now standing in a quiet alcove admiring the serenity of Diana‘s statue. You are no longer allowed to walk around in the sunken garden which I was at first disappointed about, but then I spoke to the gardener who explained that a sunken garden is supposed to be appreciated from a distance, as a whole… It made complete sense and made it much more serene and respectful ❤️❤️❤️🪴🌸🌹🌳🙏

      This was indeed another highlight of this trip! There were not too many people so you had to complete silence to just admire and reflect. Beautiful moment 😢❤️🌹

      PS: I went a little bit crazy in the gift shop! Whoops! Rule Britannia! 🤪👑 🇬🇧 🇬🇧      Read more

    • TravelerPlatinum Jubilee Trip
      3
      5

      It’s good to be back! 🇬🇧🥰

      June 13, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

      A tiring travel 🧭 day is instantly cured by three simple words:

      MIND THE GAP ❤️🤍💙

      Staying in Kensington the next couple of days: About 200m from Kensington Palace. Dumped the bag at the Seraphine Olympia on Kensington High Street & headed straight to the “Goat 🐐 Tavern”. It’s the oldest pub in Kensington. It was built in 1695 as an ale house to raise money for education and support for the poor. Love the history! Over 300 years old. Amazing 🍺🍺 But no good to me at the time because stopped serving food so had a pint of cider 🍏 and kept exploring for something to eat after 12 hours travel 🧭😳 Then again…you sorta get beyond food after a certain threshold of tired…maybe another cider 🍺😇😝😝😝

      Hopefully 🙏 Richard has successfully navigated his EasyJet flight ✈️ to Belfast! He will be wrecked after his extended journey! 😳✊🏻🧳

      Strolled across to Kensington Palace just before sunset. I think it’s the first time I have ever come to the palace at night. It is very reflective for me, I always remember in 1997 (25 years ago 😳) when I came and saw the mountain of flowers 💐 and tributes that extended right through the gardens after Diana died… It was something I have never seen before and probably not again. It was as high as me & as far as you could see to the gates. We all remember where we were when Diana died. It is one of those moments in history that most of us will never forget. What a sad sad loss with repercussions that have lasted a lifetime, especially for William & Harry.

      Saw an absolutely amazing full moon 🌕 across the gardens. It was very eerie but beautiful to see. Check out the photos; I couldn’t believe my luck. Photos cannot even capture how amazing and beautiful it is! 🌝 Probably gone a bit ‘Moonstruck’ but it’s just so awesome! I tried to get all ‘Arty farty’ and show Queen Vicki is being bathed in the light of the moon! This holiday is the gift 💝 that just keeps on giving! 😍😇👑

      Looking forward to coming back to Kensington Palace during the day for the unique exhibition exploring the royal family‘s relationship with the camera: “life through a royal lens!” 👑

      Nice to be in a different area of London the next couple of days. Thinking 🤔 of going to see King Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace tomorrow…

      Need sleep 😴…always strange to know that when I hit the hay 🛌 everyone back home is just getting up to start ‘tomorrow’

      😘      Read more

    • TravelerMKK to UK May-June 2023
      1
      1111
      Day 12

      Ai Weiwei exhibit

      May 31, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

      The Design Museum had a special exhibit of Ai Weiwei's work. It was called "Making Sense" and the catalogue described it as "a commentary on design and what it reveals about our changing values. ... Through material culture, he explores the tensions between past and present, hand and machine, precious and worthless, construction and destruction."Read more

    • TravelerMKK to UK May-June 2023
      1
      111
      Day 12

      Japan House

      May 31, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      Japan House is also on Kensington High Street and features items from Japanese companies. Downstairs, they have a library and an exhibition space, which held a collection of intricately patterned silk braid cords.Read more

    • Suzie and Nik Do The UK
      Day 2

      Kensington Gardens

      April 28, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      Suzie - We are staying in Bayswater, part of the City of Westminster and on the doorstep of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park 😀😀😀 It's absolutely beautiful here 💜💜💜💜

      I'm so glad we are here!! Our arrival at our hotel wasn't as smooth as we hoped but it sure was memorable!! Note to self, go to stations that have lifts, most stations have stairs and the people of London were very kind to help us get our bags up the stairs!!!

      Nik - After battling with our bags on the stairs through the train stations....(Why are there no ramps? Do they not like ramps here? They would be very helpful when your dragging a 20kg bag around. ((However I do have to thank the many, many people who showed us such kindness, offering to help us with the stairs.))

      ...and a strange issue with the express train pass I had, (🤷) we made it to our hotel in Bayswater. It's small, but tidy and warm and suits our purpose....sleep and showers.

      I'm tired and have sore legs from being cramped up in the plane for so long, and looking forward to sleep tonight, but I'm not really feeling jet lagged. So yay!

      After dumping our stuff at the hotel and a very much needed shower (the shower could be hotter) we went for an explore. A walk to Kensington Palace and the gardens too. So good to stretch our legs a bit and start looking around.      Read more

    • London Summer 23
      Day 3

      Kensington Palace, second Diana stop

      August 12, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

      We finally arrived at Kensington Palace, where Béatrice was eager to meet Diana's soul...
      We could see a very interesting show Crown and Couture, with gorgeous dresses and jewels used mostly for key TV and art events. We cannot show here all the pics we took, so again something we shall share afterwards.
      We could also visit Victoria's apartments, and understand that she, along with her "Georgian" predecessors (kings George I, II, III and IV), was the true soul of the place, though later inhabited by Diana also.
      And, again by bus, we went back home through the very pleasant Chelsea neighborhood to get back to our place and have a well-deserved rest after 10 km of walking during that day.      Read more

    • Bilkey 6 in Europe
      Day 16

      Lucy, Dicky and some Clever Design

      April 14, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

      After a big day yesterday testing our wands, we needed a quieter day. We had a slow start to the morning before heading in to Westminster to poke around. Tom and Sarah were very keen to head to the Churchill War Rooms, while I took the younger boys down to the river. We walked passed Big Ben and agreed that it was quite big. We strolled through St James' Park towards Buckingham Palace. We were fortunate enough to see a horse brigade and platoon of the Queen's Guard practicing their marching up and down the Mall. We spied Buckingham Palace, admired the bloody big gates, and headed for the pub.

      Sarah and Tom had escaped the apartment early and lined up to see Churchills War Rooms, something Sarah had missed when we were living in London and swore she wasn't missing out this time. The entrance fee into this museum came with an audio device and gave you extra information about Churchills time during WWII and his life prior and after. They both thought it was great to get an inside look into how Churchill and his team operated during the war...and also agreed it was nice to get the chance to take their time without the sounds from Jack & Fred 'are we finished yet!'

      Sarah and Tom joined us for lunch, where Sarah finally got to have fish ’n’ chips with mushy peas before we headed to the Design Museum to meet Lucy, Dicky, Trix and Fabs. It was a cool little museum, highlighting the importance of design in our everyday lives. After a slightly shy start, the kids were soon getting along very well. We left the museum and headed around the back to Holland Park. Rowan trained here many moons ago for the Wildcats, so it was cool to come back and kick a footy with the kids. Dicky's frisbee got a solid workout and, as would become routine for the trip, Jack and Cam found some local kids to kick a football with. Fred and Fabs hit it off famously, creating their own little world, and for a good time kept each other thoroughly entertained. Zoe also came and met us again, and it was lovely to introduce her to Lucy, Dicky and the kids.

      It was great to chat to Lucy and Dicky and hear about their lives which are quickly about to change with Lucy due in a few months.

      We said our goodbyes and hope that we get to see Trix, Fabs and the little nugget in the not-too-distant future down in Australia. The boys really enjoyed their time together.

      Zoe came back to our place for dinner. We all love spending as much time as we can with her…in two days we are leaving London bound for warmer shores.      Read more

    • London Kurztrip
      Day 1

      Hyde Park

      October 6, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

      Nachdem wir um 07:50 Uhr Ortszeit angekommen waren, ging es für uns vom Flughafen Heathrow mit der U-Bahn zur South Kensington Haltestelle.
      Ein paar Minuten Fußmarsch und einer unerwarteten extrem scharfen "Chicken Roll" später, erreichten wir den Hyde Park.

      Der Kensington Palast war nicht so spektakulär, dafür hat uns aber die Größe vom Park fasziniert. Die Geräusche der Metropole gingen unter und es herrschte eine trügerische Stille. Der Park war überhaupt nicht überlaufen und es schien, als würde der Park von den Einheimischen mehr genutzt werden, als von den Touristen. Wir haben uns schon gefreut "Schön, wie wenig Touristen hier sind. Scheint die perfekte Zeit zu sein, um nach London zu reisen!"

      Tja! Wenn da nicht die vielen großen Sehenswürdigkeiten wären, die diese Stadt so ausmachen.
      Wir haben uns gefühlt wie auf einem Festival.
      Dazu mehr im nächsten Post 😊

      Zurück zum Hyde Park.

      Es gab viele kleine Ansehnlichkeiten, die den Park ausmachten. Statuen wie zum Beispiel Peter Pan oder das Lady Diane Memorial machten den Park besonders. Für einen Moment dachten wir auch, dass Emma Watson auf einer Bank saß. Als wir vorbeiliefen, sah sie ihr zum verwechseln ähnlich. War sie es oder war sie es nicht? Das ist hier die Frage! 🤔

      Nach einer kleinen Stärkung im Park an einem Café, ging es weiter Richtung Buckingham Palast!      Read more

      See translation
    • TravelerTour de l'Ecosse en trio
      Day 14

      Hello London

      August 18, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

      Nous passons une dernière matinée dans cette ville attachante en visitant l'université de Glasgow, dans son pur style victorien, tout en arcades, tourelles et grandes fenêtres. Puis c'est au tour du Art Galery Museum de nous ouvrir ses portes sur des oeuvres racontant notamment l'histoire du pays. Nous découvrons également le courant architectural et décoratif des Macintosh qui s'inscrit dans l'art moderne du début du 19ème.
      La journée se poursuit dans le train pour Londres où nous rejoignons notre auberge de jeunesse à Holland Park à l'ouest de la capitale ; encore une ancienne bâtisse dans le style jacobéen.      Read more

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    • TravelerGrand Tour of Europe - 2023
      Day 11

      London

      May 13, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      After leaving Winchester it was back to London where we walked around Kensington and Hyde Park before heading off on the Tube to see ABBA in the purpose built arena at Pudding Mill Lane (what a great name!).Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Kensington, Kensinqton, Кенсінгтон, Кенсингтън, کنزینگتون, קנזינגטון, केंसिंग्टन, ケンジントン, 켄징턴, Кенсингтон, 肯星頓, 肯辛顿

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