Great Britain

Free E-zine of Travel Adventures

Send this Page to a Friend

Flag of Great Britain

WEEKEND IN LONDON

RON KAPON

When someone tells you Americans are not traveling to Europe, ask them to check out London. My early summer British Airways flight was packed. Thanks to Brock Communications, and The Historic Royal Palaces, the sponsor of our weekend press trip (more later), and some fast talking at JFK, I was upgraded to BA's version of Coach Plus, with wider seats and more leg room. I liked the idea of a 9AM flight (and so did the 400 some folks on my flight) because we arrived in London before 9PM and were at our hotel by 11PM and a real bed for sleeping.

The Intercontinental Hyde Park Corner was perfectly located near two Underground stations and directly across from Green Park and Hyde Park Corner and overlooking Buckingham Palace. Our rooms were on the Club Floor that gave us continental breakfast, a late afternoon reception and internet connections. I made use of all three, even taping an interview with the chef and restaurant manager for my radio show in their private conference room.

The Historic Royal Palaces (there are four; we visited three) have been turned over by the Queen to this charity that receives no public funding and relies on the income from admissions for the preservation of these national monuments. www.hrp.org.uk.

Hampton Court Palace is called "The Greatest Palace in Britain" and is celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the death of Elizabeth I. It is about 1 ¼ hours from London center, (depending on traffic) by car or 30 minutes from London's Waterloo Train Station. Here one finds 500 years of royal history while touring the vast Tudor kitchens, the spectacular State Apartments of Kings and Queens and viewing works of art from the Royal Collection. See what life was like during the reigns of Henry VIII and William III. For me, the 60 acres of magnificent gardens, orchards, ponds, Hunting Park and Privy Gardens were the highlight. I did get lost for 15 minutes inside the maze. I suggest following the school kids for they found their way out in only a few minutes.

How lucky we were to tour the palace with assistant curator Jonathan Foyle and the gardens with Gardens & Estate Operation Manager Graham Dillamore, who has a staff of 36.

I came to see The" Great Vine," which is 234 years old making it the oldest and largest known vine in the world. Housed in its own home, it was the first time a greenhouse was build around a plant, which has branches up to 108 feet long and a circumference of nearly 10 feet, earning it a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. There are more than 700 pounds of black, sweet grapes that were used by the Royal household and are now sold to visitors in the palace shops.

After a long afternoon we had the Banqueting House set aside for our use to relax, sun ourselves (believe it or not, my long weekend was sunny with temperature over 80 ), and sip afternoon tea and snacks and get ready for our outdoor musical performance of the "Best of the West End" (their Broadway). www.hampton-court-palace.org.uk .

The next day we walked through Green Park and Kensington Gardens to Kensington Palace which has been a royal residence since the 17th Century and was the birthplace of Queen Victoria and the last home to Princess Diana. We had a private tour of "Hats and Handbags; Accessories from the Royal Wardrobe" by palace director Nigel Arch. There were 120 hats, headscarves, handbags and gloves from the wardrobe of HM The Queen. Also on display was the stunning Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, dating from the 18th Century to the present day. We had a rare chance to see a selection of dresses worn by HM The Queen and 14 evening dresses worn by the Princess of Wales.

We had to rush to get to the early afternoon 62 gun salutes at the Tower of London. (41 for the Queen; 21 for the regiment). The Tower is the third largest tourist attraction in London, after The BA London Eye (see following section) and Madame Toussards. The Tower was begun by William the Conqueror in 1078. We were in a VIP area for the salute and then had a private "Beefeater" tour of the Tower, its collection of arms and armors, its Torture at The Tower exhibits and the dazzling Crown Jewel exhibit which included the world's largest diamond, Cullinan I, set in the sovereign's Scepter (530 carats). The Imperial Crown of India is set with more than 6,000 diamonds. We also learned about the Ravens. Legend has it that complaints were made to Charles II that the birds were a nuisance and he ordered them destroyed only to be told that if the ravens left the Tower, it would fall and a great disaster would befall the Kingdom. The King changed his mind and decreed that at least 6 ravens should be kept. One more was kept in reserve. ( Just to be safe, their wings have been clipped; aren't legends fun ).

I had a late flight out on Sunday so tubed to see the number one attraction in London- the London Eye, a giant enclosed Ferris wheel where 15,000 passengers a day travel in the 32 glass enclosed observation pods and can see up to 25 miles over the city. There was no wait early in the morning, but be prepared for 1 to 2 hour waits later on in the day.

I then walked along the South Bank area to revisit many attractions from my last visit a few years ago; the area is now home to great national centers of art and culture that include: Royal Festival Hall, National Film Theatre, Royal National Theatre, Old Vic Theatre, Tate Modern Museum, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and London Bridge. I did get a chance to spend an hour at Vinopolos, the City of Wine. I had been there when it first opened and wanted to revisit. Unfortunately, not a lot of people seem to share my enthusiasm for the world of wine.

One of the best things that London has that I wish existed in New York is the Heathrow Express. A ten minute taxi ride from my hotel and I was at Paddington Station. I was able to check in my luggage and have a leisurely lunch before boarding the Express (celebrating its 5th anniversary this year). In 15 minutes I was at Heathrow Airport. My one way ticket was about $20US. - www.heathrowexpress.co.uk ; there is also a Gatwick (30 minutes) and Stansted Express (45 minutes).

This article only covered my 2 ½ days in London. I recommend a longer stay; there is a lot to see. The British Tourist Authority has an office in NYC or go to www.travelbritain.org

Subscribe

Real Travel Adventures Web Magazine

Thanks for visiting us!

Add to Bookmarks

_____________________

Home Previous Page Next Page

________________________

If any links don't work

PLEASE NOTIFY US.

International Magazine Favorite Finds Home Article List Arts&Crafts BackRoads CampVentures Cruises Dine&Sleep FamilyTrips FavoriteFinds KidsOnTheGo Nature'sBest NearYou OurWorld SkiTrips Spas/Retreats SpecialPeople TravelHumor TravelNews Unbelievable WeddingTrips Books&Audio ContactUs Archives Archives2003 Travel Adventures Stories & Pix Free Monthly Subscriptions	Favorite Finds on Travel Adventures	Real Travel Adventures Home Select Here Favorite FInds Travel Adventures All The Fun of Cancun – And A Hurricane To Boot Faust’s Ghost: Haunted Hotel In Texas WEEKEND IN LONDON Atlantic City, Fun For All The Spirit of Mabuhay in The Philippines MICKELSON TRAIL OPENS BLACK HILLS TO HIKERS, BIKERS Where in the World is Big Bend? Florida Space Coast Las Vegas, Entertainment Capital of the World Old Cape Cod Providence, RI, Memorial to 9/11 Bryce Canyon,Ut An Overview of Newport, RI © 2004 Bonita Productions Inc. If any links don't work PLEASE NOTIFY US.
	Free E-zine of Travel Adventures Send this Page to a Friend Peace for Everyone Flag of Great Britain WEEKEND IN LONDON By RON KAPON When someone tells you Americans are not traveling to Europe, ask them to check out London. My early summer British Airways flight was packed. Thanks to Brock Communications, and The Historic Royal Palaces, the sponsor of our weekend press trip (more later), and some fast talking at JFK, I was upgraded to BA's version of Coach Plus, with wider seats and more leg room. I liked the idea of a 9AM flight (and so did the 400 some folks on my flight) because we arrived in London before 9PM and were at our hotel by 11PM and a real bed for sleeping. The Intercontinental Hyde Park Corner was perfectly located near two Underground stations and directly across from Green Park and Hyde Park Corner and overlooking Buckingham Palace. Our rooms were on the Club Floor that gave us continental breakfast, a late afternoon reception and internet connections. I made use of all three, even taping an interview with the chef and restaurant manager for my radio show in their private conference room. The Historic Royal Palaces (there are four; we visited three) have been turned over by the Queen to this charity that receives no public funding and relies on the income from admissions for the preservation of these national monuments. www.hrp.org.uk. Hampton Court Palace is called "The Greatest Palace in Britain" and is celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the death of Elizabeth I. It is about 1 ¼ hours from London center, (depending on traffic) by car or 30 minutes from London's Waterloo Train Station. Here one finds 500 years of royal history while touring the vast Tudor kitchens, the spectacular State Apartments of Kings and Queens and viewing works of art from the Royal Collection. See what life was like during the reigns of Henry VIII and William III. For me, the 60 acres of magnificent gardens, orchards, ponds, Hunting Park and Privy Gardens were the highlight. I did get lost for 15 minutes inside the maze. I suggest following the school kids for they found their way out in only a few minutes. How lucky we were to tour the palace with assistant curator Jonathan Foyle and the gardens with Gardens & Estate Operation Manager Graham Dillamore, who has a staff of 36. I came to see The" Great Vine," which is 234 years old making it the oldest and largest known vine in the world. Housed in its own home, it was the first time a greenhouse was build around a plant, which has branches up to 108 feet long and a circumference of nearly 10 feet, earning it a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. There are more than 700 pounds of black, sweet grapes that were used by the Royal household and are now sold to visitors in the palace shops. After a long afternoon we had the Banqueting House set aside for our use to relax, sun ourselves (believe it or not, my long weekend was sunny with temperature over 80 ), and sip afternoon tea and snacks and get ready for our outdoor musical performance of the "Best of the West End" (their Broadway). www.hampton-court-palace.org.uk . The next day we walked through Green Park and Kensington Gardens to Kensington Palace which has been a royal residence since the 17th Century and was the birthplace of Queen Victoria and the last home to Princess Diana. We had a private tour of "Hats and Handbags; Accessories from the Royal Wardrobe" by palace director Nigel Arch. There were 120 hats, headscarves, handbags and gloves from the wardrobe of HM The Queen. Also on display was the stunning Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, dating from the 18th Century to the present day. We had a rare chance to see a selection of dresses worn by HM The Queen and 14 evening dresses worn by the Princess of Wales. We had to rush to get to the early afternoon 62 gun salutes at the Tower of London. (41 for the Queen; 21 for the regiment). The Tower is the third largest tourist attraction in London, after The BA London Eye (see following section) and Madame Toussards. The Tower was begun by William the Conqueror in 1078. We were in a VIP area for the salute and then had a private "Beefeater" tour of the Tower, its collection of arms and armors, its Torture at The Tower exhibits and the dazzling Crown Jewel exhibit which included the world's largest diamond, Cullinan I, set in the sovereign's Scepter (530 carats). The Imperial Crown of India is set with more than 6,000 diamonds. We also learned about the Ravens. Legend has it that complaints were made to Charles II that the birds were a nuisance and he ordered them destroyed only to be told that if the ravens left the Tower, it would fall and a great disaster would befall the Kingdom. The King changed his mind and decreed that at least 6 ravens should be kept. One more was kept in reserve. ( Just to be safe, their wings have been clipped; aren't legends fun ). I had a late flight out on Sunday so tubed to see the number one attraction in London- the London Eye, a giant enclosed Ferris wheel where 15,000 passengers a day travel in the 32 glass enclosed observation pods and can see up to 25 miles over the city. There was no wait early in the morning, but be prepared for 1 to 2 hour waits later on in the day. I then walked along the South Bank area to revisit many attractions from my last visit a few years ago; the area is now home to great national centers of art and culture that include: Royal Festival Hall, National Film Theatre, Royal National Theatre, Old Vic Theatre, Tate Modern Museum, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and London Bridge. I did get a chance to spend an hour at Vinopolos, the City of Wine. I had been there when it first opened and wanted to revisit. Unfortunately, not a lot of people seem to share my enthusiasm for the world of wine. One of the best things that London has that I wish existed in New York is the Heathrow Express. A ten minute taxi ride from my hotel and I was at Paddington Station. I was able to check in my luggage and have a leisurely lunch before boarding the Express (celebrating its 5th anniversary this year). In 15 minutes I was at Heathrow Airport. My one way ticket was about $20US. - www.heathrowexpress.co.uk ; there is also a Gatwick (30 minutes) and Stansted Express (45 minutes). This article only covered my 2 ½ days in London. I recommend a longer stay; there is a lot to see. The British Tourist Authority has an office in NYC or go to www.travelbritain.org Subscribe Real Travel Adventures Web Magazine Thanks for visiting us! Add to Bookmarks \ _____________________ Home Previous Page Next Page ________________________ If any links don't work PLEASE NOTIFY US.