London 2013. Oxford

After making a breakfast for the family including my family favorite, monkey bread, eggs and delightful bacon, Ruthie and I headed off to Oxford for our girls day out.  Wonderful drive including the view seen on the opening credits of The Vicar Of Dibley which is taken from the M40 as you drive toward Oxfordshire.  I didn't get a photo, but you can see it just by watching the show.

We started at Queens College and walked around toward the Bodleian library where we were lucky enough to catch an exhibition.  Magical Books from the Middle Ages to middle earth.

We saw beautiful illustrated manuscripts and drawings by JRR Tolkien among other things.  No flash photography, due to the age of the items displayed, but I felt very lucky to have been able to view the exhibition.

Queens college quad

Gargoyles of the new variety

The Bodleian

Me at the Radcliffe camera

Ruthie

The grounds at Christ church cathedral

The altar

A wall on the way back to catch our bus to the car park

Lovely day all around.  Now we are home for a nice dinner and tomorrow I will be headed home.

It has been a great trip from beginning to end.  Lucky lucky me!

This and That

A few collages of special things

doors

Fellow travelers

St Michael places

Signs

Thursday - Guildford

Today I rode with Ruthie and Edward to Guildford in Sussex where they dropped me off.  They drove on to the University just outside of the city to get Edward settled in his school flat.  Big day!!  I feel really privileged to be here with them.   While they did all the hard work, I got to roam about the high street and look at all the great shops and old buildings.  

This is the canal that runs through town.

The high street - lots of people roaming the streets in the middle of the week.

This is the arch the carriages would go through to drop off the post

Beautiful clock 

This is the quilt/yarn/craft shop I found - finally!!

After Ed was settled Ruthie came back and picked me up and we found a nice restaurant through the arch at the Posting House and had a very nice snack and fab dessert.  It was nice, as always, to have time to just sit and chat and relax!!

Back home now after a rather traffic filled ride down the M25.  Looking forward to whatever tomorrow brings.  This has been such a wonderful trip.

Tuesday - V&A to Liberty of London

I took another long walk (this time in the right direction) and finally found an underground station that took me to Oxford Circle Station.  A nice gentleman directed me to Liberty of London.  I had to go - they have a fabric line that is much touted in the quilting world.  The cost is outrageous, so I didn't buy any yardage, but did buy a very nice small scarf just so I could say I did.  I also bought knitting needles to start of Lauren's scarf with the yarn I bought in Germany.

The store is so beautiful and filled with many different kinds of things.  They do have fabric and yarn, a great Christmas store, a floor where they sell rugs that looks like it's out of a bazaar in India.  It was a little overwhelming, but fun to walk through and see things.

From there I went to a pub down the street where I grabbed some wifi, but no one approached me to get an order, so I left and went to Pret a Manger (not sure if I spelled that right) which sells freshly prepared organic food.  It was nice to sit and read and relax for a bit.  I then headed to starbucks for more wireless and an iced tea.  I decided then and there that I had had it and there was no way I was going to another shop anywhere.  So back to the hotel I went to get my bags and shortly I will be heading out to catch the train to Beaconsfield and my friends Ruthie and Clive and their boys.  I can't wait to see them!!

Tuesday - Kensington to the V&A

The nicest thing happened today.  As I was leaving Kensington Palace I had no clue where to go to get to the underground to get to the Victoria and Albert Museum (which I hear has a wonderful collection of textiles).  I stopped to ask a nice lady who drives one of those electric cars and takes folks with disabilities around the park.  She was talking with another driver and he said, come with me, I will take you to the gate and it's just a short walk from there to the V&A.  No charge, just to be nice.  He took me by the memorial to Prince Albert and dropped me inside the park, but just about six blocks to the museum.  There are nice people everywhere.

Once I got to the V&A I was tired and ready for a break, so I went to the cafe and got a raisin scone and clotted cream.  I paired this with a diet coke, because, ....yeah, that's who I am.  I even got a cup of ice to go with it!!  Big score!  Delicious!

From there I walked around, especially the top two floors.  So many beautiful textiles and furniture and ironwork (which I found surprisingly beautiful.

Tuesday - a little more London

Despite the fact that this isn't the fanciest of hotels, I had a great night's sleep and woke up feeling rested and ready to go.  

These are pictures of the park between the two rows of hotels.

My goal for today was Kensington Gardens and Palace, the V&A Museum, Liberty of London and a knitting shop out a ways.  I got to three out of four before I completely ran out of steam.  I got off at Notting Hill station just because I wanted to say that I was there (not that it looked like the movie - although I didn't explore for long).  

Then I headed (in the wrong direction) looking for Kensington Palace.  When I finally realized that I was missing something and asked - she said I had a 20 minute walk to get there.  She was right and then some.  Turns out Kensington Palace Road is Embassy Row.  No photography allowed.  I walked through and finally found the Park and then walked some more to find the palace, then walked some more to find the entrance for the tour.  Finally achieved my goal after a little misdirection.  The palace was beautiful, but dark.  I took a few photos, but it doesn't do it justice at all

Monday - Thames River Cruise

One last photo of the AbbeyI

After evensong, I wasn't sure if I could use my transit card during peak times, so I walked up to the Westminster bridge to get some pictures of the Thames.  As I was taking pictures of the London Eye I noticed that the river cruises took off from there.  WIth my handy London Pass in hand, I walked to the ticket booth and was able to get the last ship from that location.  It was a short cruise down the river to the Tower of London, but the crew did a great narration (which I know I don't remember well enough to tell you what some of the photos are) and it was cool and the sun was setting and well, it just worked!!

One more of Big Ben

The London Eye - this thing moves so slow I might even be able to ride it (if I can get back there tomorrow)

Another view

I have to say that the Thames was a lot choppier than the Danube

I think this is the building they call the Gherkin

This is a brand new building - mixed use, offices, apartments, restaurants and shops

Tower Bridge

Sunset on the Thames

I caught the underground back to Paddington, had a very boring meal at Burger King (because I was too tired to go to the pub and face more crowds), headed back to the hotel and am now happily updating the blog with an excellent internet connection in my room!!  Small victories indeed.