Whoever said that London had bad weather was not there the weekend of 7-10th March. We had perfect weather and saw part of London that we did not get to see before, going down to Camden Lock, Westminster Abbey, British Musuem, Temple Church, without the pressure of doing the touristic route, well the main spots anyways.
If there is a place for breathtaking architecture, new and old, there is none more varied than in London, where you can literarily feel the layers pile and peel off each other. And what do you get? a musuem that opens till 23.00 from thursday nights onwards, now that's cosmopolitan.
We took the Da Vinci Code walking tour which was amusing at best, thanks to the effort of our knowledgeable guide, Maria, who despite the cancelled talk from the Temple Master (since 1 year ago....not updated on brochures) and the closure of Temple church, made a very interesting afternoon around London, showing off Fleet Street, Templar Remains, coded churches by Jean Cocteau.
We got to see the Rosetta stone, Ramses, touch some 3000 year old relic, in a musuem that is FREE....because the civilized believed that culture and knowledge is something to be shared. The king's library and the reading room with it's round vaulted ceilings in robin's egg blue is a wonder to behold.
This time with an eye on my research, we paid special attention to the Soho, Camden areas, hanging out till late..which is refreshing that shops DO NOT shut down at 10pm and that people and transport companies apparently do still operate after sun down unlike here in Holland.
GJ found his new addiction of Caramel Macchiato in starbucks and my continued amazement as to why why why? american chains have not yet invaded the dutch coffee front? I know it's not strictly good coffee, but I would like the choice of sickening syrups in my coffee and whipped cream please.
We had a lovely stay at 291 suites, which is so hip it does not have a name, the HUGE room with all attached mod cons/amenities is well worth the location and the price, note to self, will no longer stay in hotels in europes, period.
It's also a great time to fly around Europe, less than EUR 70 for both return from Eindhoven to London, but only 1 piece of hand luggage allowed and remember only 1litre of liquids allowed in 10, 100ml bottles or else you will be treated like a terrorist.
And of course, a small world, given that I met an old childhood friend at Stansted airport at 6am in the morning.
It's shrinking world.
View of Oxford Circus at 2 am.
Pitched at the affluent 30-40 year old weaned off Urban Outfitters who want one of a kind pieces...
SURF SAFE WEAR RED
We got to see the Rosetta stone, Ramses, touch some 3000 year old relic, in a musuem that is FREE....because the civilized believed that culture and knowledge is something to be shared. The king's library and the reading room with it's round vaulted ceilings in robin's egg blue is a wonder to behold.
We had a lovely stay at 291 suites, which is so hip it does not have a name, the HUGE room with all attached mod cons/amenities is well worth the location and the price, note to self, will no longer stay in hotels in europes, period.
We celebrated Geert & Jeanne's 35th Wedding Anniversary with the entire extended family in Ameland, so that 8 adults, 4 toddlers and 1 baby, schleping to a small but incredibly beautiful island in the North of Holland. We had beautiful weather and the villa that was rented was amazing, open fireplace, sauna, whirlpool and surrounded by rolling dunes, the sea and 3 rabbits and horses. It was all about just spending time relaxing, cycling from one tiny village to another along the coast of Ameland.
