1 Night, 2 Concerts in London

After a full day of walking yesterday, we were tired and decided that with 2 concerts tonight, back to back, we’d take it a bit easy.

We have never been to Westminster Abbey so decided to stop there to see about visiting the following day. Of course, we had to stop at the Christmas Market on the way to Westminster for some Glogg!

We stopped at Westminster but decided not to enter as we didn’t want to rush. We had a look at the gift shop, bought a few little things then, because we were hungry we wanted to get dinner at St. Martins. As we walked outside, helicopters were circling then came a protest, people protesting fossil fuels, food additives and things artificial. We joined the march for a short time.

A March

The protest at Parliament Square

We got to St Martins in time to eat dinner in the Crypt below the church. Fish pie with mash on top, veggies and potatoes with a glass of red wine. We were stuffed.

Dinner in the Crypt

The Floor of the Crypt

The crypt

We had 2 candlelight concerts, 1^st at 7pm was several pieces, most very familiar and some just fun then after the interval we heard Mozart’s Requiem. We’ve heard the Requiem in Vienna twice but this was a smaller church and, there were 2 choirs singing. It was very moving and amazing, especially being in the 1^st row.

https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/

Then at 9:30 we heard the Rachmaninov Vespers, this was a 1-hour concert. Dale says that I have heard the music before, as many nights he puts on music for our enjoyment. I didn’t remember the music but most of it was very beautiful.

It was a cold but beautiful night to walk back.

We walked a total of 3.9 miles. Not bad for being lazy!

Walking, Shopping and Concerts in London

Our first plan for today included over 9 miles of walking, but we soon figured out that it wasn’t going to be realistic.

I’d found online that The Tesco Superstore had wines that were our every day at home and we didn’t bring enough. We thought we’d start our day with a walk to the superstore.

After walking we found the Superstore only to find that the wine selection was no better than the Express store much closer to the hotel. We bought our wine and went on our way.

Money in the wrong hands

Next stop was Harrods, this was a last minute decision as it seemed like a good place to get food and just see it once and for all. We thought that we’d do a bit of shopping for a few people. I also wanted to buy some boots but, after seeing an entire floor for shoes I decided to just shop online. There was too much to see.

We did stop for lunch and the couple close to us turned out to be from Seattle. This was their first trip outside of the U.S. or Canada. But, they were leaving the following day so they wouldn’t have time to see some of the things we enjoyed, as they were only in London for a day. We couldn’t imagine only spending a day here. We are looking forward to relocating maybe?

Harrods by day

Harrods by night

The meat department 

Lunch

Dale and I had watched all of the series on Selfridge so you can guess where we headed next, Selfridges! The walk was fun as all of the streets are decorated as are many store windows. People were out everywhere!

Selfridges

Selfridges was just like the series, at least what we could see. We didn’t see Mr. Selfridge though. We went thru the store, shopped for boots for me, a little something for a dear friend, and gloves for Dale. They gave us a Black Friday discount for the gloves making it a really fun purchase. Not to mention no more cold hands for Dale.

Elton Santa window display

The front doors

The entry

looking up from the escalator

Buying gloves

Tonight was the first concert in London we had tickets for. We had to hurry thru throngs of people down to the St. Martins in the Fields church. It was sometimes a difficult walk as we had to push our way thru the crowds and once or twice we didn’t think we’d make it. But we did.

St Martin in the Fields

We got to the church without having time for dinner. Fortunately, we were able to sneak some trail mix that we’d brought so we didn’t starve. We heard Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”. It was a small group that included a harpsichord and it was magnificent. We think that it was the best performance of the “Four Seasons” that we have seen.

Waterloo Bridge

We were hungry after the concert and found a restaurant nearby. Then walking back to the hotel we thought it would be a good idea to pick up some Glogg to warm us. As we were walking to the hotel, along the river and drinking our cup of Glogg we saw some people on the riverbank. Normally, the banks are underwater with the tides. Now the tide was out and there was a group of people gathered around a fire on the sand. Several were playing drums and some were playing with fire, literally.

New Hippies playing with fire

We stood around watching the group and thinking that if we were younger we might have joined in some of the fun.

We walked 8.3 miles plus numerous stairs. 

A Visit to Parliament With the Prime Minister

After a train ride from Winchester, we arrived in London. We love London, it is bustling with people and this time of year is completely Christmas.

It was early but we got our room, dropped our stuff and set out for the river walk. Someone had said to make sure we went to Parliament and with all of the Brexit talk, we thought we’d take a chance on seeing some action. But first a stop at the Christmas market for some Mulled Wine with a shot of Amaretto.

We walked to the Parliament building and found out that Prime Minister, Theresa May was addressing the House of Commons. At that point, the Public Gallery in the House of Commons was closed so we opted to go to the House of Lords 1^st. But, when we arrived in the hall we found that the House of Commons had opened the Public Gallery and we were in time to get in.

The Hall

Hall between the Houses

Parliament at night

We got into the Public Gallery and found the Prime Minister discussing Brexit with the House. Questions of all sorts were being thrown at her and she was able to answer quickly, thoroughly and articulately. Lots of MP’s were protesting loudly with others agreeing. Dale and I agreed that the P.M. is amazingly intelligent.

A view to the South Bank

 From the House of Commons, with all of the bickering, we went over to the very quiet and polite House of Lords. One official described the difference between the houses as a palace vs a nice room. The House of Lords is very ornate with gold trim and the Lords are very proper.

We were getting hungry so thought that we’d go back to the Christmas market and look for food. Sure enough, we found grilled steak and fries and grilled lamb and fries, all grown grass fed and gluten-free. Then we found Swedish Glogg, omg: mulled wine, port, vodka and spices.

Some Glogg at the Christmas Market

What a Thanksgiving!

Downton Abbey aka: Highclere Castle

 We have been Downton Abbey fans since it began, had Downton dinners, 7-9 course dinners, hired kitchen help complete with aprons, and of course dressed the part. So today, after buying tickets to visit 2 other times, we were really going to Downton (Highclere). They call it Highclere, but we all really know it is Downton Abbey.

We didn’t realize when we bought the tickets, they were for a Special Guided Tour. We found out today that it included a gift bag and tea, complete with sandwiches and cakes.

We were to arrive at Highclere at 1 pm and since we don’t have a car we got a taxi. We went to the front desk this morning to reserve a taxi and the dispatch was sure we should leave by 12noon. We thought it was a little early as it is only a 28 min drive, but dispatch wouldn’t go for 12:15. 

The Castle

As it turned out, Google maps led the driver to the wrong entry so we ended up arriving at about 12:55. Just in time to enter the gates. The gates opened at 1 pm and we were to be at the door of the castle at 1:30. We had ½ hour to tour the gardens but as it was really cold we had enough after a ½ hour.

Gardens

Some ruins brought over and rebuilt

Some of the gardens

At 1:30 the staff opened the door. We didn’t see a footman and never saw Carson. Alas! We were given the instructions that there were to be no photos taken in the house. Hence, no interior photos are included in this blog.

https://www.highclerecastle.co.uk/history-highclere-castle-gardens

The original entry

Front door

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downton_Abbey

We were welcomed into the entry, where we left our coats, and on into the Saloon. The Saloon was smaller than it comes across on the show but ceilings are just as high.

The entry

Lady Carnarvon met us there and welcomed us and she gave us a brief history of their home. The history was very condensed as the home has existed since the 700’s.

From the Saloon we went to the library, seeing the couch where Lady Mary, Lady Grantham, and Lord Grantham sit, the fireplace where Matthew stood up, and many other scenes took place. It was much like the program with a couple of pieces of furniture moved around.

To get to the drawing room you must go thru a music room which is a small room for small gatherings. According to the tour guide, there hasn’t been any music in the room in the recorded history. On the walls are embroider tapestries, and I checked to see, sure enough, they are actually embroidered from floor to as high as I could see. There are a desk and chair that had belonged to Napoleon. When there is a wedding on the site, Highclere has the bride sit at the desk to sign the marriage certificate.

The drawing room is much like the show, with furniture moved to different places. There are lovely antiques in the room, not shown in the show; for example, a tea holder.

A smoking room was where the men gathered after dinner parties and look quite comfortable. There are 3 game tables, one with inlaid gems which is quite lovely.

We went to the dining room which is much like the show, only a smaller portion is shown. I noted that the table did not have a cover and appeared to have scratches and marks on it much like ours. I did not feel so bad after seeing that table. 

The dining room is very long and the table, which has many leaves, opens to seat about 30. I could just imagine our dinner in that dining room, what a dinner we could have. I did note that there was no chandelier. Hence, the candelabras on the table during the dinners.

We went upstairs using a back stairway. We got to see the bedrooms of Lady Grantham, Sybil, Lady Mary, and Lady Edith. We could picture them in those bedrooms! We could also picture Lady Mary and Lady Grantham carrying poor Pamuk down the hall as we walked down it. We had quite a laugh over Pamuk. Dale and I commented on how the fire that Edith started was all repaired! There were other Downton Abbey fans in our group and it was fun to share these moments.

As we went down the wonderful staircase back to the Saloon, I thought of Lady Mary. I ran my hand down the banister the entire length imagining myself as a lady in a beautiful gown descending elegantly into the saloon.

We were able to spend some time in the Egyptian exhibit. The 5^th Earl of Carnarvon discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun with Howard Carter. Dale and I saw many of the original items in L.A. back in the ’70s but it was interesting to see this. Many of the items here are recreations as the originals went back to Egypt.

We went on to the gift shop to collect a gift bag then to the coach house where we were treated to a special tea. Gluten-free was not a problem as they brought me my own sandwiches and cakes, and very good cakes I must say.

Tea: Sandwiches and cakes

Our taxi was waiting for us after the end of the afternoon. We went on back to downtown Winchester for a last mulled wine and evensong in the Winchester Cathedral.

What a wonderful stay we have had.

Sightseeing in Winchester

We’d planned to go to Stonehenge and Avebury today, as it appeared on the map to be closer to Winchester than London. I looked up tickets and could not find an easy way to get to both places, so we decided to put that off until next week when we can easily do a day trip.

We decided that we’d finish up the sites in Winchester that we did not have time to do before. 1^st up was a visit and tour of the Great Hall. We were in there for the trial but we didn’t have a chance to really see the hall.

I saw that there was a tour at 11am. We left quickly, caught the 10:23 bus then walked up the hill to the hall. The hall is thru the downtown area then up a hill about a 15 min walk. We arrived in time for the tour. It is always amazing to me to walk through something from so long ago.

https://www.wessexscene.co.uk/magazine/2015/02/23/legendary-winchester-king-arthurs-round-table/

Wall looking to the Round Table. Brown trap door for prisoners on the floor is visible. Used in "Wolf Hall"

The Round Table

The original wall and door

We wanted to do the walking tour out of the Visitor’s Center at 2:30 and thought we’d stop for some hot tea to warm up. It was really cold and raining. As we were walking we saw a tea shop and I thought it might be fun to take some home. There were lots of steaming hot samples of tea so we sampled all available. We even bought some.

There was a steady rain when we got down to the Visitor’s Center but we signed up for the 1-1/2 hour walk. Official guide-led city walks are usually a good way to learn about the city and this was no different. The guide showed us among other things: walls, more than 1,000 years old and an entry used by King Charles the 2^nd to get to his mistress when staying in the city. A quote from the mistress that Dale and I love “Pray good people be civil, I am the Protestant whore” https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Nell-Gwyn-Gwynne/

The house where Queen Emma lived. She died in 1036

https://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/emma-of-normandy/emma-normandy-twice-queen-england/

After another steaming hot meat pie, we were tired, picked up another bottle of wine and went back to our hotel.

A Performance At the Great Hall

It was the performance that we will see tonight that brought us to Winchester. When we decided on London and the concerts we wanted to see we also checked out the Globe. We’d had such a great time at the Globe that we wanted to see another performance, even though we knew that we’d be at the indoor theater. I found a performance of the “Treason Trial of Sir Walter Raleigh” at the original 800-year-old Great Hall and bought tickets.

It was later that we discovered the performance was in Winchester. Our first reaction was, “where is Winchester?” We pulled out the map, found Winchester and then places nearby to visit. Hence the trip to Winchester.

The remains of Winchester Castle

We hoped to visit the Great Hall before the performance but, after a walk up to the Hall, we found it was closed. We’d forgotten that there was to be an afternoon performance as well. We walked around the hall area, looking at the remains of the Winchester Castle, a favorite place of King Henry Vll and the place where his son Arthur was born. The hall is all that remains standing.

There were a few items we wanted to buy for grandkids so found the bookstore and then went on down to the markets by the Cathedral. This time we walked thru the entire Christmas Market buying hot roasted chestnuts and mulled wine.

Mulled Wine

We stopped for dinner at Cote Basserie, the place recommended by the Visitor’s center. This restaurant has an extensive gluten-free menu. Both Dale and I ordered off this menu so that we could split the meals, Beef Bourguignon and Cassoulet. I was so stuffed after such a hearty meal but knew it would last for the cold evening.

The Great Hall by night

The Great Hall, built in the 1200’s, was the site of the Treason Trial and many other trials. It also is the location of King Arthurs Round Table. The original trial took place about 415 years ago.

https://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/listing/the-great-hall/

Inside the Great Hall set up for the treason trial

The trial was set up more modernly, actors wearing modern day clothing and there was the use of electric lights, but they used the transcripts from the original trial. The actor who played Sir Walter Raleigh looked like the picture of Raleigh and was very convincing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Raleigh

The Round Table

There was no heat in the building so we were given red blankets to cover with. But, we were completely spellbound during the proceedings, the 2-hours passed by so quickly.

A side note; the couple seated next to us asked where we were from, our accents seem to give us away. They also asked where else we would be traveling. When we mentioned that we were avid Downton Abbey fans and going to visit Highclere they were so excited. The woman said that she’d taken tours to Highclere for afternoon tea in the past. We showed them some of our photos of our Downton dinners and they appeared to be impressed.

After the performance, we went back to Cote Basserie, only a 5-minute walk. The staff was expecting us. We finished the evening with a French version of Irish Coffee and a small Chocolate Pot.

Coffee and Chocolate Pot

 

Stuffed and happy we went back to the hotel to get ready for another day.

Winchester 1st Day

The plane ride was good, a picnic with complimentary wine and cheese and crackers that I’d brought were a great way to start the flight.

After customs, we found the location of our bus ride to Winchester then found some Italian coffee to pass the 3 hours we had to wait. The bus ride would have been interesting if we would not have kept falling asleep.

We arrived in downtown Winchester, hopped into a cab and went to our hotel. We wanted to go to dinner in downtown Winchester but couldn’t find the wherewithal to leave so ate at the hotel restaurant. This was actually a good choice as the food was good and gluten-free.

The buffet breakfast had lots of choices so we could fill up on food that would last for several hours. We then hopped the city bus just outside of the hotel on the main road and went into the town.

The cented of Winchester

We didn’t have a plan for today, just go to the Visitor’s Center again, and then go to the Winchester Cathedral. After that, we wanted to see the Great Hall if we had time or walk around the Christmas market or go where the spirit moved.

The window above the entry

We went to Winchester and found the Cathedral and found a tour guide, this is free with an entry ticket. Our guide was actually from the states but has lived in the UK for many years. She gave us a great introduction to the site. After the hour+ tour, we went back and looked at 1 part of an original bible. The book was of interest to us because of its age.

http://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/our-heritage/cathedral-treasures/the-winchester-bible-details/

A view to the Alter

I wanted to see Jane Austen’s memorial and burial site. I have loved Jane Austen for many years and have read and reread her books.

Mulled wine stand

Having spent several hours at the Cathedral we were getting hungry. The guides had told us about a pub that they thought was great so we tried to find it. Instead, we got lost and ended back at the Visitor’s Center. I’m suspecting that they were getting tired of our questions, but they gave us another map with the location of the pub circled on it. The person helping also has Celiac and she located safe restaurants on the map for us.

We started walking but were distracted by a farmers market, then saw a grocery store and remembered that we had forgotten a corkscrew for the wine we brought. While we were in the store we remembered that we also wanted to buy more wine. Well no corkscrew or decent wine, but they directed us across the street. And by then we remembered that we also needed a 3-prong adaptor to charge my laptop.

We went across the street but didn’t find any decent wine or any corkscrews. And after searching at yet another store thought that we’d look for the adaptor. That was yet another runaround but finally found both a corkscrew and adaptor.

A street performer "sword swallower"

Finally, we found the restaurant we’d been looking for only to find that there wouldn’t be a table free for the evening. We went out of the restaurant but didn’t know where to go, we hadn’t eaten since breakfast and I wasn’t doing well at all. A man stopped and asked if we were lost and I answered that we hadn’t eaten since breakfast, we couldn’t eat at the place recommended and we had no idea where we needed to go. He pointed out a street with lots of restaurants (one recommended by the visitors center earlier but we’d forgotten). We went up the street and popped into a pub.

I ordered food at the bar only to find that we needed a table number (I forgot all about that) so we had to cancel the order and find a table in the very full pub. We found us a table, ordered our food which turned out to be very good and very inexpensive.

A side section at night

We finished up at the pub and got back to Winchester Cathedral in time for Evensong. We like these services as there is music in these wonderful cathedrals for no charge.

After the service, we were freezing cold (it was cold all day) so we had another cup of mulled wine then ran to catch our bus. Alas, we’d missed it and the next bus wasn’t going to arrive for another 40 min. We found another pub and had a “spot of tea”.

Finally, after a long day of running around, we made it back to our room. After some wine and cheese, we were done.

Tomorrow is another day!