JMichael
100+ Posts
Here's the first installment of my trip report. I don't want to bore folks with too much detail, but I am happy to answer any questions you might have regarding events, accommodations, transportation or dining.
Meredith and I just returned from our 3.5 weeks in England and Ireland, and I thought I would share some of our experiences and a few photos. We usually fly “open jaws,” flying into our first stop and out of our final stop to come home, rather than round trip. The advantage is that you don’t have the expense or trouble of doubling back to your original port of entry. We did things a bit differently this time around starting with our choice of airline. I was having a difficult time finding deals for our travel dates and happened upon Westjet, Canada’s second largest carrier. They were promoting their new 787 business service from Calgary to London and Dublin and offering attractive one-way fares. We ended up flying out of San Francisco to London via Calgary and returning from Dublin to San Francisco for much less than any of the US carriers were charging.
We have been to London before, so we didn’t have the pressure of doing the “must see” museums and such in our five days there. I purchased Oyster Cards when we arrived, for use on public transit and topped them up with 35 GBP each, knowing that any unused amount would be refunded when we left London. Public transit in both the UK and Ireland worked very well for us. It would be so nice to have that caliber of service in the US. The Underground, rail, and bus services were frequent, clean, safe and on time. It was nice not having to fuss with rental cars and to be able to have a pint or two without worry.
The Thames from Parliament Park
The lake in the Queen's Garden on the grounds of Buckingham Palace
Taking a break at the Garden Cafe
South Kensington was our neighborhood of choice this time. Staying at the Pelham Hotel made for easy walking to a variety of restaurants and the South Kensington tube station was literally across the street. We booked tickets in advance for tours of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms and the Queen’s Garden, the Churchill War Rooms and Westminster Abbey (Verger Tour). I wanted to surprise Meredith with a visit to Highclere Castle, filming location for Downton Abbey, but regular, summer tours ended just prior to our arrival. However, a week before our departure, I discovered there was a 1920s Costume and Cocktails Party at Highclere planned for the Saturday we would be in London. Tickets were still available, so our packing lists were quickly amended. The day was a bit breezy, but the party was great fun with custom cocktails, an orchestra playing tunes from the 1920s, Morris Dancers, vintage cars and tours of the castle.
We are huge fans of Downton Abbey, so this shot was mandatory.
The Alex Mendham Orchestra played throughout the day
My wife (left) with Lady Carnarvon (right)
Meredith and I just returned from our 3.5 weeks in England and Ireland, and I thought I would share some of our experiences and a few photos. We usually fly “open jaws,” flying into our first stop and out of our final stop to come home, rather than round trip. The advantage is that you don’t have the expense or trouble of doubling back to your original port of entry. We did things a bit differently this time around starting with our choice of airline. I was having a difficult time finding deals for our travel dates and happened upon Westjet, Canada’s second largest carrier. They were promoting their new 787 business service from Calgary to London and Dublin and offering attractive one-way fares. We ended up flying out of San Francisco to London via Calgary and returning from Dublin to San Francisco for much less than any of the US carriers were charging.
We have been to London before, so we didn’t have the pressure of doing the “must see” museums and such in our five days there. I purchased Oyster Cards when we arrived, for use on public transit and topped them up with 35 GBP each, knowing that any unused amount would be refunded when we left London. Public transit in both the UK and Ireland worked very well for us. It would be so nice to have that caliber of service in the US. The Underground, rail, and bus services were frequent, clean, safe and on time. It was nice not having to fuss with rental cars and to be able to have a pint or two without worry.
The Thames from Parliament Park
The lake in the Queen's Garden on the grounds of Buckingham Palace
Taking a break at the Garden Cafe
South Kensington was our neighborhood of choice this time. Staying at the Pelham Hotel made for easy walking to a variety of restaurants and the South Kensington tube station was literally across the street. We booked tickets in advance for tours of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms and the Queen’s Garden, the Churchill War Rooms and Westminster Abbey (Verger Tour). I wanted to surprise Meredith with a visit to Highclere Castle, filming location for Downton Abbey, but regular, summer tours ended just prior to our arrival. However, a week before our departure, I discovered there was a 1920s Costume and Cocktails Party at Highclere planned for the Saturday we would be in London. Tickets were still available, so our packing lists were quickly amended. The day was a bit breezy, but the party was great fun with custom cocktails, an orchestra playing tunes from the 1920s, Morris Dancers, vintage cars and tours of the castle.
We are huge fans of Downton Abbey, so this shot was mandatory.
The Alex Mendham Orchestra played throughout the day
My wife (left) with Lady Carnarvon (right)