London Hat Trick

This was my third visit to London, the last being five years ago when we traveled in 2012. If you've looked at Bernie and Matthew's blogs, you'll realize that we did many of the same things that we did then, but we added some events which helped keep things fresh and new and full of a sense of discovery.

I loved walking through the neighbourhood of Belgravia and Notting Hill. If you've read any Elizabeth George novels, you'll know that Inspector Lynley is a resident of the upscale neighbourhood of Belgravia and who can forget Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in Notting Hill finding love behind the blue door in the apartment next to the bookstore. (Okay, by now you must all think that all I do is sit and watch TV ... well, retirement has to have a few perks, don't you think?) Seriously, when I read, I create pictures in my head, and when I watch a movie, I'm always curious to know what the location is really like ... hence, this was my opportunity to check things out. Notting Hill is a funky street full of artsy shops and interesting people, and Belgravia winds its way to Harrods where shopping is for the wealthy and their limitless credit cards. I'm just a traveler from a small prairie city soaking up another culture and loving it!

Other first time adventures included a visit to Buckingham Palace. It was a 'Wow' experience to be sure. Again, it was a fascinating afternoon of being in the state rooms which one usually only sees in print or on the news. I really wanted to visit Kensington Palace and see the Diana memorial display but when we checked for tickets, the first available day was sometime in late October. While that was a disappointment, we did visit the flower and card memorial outside the palace gates and it provided a strong sense of sentiment.

And lastly, I think the biggest WOW of our time in London were the two nights that we attended the musicals of Matilda and The Lion King. Yes, we did have the cheap seats but if we hadn't done the budget thing, we wouldn't have done any theatre, so take your pick. Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! The acting, the sets, and the staging were unbelievably breathtaking, and I'm so glad we were able to do this. It's a highlight that will be very hard to top.

The United Kingdom From Top To Toe

The United Kingdom has always fascinated me and I think it goes back to the time that my family lived in Winnipeg while my father did the bookkeeping for Irish Potato Chips. (Now who remembers that company?) I was in Grade One when we left Winkler and moved to a new development in St. James, a place with new, mostly empty houses. Within a few months people moved in from England. Ted and Vivian Jarvis were recent immigrants to Canada and they brought with them Janice and Karen, two young girls close to my age. Our families became good friends and I grew up learning about 'bubble and squeak' (boiled cabbage mixed in with mashed potatoes), 'Yorkshire pudding' (love that stuff), and the need to wear my 'wellies' when it rained.  My best friends had British accents and I probably tried to emulate them. I loved being at their house because it was noisy, had animals (Prince, the collie, and Tiger, the cat) and it was different from the way things were at my house.  Our families shared a lot of laughter and good times together but sadly when they moved to Victoria some years later, we only wrote letters and visited occasionally. Our last visit with them was in 1997 and time has taken its toll on the senior members of the families. I have lost touch with the girls but I am forever grateful that they piqued my curiosity for all things English.