A Weekend in London - Saturday

Baker Street Station

Saturday mornings when we are in London usually start slowly since our son likes to do local 5K runs or other things, so we tend to go find our own breakfast and meet him when he is ready.

The Black Lion is serving breakfast again, they had stopped the last time we were there.  But we had already decided to simply go to McDonald's. Alan loves it and I only get porridge so I don't mind either.  We started late since I had coughed almost all night and deprived Alan of sleep too, since this room is not a suite!  Boy we could have used those fabulous rooms we had in Italy to give me space to cough!  He said it really didn't bother him, but I know it did!

Coincidentally, there was a cold remedy commercial on the tv and we made the pharmacy our first stop - even before breakfast!  The pharmacist made sure I could take this medication.  I do like how they ask and see if anything people are taking competes with over the counter medications.  This cold remedy got me through the weekend and really did help.

Our first stop was meant to be Parliament Square, even though it was Saturday and no one would be meeting.  We thought all the protesting flags would be there anyway.  We were wrong. Only the ones advocating Remain were there and we wanted the mixture of all the flags.  We had also hoped to meet  the Stop Brexit Man but he is only there when Parliament is sitting too.

Westminster

We had taken a detour and stopped at Baker Street to take some photos of this beautiful station.  This station is one of the original stations of the Metropolitan line and the platform we like to visit and photograph is one of two original platforms from a more beautiful time of architecture!  When travelling into London whenever we visit, we almost always pass through this station, and like to stop there at least once to see it again!  Our poor son is used to how often we have photo stops, he is a study in patience at times.

My original idea was to go to Greenwich for the Diwali events they had going on there. But I was not well and very tired after coughing all night long. And it had started to rain.....so we went to lunch at Giraffe in the Southbank Centre.  It had been a while since I had eaten at a Giraffe restaurant and had no idea my food allergies had built up so massively that there was almost nothing I can eat there and everything looks so delicious!  I ordered fish and chips, can't get much safer than that! Alan tried Katsu Curry and enjoyed it. Our son got the most interesting dish that I would have loved to order if I was able.... a Beef Bulgogi Bowl!

Beef Bulgogi Bowl

My safe fish and chips

Katsu Curry

It was still raining so we decided to wander to the British Museum.  Passed this amazing skateboarding area and loved that it is valuable real estate right on the River Thames and it is solely for free entertainment of young people.

We finally arrived at the British Museum and it looked like every tourist in London had decided to escape the rain, as a result, there were hundreds of people standing in a line, in the rain, waiting to get in. So we simply went back to the Black Lion and enjoyed that gorgeous pub.

Got inspired to look at the NFL website and managed to get LA Rams and Cincinnati Bengals tickets for the next day for a fraction of what they should have cost!

I had to have a nap, remember, I am still fighting off some sort of respiratory something!

Then we went to another of our favourite local restaurants, called Kaipiras.  This little restaurant is tucked away off the main street and, as many times as I have been there, I don't think I could ever find it on my own! But their steaks are amazing and I highly recommend searching for this eatery!

To end the day, we went to the movies! There is a cinema right across the street from the Black Lion but we have never been in it before.  How nice to live so close to a movie theatre and just walk there whenever you feel like seeing a film!  True city living, I have never experienced.  The movie was odd but interesting called "The Day Shall Come".   But the experience of going to the movies on a Saturday night with family was nice and a good way to end this lovely day.

Sounds like we bounced around like a pin ball, and I guess we did. But we were happy and relaxed and that is what it was all about.

A weekend in London, getting there!

Black Lion Guesthouse and fabulous Victorian pub!

We try to visit our son in London at least once a year, it really should be more than that though. However, we have been very lucky and have been able to see him at home, in Paris and in Edinburgh already this year, so this weekend feels like icing on the cake.  With the exception of the fact that my sore knee is still sore and I have been so ill working up to the weekend, I would have happily canceled it since I thought I had bronchitis.  The only thing that stopped me was not being able to get reimbursed for our hotel!  (and I really miss him and did not want to risk not seeing him in London for how many more months!)

I use thetrainline.com to get decently priced tickets, but it takes some planning ahead. For example, I went through the trainline in August to get put on a waiting list for when the lesser priced tickets are released 12 weeks before the travel date! And true to form, we got great prices and were able to travel  by train for reasonable prices.  I also book our hotel through Booking.com and most times, can get a refundable hotel just in case plans change.  This refundable option expires before the actual arrival date and that was what I was up against this time, luckily as it turned out!

For visiting our son though, we always stay at the Black Lion Guesthouse because it is so close to where he lives, and close to any public transport we need to use for our activities.  To be honest, this is not our favourite hotel, there are a massive amount of steep stairs to get to the rooms and it is in need of modernisation. But then, is it?  I love how absolutely Victorian this hotel feels and any changes will ruin that.  And the price is right!  So we are very loyal customers to this guesthouse!

Train travel is usually very calming and relaxing and then you arrive. But not this particular trip!  Well, not the last 2 hours or so!

Just as I was thinking about organising myself and getting ready to arrive in London Euston station in about an hour, there was an announcement that all train services in and out of London were stopped due to a trespasser on the line around Wembley.  At first, there was the chance we would be delayed about half an hour and that then became over an hour.  Virgin trains do have great compensation for delays:  50% if over 1/2 an hour and 100% if an hour or more. So we will have to submit our claim to get our 100% refund.  (won't be much since we got discounted tickets though!) They also came through and gave us all a bottle of water!  We were lucky too, some trains had all their electrics turned off, including lights and air conditioning. We had all that, just no movement!

We finally arrived at our destination station and I almost ran right into my son as he stood waiting for us. I was so tired I had not even looked up at who the man was who was blocking my way!  Nice surprise!

All we had energy for was to stop at Spicy Basil to grab our regular Pad Thai. This is one of the required meals we have to eat whenever we visit!  So nice it was on our way from the train station to the hotel because I was done and couldn't have walked any further.  Their Pad Thai is delicious and was just what the doctor ordered tonight since we were tired and very hungry.

The Black Lion was fab too.  We asked our son to drop in on his way from work and explain our delay. They phoned me and assured me someone would be there until midnight to make sure we were let in.

Not the best start, but comfort food and a welcome from our son at the station and also at our home from home in Kilburn, plus, well, just being with our son....yes, it was a good start!

A Few Days in Italy - Day 4 Pisa

We arrived back in Pisa just after 3pm so we could easily stop at our hotel and leave our bags. This time we got one of the rooms I feel certain we have stayed in before since I recognised one of the pieces of art on the wall! We are now back to normal rooms, no suites, no balconies.  Oh well, it was nice while it lasted!

This sculpture is just as you leave Pisa Centrale

Pisa has new artwork all over the city and it is very interesting to see.  I do not know what the meaning is, possibly something like the Oor Wullie  statues all over Scotland, or the Cow Parade. But I could not find any info on these new works of art.  It will be interesting to see, when we return, if they are still there.

When I first saw this, I expected there to be a person inside
the blanket, similar to buskers at Covent Garden.
But this is a sculpture too!

There is also a relatively old work of art that I have walked by so many times, admired, wondered what the meaning behind it is and moved on.  Turned out it is a protected piece of graffiti done in 1989 by Keith Haring.  It is based on world peace and I had no idea until this trip.  I believe the name is Tuttumondo. The plaque says that but I just don't feel convinced that is the title.

We really just enjoy walking along the streets in Pisa and enjoying the atmosphere there.  The new artwork is one bonus but the people are incredible to watch.  Then there is sunset!

His delightful music entertained us
as we walked  through a church.
He had placed himself very well!

The timing for sunset for us is more critical than eating and we were lucky to see an offer for Bruschetta and an Aperol Spritz for 6 Euro, so that helped us last until after sunset for dinner at one of the restaurants along the streets.  I can never remember the names of these restaurants because they are all so similar and all have basically the same menus!  So I just look at the offers!

So many restaurants, so little time

This city has so much to offer and many people simply look at the tower and move on. Of course, if that is all there is time for, so be it. But it is a beautiful city and one that does not get enough attention!

This was our last day since our flight left Pisa at 6:15am the next morning. What a wonderful few days we had, can't wait to return!

A Few Days in Italy - Day 4, goodbye to the Cinque Terre

Last view of Manarola
from our balcony

This is our last day in Italy and we divided it between the Cinque Terre and Pisa.  No time limit in the Cinque Terre since we didn't have to be anywhere in Pisa at any given time.

I spent a nice, relaxed last morning in our gorgeous rooms, packing, drinking tea since there was not any more coffee for the kettle, and sitting on the balcony.  Does it get any better than that?

Alan had gotten up early again for sunrise.  My knee would never have permitted that and this was a bit of a disappointment. However, that was softened by the sheer bliss of just being in these rooms and having what felt like all the time in the world!

This was the view in front of our balcony.

The last goodbye to our view of Manarola

As nice as it was these past two mornings for Alan to find interesting and delicious pastries to enjoy for breakfast, we would do this differently the next time we are here.  The restaurant just below our rooms serves what looks like a terrific proper breakfast after 8am.  He has just been too early to see this on his sunrise rambles.  Other restaurants serve lovely looking breakfasts too!  We were just too late leaving our room yesterday to see this. So, sad to say, no more pastry for breakfast when we are here!

We left our bags with Franco and he chided Alan for not speaking Italian so I looked up some things to say on Google Translate for the guest book.  Franko is right, we need to do better!

I love the angles here.
Looks like the interior is level though!

Wandered to the top of Manarola a bit and enjoyed all the last views and experiences.  We had never "turned left" from the Ca' da Capun and discovered we were only in the middle of Manarola! There was so much more to see!  There are shops, restaurants, wine terraces and gorgeous buildings up hill.  And this got us on the other side of the bell tower that dominates so many of our photos of this village!

I have stumbled upon places that
offered cooking classes and wine
tasting, but this seems to have it all
together.  I will definitely look at this
and others next time for a few different
experiences in this area.

If you turn right here, the clock tower will be in front.
I chose this coffee shop to enjoy another pastry and coffee
while waiting for Alan to go up the trails a bit more.

View when standing next to the bell tower

We also stumbled upon the large mill wheel that some say is how Manarola got its name.  It is easy to miss but on the right as we walked up hill.  Surrounded by fencing but I did my best to get a photo!



The boat tour/ferry we enjoyed yesterday was not running again!  So, if you add the last time we were in the Cinque Terre for one day only, that is a total of 4 days we have observed whether or not this boat is able to dock at the villages.  One day out of 4! So we felt very fortunate that we got to do that yesterday.  And we would certainly do it again, if the tides permit!

Alan blending in as a local while he waits for me to have a last
look at the shops.

For our last goodbye, we went up the trail to have a look at the village and the shore and then collected our bags from Franko's safekeeping and caught the Cinque Terre express to get us to Pisa.

Entering the tunnel to get to the station for our train.

A Few Days in Italy - Day 3

Corniglia

This was our last chance to get the Cinque Terre boat ferry and we hoped the weather was going to cooperate.....and it did!  We got a day ticket for 35 Euro and felt it was money well spent.  In addition to the 5 villages, the boat also went to Portovenere.  We decided to go to Portovenere first since, if the weather changed, we would be stuck there without an easy way to get back!  They are not connected to the Cinque Terre by train, so it would be back to La Spezia. In other words, quite a bit out of the way!

Portovenere is beautiful and it was fun to just wander their streets and head up to the church at the entrance of the town.  There was a harpist there and he asked where we were from. When we said Scotland, he thought for a minute and then played "Hallelujah" for us.  Not exactly Scottish, but definitely British! I was impressed with the quickness of his choice and also the beauty of the song.

We lucked out in a strange way on the next boat....there were two leaving at the same time. I am not sure if this is normal, but I think the extra boat was put on to accommodate a tour group, presumably from a cruise ship.  This boat went straight past the villages to arrive at Montessoro, which is sort of like the start of the Cinque Terre. We had a choice of boats and chose this one.  It was great to see the villages and also know that we would work our way back up after returning to Montessoro.

Montessoro

It has been a few years since we first discovered the Cinque Terre and Montessoro was the first village we experienced.  It is different from the others, basically because it is flat!  But it is colourful and it was nice to be there again. To be honest, our first time didn't impress us that much, especially after seeing the other villages.  But this time, we saw the beauty of it and so happy we had that second chance.

Vernazza

We also skipped Vernazza since we spent so much time there yesterday!






The boat does not dock at Corniglia but that is understandable since it is so much higher than the tore villages. Corniglia is so beautiful and I am very disappointed I did not get up there this time around. But it would have been impossible to enjoy that uphill walk with my sore knee!

We disembarked at Riomaggiore and spent quite a bit of time there, including a wonderful lunch of Focaccia, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and the local specialty, Pesto. Alan got a pizza!  This cafe is always so tempting with the wonderful cakes at the window on the street side, but we were to hungry enough to indulge in cakes after lunch. Another reason to return to the Cinque Terre!

Manarola

Back open the boat and return to Manarola. Looking at this, it doesn't seem like this would take all day, but we were enjoying ourselves at a slow pace and it was a perfect day.

We ate dinner at the Aristide restaurant, which is located in the same building as our guesthouse!  So convenient.  However, the "nicer" part of the restaurant is just outside on the square overlooking the main road of Manarola. We had not put the together until we started looking for somewhere to eat dinner!  The outer location was full, so we had to eat inside, this was the only meal eaten indoors our whole trip, with the exception of breakfast!  I got Spaghetti Pomodoro.  Alan got lasagna.  If we are lucky enough to be back, we will definitely make reservations and eat      outdoors there, the food was fabulous.

getting ready for sunset 

After dinner, we bought a lovely bottle of Italian rose wine and enjoyed sitting on our balcony and relaxing until time for sunset.

Two things you see all over the Cinque Terre are people making use of the lovely and rocky coast as if it were a beach!  And boats everywhere!

And two more photos just to share this wonderful day.

Along the coast of the Cinque Terre

Good night!