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Post by roverpup on Apr 23, 2017 17:35:34 GMT
I don't know if anyone is interested in this or not but I usually keep a journal when traveling so I thought I might post things from it when we travel to England in about a week's time. We will be spending almost a month there and centring mainly around London and then IOW (we have a cottage by the sea in Brighstone for 5 days. We have train passes and expect to use them to get out of London for day trips (Dover is one place we will be visiting). We also are huge theatre fans so have already bought tickets for five production (and may add more as it strikes us - and if we can get tickets). My sis and her husband will be joining us after about 2 weeks and he's a musician (loves rock, jazz and blues) so we also expect to visit a lot of venues to hear the local musical culture. My hubby and I are classical music people so we have tickets to some concerts already as well - Royal Albert Hall and the South Bank Centre.
If it is all right with the admin here I will post my experiences and I welcome anyone to feel free to comment or such if the mood strikes! I will see also if I can post pix as well (especially if I see anything Cumberbatch related... you never know!).
:-))
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Post by MagdaFR on Apr 23, 2017 17:48:48 GMT
Of course there is no problem with sharing news from your trip. I hope you have an awesome journey! Have a great time.
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Post by roverpup on Apr 23, 2017 17:58:23 GMT
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Post by roverpup on Apr 23, 2017 18:06:02 GMT
Thanks Magda!
I am getting really excited - we haven't been back to England in over 30 years! And this is also the longest trip we have ever taken (although the ones to Greece and Australia were almost as long).
We are very light packers so we will be taking only a carry-on each. I am already planning my suitcase so it will be efficiently packed. Luckily the airline allows just over 33 lbs for carry-on baggage! I am having a really hard time getting even close to that limit! Right now I am about 10 lbs. under.
:-))
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Post by mllemass on Apr 23, 2017 21:11:33 GMT
I'd love to see how you pack for only a carry-on! I suppose if you're "living" there rather than just staying there, you'll be washing your clothes as they get dirty.
When I spent a month in Italy with my relatives, I brought two large suitcases with me, but they were mostly gifts for everyone. I then had a lot of empty suitcase space that I could fill with stuff to bring back home with me - mainly shoes and purses for myself!
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Post by roverpup on Apr 23, 2017 21:46:49 GMT
Yes, we have laundry facilities at all accommodations. That is a must have. I used to over pack but got tired of waiting for luggage at airports and lugging the stuff around when going on subways to the hotel, etc. I have visited in the past several websites that kind of guide you on how to do it but I have found there is just a few simple rules to follow - 1) never pack anything that you don't absolutely love to wear (you just won't wear it when you are traveling anyway). 2) sort out everything you think you will wear and then put half of it back (you won't miss it) 3) wear dark colours and then add accessories (like jewelry or scarves or vests) to brighten things up and give the appearance of wearing something totally different. And 4) wear the most clothes you can stand when you are traveling on the plane! 🙂 Some places are easy to pack light four like Greece, California or Australia. This trip is England in the spring so it will be a bit more tricky what with changeable weather. But it can be done. The thing that gives me the most trouble is deciding about shoes! this trip I am taking a pair of fancy sandals and a pair of Clarke walking sandals but also wearing a pair of booties on the plane.
The best thing is if you under pack that. Just means you can buy stuff when you get to your destination! When my hubby and I went to Southern France a couple of years back he found that he needed a jacket and he didn't pack one so I got to go shopping and we found the most beautiful one in Avignon. Now when he wears it everyone says "Where did you get the great jacket?" And he gets to say "France!" 😂
:-))
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Post by mllemass on Apr 24, 2017 0:34:53 GMT
Yes, buying stuff at your destination is always better than lugging stuff with you from home.
When my sister and I went to London years ago, we didn't know anyone there so it didn't matter to us if we wore the same things every day. Also, I was in university so I didn't have a lot of clothes to bring with me anyway! But we ended up having to buy a suitcase there to bring back the stuff we bought (Princess Diana hats were all the rage at the time, so I had to buy several - and they take up space!) We still refer to that suitcase as the London Suitcase.
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Post by roverpup on Apr 24, 2017 0:41:49 GMT
Hey! I had a Lady Di hat too! I still have it but I don't wear it any more - it hangs on the wall above a doorway. Love the story about the London Suitcase!
:-))
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Post by dreamsincolour on Apr 29, 2017 2:37:44 GMT
I don't know if anyone is interested in this or not but I usually keep a journal when traveling so I thought I might post things from it when we travel to England in about a week's time. We will be spending almost a month there and centring mainly around London and then IOW (we have a cottage by the sea in Brighstone for 5 days. We have train passes and expect to use them to get out of London for day trips (Dover is one place we will be visiting). We also are huge theatre fans so have already bought tickets for five production (and may add more as it strikes us - and if we can get tickets). My sis and her husband will be joining us after about 2 weeks and he's a musician (loves rock, jazz and blues) so we also expect to visit a lot of venues to hear the local musical culture. My hubby and I are classical music people so we have tickets to some concerts already as well - Royal Albert Hall and the South Bank Centre. If it is all right with the admin here I will post my experiences and I welcome anyone to feel free to comment or such if the mood strikes! I will see also if I can post pix as well (especially if I see anything Cumberbatch related... you never know!). :-)) Sounds as if you're primed to have a great time! And what nice place to stay! Fairly extraordinary interior decoration in the London flats though (lol)! But it would be very interesting to hear what you're doing and what you enjoyed and what you didn't like too. I'm sure you've done your homework and have a pretty good idea what you're doing. But just in case you haven't considered some things, although imperatives will obviously depend on personal taste, it would be a huge shame to visit London and not to visit some things that aren't necessarily on the obvious agenda. You have to visit markets in London, but you do have to go on the right days. And that means Bermondsey on a Friday if you can make yourself get there early enough (antiques), Portobello on the Saturday (antiques at the upper end through fruit and veg to clothes and all sorts under the flyover to bric a brac etc that extends all the way up the Golborne Road too). Then there's Camden Lock and Camden Stables on the Sunday. And the best day to visit Covent Garden is probably Monday when there'll be antique stalls there too. And it's always worth checking out what's on at the Roundhouse, which is only just up the road from Camden Lock, just in case. It's a nice venue and they have quite an eclectic programme, and there might be something that appeals. Also, if you can, don't forget the Globe Theatre and the Regents Park Open Air Theatre for the possibility of a different theatre experience. And Windsor Castle and Hampton Court are pretty much essential train excursions. And some shops are really worth a visit, and not just Harrod's but Liberty's. And it's worth checking out what's viewing at Sotheby's and Christie's and Bonhams's in case there's something of interest. And if you're still in London when the Chelsea Flower Show is on (starts 23rd May), that's an essential! Absolutely glorious it is! If you can get tickets, that is, but if you can't they'll be ticket touts outside. But have a lovely time!
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Post by roverpup on Apr 29, 2017 23:42:09 GMT
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll be sure to check out the Roundhouse for sure. I have plenty of room in our luggage for "shopping items" so I will check out Liberty as well. I also will consider buying items and sending them home ahead of us which has always worked in the past so we don't have to travel with them.
Any restaurant recommendations? We are willing to spend all the way across the board when it comes to dinning so we love down and dirty places with good food or the high end places with exotic items and service to die for. We also are adventurous as far as the variety of food is concerned. The only thing is at my age too spicy food tends to bother my digestion (and my hubby is diabetic). Ah, the glories of growing old!
We already have tickets to see Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare's Globe when we are there. It seems to be a rather bohemian interpretation of the play from what I have heard.
As well I have already planned to go to see Windsor Castlle and Hampton Court on day trips. I also wanted to see the markets at Camden Locks but thank you for the advice on the particular days.
Unfortunately we won't be in London during the Chelsea Flower Show - that's when we will be on the IOW. I am huge garden enthusiast so I would have enjoyed seeing the flower show, but it is what it is. :-))
:-))
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