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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:18:41 GMT
1 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour Elite
This travel tale was written by Cat's Inheritance and relates to a Insight Vacations Tour.
It was originally posted on the Insight Vacations forum.
Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain, part 1
Sept 12 – Sept 26, 2005
Late last year I selected a very special tour that my wife of 40 plus years would really appreciate. This tour was more for her, more than for myself. This particular tour was a great one! Both of us enjoyed it! The pace was just right, with just the right amount of places to see and visit each day. The tour had a majority of 2-night stays at decent hotels, which was easy on us, our luggage, and on the bus driver, as he did not have to load the luggage everyday. Our British tour director was David Turner and the driver was Earnie Franks. Both were great!
September 12, 2005
At 4:00 pm we departed Los Angeles, CA (LAX) on British Airways heading to London Heathrow (LHR).
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:19:21 GMT
2 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour
September 13, 2005
We arrived the next day at 10:00 am in the morning at London Heathrow (LHR), collected our luggage, passed thru customs and hunted for Hotelink. They were nowhere to be found! So we located the information desk and asked about Hotelink. They actually called them. While waiting for them, we located and tried to get some cash from two different ATM machines, which were not giving out cash. About an hour later Hotelink showed up.
We must be in the “unpopular” terminal, someone mentioned behind me. Better late than never, I replied! Everyone smile! We waited in a queue (a line) for the van and when it arrived, we quietly boarded it while they stuffed the luggage into the very small aft luggage compartment. They fussed and fumed as they had very little space in back. We did not care as we were sleepy, as our body clocks probably think it is about 2:00 am back home, but we remember one thing. When in Rome, do as the Romans do; stay awake in the daylight hours! The small narrow van was stuffed with people; every little seat was filled. Off we went to London proper! My wife sat in the seat behind me. Her knees were tucked up and touching the back of the seat in front of her…my seat. Aw, this is Britain where the roads are narrow and tight, and so are the vans (grin). I hope we don't have an accident.
We are still a bit sleepy as we finally arrive at our hotel, Copthorne Tara, just off Kensington High Street. After hotel check-in, we headed to town on foot to look around and to buy some food at a local market (Sainsbury?) for a nice inexpensive dinner in our room complete with a bottle of wine. Hotel food in London is very expensive.
While out and about, we tried to access two or three ATM machines, but none of the machines would accept either of our two ATM cards. About a week before our tour, we notified the banks about the UK tour. Hmm, this may have caused a problem. This may have been an unwise decision. But, we were finally able to get some money from a Marks & Spenser store at their currency window. Back to the hotel….
Our view from our nice non-smoking room was of the old historic London Underground railroad tracks and a tunnel facing the rear of the Copthorne Tara Hotel. With two double glazed windows, it was actually quiet, that is if you closed the windows tightly. Our non-smoking room had air conditioning that worked great. Continued… |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:23:08 GMT
3 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour
Continued from Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes, Part 1
During our arrival day in London, in addition to above activities, we were able to tour the neat Kensingston Palace on our own. It is well worth visiting if you have time.
Upon our return to the Copthorne Tara Hotel, we found an Insight envelope had been slipped under the door into our room. No money was found inside it, rats! In it was a nice Insight welcome letter with departure details for Sept 15th and two vouchers for the half-day "Regal London" sightseeing tour leaving from our hotel at about at 8:45 am on Sept 14th. We located the Insight rep space near the lobby near other tour and airline waiting spaces. No rep in sight, but there were several Insight postings for each particular tour.
Soon we headed back to our nice no smoking hotel room to try some local store food and imported wine (Australia?). |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:25:08 GMT
4 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour
September 14th
After the lean average continental breakfast in the hotel prior to 8:45 am, we met in the lobby for the Evans & Evans :Regal London" half day tour, which we were going to pass on this time. We informed the tour people when they arrived. We had done this tour two times before. It would be nice if Trafalgar and Insight would get a clue and offer some alternatives to those who have “been there done that” on their other tours. Two times is enough to memorize the same Evans & Evans London tour route! Suggestion: Offer alternatives, please!
Off to the London Underground we went where we purchased an off-peak day “travelcard” for 5 pounds 20 P for 4 zones. We boarded the train to the Royal Botanic Gardens or Kew Gardens as it is known by most people. Why Kew Gardens? Glass artist Dale Chihuly has a huge special colorful glass exhibition in over 25 places around and within the gardens and buildings (May 28, 2005 – Jan 15, 2006).
After the Kew Gardens, we boarded the London Underground and headed to the National Gallery and Cleopatra’s Needle (an old weathered Egyptian obelisk) near the Victoria Embankment along the Thames. The nearby National Gallery, we visited, is one world class art museum worth visiting.
Later, it was back to the hotel via the tube; don’t forget to “Mind the Gap” when you leave the train and head to the exit or the way out. |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:28:07 GMT
5 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour
September 15th
Time details: Wake up at 6:45 am, Luggage out at 7:15 am, breakfast at 7:15 am and departure at 8:15 am.
Our first stop was at the rainy town square in Westerham, where we quickly viewed wet statues of General Wolf and Sir Winston Churchill. It was raining!
Next stop was Chartwell, the very interesting home of the short stocky Sir Winston Churchill. He liked his cigars and the liquor, we were told. Winston purchased the home in 1922 for a song and owned it up until his death in 1965. On the site, one can visit his art studio, gardens and maybe a lake.
Next stop was Hever Castle and Gardens, all old looking castle stuff as expected including the portcullis (spiked drop gate). Lunch was at the Moat Café! We think we ate some unidentifiable tasty things from the castle moat! (Grin) This was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of that little short and fat King Henry VIII.
After the visit we were off to Winchester and the Wessex Hotel next to the great Winchester Cathedral. Did you know that cathedrals have to have a cathedra in order to be called a cathedral?
After a welcome drink in the evening and introductions at the hotel, we moved over to a nearby dinning room for a very nice salmon dinner, which we selected from a list. It was perfectly prepared. Remember: Wessex Hotel does great salmon dinners! |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:32:21 GMT
6 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour
September 16th
Time details: Wake up at 7:15 am, breakfast at 8:00 am and departure at 9:00 am.
Our first stop was in Beaulieu (pronounced bew lee) at the combined National Motor Museum, Palace House, Abbey Ruins and gardens. Since everything was in the same area in one park like location, one could visit whatever one wanted to visit.
Next stop was Salisbury, where we were able to walk around the exterior of the great cathedral. Many of us paid 3.5 pounds to enter the cathedral, along with our TD, who narrated the small inside tour for us.
Our next stately home stop was the great Wilton House and Gardens (and stream with swans), which was very nice. After the pleasant visit, it was back to the hotel, with an arrival time of about 6:30 pm.
Continued on part 3 |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:33:34 GMT
7 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour
Continued from Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes, Part 2
September 17th
Time details: Wake up at 7:15 am, luggage out at 8:00 am, breakfast at 8:00 am, checkout before 11:00 am, departure at 12:30 pm.
Our great TD, David Turner, conducted a special walking tour of part of the town of Winchester, including Winchester Cathedral for some of us. In town we also saw what was claimed to be the top of King Arthur’s large table hanging on a wall. Condition wise, it looked to good to be true. It may be a spoof. Want to buy some land on the moon!
Next we were off in the hills to green Avebury, where we walked among some of the old stones set in a huge circle and visited some quaint country shops in the area. Listen up: Someone centuries ago was looking out for Avebury tourism hundreds of years in the future. Yes or no?
Our next tour stop was to check out Leacock Abbey and some of the old interesting ruins. It was wet weather wise, so I left the camera and the note pad on the bus. Sorry, not too much to report.
Since we had a somewhat late start in the day, the group agreed to eat dinner at a fantastic old pub named George Inn in Leacock as suggested by our TD. David did great! It was a good choice as we arrived at our hotel (Moat House), sometime around 9:00 pm. Some one on the tour asked if the hotel had a moat around it. To the gallows for this funny infidel! |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:38:27 GMT
8 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour
September 18th
Time details: Wake up at 7:15 am, breakfast at 8:00 am, departure at 9:00 am. Departure at 9:00 am.
Our first stop was Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. This is a nice large palace, with acres of land and things to see. They even have a small ugly two-door car with their name on it, parked out front.
Next we stopped in the small town of Bladen,and walked up a narrow ally to an old church where Sir Winston Churchill’s gravesite resided.
Off to Sudeley Castle & Gardens (14 acres of gardens!) in the wonderful Cotswold Hills. I like that name. This was once the home of Katherine Parr, one of King Henry VIII’s many wives. |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:39:02 GMT
9 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour
September 19th
Time details: Wake up at 7:15 am, breakfast at 8:00 am, departure at 9:00 am. Note: wake up calls are sometimes unreliable, so do not depend upon them. Bring one or two alarm clocks.
We were off to Ludlow to see the old castle ruins (no big deal), then on to Iron Bridge Gorge to visit and walk on a well-preserved 200-year+ old iron bridge over the River Seven. This is a nice looking area.
Next we filtered into the Insight bus and headed off to the Lake District and our old interesting Victorian hotel, the Windermere Hydro in Ambleside. All rooms probably had ten to fifteen foot high ceilings and no two rooms were alike. For us it was an interesting old building complex. A few people did not like the old Victorian type hotel, but you can’t please everyone. The food was great as was the service. They know how to manage tour groups. |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:42:14 GMT
10 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour
September 20th
Time details: Wake up at 7:30 am, breakfast at 7:45 am, departure at 9:00 am.
Our first stop of the day was Grasmere, where we viewed Wordsworth’s grave after a great driving tour of the lake and surrounding areas. We had time to explore the town and to even buy some strong sweet Kendal mint cakes. Later, some of us opted for the Lake cruise (11 pounds) at Ambleside.
September 21st
Time details: Wake up at 7:30 am, breakfast at 7:30 am, luggage out at 7:30 departure at 8:30 am.
We are off to visit Gretna Green to see the famous blacksmith shop where so many were married over the anvil of the blacksmith. Included were several shops for tourists.
Our next stop was the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens, which were more park than gardens. Our hotel was the Point Hotel, a modern type “minimalist” hotel our TD mentioned. It was quiet, clean and the beds were comfortable. If you like bright red, orange, blue, yellow and other colors and neon lights, this is your hotel. Our room had a fantastic view of Edinburgh Castle.
Many of us tried Jamie’s Scottish Cabaret at 39 pounds 50p, which was somewhat expensive. In my opinion, the Burlington Cabaret in Dublin is larger and preferred over the smaller one in Edinburgh.
Continued on part 4 |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 11:43:02 GMT
11 ~ Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes of Britain ~ Sep 12 to Sep 26 2005 ~ Cat's Inheritance ~ IV Tour
Continued from Country Roads, Gardens & Stately Homes, Part 3
September 22nd
Time details: Wake up at 6:45 am, breakfast at 7:30 am, departure at 8:30 am.
After a partial tour of Edinburgh, we headed north to St. Andrews to view the old golf course and visit the old town and old church ruins of St. Rules. The golf course was no big deal...and I like golf! Before and after visiting the town of St. Andrews, the bus drove by many of Edinburgh’s sights, such as Holyrood House (Holyrood Palace) and the Royal Mile, etc.
In Edinburgh later in the day, we hiked or walked to and visited the famous Edinburgh Castle on our own (not part of the tour). Later, we walked down the hill to the great National Gallery of Art (not part of the tour), before walking back to our hotel for the evening. Photography was not allowed in the museum for security reasons and not for the possible damage the flash could do to some of the artwork, they told us. Did we believe them? NO! |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 16:42:09 GMT
12 ~
September 23rd
Time details: Wake up at 7:15 am, Luggage out at 8:00 am, breakfast at 8:00 am, departure at 9:00 am. (Light drizzle)
Our first visit was to Abbotsford House (now a museum), which was quite interesting, even in wet weather. Next we headed south and had lunch at a pub called The Swan. Nearby we visited part of Hadrian’s Wall, which has seen better years. A great portion of the old wall is missing! Some of the missing stones from the wall probably went into some of the old houses and pubs.
After walking along the wall, and taking photos, it was off to Harrogate and the Kimberly Hotel. This very old interesting hotel seems to have been built by combining several old row houses into one large hotel. The Kimberly Hotel lobby reminds me of part of the haunted mansion at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. I wonder if Walt Disney stayed there. After checking in, the tour group went out to a neat old pub for our highlight dinner. |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 16:43:13 GMT
13 ~
September 24th
Time details: Wake up at 6:45 am, breakfast at 7:30 am, departure at 8:30 am. (Sunny)
Our destination to the south was York for a walking tour, plus time on our own. After walking around, going into the shops and up one street and down one street, we went around on our own. My wife visited Fairfax House and I visited the famous Rail Road Museum. This is a world class museum! Both of us found our way back to the bus prior to leaving York.
Next visit was the fantastic Castle Howard (not a castle), the number one stately home (or palace) seen on this tour. This huge working estate covers about 10,000 acres! |
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Post by Owen on Sept 12, 2014 16:44:00 GMT
14 ~
September 25th
Time details: Luggage out at 7:30 am, breakfast at 7:30 am, departure at 8:30 am. (Cloudy)
Upon departure, our food service ladies stood on the front steps of the Kimberly Hotel and gave our tour bus a wave off.
Our destination was the great Warwick Castle, about 2.5 hours away. In 1977 it was sold to Madame Tussaud's and company. Inside the castle, in addition to live people, one would find some made of wax. The ads tout this castle as “Britain’s Greatest Mediaeval Experience” and most would probably agree. Warwick Castle is not to be missed, as it is what many think the ultimate castle should look like.
After this visit, almost everyone on the tour bus sensed that the end of the tour was near as we headed back to London for a final night at the Copthorne Tara Hotel.
End of 2864 km tour! |
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