December 24 – January 1, 2011
We loved sharing the holiday season with Jennifer and Ben in London! They arrived on December 24th and we picked them up in a rental car at the airport and were off to Oxford (after fitting their suitcases in and around the four of us)…a full size car in the UK is NOT the same size as a full size American car!!!
We arrived at The Old Bank Hotel in Oxford and discovered the campus directly across the street. Before dark (which is at 4 PM in the winter months), we walked over to Radcliffe Square which features the iconic Radcliffe Camera…the domed main reading room of Bodleian Library (oldest library in the world). We continued from there on through campus, under the Bridge of Sighs which connects two parts of Hertford College and on to the central pub on campus: The Turf Tavern. Back at the hotel, we let the travelers finally have a shower and a nap before dinner at a restaurant housed in a Victorian Conservatory and then on to Midnight Mass sung by the choir at The University Church of St. Mary which dates from the 13th century. After breakfast on Christmas day we drove to the Cotswolds and although many of the village roads were iced over, we were able to visit: Northleach, Bourton-on-the-Water, Lower Slaughter, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Burford. We returned to Oxford in time for our Christmas Feast and then settled into the hotel’s library where we had beer, wine and snacks and played cards until our eyes closed. After breakfast on Boxing Day (the 26th) we had a proper tour of Oxford University and learned the history and tales of this most famous place…who knew that Hugh Grant was an honours graduate of Oxford University?!?!
We returned to London and immediately set about seeing many sights in and around London including: The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, The Churchill War Rooms, Hampton Court Palace, The National Gallery, Windsor Castle, and the Wallace Collection & Armory. Rick was able to arrange a special tour of the London 2012 Olympic Site and also get us tickets to a Premireship Football Match between Chelsea and Bolton.
As you can guess, their trip ended much too soon but we were all happy to ring in the New Year together in the UK five hours before the Peach dropped in Atlanta!
Enjoy our photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/alysehirsekorn/JenniferBenS2010WinterHoliday?authkey=Gv1sRgCJbTktDBkZCGOQ&feat=directlink
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Pre-Holiday Activities
November - December
Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were restful, joyful, peaceful, and memorable!
Yes!!!...we are still living in London, seeing the sights, traveling, and enjoying life. Our holidays, like yours were busy with parties, family, friends, visitors, and travels which is why I have neglected the blog for so long.
I inherited a wonderful book titled: Best Day Trips from London: 25 Great Escapes. This often serves as my travel guide and I have now been on 20 of the 25 trips. In November, before life got crazy, I traveled with a friend to the very “Ancient Town of Rye.” This small, charming, and historic town can be seen in a day. The highlights include the nearly 900 year old church which has a clock dating from 1561 and the 12th century Ypres Tower which was a fortified castle, later a prison, and now a museum
December was filled with Christmas Markets and Festivals modeled after the German tradition of open-air stalls selling food, crafts, toys, decorations, and gifts. There is entertainment, ice skating, and caroling and each one is unique and fun to visit so I spent many days with friends exploring these markets in London and the surrounding towns and villages. We also toured Waddesdon Manor which was built in the style of a French chateau by the Rothschild family, and is now managed by the National Trust. It was built between 1874 and 1889 and although it has some modern touches, it also has an extensive collection of French furniture, carpets, porcelain, and paintings plus being well known for its gardens and statuary. Since it was beautifully decorated for Christmas, many of the rooms were not accessible and the statues covered for the winter so I will definitely be returning in the warmer weather as there is much to see.
Our final trip before we got into the full swing of the holidays was celebrating Rick’s birthday with a trip to Bath, the home of the most famous Roman Baths and the first spa resort. The city is designated a World Heritage Site and it well known for its Georgian architecture and distinctly beautiful Royal Crescent which makes it one of England’s most beautiful cities. We treated ourselves to a relaxing weekend at the Royal Crescent Hotel that was built in the late 18th century and was once a royal home. We enjoyed the spa services, a lovely (maybe one of our best ever) dinners, toured the Roman Baths, the Bath Abbey featuring a beautiful Jacob’s Ladder on its façade, and the Pulteney Bridge over the River Avon followed by lunch in the famous Pump Room restaurant.
Enjoy the photos and look for the next blog entry highlighting Jennifer and Ben’s visit from Christmas to New Year’s Day!
http://picasaweb.google.com/alysehirsekorn/RyeWaddesdonManorBath?authkey=Gv1sRgCL6SsvDjlv2teg&feat=directlink
Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were restful, joyful, peaceful, and memorable!
Yes!!!...we are still living in London, seeing the sights, traveling, and enjoying life. Our holidays, like yours were busy with parties, family, friends, visitors, and travels which is why I have neglected the blog for so long.
I inherited a wonderful book titled: Best Day Trips from London: 25 Great Escapes. This often serves as my travel guide and I have now been on 20 of the 25 trips. In November, before life got crazy, I traveled with a friend to the very “Ancient Town of Rye.” This small, charming, and historic town can be seen in a day. The highlights include the nearly 900 year old church which has a clock dating from 1561 and the 12th century Ypres Tower which was a fortified castle, later a prison, and now a museum
December was filled with Christmas Markets and Festivals modeled after the German tradition of open-air stalls selling food, crafts, toys, decorations, and gifts. There is entertainment, ice skating, and caroling and each one is unique and fun to visit so I spent many days with friends exploring these markets in London and the surrounding towns and villages. We also toured Waddesdon Manor which was built in the style of a French chateau by the Rothschild family, and is now managed by the National Trust. It was built between 1874 and 1889 and although it has some modern touches, it also has an extensive collection of French furniture, carpets, porcelain, and paintings plus being well known for its gardens and statuary. Since it was beautifully decorated for Christmas, many of the rooms were not accessible and the statues covered for the winter so I will definitely be returning in the warmer weather as there is much to see.
Our final trip before we got into the full swing of the holidays was celebrating Rick’s birthday with a trip to Bath, the home of the most famous Roman Baths and the first spa resort. The city is designated a World Heritage Site and it well known for its Georgian architecture and distinctly beautiful Royal Crescent which makes it one of England’s most beautiful cities. We treated ourselves to a relaxing weekend at the Royal Crescent Hotel that was built in the late 18th century and was once a royal home. We enjoyed the spa services, a lovely (maybe one of our best ever) dinners, toured the Roman Baths, the Bath Abbey featuring a beautiful Jacob’s Ladder on its façade, and the Pulteney Bridge over the River Avon followed by lunch in the famous Pump Room restaurant.
Enjoy the photos and look for the next blog entry highlighting Jennifer and Ben’s visit from Christmas to New Year’s Day!
http://picasaweb.google.com/alysehirsekorn/RyeWaddesdonManorBath?authkey=Gv1sRgCL6SsvDjlv2teg&feat=directlink
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