11 July Hornsea - York

An absolutely beautiful day with plans of heading to York. Hornsea is a sleepy seaside town that tends to swell in the weekends with all the Londoners heading north to escape the City. Unfortunately our best-laid plans of getting groceries in Hornsea yesterday were not going to happen so had breakfast at a place called the Conservatory. Not sure why they picked a posh name for a diner because posh, it is not. My good friend Glenys and I go to a wee place in Frankton Hamilton called the Grotto. Very casual and laid back place which we would consider more upmarket than this one. However the locals hang out here and they are still alive.We survived to tell the tale.
After logging York’s details into the GPS, we were off for a leisurely 60-minute drive to York. Passed some gorgeous old villages with names like Bishop Burton where we have a photo of the Jag for inspection. The outskirts of a quaint little historical town called Beverley have a Cow common, fortunately with a cattle stop at both ends otherwise the cows would stroll into town. Within the common the cows can wander anywhere they choose including the highway. It is a place that the locals enjoy picnicking so I guess the rule would be watch your step or where you lay your picnic rug.
York is a fortified town surrounded by ancient walls with the Ouse River running through the centre. There is a large Cathedral called York Minster that dominates the landscape. Learnt some interesting facts about the Cathedral. The word Minster means that it was a place of learning and because the Bishop hangs out there is why it is a Cathedral (OK I guess you all knew that) There are no other high rise buildings (city hall prohibits this) so the Cathedral dominates the landscape. Bill and I are all into exploring so our first place we visited was the Jorvik Viking centre. It is the site of a Viking city Jorvik 975 BC where the name York came from. Excavations started in 1976 when Viking remains were discovered in the centre of town. The unusual oxygen –free soil had managed to preserve the artifacts to a near perfect condition. Excavations were completed in 1981 and pretty much it is a working town under ground with York built above. If you are ever up this way it is a must see. They have even reproduced the smells of the city including the foul smell of a cesspit, so the nostrils did get an unwanted work out. After this experience we strolled through York Castle Museum with all manner of exhibits including a Victorian Street which turns from night to day every 15 minutes, a prison with exercise yard. The scariest part was history is now considered to be from the 1980s which makes us both feel old and there was a section dedicated to the 1960s.Notice the boarded up windows on one of the photos. This is where the word day-light robbery came from.They had a tax called daylight taxes and the punishment of non payment tax was bricking up your window. Be grateful for GST.
Following this we went on yet another open-air bus tour before heading back to Hornsea. Spent the evening over dinner catching up with John and Marion. Off to Hull to watch a game of Rugby league tomorrow.

10th July London - Hornsea

Left London late morning. One of the best investments we made on our arrival was purchasing a GPS (Thanks to Allan) It has been fantastic especially with navigating places unknown and it sure takes the stress out of travelling and will be great for all of Europe. Mind you, travelling around in an XJ8 Jaguar is not difficult either. We even made a detour and went to Stamford which is touted as the oldest stone Georgian town in England. The rich history of this country is something “young” New Zealand does not have. Before exploring this town we had lunch at a restaurant called Finnans Brasserie, owned by Nigel and Katherine. We had a lovely lunch in this remodeled home built in the 1300s. It used to be two houses. The building used to be an antique store and sweet shop in a former life before it became a restaurant. It also has a lovely walled garden out the back. The atmosphere was really special. The owners were really friendly and we spent time chatting with them about the history of the town. We wandered the picturesque streets and visited an old church built in the early 10th century. Another brief diversion was Burghley House an enormous estate which was gifted to Lord Burghley, Elisabeth I’s treasurer. The descendants own most of the land in the area. We also traveled over the Humber Bridge which is a similar design to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco but longer.
Arrived in Hornsea a few hours later than planned but hey, we are on holiday and a holiday must have diversions. Visiting York tomorrow before catching up with John and Marion who are meeting us in Hornsea. They usually reside in Cheltenham.We met them 6 years ago in Rarotonga where they got married on the beach on New Years Eve. Very romantic. We are joining them to watch a Rugby League match on Sunday in Hull. Really looking forward to reconnecting with them and having dinner with them tomorrow night.

9 July London

This was our last day in London and wanted to fill it up with anything we missed out on in our last two days. We figured the best way to fill in the gaps was to take an open top double decker bus tour ( with running commentary) We chose London’s Original Bus tour of which all of the world’s city tours are copied from. You can stay on the bus or hop on or hop off at various attractions as you desire over the course of a day. We chose to stay on so saw the London central areas including Fleet Street, some of the famous Hotels and buildings which are unique to London plus we saw streets from crime novels we have both read over the years. Another highlight was Tower Bridge which was amazing as we saw an old tall ship go through as the bridges' middle opened up. Allan had never seen it in the 12 years he has lived in London and enjoyed it as much as we did. St Pauls Cathedral. Trafalgar Square, The Tower of London. Again we have a few photos to bring this to life. Both cameras got a work out today. The digital camera logged 110 photos.
Following the bus tour we went on a river cruise of the Thames (included in the package) which took us past some of the most expensive real estate in London, onto the Docklands, The original site of the old India docks. This is now being developed as the city of the future with high rises, its own airport and infrastructure. The project was started 20 years ago with another 12 years of building still to be completed. By the looks of it , it appears unaffected by the recession with cranes and new buildings sprouting everywhere. Our boat tour finished at Greenwich where we viewed parts of the Maritime museum and the famous Greenwich observatory where all time is referenced from. Also it is at zero meridian with a copper line where you can stand on both the western and eastern hemispheres at the same time. We have also immortalized this.Another surprise was The Painted Room, a frescoe that rivals the Sistine chapel in Rome. It took the artist in the 1700s 19 years to paint and we were told that Lord Nelson upon his death was laid here in state before they buried him. It is truly magnificent and the photo does not do it justice. After that it was a rush by tube for dinner with Russ at a Pub called the Shakespeares Head in central London. I had Bangers and Mash (now I can tick that one off) Poor old Allan is looking a wee bit tired from all the exertion. We depart for Yorkshire tomorrow and Allan, poor chap, to a wedding in Scotland to rest and recuperate.

8th July London

Think we overdid it with the feet today. We walked miles but achieved a lot. Again a day of appreciating the sights of London with a visit to Madame Tussauds via Sherlock Holmes’ Baker Street. Being an extremely popular attraction we had bought VIP fast track tickets in New Zealand for the three of us hence no queuing and for many that know us well we don’t do queues. The queue went for one or two city blocks so quite relieved that Bill and Allan did not have to endure my grumpiness. Terminator contemplated dispatching two of the hired help, who were rude, so just don’t upset him. He was totally justified in this case. The selection of photos that follow, defy explanation. Lets say we had a ball. We had a lengthy walk following this and traversed Harley Street where all the doctors hang out plus Oxford, Regent and Bond Streets for all you Monopoly addicts.. After catching a few tube connections we arrived at Westminster Bridge, where the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben are situated. Then it was on to our second excursion of the day, The London Eye, which we had fast tracked as well. Each pod carries 15 people and we can move around the interior freely with 360-degree views over London. A revolution or flight takes 30 minutes. A great experience. Following this we viewed Westminster Abbey and took the long trip back to Southgate via tube. A tiring day.

Now in reply to the comments posted, first to Neal, Allan assures me that the beer is not warm or there would be trouble. His words exactly.
In reply to Ingrid, thanks for that…Peter, Garry, Geoff & Spencer will just have to carry on while I sort it out.

7th July London

The world is a better place without the jetlag. Today we started to experience the sights and sounds of London. What a buzz to actually walk and savour the streets described in the games of Monopoly and Scotland Yard. Dressed to impress with our best bib and tucker , we took Central London by storm. Allan cannot recall the last time he scrubbed up so well. It was indeed a privilege to be escorted by two elegantly attired gentlemen. We got our oyster passes (not sure why they are called that) which gains us access to the tube and all bus transport. We arrived at Piccadilly Circus and on alighting on the street were treated to the sights and sounds that is uniquely London. What you see on T.V and travel magazines now came alive for us. The old and gracious architecture is a feast to the senses and the camera lens. We have just a taste of what we experienced today in photographic form. We visited Great Great Grandfather on his prancing steed amongst the motorbikes; Strolled in St James Park and relaxed in deck chairs; witnessed the changing of the guard; visited Pall Mall, viewed the New Zealand Monument and had afternoon Tea at the Ritz. What a superb day between Rainshowers. Tonight we are dining in a Spanish restaurant.

6th July In Transit KL-LHR

Our bodies are now getting used to the Northern Hemisphere. Both of us are feeling a bit seedy with getting used to the different time zones. Our 13 hour flight was relatively smooth but that changed markedly on our arrival at Heathrow. We have come to the conclusion that Heathrow is the worst airport in the world with varying degrees of incompetence. Our arrival gate was not available, so we were deplaned on the tarmac and we were delayed as we were herded onto a coach like cattle. Business class was not exempted. Fortunately we were fast tracked (Yeah right) to be greeted by two bored and uninterested immigration people. Our man could not stop yawning. After been herded through customs it was then time to pick up our luggage. After ½ hour our luggage had still not appeared with both of us waiting at two ends of the carousel in vain. A cursory glance by myself discovered that all business and first class luggage had been dumped unceremoniously on the floor in the void between the carousels. Needless to say we had not been informed of this. With luggage in hand we went out to meet Allan who poor man had no idea where we were and had started his search for us in Terminal One . We were in Terminal 3.We paged him and we found each other. Allan ever the delight and with humour as bad as mine then helped us navigate the minefield that is Heathrow, and then took us through London Rush hour traffic. All of us in dire need of coffee and chocolate to aid the flagging reserves. We are enjoying London with the quaint homes and atmosphere. Very Coro street. Our one bedroom flat in Southgate in London is cozy and comfy. After a lovely pizza meal followed by pistachio gelato, Allan graciously stayed in a hotel and left the flat for us to sleep and recuperate.

5th JULY KUALA LUMPUR

Wow, first entry on our blog site.
Really enjoyed the flight over to K.L. For all of you who enjoy Emirates, the business class service on Malaysian airlines was fantastic and would now rate them as our number one. Nearly needed a degree to master the workings of our wonderful seats with all manner of arrows and buttons for every creature comfort including conversion to a bed and a wee massage if the back needed encouragement. Bill was in movie heaven and watched 5 movies. Buzz has become a seasoned traveler already and as the photos show he got some pre flight relaxation in and got to give the pilot some tips about staying airborne. (Heres to you Emilie and looking forward to sampling that cake. Heh Heh)
Enjoyed our brief stay in Kuala Lumpur. Had a great walk around the central area and visited the Petros Towers today. Sadly missed out on the free tickets to the bridge walk as we found out where to get them too late and they are limited to 500 tickets. We have another chance when we return on the homeward journey.
Despite that we discovered some very handy transportation today on the local monorail. For less than 2.50 ringits you can get on, travel to each end of the line, and get off where you started. A very easy way to see the city on the cheap. The key is not to get off.
Had a spa afternoon at our Hotel and I had a massage combining Malay, Swedish and Shiatsu methods. I was even walked on. Feel great and all the grumpiness was soothed away. Bill had a foot spa and had all manner of things applied and done to his feet. He was all dreamy and gooey afterwards. The Kuala Lumpur to London leg is tomorrow. We leave here at 7 am.