Day 10: Harry Potter Experience

 July 20

Today was a MAGICAL DAY for Kim and I.  For those of you who are not Harry Potter fans and/or haven't seen or read the Harry Potter books, today's highlights won't mean a lot to you.  But those of you who ARE Harry Potter fans, this will be an exciting day of pictures.  Today we took the more than an hour bus ride to the Warner Brothers: Harry Potter Studio Tour.  What made this OH-SO-COOL for us, and all Harry Potter fans was that unlike the Harry Potter theme parks, what we visited today was NOT a recreation, but rather these were THE movie sets and props used in the making of the blockbuster movies.  At least five times as we entered a new area or rounded a corner, out loud I said, "OH MY" in excitement.  Just so, SO very cool from start to finish.

We returned to the hotel (after having to find our own transportation/taxi) around 3:45 pm and met up with Pam and Bob for a final Happy Hour and dinner out.  We've had so, SO much fun with our friends and are excited to rejoin them in less than two months as we travel to ancient Egypt to explore the pyramids on a Nile River cruise.  BIG THANKS to Nancy Nelson of Dream Vacations for making all of this happen - you're the best!

Harry Potter Highlights
These are the "best of" the more than 100 photos I took today - I'll be posting a "bonus Harry Potter page" later

Kim playing Quiddich

Ready to take the tour

The dragon welcomes you to the Harry Potter Tour

Harry's "room" under the staircase on Privet Drive

Harry's Invitations to Hogwarts have arrived

The Hogwarts Express Is Ready To Depart From Platform 9 3/4

We've arrived at Hogwarts!

The staircase to the dorm

The Gryffindor dormitory bedroom (Harry's bed)

The common room of the Gryffindor dorm

The Marauder's Map Will Guide Us

Dumbledore's office and the Sword of Gryffindor

The Pensieve

Kim preparing to transport through the fireplace

The Secret Passage Below Hogwarts

Diagon Alley

Shopping on Diagon Alley for our wizarding supplies

Ollivander's Wand Shop (and yes.....I DID get a wand today!)

Paying a visit to Gringots Bank

Trying to gain access to my vault

My retirement funds stored safely at Gringots

The Great Hall

Dinner is about to be served in the Great Hall

Ready to be sorted

Crossing the Hogwarts Bridge

Flying over Hogwarts

Causing trouble again

Thanks to all of you who made up the more than 1,100 social media hits on our latest adventure!

Day 9: London

 July 19

Another full day and a GREAT day.  When we walked out of the hotel this morning just a little after 8 am it was raining and we thought that MAYBE we would have some of the "dreary London weather."  But it stopped nearly right away and only sprinkled briefly once during the first half of the day.  It was overcast and cool throughout the morning and sunny and warm all afternoon - highs in the low to mid-70's, just delightful.  Our morning tour saw us tour some more of the city but we focused on a stop at Buckingham Palace and then spent quite a bit of time at St. Paul's Cathedral.  At Buckingham Palace we got a great view and our guide Sean - who by the way was one of THE BEST guides we've had on any excursion of any trip - offered to take our picture.  We went inside St. Paul's Cathedral - on the front steps of which was the famous "Feed the Birds" scene from the Walt Disney original "Mary Poppins" film - and spent a great deal of time learning some of the history of the building.  Interesting to know that it was the third cathedral built on this site, this one finished after the Great Fire in London.  Construction started in 1675 and opened in 1711.  But before the three cathedrals it was the site of a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Diana, which in part was why this was where Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married.  The underside of the dome was so cool to look at - so very high up - and in the American chapel, right behind the alter there is a "Roll of Honor" where the names of more than 280,000 Americans who were stationed in Great Britain during World War II and died in the war have their names written.  Each morning a staff member opens the case and turns the page to honor the names on those two pages.  It takes 14 months to go from the beginning to the end of the book and then they start the process over again.  Really cool.  Then we headed down into the crypts below the cathedral where many famous Brits are buried.

Buckingham Palace

Palace guard

Our guide, Sean

Westminster Abbey

St. Paul's Cathedral

The opening lyrics..... "Early each day, to the steps of St. Paul the little old bird woman comes...."

St. Paul's Cathedral - the dome

Looking down the knave of the cathedral to the alter where Princess Diana was married

The dome from the inside, looking up

The stunning murals on the ceiling

In the American chapel, the Roll of Honor

Into the crypts (right) / Lord Nelson's tomb

We got back to our hotel around noon and had a little over an hour before we were scheduled to leave for our next outing.  We left the hotel, headed out on a short walk to meet the rest of the groups coming from other hotels and were delighted to learn that our guide for the afternoon would be Sean, the same amazing guide we'd had during the morning.  Once all united we drove straight away to the Tower of London.  Now I don't know about you, but I TAUGHT World History and I always thought that the "Tower of London" was just that......A TOWER.  Oh no my friends.....it is a fortified series of towers surrounded by an inner and outer wall with what was once a moat.  Go figure.  Today, in addition to being a UNESCO World Heritage site that dates back to the 1300's it's also the place where the Crown Jewels are stored.  They were fabulous - no photos allowed, sorry.  We also to see as we walked around the complex the site where all the beheadings took place.  "Fun fact" - did you know that prisoners PAID for their decapitation?  YES!  You wanted only the best executioner with the sharpest blade so that it would be swift and clean.  One poor convicted prisoner, a duke, refused to pay.  The first whack with the axe got him in the shoulder.  And the story goes that he stood up and argued with the executioner about how to do his job.  Took six more brutal whacks before the head and shoulders were completely separated....oh my.  We had about 40 minutes of free time at the end and after looking at one last tower we went outside the walls and had a cold drink at a Starbucks on the site.  There was our guide Sean so we bought him a coffee and the five of us chatted for about half an hour.  What a great guy.  He gave us all hearty handshakes and hugs as we bid him a fond farewell once we were dropped off at the hotel.

The "Tower" of London

The inner and outer walls

Tomorrow is one of the days Kim and I have been MOST looking forward to......"Harry Potter Studio Tour Day!"  Unfortunately we have to be in the lobby by 7 am to catch a cab to the train station to be taken to the site.  It will be a full day on our final day lasting nearly eight hours!  Wands at the ready!

Day 8: Paris to London

 July 18

Up at an early hour, again, in time to grab a little breakfast, pack the last few things and put the bags out in the hall by 7:45 am to be picked up for our 8:15 am pick up for our transportation to the train station.  I went up on the sundeck for on last look around and to enjoy being on board, on the river then we joined Pam & Bob and the other ten who were traveling with us to London for the extension.  We were also pleased to find Ros & Brian were traveling to the train station and on our same coach to London before we'd part ways with them.  We had about an hour and a half before boarding and all went smoothly.  The four of us had three of the four seats but quickly swapped out the other seat so we could all sit together.  And as an added benefit, Kim and my seats were in reverse so we faced each other over a little table for the nearly two and a half hour trip.  We discovered that when we arrived in London our time is an hour earlier so our vacation gained an extra hour :)  Arrived in London without incident and disembarked.  We filed out of the train arrival area and awaiting us was our Avalon host, Michael.  Such a "British accent," there's no mistaking that we're in jolly ole England!  He led us all to the main hall, we said our good-byes to Ros and Brian, promising to keep in touch and making tentative plans to visit them in August of 2024 when we are booked on a Viking Oceans "British Isles" trip that starts here in London.  The bus ride to the Park Plaza County Hall hotel took about twenty minutes and while on board we received our information packet.  Really appreciated that Michael sat with each couple and reviewed the itinerary and times from start to finish.  Discovered, unbeknownst to any of us that there was an included sightseeing tour of London tomorrow morning to see all the sites of the city.  When we arrived at the hotel our rooms were ready for us and they brought our luggage to our room.  Pam, Bob, Kim and I walked about a block to a little diner/bakery for a light bite of lunch (a sausage roll for us) and then back to the room to unpack.

We bid farewell to the Tapestry II and depart France for the United Kingdom

The Paris train station

A first for us all - a bullet train ride UNDER the English Channel

Arrival at London train station

Our Avalon London host, Michael

Welcome to the Park Plaza County Hall

We met Pam & Bob at 5 pm for Happy Hour and then joined the group for a "Taste of London" excursion.  We joined two other small groups and about two dozen of us were driven to the Nagshead Pub where we enjoyed a traditional British dinner.  I had a thick bowl of tomato soup (the others had a boring salad!), we all had fish & chips, and then we had a sweet treat for dessert, all the while enjoying a pint of English beer (or wine for Pam).  Left the pub for a short drive down to the Thames River where we cruised for an hour while our guide narrated the history of London while pointing out the historical landmarks along the way.  Was very cool to see the traditional iconic sites at dusk and in the growing darkness.

The first REAL mudslide of the trip - "sharing" it with my adorable wife :)

Traditional English dinner at an English Pub

The iconic London Eye - less than a block from our hotel

The Houses of Parliament

The photo op of the day with a very traditional London background

Big Ben

St. Paul's Cathedral

The Millennium Bridge

The Tower Bridge

Tomorrow we are up for an 8:15 am start on a tour of London and then back for a quick bite of lunch before heading out on a "Tower of London & Crown Jewels" excursion which will take us to the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, and Buckingham Palace.  Another full day ahead!