Tower of London and Planetarium weekend ( August 14th- 15th 2022)

On Sunday for the first time, we decided to take public transport into London, which turned out to be a catalogue of disasters and something we won`t be doing again anytime soon. We eventually got to the Tower of London. The day was hot and sunny. and London was buzzing. 

         

We spent an interesting 3 hours or so walking back in time learning about the White Tower, the Bloody Tower, the Crown Jewels, the role of the Beefeaters( both male and female) and even the Ravens. We stopped and had something to eat and drink at the  New Armouries Café. We decided to pay a little extra for the audio guide but were disappointed as it seemed disorganised and tricky to use. Despite this, we enjoyed the history, opulence and grandeur of this most famous of places nestled alongside the Thames. 

                  

We then decided to stroll along the banks of the river,  soaking in the atmosphere. We wandered past St Paul`s  Cathedral, the Golden Hind, the Clink prison, the Tate Modern, and the Globe theatre until we found a pub to have a drink and some food in. 

       

 After another public transport disaster, we ended up at our Airbnb which was disappointing and only goes to show, that you need to read the small print when booking such places. 

Day 2- We decided to walk from our Airbnb to the London Observatory, about an hour and a half`s walk. We walked through Greenwich park which was beautifully in bloom in some places and quite strawlike in others ( the grass).  We spent a good hour in the Observatory which we both found fascinating and informative.

        

          

                    

 We then walked down to the Thames, past the Cutty Sark and walked along the man-made tunnel going under the Thames that connects the North and South banks. 

As it was a hot day we decided to have some refreshments and then walked back up the very steep hill to the Planetarium which is next to the Observatory. We watched two shows at the Planetarium - Meet the Neighbours and Starstruck which were both stimulating and interesting if a little over informative for us. The seats tip back so that you can watch the entire domed ceiling.  After the shows, we walked back down the hill and took a cruise boat along the river to Towe Bridge ( St Katherine`s Dock)which was very pleasant and relaxing and gave us an opportunity to see London`s skyline from a  different perspective. 

Having yet another nightmare using public transport we ended up at Kings Cross Station for a meal whilst we waited for the train home. 

Apart from the numerous public transport difficulties and the state of our accommodation at the Airbnb, I really enjoyed my 2 days in London. The Tower of London was well worth a visit, but I am partial to a castle. From the spectacular displays and history that surrounds you to the opulence of the crown jewels and the beefeaters, I found it all fascinating. The audio description that we paid for was disjointed and medieval in its clarity of use, but it was just enjoyable to be at the center of so much English History. I really enjoyed the Greenwich observatory. From the meridian line to all the telescopes, clocks, and information I felt like I was transported back into the past where most of the males wore white wigs. 

                           I did like the walk under the Thames in the tunnel, I don't know why, but it did have a very damp river smell. I didn't like the walk up to the Planetarium though as it is on quite an incline and it was a very hot day, so I ended up a proper sweaty betty. The shows at the Planetarium were visually appealing but a bit over my head on the information for me ( the chairs were comfy and well needed after the walk).

                                     The cruise along the Thames was very relaxing and very enjoyable, not so much for the views but for the speed and the different perspectives of London so all in all 

1) I liked both days for different reasons

2) public transport can be really shit to use

3)Airbnb can be very disappointing

4) I am no good on steep hills in hot weather

  

Having never been to the Tower of London I was very excited to go. Public transport issues aside I found walking back nearly a thousand years in history fascinating. The audio guide was a good opportunity to learn more about this interesting place but sadly I found it difficult to use and disjointed and at times pointless. You could easily spend a good 3 hours or more there as there is so much to see and read about. My favourite areas were where the Crown Jewels were housed  ( no taking of pictures allowed) and the displays of armour and weaponry.  The walk along the river was lovely too, especially as the weather was good. There is lots to see and experience there. 

The following day was a particularly favourite one of mine as it turned out- starting with a rather pretty walk through Greenwich park where we stopped and had a breakfast bap. Although the grass was scorched the flower beds were vibrant.  Then on to the Observatory and the magnificent views down to the Thames that the photo taken struggles to do justice. I found the Observatory well worth a visit. We even bought a fridge magnet featuring a picture of the Prime Meridian - widely accepted as the home of the longitudinal north-south marker. Since we found ourselves with a little time on our hands we also ventured UNDER the Thames which I had never thought possible in that way. Not only was it cool to actually walk under our most famous river it was possibly the coolest place temperature-wise in London that day too!! 

Then it was back to the Planetarium for two shows. The walk-up is steep and a bit brutal but luckily has handrails for assistance.  Best to leave yourselves plenty of time to queue up for this, as despite having tickets, the best places to sit( actually recline) are in the middle of the room. Both of the shows we saw were very interesting and gave you an opportunity to almost immerse yourself in space. There was a gift shop and restaurant too. The shows are only about 30 minutes long each. The Maritime Museum is not far either but we ran out of time to visit that and took a half-hour river cruise instead, which was very pleasant as well as visually interesting to London Bridge to wend our way home. 

Amsterdam/ Maastricht Adventures (26th July-1st of August)

 This was the second time we had visited Amsterdam. I went when I was seventeen and Jayne went when she was eight. What a different experience for us both this time around!! We flew to Schipol Airport which takes about an hour from Luton and then took the train to Amsterdam central. We spent 3nights in Amsterdam which is in northern Holland and then 3 nights in Maastricht which is in the southern part of the Netherlands.

We really enjoyed Amsterdam, the people were very helpful and friendly. We visited the Anne Frank museum which we found disappointing as it was hard to visualize how the eight people lived in incarceration due to the lack of furniture, apart from a model in the basement. We went on a canal boat tour which was full of information and very interesting and visited the Torture Museum, and a flea market which we really enjoyed. Went around the red light district and sampled the delights of a coffee shop. We went to a sports bar to watch the England Ladies Euro Final against Germany which was very satisfying and ended up at a pub called The Watering Hole for some live music. On the last day, we went to the Rijksmuseum which was amazing.

                             

We then traveled by train ( which was a double-decker) and bus to Maastricht. This was a very different experience from Amsterdam and we went there primarily to watch Andre Rieu and his Johann Strass Orchestra in concert which was very uplifting and full of joy. We also visited the Zonnerburg Caves which was a fascinating tour of man-made caves dating back to the 16th century. We also went on a boat trip along the river Maas and did a lot of shopping.

I loved Amsterdam, it seems to me that they did everything right although you must get your head around the fact the order of travelling in Amsterdam is Bike, Car then humans and how there aren't serious accidents every day amazed both me and Jayne. We went to the red light district which I thought was more like a meat market. The coffee shops were great, I sampled the space cakes and we met a couple, Arthur and Jane, who were about our age and were smoking some weed until Jane had a whitey and had to be chaperoned home by Arthur. The food is ok, but sometimes you don't get what you expect. For me, the 2 highlights of Holland were the Rijksmuseum and the Andre Rieu concerts but overall I would definitely recommend a visit.  

I found Amsterdam vibrant and colourful, and frenetic. Really loved it. A very different experience from when I was a child! So much to see and do with lots of interesting nationalities to talk to. The sheer number of bicycles whizzing everywhere with people of all ages including babies and dogs in work clothes or every day going about their business was fascinating. We both witnessed several sheer misses, let alone the few lorries and cars. The canal boat tour guide told us that 80,000 bikes end up in the canal every year and 17,000 Teslas as there was a glitch with the onboard programming and the car did not recognize a canal! . I applaud the Dutch mindset in keeping well and fit for as long as possible.  There was a fair amount of walking along the cobbled streets and lots to see and do. Night life-wise, even on a Sunday the pubs and clubs and coffee houses were alive and full of people of all ages.

In contrast, our trip to Maastricht was slower-paced but interesting nonetheless. I was very impressed by the double-decker trains and how clean and punctual they were.  Maastricht was similarly crowded but with people rather than bicycles, waiting for the 3 Andre Rien concerts. In the meantime, we cruised the vast array of shops for all tastes and many bars and restaurants spilling out onto the streets.  I imagine that Maastricht is not nearly so busy the rest of the year. I did enjoy the trip through the man-made caves, originally designed to hold Maastricht`s inhabitants should Germany have won the Second world war. Well worth a visit and even more exciting coupled with a ride up the river in a boat. I particularly enjoyed the Andre Rieu concert- two hours of beautiful voices accompanied by the famous  Johann Strauss  Orchestra and also a 120  male voice choir and local brass band. All nationalities and ages singing and swaying amidst laser and light show and fireworks and even fake snow and ticker tape. I defy anyone at that concert to say that they did not enjoy that evening! It was electrifying and showed the human spirit united in music-Andre Rieu's mission statement you could say.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed both places for different reasons, perhaps for me, Amsterdam had more to offer year-round. We did find The Netherlands rather expensive and we are not great fans of continental breakfast. Having said that, the cakes and pastries were phenomenal. Both our hotels had stairs that require you to have an oxygen tank strapped to your back, particularly in Amsterdam perhaps because the Netherlands is one of the most populated countries per square mile in the world! Be warned.