Liverpool Planning - 10 Best

From 10 Best

And I found this site with interesting photos

Merseyside Guide

And I think we need to take a ferry tour.

Calling to and from UK

Dialing from Toronto to London
011 44 20 X
Number 011 is the international prefix used to dial somewhere outside of Canada.
44 is the international code used to dial to U.K..
20 is the local area or city code used to dial to London.
X is the local number you are calling.
To Edinburgh
011 44 131 X

To call Canada from the UK
00 1
Area code (416 or 905) and the phone number.

England and Scotland - Driving Distances

http://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/UK_Distance_Calculator.asp


http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_mileage.htm

http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp

http://www.alltravelengland.com/England/Car_Rental/Driving_Trip_Planner.htm

Some Pubs to Check Out in London

Again from http://www.tiredoflondontiredoflife.com/


Pubs around Westminster - if you notice someone running out of a pub in the area when a bell rings he is likely an MP. The Parliamentary division bell is installed in all local bars to make sure they don't miss key votes (Read about this bell just yesterday while reading The Birthday Present by Barbara Vine).

Photo taken in October 2009 while there with my niece and girlfriend.


Drink with politicians in the Red Lion
The Red Lion, on the corner of Whitehall and Derby Gate, is a magnet for politicians and civil servants, despite being overpriced and at one time allegedly suffering from a dubious bill of health from Westminster City Council. The pub sits across the road from 10 Downing Street, the Treasury and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is also surrounded by office buildings for the Houses of Parliament and the Department of Health.



The St Stephen's Tavern, on Westminster Bridge Road and named as a result of the various connections between St Stephen and the Palace of Westminster, is the closest pub to the Houses of Parliament and it is a great place for a swift half if you work in the area, or if you find yourself touristing there and in need of a rest. In the summer you can even stand outside and enjoy unrivalled views of Big Ben.

Westminster suffers from a dearth of truly lovely pubs, but the Speaker bucks that trend with style, tucked away as it is on Great Peter Street not far from Parliament and Westminster Abbey, in the heart of civil-servant-land.Named after that small chap who sits at the front of the MPs and says "Order, Order", the Speaker is a good ales pub, with friendly staff and a good atmosphere. This is a traditional place, with no music, big screen sports or shouty lager kids. It's also, like so much of the area, only open weekdays, from noon until closing, with very rare weekend openings for special events and festivals.




The Tipperary, at 66 Fleet Street, is London's oldest Irish Pub, originally named 'The Boar’s Head' records show that it certainly dates back as far as 1605, and possibly longer. The pub became an Irish pub around 1700, and was apparently the first pub outside of Ireland to serve draught Guinness.
Oddly, it was actually renamed The Tipperary after the First World War, in a nod to the song, "It’s a long way to Tipperary..." which many regulars had sung in the trenches.

Down an alleyway marked by a distinctive sign on Fleet Street, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is another good Sam Smiths pub with another good story. The pub was one of the first to be rebuilt after the Great Fire of London and is recorded as existing on this site for more than 100 years before, and even earlier as a guest house belonging to a nearby Carmelite Monastery. Indeed, the pub was famously referred to in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities.









Pubs in the heart of London's Touristland have always been a bit hit-and-miss, but the Harp, in Covent Garden, is a real gem. It's a genuine, characterful pub, with a great range of ales and other drinks.


Boswell's Cafe was opened as a Tea House in 1725 and was popular with London's literati at the time. Nowadays its a quick pre-theatre tourist cafe in Covent Garden. It takes its name from the contemporary diarist James Boswell who at 7pm on 16th May 1763 was sat with the owner Thomas Davies in the Tea House when Dr Johnson, the author of the dictionary whose quote gave rise to this blog, entered.

Boswell's is at 8 Russell Street.

The Museum Tavern, opposite the British Museum may not seem like a particularly interesting pub on the inside, but its clientelle over the years has included many of the great thinkers who got bored of their studies over the road in the British Library Reading Room.One of the most notable regulars was Karl Marx, whose philosophy went on to shape 20th Century politics and foreign policy. Other visitors include J.B. Priestley and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Proof if it were needed that even the greatest literary and philosophical minds benefit from a swift half every now and again.





Brim full of ales and nice people, the Bree Louise is run by Craig and Karen, who have extensive experience dating back to the 80's and a great passion for pubs. Their experience really shows here, with excellent food on offer and a great range of ales, which surpases the selection in your local and gives it the feel of a perpetual beer festival.The Bree Louise is moments from Euston Station and is probably the finest pub in NW1.69 Cobourg Street.
 

Da Vinci Code - Sights in England and Scotland

I  loved Angels and Demons (read while we were in Italy), Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol (planning a visit to Washington this year to visit the sights). I love them for the descriptions of the sights in these cities and my first introduction to the history of the Templars and other secret societies especially when they pertain to the Catholic church.
http://www.danbrown.com


His books also lead me to many other novels about the Templars. So now on the Bucket List is a visit to Carcassonne France after reading the books by Kate Mosse.

As I have said several times here, I have tried twice to visit the Templar Church in London but failed. First time the church was closed and just didn't have time the second time. Third time lucky!!

En route, drive down London's Fleet Street, also featured in the book and the ex-home of London's newspaper industry. Pass by King's College, where Langdon and Neveu, with the help of a resident researcher, searched for the meaning to the clue 'in London lies a knight a pope interred'.
This takes us on to Westminster Abbey and to the grave tomb of Sir Isaac Newton where Langdon and Neveu finally find out the identity of "the Teacher".
Go by St James's Park, one of London's royal parks, bordered by 3 Royal Palaces. It is here that "the Teacher" disposes of one of his unwanted accomplices. Also visit London's National Gallery which houses the Da Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks, referred to in the novel.


London
Temple Church

In this round church, built by the Knights Templar and located just off Fleet Street, Langdon, Sophie and Teabing search for "A knight a Pope interred." This fascinating church contains 10 effigies of Templar Knights, indoor gargoyles and a wooden altar built by Sir Christopher Wren.
 
Westminster Abbey - Been there several times.

In Westminster Abbey, the church of the British royal family, our heroes examine the tomb of Sir Isaac Newton for clues. In the Chapter House, there is a startling revelation. Learn more about this grand church, its history, its interesting sights, and its role in The Da Vinci Code.
 
King's College London
In the library of the Religion Department, Langdon and Sophie search for the answer to their latest clue using state-of-the-art computer catalogues. Learn more about King's College Religion Department and how reality compares to the book.

Opus Dei
One of their buildings in London is indeed situated on Orme Court, opposite Kensington Gardens, exactly as described in the novel.

Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall, SW1 - can be knocked off the list as I was there in October.

Throughout the tale, Silas and Remy have been receiving phone calls from a shadowy figure known only as 'the Teacher'. While our hero and heroine are furiously trying to uncover the location of the Knight’s tomb, the mysterious mastermind has lured Remy, one of his pawns, to Horse Guards Parade next to St James’s Park. He poisons him, thus eliminating the only person who knows his true identity.

Scotland
Rosslyn Chapel
Near Edinburgh, Scotland
For years the focus of esoteric religious groups and Grail conspiracy theories, Rosslyn Chapel is filled with mysterious symbols and codes carved in stone. Learn more about the chapel's history, unique features and esoteric connections.
The Chapel is located in Roslin, a small village just 7 miles from Edinburgh. Roslyn means 'point of the waterfall' in Scottish Gaelic according to some, or 'ancient knowledge down the line' according to others. Centuries of history changed its name into Roslin and is the home of Rosslyn Chapel -- not Roslyn Chapel -- and Rosslyn Castle.
While Rosslyn Chapel is known for its historical and architectural merits, Roslin is even more famous for its cutting edge biological science. The Roslin institute is where Dolly the Sheep was born in 1996 marking a breakthrough in the science of cloning.
The Da Vinci Code does make Rosslyn Chapel justice by mentioning the astonishing array of sculptures and symbols to be found all over this Roslin attraction. Whether you believe in the Da Vinci Code book or not, don't let the novel detract from the chapel's real significance -- Rosslyn Chapel is a gem, a stone puzzle like no other to be found anywhere in the world.




We can knock The Louvre off the list as we have been there.

Rose and Thistle - 10,000 Places to See

This image is from 

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20080127&slug=bucket27



I checked in my book 10,000 Places to See Before You Die to ensure we can knock some of these off our bucket list on this trip. We have been highlighting each spot as we check it off.

England
Stonehenge - already on the list
Bath - already on the list
Windsor Castle - already on the list
Winchester Cathedral
Bath - already on the list
Salisbury Cathedral
Hadrian's Wall


Scotland - Edinburgh
Balmoral Hotel
Edinburgh Castle - we can view it from our deck!
The Royal Scotsman - well we can dream, can't we? http://www.royalscotsman.com/web/rs/the_royal_scotsman_introduction.jsp

Scotland - Glasgow
One Devonshire Gardens
The Mackintosh Trail -perhaps for tea at the Willow Tearoom?

Visiting Nottingham

Picture from website below.

Seems like there's a lot to do in this town. Information below is from various Googles.

Nottingham Tram
http://www.thetram.net/attractions/nottingham.asp

From Old Market Square tram stop


First stop has to be Nottingham Castle. Although only a small part of the original castle remains, there is plenty to see. Inside the castle are the famous caves, art gallery and museum. Outside, the gardens are beautifully laid out in summer and the panoramic view isn’t bad either!
Along from the castle is The Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard, housed in five 17th century cottages and depicting the social history of Nottingham over the last 300 years.
Next to Brewhouse Yard is the famous Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem pub, built into the side of the rock underneath the castle, it claims to be the oldest pub in Britain. Make sure you check out the “cursed” galleon and have a go at “ringing the bull”. http://www.triptojerusalem.com/about-the-name

Conveniently situated on Maid Marian Way is the Tales of Robin Hood. Have a medieval adventure with England’s best loved outlaw as he wages war against his arch enemy, The Sheriff of Nottingham.

http://www.mynottingham.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1036
Welcome to Nottingham Castle - a magnificent 17th century ducal mansion built on the site of the original Medieval Castle, with spectacular views across the city. The Castle has a turbulent past, linked to kings and conquerors and still has a maze of original caves hidden beneath its imposing walls.
Opening Times and Admission Prices
The Castle is now closed on a Monday
March - September Open Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm (last admission 4.30pm)
Adults - £5.50
Tickets give joint admission to Nottingham Castle and The Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard (situated approximately 5 minutes walk away on Castle Boulevard)
From 23 March 2010, new admission prices apply - to include the NEW Robin Hood - the Movie, an exhibition of costumes, props and behind the scenes materials! Don't miss your chance to see this unique exhibition which is only running until October.

Here is a Beginner's Guide to Robin Hood - http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robbeg/robbeg3.html

And I guess we'll have to visit here for a brew. http://www.alcazarbrewery.co.uk/pageview2.asp?cust=421
If you are coming to visit us by the new Nottingham Tram here are a few tips to make sure you don`t get lost. The Nottingham Tram is a great way to travel and trains run every six minutes or so from Nottingham Central Station. We are only a five minute walk from BASFORD station. When you alight the tram go straight to the nearest road which is Nottingham Road - do not go over the rail overpass. Walk to the end (one block) and turn left - this is Church Street. We are only 50 metres along on the left hand side.

Planning the Rose and Thistle Trip - Updates Ongoing

Picture taken by T!!!

Thinking along these lines (dates subject to change):

Fly out on Friday May 21 morning flight to Heathrow.
May 21, 22, 23, 24 London 4 nights London at same hotel K, T and I used royal National or one of their others in the chain http://www.imperialhotels.co.uk/
K and B will be coming with us!

We will probably take the train to B'ham and pick up a car when leaving there.
May 25/26 go to Birmingham overnight with Tanya. Have breakfast on this canal barge.
 Visit Nottingham and Sherwood Forrest on May 26.

May 27 Liverpool overnight
Beatles

May 28 either Newcastle, Hadrian's Wall or else straight into Scotland

May 29 - Apartment is booked in Edinburgh. M and A will join the 4 of us here. The guys can golf to their hearts' content. Golfing plans are with DH to sort out.

Stay in same place for 8 nights and do side trips unless we want to stay maybe overnight in 1 of the cities. Driving distance between Glasgow and Edinburgh is only 42 miles!

June 6 - check out.

June 6 - K and B fly home from Edinburgh.

June 6 - 4 of us will decide where we are going.

June 9 - we will take bus to Heathrow from B'ham for flight home.
M and A will head to Ireland for a few days then back to London and fly home from there.

Now considering extending our trip to return home with M and A??? Depends on the cost to do that.

I thought we went to Glasgow last time but when I checked our photos it was Stirling that I was thinking of that we went to.

Mangocheeks over at http://allotment2kitchen.blogspot.com/ made me laugh yesterday as she posted about going to visit Stirling Castle and how the statue of Wallace looked just like Mel Gibson which was exactly our response in 2001 when we saw it.

In Glasgow I want to go to the Peoples' Museum and the Barras. Already have a vegetarian restaurant picked out for M there. The People's Palace - http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=9

After visiting there we will stroll over to the Barras market http://www.glasgow-barrowland.com/ and perhaps lunch at http://www.13thnote.co.uk/

The 13th Note for lunch as suggested by Mangocheeks in her blog Allotment2kitchen.

As discussed plan is to have 2 cars once the 6 of us are in Scotland. I am checking train pass prices for England but on quick investigation think renting a car will be cheaper and easier since there are golf clubs involved!!

Fun things to do in London

The York and Albany in Camden, which is part of Gordon Ramsay’s growing empire and his only pub to take overnight guests. The York and Albany 127-129 Parkway, London; 44 (0) 207 387-5700; www.gordonramsay.com/yorkandalbany

Hugn Drawn and Quartered pub - http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub1490.php check out the website name.
Near the Tower of London, we had lunch there in October.



Templar Church


Brick Lane
Brick Lane is the place to be to enjoy the delicious Indian offerings that will be served in the many restaurants and street stalls up and down the famous road.
Turning into a bustling marketplace, Brick Lane also boasts stallholders selling handicrafts and traditional Bangladeshi fashion wares as well as face painters and street entertainers.
 
Chelsea Flower Show - DH eyes will glaze over this one. But perhaps K and I can sneak a quick visit. It starts on the 25th though so may not fit in.

Fun things to check out in Birmingham

The first night dinner will be at the Italian Restaurant in the Arcadian Centre http://www.thearcadian.co.uk/
This photo was taken when K and I were there in October, we are looking forward to taking our John and B here.
http://www.milanorestaurant.co.uk/welcome1.html

Updated as we won't be with A in London - but can still check out the sushi place in Selfridges in Birmingham. The sushi is on a conveyer belt and you grab what you want and then pay by the colour of the empty bowls in front of you.
For A - http://www.yosushi.com/

Balti Triangle

This is definitely on the agenda for DH and myself (and anyone else who is game in our party)!

This is an excerpt from today's Globe and Mail travel section:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/a-curry-like-no-other-youve-ever-tasted/article1513140/

"Dunking a crisp chunk of sweet Peshwari naan bread – studded with raisins and almonds and glazed in honey – into my private pot of spicy red-sauced chicken chana balti, I'm inclined to agree. Sizzling and aromatic, this is like no curry I've ever tasted.

We're sitting in the cozy Shahi Nan Kabab, one of Munro's favourite Birmingham balti houses, along the edge of the famed Balti Triangle in south Birmingham. There are more than 40 balti houses in this mainly Kashmiri Muslim neighbourhood, where Pakistani fruit and vegetable markets, sweet houses and posh dress shops filled with glittering bridal lehenga crowd the high streets.
It's hard to pin down the exact origins of the balti curry, but with more Pakistani expats in Birmingham than anywhere else in the world, it's no surprise that it's a popular dish.
Munro, who grew up in this neighbourhood, says balti houses – a kind of fast, casual curry joint – began popping up in the 1970s, to serve a mainly male immigrant population, drawn to Birmingham for work. "
It is only a 10 minute cab ride from the hotel. Here is a link to the official Balti Triangle site http://www.baltitriangle.com/what.html

Side trips will include Nottingham and Sherwood Forest.


Do you think it's serendipity that today's paper had several articles on Birmingham?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/gold-rush-in-birmingham/article1513244/

Map of England and Scotland

To get our bearings...

Here's a handy driving distance calculator   http://www.distance-calculator.co.uk/

It is a 6 hour drive from Glasgow to Birmingham.

Fish and Chips

Found a  Harry Ramsden's Fish and Chip in Manchester. There is one in Blackpool and Scarborough. And even one in Glasgow.

http://www.harryramsdens.co.uk/manchester.html


Funny Fish and Chip shop names:
My Plaice - you have to be from the British Isles to understand why this is funny.
The Battered Cod

Scotland Travel Plans

http://allotment2kitchen.blogspot.com/2010/02/day-in-pictures.html alerted me to visiting the following when we go to Glasgow. The People's Palace - http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=9
After visiting there we will stroll over to the Barra market and perhaps lunch at http://www.13thnote.co.uk/

The 13th Note as suggested by Mangocheeks in her blog.

I pulled out our photos from 2001 and liked this shot taken in Tarbert. The film My Name is Joe was filmed here in Tarbert. We watched it when we got home and chuckled because it had sub-titles.

Planning our London/England Trip

Picture courtesy of K! Hope you don't mind!

K and T outside Buckingham Palace

BH and I have been to London quite a few times, the last being 2005. I did go with a GF in October 2009 for a week and we had a ball. My niece, T came down from Birmingham, had never been to London, so it was a real "girls" week.

BH and I plan to stop in London when we do our England/Scotland trip in the spring. We plan on a couple of days and then train it to Scotland, making stops on the way.

There's always something new to do though. So this is my wish list so far.
Museum of London (at London Wall) features a new exhibition re-creating Londinium (Roman London). It's based on archeological findings, which revealed a city of timber and mud brick, unlike most Roman cities of the time. After strolling through a replica High Street, visitors can view the actual objects found on-site.
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/

Brick Lane - for good Indian food and of course some awesome photos.

Little Venice - had never heard of this until an episode of Coronation Street last week when Ken's true love mentioned it. No spoilers please! We are watching in Canada and are almost a year behind!
Templar Church  http://www.templechurch.com/  posts the current month's visiting hours. We tried to visit in 2005 after reading/seeing Angels and Demons and it was closed. Was on my list for last October but just didn't have time. I am determined this time.

Bath -In the eighteenth century Bath was re-designed as an outdoor showplace for Georgian society. Almost the entire town centre is a coherent and attractive map of honey-coloured limestone terraces. Among the town's architectural highlights are the curved and panoramic crescents, and Pulteney Bridge, where you can pause to shop while crossing the river Avon. Bath has several fascinating galleries and museums devoted to subjects ranging from the town's Roman past (a trip to the Roman Baths is unmissable) to the history of costume.

Stonehenge - lies on a spot where a series of circular monuments were constructed between 3000BC and 1600BC. Originally made of earth and wood, the stones which now stand in a circle, aligned with the solstice rising sun, were brought from various locations: sarsens from the Marlborough Downs (these are the large standing stones in an outer ring, connected by lintels), and bluestones brought all the way from Wales; a considerable achievement. Stonehenge is part of a fascinating wider landscape, including various burial mounds, Neolithic long barrows, an earthwork of unknown purpose and Woodhenge, also oriented to the solstice sunrise.

Windsor Castle - just a maybe not totally on wish list.

Manchester - would love to visit Corrie St set but it is not open to the public, but I did find this! Canadian fans: The World of Coronation Street Tour is located in Toronto, Canada and runs trips to the Coronation Street set every September. The tour visits various outdoor locations in the Manchester area, a private group dinner with a Coronation Street Star as well as a coveted visit to Granada Studios. The website is http://www.kemptvilletravel.com or the tour exclusive website is http://www.coronationstreettour.com.
Liverpool