Finally! An Update from the Rose and Thistle Tour

Will have to wait to post pictures, I overloaded the poor Netbook and John is attempting to rescue it.

Great flight last Friday, quite uneventful. Landed on time at 9PM and within 20 minutes cleared customs and picked up luggage and on our way with our driver Kevin. Checked into hotel (our reservations were missing but they found us a room). Down into the pub with K and B for a proper pint by 11PM. Slipped out for fish and chips at 11:30.

Up early Saturday, full English breakfast (included) and then off to pick up our London Passes. Grabbed a cab and our cabbie got lost! Imagine not knowing where the British and London Tourist Office is???
Then it was on to the HOHO (Hop On Hop Off bus) to Kensington Palace. The current display was very disappointing.
Before that we stopped off at Harrod's and then lunch at the Bunch of Grapes where B declared it the best club he had ever had.
After the Palace we stopped into the Goat Tavern across the street and then back on the HOHO back to the hotel.
We changed and headed out to Brick Lane to have dinner with J and V who happened to be over at the same time. Great Indian, will go back in 2 weeks when we have more time to wander and take photos.

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/

Rose and Thistle Tour - Bookings

http://www.destinationcoupons.com/England/London/activities.asp
http://www.londontoolkit.com/

Here is a currency converter http://www.xe.com/ucc/ At the moment the quickest conversion is to multipy by 1.5 so 75 pounds is $116 CDN.

Book flights - DONE J and J. DONE K and B.
                      May 21 8:50 am to Heathrow. 
Book limo to airport. Culliton's  
Book limo from airport to London - DONE - Mar 13.
                             http://www.centralchauffeur.com/AirportTransfers.htm
                             75 pounds plus tip
Book London hotel
                            http://www.imperialhotels.co.uk/
                           We stayed at the Royal National in October. All 6 of their hotels are in Bloomsbury. All pricces include VAT and full English breakfast.The Hop On (HOHO) bus stops are directly outside the hotel door. The County has the cheapest rates BUT you share a bathroom - not gonna happen for this princess! President,Tavistock and Royal National look good. Should not forget that either offers a free evening meal when booking on line quote BOGO. The meal at the Royal National sounds the least appealing but it appears you can choose any one ofthe hotels to dine in. The Saracen's Carver sounds like the best meal at the President's Hotel. As well the President guests can use the facilities at the adjacent Imperial.
These hotels are walking distance to the train station at Euston.
Here is a very good map of the area. http://www.communitywalk.com/map/41999

1 - Tavistock
4 - Royal National
7 - President
This is an interesting site to calculate hotel prices - average comfortable prices of 75 pounds per night. The Hilton average is 140 pounds a night! http://www.bloomsburyhotels.com/
Type in dates and the site calculates all the prices in the area. Interesting the Imperial chain does not appear on here.

Book London Hop On Hop Off  (HOHO) tour
                            http://www.theoriginaltour.com/
                            22 pounds if booked online
                            Valid for 24 hours
                          http://www.bigbustours.com/eng/london/defaultbottom.aspx
                         We used them in October. Seemed a little slower than the others (same thing happened in Hong Kong using them). 25 pounds. Includes Thames tour and walking tours. Interested in the Rock and Roll tour and/or Jack the Ripper tour. John would really like to take the Thames tour.


Book London theatre
                              http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/london_shows/
                              http://www.whatsonstage.com/   this site has some interesting Dine and Theatre packages.
                             http://www.londonmusicaltickets.com/?gclid=CIb6ot2gtqACFcN05Qody3ZvTQ
                             I'd be interested in Priscilla, Billy Elliot.

Book train to Birmingham  - Euston to New Street.
                             http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/
                             1.5 hours in duration. Leave around 1pm. Around 28 pounds each if we book in advance and online.
     If we were planning on taking trains this is an interesting option -    http://www.visitbritain.co.uk/travel-and-transport/travel-around-britain/rail-train/national-rail/gb-consecutive.aspx
it is also interesting to note that British rail travel has offers for friends travelling together up to 4 people.
               
Book Bham hotel

Rent car from Bham

Book Manchester hotel

Book Manchester HOHO
                                                          Season : May 23, 2010 to September 13, 2010

                             Price per adult 12.36 CAD
                             Departs daily at 45-minute interval from 09:30
                              Includes Thames tour and walking tours as above.
Book Liverpool hotel

Book Liverpool HOHO


Book Scotland accomodations

Book golf

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