9/21/2019 Saturday York to Stratford-upon-Avon to London

(9-21/2019)  Saturday Day 13 York – Stratford-upon-Avon – London   Averages - 65 high, 54 low, 24% rain.

Hotel = Park Plaza London Riverbank  (Full Breakfast) 18 Albert Embankment, Lambeth, SE1 7TJ, London UK Phone  44 84 485 45290 Near Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, and Tate Modern.  Close to the Underground and the River.  
Phone says 9,678 steps, 4 miles, 2 flights climbed.

TOUR INFO "Shakespeare's legacy and life are celebrated in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, which we will have an opportunity to visit today on our return to London. See Anne Hathaway's thatched cottage (the home of her family) and visit Shakespeare's Birthplace and Visitor Centre. Later, we travel back to London for our final night of leisure."

My INFO Stratford-Upon-Avon is a medieval market town.  It is located on the River Avon ninety-one miles northwest of London.  When we returned to London, I rode the London Eye, the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK.

 

Anne Hathaway's 500-year-old cottage is picturesque. It is where William courted Anne and they married.  The cottage still has its original furniture  The romantic gardens are the stuff sonnets are made of. We saw the outside but did not go in.
Thatched roofs were a home for rodents.  When it rains the roof become slippery.  Hence, the cats and dogs hunting rodents slide off the roof and that is why we say “raining cats and dogs”.  Nosy neighbors might come over to listen to your conversation and if caught there, say they stopped under the eaves because it was raining.  That’s why we use the term “eaves dropping”.

Shakespeare's Birthplace is owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.  The timber-framed house has been restored.  Costumed guides bring Shakespeare's story to life. 

This was the Shakespeare’s parlor where they entertained.  The best bed was there for guests.  

This was the girls’ bedroom.  It was large with high ceilings and no heat source.  The boys were in the next room with low ceilings and a fireplace. Why?  Back then, boys were more important girls. 

The boys’ Bedroom.



The room where Shakespeare was born

Friday, 8/30/19 Liverpool to Lake District

Fri. 8/30  Day 3  Breakfast & Dinner included Ave. High  64, Low 52,  36% rain. 
The phone says 4865 steps, 2 miles.

Low Wood Bay Resort And Spa on Lake Windermere   Low Wood Hotel, Ambleside, LA23 1LP UK. Phone 44 153 943 3773.  2 nights

Liverpool - Lake Windermere TOUR INFO "This morning, we set out to explore Liverpool with a local guide. Along the way, learn about the rich heritage of this historic port. Later, spend time at the restored Albert Dock complex or perhaps visit The Beatles Story (the world's largest permanent exhibition devoted to the group), the Maritime Museum or the International Slavery Museum. Then, we travel to the scenic Lake District and settle into our hotel for two nights on the shores of Lake Windermere."

Our local guide this morning was knowledgable and offered interesting stories about Liverpool.  After our tour of the city, we had three hours for lunch and free time.  We visited several of the Merseyside Maritime Museum exhibits; Titanic and Liverpool, Lusitania - Life, Loss and Legacy - the Untold Story, Liverpool and Slavery, The Atlantic War, and Seized/Custom.  I also went to the Liverpool Museum and looked at the exhibit about the bombing destruction in Liverpool during WWII.

Our ride to the Lake District was uneventful.  As we got nearer to our destination, I was fascinated by the amazing network of stonewalls across the fields.  They were works of art and as Russ pointed out the individual builders each had a distinct patterns.  

Pennsylvania people, Lake Windermere reminds me of Lake Wallenpaupack 50-100 years ago.  We enjoyed another group dinner at our lovely Low Wood Bay Resort.

The Ladies’ Chapel in the Liverpool Cathedral.  

The main altar of the Liverpool Cathedral.  

The statue above the door is a crucifix at the entry to the LIVERPOOL Cathedral.

Carved sandstone statues.

This Cathedral is massive with no fixed pews. It is used for church, rock concerts, exhibitions  and  other large group gatherings.

One of the largest pipe organs in UK.  Chairs are lined up for services.





We spent an hour at the Liverpool Cathedral.

Our ride to the Lake District was uneventful.  As we got nearer to our destination, I was fascinated by the amazing network of stonewalls across the fields.  They were works of art and as Russ pointed out the individual builders each had a distinct patterns.  

Pennsylvania people, Lake Windermere reminds me of Lake Wallenpaupack 50-100 years ago.  We enjoyed another group dinner at our lovely Low Wood Bay Resort.

Not finding a lot of time to do posts.  I may not accomplish this every day.  I am also finding it difficult to edit my posts at this time.  Forgive me.  . 

Liverpool Thursday, 8/29/19 and tour map

Thurs. 8/29 /2019 Day 2 Liverpool. Dinner included  Ave. High 65  Low  54° 31% chance if rain. Hotel Indigo in  Liverpool 10 Chapel St, Liverpool L3 9AG, UK. Phone +44 151 559 0111. 1 night

Today, Kate and Russ, being the wonderful hosts that they are, escorted me to my train to Liverpool.  I am thankful that Russ loaded my suitcase on the train.  I certainly enjoyed my visit with them.  The ride to Liverpool passed through farmland with fields, sheep and cows and villages.  Since my stop was the last stop, it was easy to know when to get off the train.  I walked out of the station and immediately climbed in a cab for a short trip to my hotel.  Even though it was about 11:00, I was able to check into my room.  What a stroke of luck!

It was quite brisk in Liverpool today and I had to go back to the hotel to get a jacket and a hat.  Mel and some of the other tour members had just arrived from their overnight flight from the US.  

Liverpool, England - Collette Tour Begins  

"Welcome to Liverpool, home to four English lads who changed music forever. Today, this once rough and tumble city is known as much for its unrivaled love of football as it is for The Beatles. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner on the Albert Dock." Tour Brochure

My Research - Maritime city in the north west of England.  On the waterfront there are three iconic mercantile buildings which are known as the "Three Graces".  Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Bulding.  

Royal Albert Dock is located on Liverpool's UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront and is the most-visited free tourist destination in North West England.  It was the first structure to be built without structural wood.  It was built from cast iron, brick and stone and was the first fireproof warehouse system in the world.  Twenty-three million bricks were used and 47,000 tons of mortar. The construction techniques were considered radical at the time with huge iron trusses and iron plates.  The foundation included 12,729 pilings of timber due to the location.

I walked to Albert’s Dock and went on the Beatles’ Tour.  It was quite fun with lots of sing alongs.  I learned a lot about each of the Beatles and saw some of the important places in their lives .  John Lennon’s dad was a merchant marine and eventually vanished from his son’s life.  John went to live with his Uncle George and Aunt.  We passed their house where Lennon and McCartney would harmonize on the front porch.  The porch would echo and John could harmonize with himself, also.  Lennon and McCartney met at St. Peter’s Church.  George Harrison joined the band at 14 years of age.  He was the only Beetle that was encouraged to be a musician.  The others were discouraged by others.  The formula that the Beetles used is still used for creating songs today.  The Liverpool tide rises and falls ten feet each day and has a swift current.  

Royal Albert Dock is located on Liverpool's UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront and is the most-visited free tourist destination in North West England.  It was the first structure to be built without structural wood.  It was built from cast iron, brick and stone and was the first fireproof warehouse system in the world.  Twenty-three million bricks were used and 47,000 tons of mortar. The construction techniques were considered radical at the time with huge iron trusses and iron plates.  The foundation included 12,729 piles of timber due to the location.

Museums includes Titanic and Lusitania (Albert Dock)

Tomorrow after another tour of Liverpool with the group, I will choose one or two of the following.  

THE BEATLES' STORY Museum   at Britannia Vaults, Albert Dock is considered one of the best tourist attractions of the United Kingdom.  See recreations of The Casbah Coffee Club, The Cavern Club, and Abbey Road Studios .  Items include John Lennon's spectacles, George Harrison's first guitar and details of their history.  

Choices of things to see include {Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (free)  8:00-6:00 daily, Britains biggest cathedral. Tower Experience - enjoy views from 500 ft above sea level.  Great for sunset.}   Liverpool Cathedral, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Superlambanana.

Speke Hall, Gardens and Estate  The Walk, Merseyside.(12:30-17:00). 12.50 pounds  Built 1530,  spans various periods, Tudor times, Victorian, Jacobean plasterwork, intricately carved furniture,woodland walks, views, and a model Victorian farm building}.

This is a map of my tours with Collette Travel through September 7. 2019.  Arriving in Manchester and tour will depart from Liverpool. The numbers 1, 2, and 3 on the map indicate the number of nights we are spending in that location.  

The Fab Four

Typical neighborhoods where the Beatles grew up.

Super Bananalama - There are over 100 in Liverpool.  It has something to do with two industries being important to Liverpool’s development.  Banana importing and sheep providing materials for textiles that were made in Liverpool are combined in the sculpture.  

Houseboats at Albert’s Dock.

Strawberries Fields Forever - the song has to do with an orphanage for girls and one of the Beatles was caught watching the girls from a tree next to the grounds of the orphanage.  Yes, it was that cold and windy!

I am not making any fashion statements on this trip.  My clothing is utilitarian.

.


St Nicholas and Our Lady church.
I walked to Albert’s Dock and went on the Beatles’ Tour.  It was quite fun with lots of sing alongs.  I learned a lot about each of the Beatles and saw some of the important places in their lives .  John Lennon’s dad was a merchant marine and eventually vanished from his son’s life.  John went to live with his Uncle George and Aunt.  We passed their house where Lennon and McCartney would harmonize on the front porch.  The porch would echo and John could harmonize with himself, also.  Lennon and McCartney met at St. Peter’s Church.  George Harrison joined the band at 14 years of age.  He was the only Beetle that was encouraged to be a musician.  The others were discouraged by others.  The formula that the Beetles used is still used for creating songs today.  The Liverpool tide rises and falls ten feet each day and has a swift current.  

10/1/2019 Riquewihr, France

10/1/2019 Riquewihr, France Day 7 Grand Circle, Total travel day 36 The phone says 2.3 miles and 5,963 steps.  Climbed one floor.  

I am thinking I lost my original post about 10/1/2019.  

We traveled through ten locks this morning.  Along the way, we saw swans, fishermen, and a piece of equipment cleaning the green "stuff" from the river.  A truck was then loaded with the green stuff and it was taken away.  We traveled through farmland and vineyards to make our way to a stork rescue.  One town we passed through, a wooden heart was mounted on the peak if a single woman lived there and a wine bottle on a peak meant there was a single male in the house.  The storks' were almost extinct.  Our guide pointed out the stork nests on top of the houses.  They are considered good luck.  The storks make them taller each year and a nest can weigh up to one ton.  After leaving the stork rescue, we stopped in Riquewihr, France.  

I loved this town.  There were ten buses in the lot and a lot of people on the main streets. We had ninety minutes in this town and I spent most of my time on side streets.  It was very enjoyable.  There were many shoppes, restaurants and wine vendors. Riquewihr is surrounded by vineyard-covered rolling hills.   

Riquewihr is a romantic medieval city located in Eastern France on the Alsace Wine Route.  It is a commune and is known for its historical architecture, Reisling wine, and other great wines.  The town still looks similar in appearance to the 16th-century town. It is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France.  The town is surrounded by medieval fortification and has a castle sitting above the town.  The Dolder (1291) is a 13th-century defensive gate. The half-timbered houses date back to the 15th-18th centuries and are very close together. Check out worldaltem.blogspot.com to see more pictures of amazing houses.      

Obertor or Upper Gate into the town has massive double doors and portcullis dating back to 1500.  The portcullis is a heavy vertically closing gate.  It consisted of a latticed grill made or wood, metal or a combination of the two.  It slid down groves inset in each jamb of the gateway.  The clock tower was lovely.  Around every corner was another cobblestone street with more well maintained homes.  

We passed through a town today and the guide said the bottle on the peak of the yellow house meant an available young man lived there.  The heart on the peak of the green house below meant that an available young woman lived there.

Riquewihr is a commune and is known for its historical architecture, Reisling wine, and other great wines.  The town still looks similar in appearance to the 16th-century town. It is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France.  The town is surrounded by medieval fortification and has a castle sitting above the town.  The half-timbered houses date back to the 15th-18th centuries and are very close together.  The Dolder is a 13th-century defensive gate.  We had ninety minutes in this town.  It was very enjoyable.  There were many shoppes, restaurants and winery vendors.    

Obertor or Upper Gate into the town.    Massive double doors and portcullis date to 1500.  The portcullis is a heavy vertically closing gate.  It consisted to a latticed grill made or wood, metal or a combination of the two.  It slide down groves inset in  each jamb of the gateway.  You can see the bottom of the portcullis in the arch.  

Ten buses in the parking lot and lots of people on the streets.  

Clocktower

Riquewihr is surrounded by vineyard-covered rolling hills.  

9/22-24/2019 Zurich, Switzerland

Liver - it was good, but I could not clean my plate.  

Lions are a symbol of Zurich and we were lucky we could see the Alps today.

Charlemagne is believed to be the original commissioner of the church located where the Grossmunster is today.  

Fountains (about 1200 of them) are popular and plentiful in Zurich.  A free source of mountain spring drinking water.  Many are unique works of art.  

Polybahn in Zurich.  Funicular opened in 1889 originally.  It was updated last in 1996.  

Student Center

9/25/2019 Wednesday Lucerne, Switzerland

Lucerne, Switzerland

4 NIGHTS PRE-TRIP

"Discover the beauty of Lucerne, Switzerland, set on the shores of Lake Lucerne with stunning views of the Alps. Enjoy four nights in this center of Swiss culture and wander the narrow cobblestone streets—admiring the spires, turrets, covered bridges, and fountains for which the city is famous."

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

Accommodations for 4 nights

Daily breakfasts

Included tour with personal headsets: Lucerne

Pre-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Dedicated services of a local Program Director

Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers

All transfers

9/25/2019  Wednesday  Day 2 Arrive Lucerne, Switzerland 33 miles from Zurich  Ave. 63 high 48 low 47% rain

• Accommodations: Ameron Hotel Flora, Siedenhofstrasse 5, 6002 Luzern Switzerland. Call 41 41 227 6666

We had a meeting to go over the agenda for the next four days.  I like the organization GCT offers.  

TOUR INFO "A Grand Circle representative will meet you at the airport and assist with the transfer to your hotel in Lucerne. (Depending on your arrival time and hotel check-in policy, you may not be able to check into your hotel room immediately upon arrival at your hotel. Your Program Director will advise you of our check-in status and activity schedule for the day when you arrive.)

You may want to stroll across Lucerne’s trademark Chapel Bridge (where the Reuss River leaves Lake Lucerne) and admire its paintings of old battles. Or wander through the adjacent quaint quarters with their maze of narrow, winding streets.

The balance of the day is at leisure to relax after your overseas flight. You can also do some exploring on your own, or join an orientation walk to get acquainted with the vicinity around your hotel.

This evening, join your fellow travelers for a Welcome Drink."

Pictures below the text.

My INFO Lucerne is known for its medieval architecture and is located between the mountains and a lake.  It has a fairytale appearance.  Explore Lucerne's Old Town.  You will find elaborately decorated buildings, especially notice the frescoes.  Look for Pfistern Guildhouse (Kornmarkt 4, Lucerne), the Hotel des Balances (Weinmarkt, Lucerne, the Restaurant Fritschi (Sternplatz 5, Lucerne) and check out St. Peter's Chapel on the Kapellplatz.  There are trolleybuses and motor buses to get around the city.  

Lake Lucerne is Switzerland's fourth-largest lake.  

The Rathaus (town hall) in Lucerne was built 17th-Century.  It now has its very own brewery and pub.  You can have a beer, Weisswurst (spiced white sausage) or Luzerner Kasekuchen (a cheese tart).

Kapellbrucke/Chapel Bridge is an iconic site.  This (204m/669ft) old wooden footbridge is the oldest one of its kind in Europe with decorative paintings all along the inside walls.  It is especially beautiful at night.  

Spreuer Bridge/Spreuerbrucke is another covered wooden footbridge.  Inside, the footbridge is decorated with forty-five 17th-century paintings depicting a Danse Macabre-style (Dance of Death) about mortality and human existence.  You will see skeletons, priests, courtiers, and angels in scenes.  This bridge is between Kasernenplatz and the Muhlenplatz.  

Lion of Lucerne is a memorial to the hundreds of Swiss mercenaries that were killed in 1792 while fighting for King Louis XVI during the French Revolution.  The dying lion was carved into a rock at the park near Lowenplatz.

Glacier Garden has glacial potholes that have been traced back to the Ice Age.  Gletschergarten Luzern, Denkmalstrasse.

Chateau Gutsch is a turn-of-the-century hotel that can be reached by climbing a long staircase.  You will enjoy a great view of the city and Lake Lucerne. The bar alone is worth the climb.  

NO Nuclear Bunker tour that was built in the 60s and 70s.  It can be accessed from the Sonnenberg highway tunnel. The Sonnenberg Bunker could shelter 20,000 residents if there was a nuclear attack.  Tours are available on the last Sunday, but we are there on Saturday.  

The Museggmauer and its nine towers date back to the 14th-century.  They are remnants of the old wall that surrounded the city.  Four towers are open to the public.   

Mount Pilatus offers the best views of Lucerne and can be reached by gondola or cable car. You can count 72 other mountain peaks on a clear day.  

My trip to Lucerne went perfectly although the train was very crowded.  I walked the three blocks from the train station to my hotel rolling my suitcase easily as it was level and smooth.  I met my tour director, nice man and attentive.  About 1:00, I was able to drop my stuff in my room and went to walk in old town.  It is lovely here.  I walked for a while along the lake and then sat on a bench and just enjoyed looking at the mountains.  I wandered the streets and went to the market as the prices here are as ridiculous as Zurich.  I think I might go to the mountains tomorrow so I got some things I can take for lunch.  

This town is much prettier than Zurich.  Zurich has 40,000 students.  Lucerne has about 50000 residents.  It is much simpler here.  I did walk through the Chapel Bridge looking at the battle paintings which are trianglular paintings in the peaks of the bridge framing.  

Kapellbrucke/Chapel Bridge is an iconic site.  This (204m/669ft) old wooden footbridge is the oldest one of its kind in Europe with decorative paintings depicting Zurich's history in the peaks.  It is especially beautiful at night.  

Chapel Bridge diagonally crosses the River Reuss. 

Here’s some pics.  I love this town. 

Lots of sidewalk cafes along the river.

Lake in Lucerne with the Alps in the distance.