Footloose in London - Part I

Just walking down a London street provides a free sightseeing feast to our way of thinking:  the old buildings snuggled in between the new, the hustle and bustle of pedestrians, the scurrying waves of black cabs and mountainous double-decker buses. 

There are also an enormous number of tourist sights to be seen for free, so armed with our city map and with our walking shoes on, we set out to see as much as possible:

             Covent Garden

Setting out on a route that took us past The Royal Opera House, we first visted The Piazza and Central Square at Covent Garden  in the early morning as vendors were just greeting the day. Our mid-day return was to a far more lively place - the square had filled with those eating and those entertaining - both were fun and free to watch.

Continuing on to Trafalgar Square we passed on the National Portrait Gallery but made a whirlwind trip through the National Gallery, where admission is free and donations are suggested. Note:  You would need days - if not weeks - to properly explore and absorb the more than 2,000 art pieces on display.

Then on to Whitehall where we watched the Changing of the Horse Guards - another free sidewalk show.

Our morning explorations ended underground in Churchill's War Rooms and Museum. This absolutely spell-binding time capsule provides a goose-bump look at of the realities of World War II in London gives you more than your money's worth (this one does cost). We spent two hours exploring the maze of Winston's underground command center and could have stayed longer but tired feet dictated a short break.

Our afternoon and evening freebie finds will come in the next post. . .

London in 48 Hours. . .or less

Flight connections from Greece required a one-night stay in London so instead of heading to an airport hotel,  we cashed in some Marriott points and gave ourselves a two-night, and almost-one-full-day mini-stay downtown. Within hours of our arrival we were wishing we'd allowed ourselves more time here.
Having arrived at Victoria Station aboard the Gatwick Express train, we climbed into one of the famous, ubiquitous black cabs, for a twisty, turny - rather pricey - trip through London's t rush hour traffic as we made our way to the  Renaissance Chancery Court in London's Holborn district.

Renaissance Chancery Court

This Edwardian High Baroque-style building, built over the two-year period,1912 - 1914, was the home to the Pearl Assurance Company until 1990.  In 1998 the building was transformed into its present-day marble-pillared hotel.

 

High Holborn, Gerkin in background

Our location on High Holborn, put us in an interesting historic area of the city; one known as being home to the legal and journalism professions (a perfect fit for the two of us).  The road itself is believed to follow the path of the Roman road from Londinium which was founded in the AD 50 - 100 time frame. We were walking distance to Covent Garden and the theatre district, just a few blocks beyond. Walking the opposite direction we would have been in The City, as it was, we had a view of its famous Gerkin Building.

We had enough time to get a basic introduction to the area that first evening, so we were ready to go exploring the next day. We packed a lot into that single day and the next post will tell you how we did it.

Yamas! A Toast to Greece

"Yamas!"  they say in Greece when they serve your drink. "Yamas!" you say as you clink your glasses together in toast. "Yamas!. . .(Cheers!)" ~ a wish for well-being.

New friends in Rhodes

And so as our travels through Greece come to a close, it seems only fitting to raise a glass and say, "Yamas!" to the many, many Greeks who welcomed us to their stunning islands with such warmth that a return is firmly cemented into our future travel plans.

Karpathos

"Yamas!" to the sensory-numbing beauty of the islands;

"Yamas!" to those we stopped to ask directions of; especially those who ended up escorting us toward the destination we couldn't quite find no matter which way we turned the map, and to those who provided insider tips for dining and sightseeing;

Rhodes

"Yamas!" to the remains of ancient civilizations;

The images of Greece - Athens, in particular - that made media headlines around the world during the time we were traveling there were of a country in turmoil and filled with unrest.  That wasn't our experience at all. Island life was tranquil, the country side a treasure chest of picturesque villages, and our experience enhanced by the warm, wonderful -- and welcoming -- people we met along the way.

We had far too many tales and tips and far too little time to post them all. . .there's more to come on Greece. But its time to tell you a bit about London and our two nights there. I've also compiled some tips on how we saved major travel bucks, those will be posted soon.

"Adriana's" Symi

"Adriana's Symi" - that's how I had begun referring to the island that lies off the coast of Rhodes, so close to Turkey you can see its southern peninsula with the naked eye.  I felt as if I had spent a year on Symi, and I had in a manner of speaking, without ever leaving my Kirkland home; thanks to nano-second travel via the blogosphere.  And, thanks to Adriana Schum, a transplant to Symi, whose blog I found early in 2009 while researching accommodations for our trip to Greece that fall.

We didn't make it to Symi though on that trip, so we contented ourselves by continuing to visit via Adriana's blog: we knew which seasonal fruit was being delivered, what preparations the shop keepers were taking both for ending last year's season and preparing for this year's. We watched winter turn to spring and somewhat felt a part of the island's day-to-day life.  More recently we followed the impact of the Iceland volcano on the small island which seemed so far away, but not distant enough to avoid the drop in visitors who were unable to get flights.

Adriana Schum

This spring we did arrive in Symi, and once there, it wasn't difficult to find the harbor front office of Symi Visitor where we were able to finally thank Adriana for her introduction to this wonderful place.  We continue to read her blog with even more enthusiasm for the people and places she writes about than we did before our visit. It is a good armchair trip which you can also take by simply clicking the link to Adriana's Symi on our  Blog Log (right-hand side of the home page).

Lest we forget. . . those five days in Crete

Our travels in Greece have been a doorway into history for us.  Not just to the ancient civilizations but also into much more recent history. So, on this Memorial Day we remember the many lives, both military and civilian, sacrificed here during World War II. 

In particular, we remember those final  five days of The Battle of Crete - May 28 - June 1, 1941- when thousands of Allied troops evacuated to Alexandria on British and Australian war ships from the harbor at Chora Sfakia, on Crete's southwestern shore, while others*, primarily New Zealand troops, held off the Germans.  The Suda Bay War Cemetery, near Chania, on Crete's northern shores should be a required stop for all visitors to this island.

New Zealand, Australian and Greek troops made their way to Chora Sfakia while other Allied troops ambushed the advancing German troops.  The road they walked ended three kilometers and 500 meters (about 1,600 feet) above the harbor town, leaving them to make their way down the steep hillsides.  British and Australian warships evacuated 11,000 - 18,000* men  before the Germans overtook the Australian rear gear, capturing 5,000 - 12,000*.
     *Vary by source.

While we Americans have set aside Memorial Day as a time to remember those who have fought for the freedoms we enjoy, in Crete such remembrances are part of every day life. We found memorials along busy roadways, tucked away in remote areas and often the centerpiece of town squares.  While we couldn't decipher much of the Greek inscriptions we understood the date: 1941.

In Chora Sfakia, the unassuming little harbor town, that has won our hearts, a new memorial has been erected overlooking the harbor that tells the story of the evacuations that took place here. . . "lest we forget."

A Novel Destination: "The Writer is Here Now. . ."

A high point of our travels is seeking out  'novel destinations'; those places that come to life for us as result of some fictional story set in some faraway place that peaks our curiosity enough to go there. Such was the case last year in Crete with Zorba's beach in Zorba, the Greek and Spinalonga in The Island. 

This time it was Crete that led us to new novels. . .or, I should  say, to the writer of those novels.

It was during a lazy afternoon stroll along Loutro's waterfront promenade -- a walkway that bi-sects the restaurants ringing its crescent-shaped harbor -- that we noticed the poster at Taverna Pavlos announcing a series of books 'now for sale on Amazon.com.'  As we paused to read it, Pavlos (Paul) the owner, called out to us, "The writer is here now," nodding toward the rooms above the cafe. "He will be here tonight at dinner." 
And it was after dinner that night that we met British novelist Bill Kitson and his wife, Val.  Bill, a retired executive from the world of finance, who keeps you laughing or groaning with his rapid-fire one-liners, writes about murders; murders solved by the character he has created, Mike Nash.  Three books are published and more are on the way.

We continued our laugh-filled conversation the following evening, again at Taverna Pavlos, over after-dinner glasses of raki. Raki is Crete's rather strong beverage sipped in small amounts following a meal. Pavlos has a friend who distills the stuff and bottles it for the restaurant - look close and you'll see the label features Pavlos.

Upon learning we were from the Seattle area, Bill told us his second novel, Chosen, opens with a fictitious article from The Seattle Times that provides the plot's hook.  No, he's never been to Seattle, but he loved the movie, "Sleepless in Seattle."  We've stayed in touch with the Kitson's since we met and we plan to start reading Bill's books upon our return home. . .for those who want to take a look at them, I've added them to the Amazon carousel on the right-hand side of our blog's home page.

Saints be Praised!

Here they are not only praised, they are worshipped and celebrated.  Tourist publications list Saint Days and the festivals that mark them in villages and monasteries throughout the island.  Road signs direct you to chapels and monasteries ranging in size from the smallest of structures to large sprawling complexes.  What has struck us is the numbers of them we have found open - even in the most remote locations and no signs of vandalism. 

The small chapel for Saint Paul below is perched on a slight incline near the highway in the middle of grain fields at the southern tip of the island. 

We were the only ones there on Sunday morning and found the door to the chapel open and a candle already had been lit.

Today we walked the Stations of the Cross - something usually done in our town of Kirkland on the Friday before Easter - here it can be done as often as you want at Moni Agias Ypsenis (Monastery of Our Lady) just outside the town of Lardos on the eastern coast.

The Stations lead to a large cross on the hilltop that overlooks the Monastery complex; home to about 12 monks we were told.

Lindian Village Luxury

We are baskinng in the lap of luxury on the southeastern coast of Rhodes.  We are settled in at Lindian Village, a member of the marketing group, Leading Hotels of the World; certainly not a place we would normally be staying but in keeping with our 'find the deals' approach to travel, Joel happened upon a deal while researching hotels a few days ago.

Actually, Lonely Planet  travel guide had listed it as the author's choice, noting 'if you could afford it.'  This season we can.  I should note here that tourism is down; way down according to the folks we have talked to along the way.  The economic turmoil, protests that it generated and then Iceland's volcano are all being listed as contributing factors to the downturn in tourism.

We nabbed a Mediterranian room for the rate of 105E per night -- 50% of the normal rate -- about 130USD, with the current rate of exchange.  We were greeted with a welcome drink, driven by golf cart to our villa room and then pampered with a welcome bottle of wine, water and fruit plate.  The rate includes a full buffet breakfast with champagne each day (and the buffet rivals that of some of the best cruise ships we have been on).  The beach is like out of a movie. 

The resort is offering a 50% off rate through the end of June - if you found yourself in this part of the world, we would highly recommend taking advantage of the deal being offered.