It was back home the next day with my final day spent at Hampton Court Palace and the evening spent with Rupesh, my local guide.
I hopped on the train from Waterloo (London) station to Hampton Court. It took about 40 minutes. Once there, I wandered through the palace. It has 2 different architectural styles: Tudor and Baroque. You can see the transition, as they added wings throughout the centuries, while moving through the three main "squares" of the palace. I chuckled while standing inside the "Queens Closet". This was actually a parlor (twice the size of my apartment!) in which the queen's most trusted relations would have tea. There are many wonderful paintings and tapestries inside the palace as well. But again, no photography (I wouldn't have used a flash!). Sigh...
There are acres of gardens surrounding the palace with rose gardens, formal gardens, mazes, you name it. If only I was there in the summer (another sigh). I imagine it is quite spectacular. Check out their website for summer flower show dates. I bet they are wonderful.
I arrived back in London in time to meet Rupesh at Leicester Square. Our first stop was Waxy O'Connor's which was (still is) the coolest pub I've ever been in (and I've been to a few :-)). It is a maze of wood-carved finery with several floors and half floors, bars, and lofts to sit in including a room with a tree in the middle. How cool is that! If you enjoy good beer and conversation, this is the place as it wasn't too loud. Check out the virtual tour of this pub under my travel links. It's hard to put into words but stepping into the past comes to mind. Tell me about you favorite pubs.
After a few pints, we headed off to a swanky Indian restaurant where I had only my 2nd best meal of the entire trip (the first being when Rupesh took me to a Thai place at the beginning of my trip). The food was served tapas-style so I just had him pick whatever he thought was good while I sipped a Cobra. I have to say, everything was so delicious and tasty. It beat fish and chips any day!
Well I had to say "Ta Ta" to London but I'm sure I'll be back to check out other parts of England in the future. It was fun and challenging travelling alone to a foreign country. Some people thought I was odd to do so. But I really believe it is very important to get out and see the world if you have the opportunity. It will enrich your life and help you see things in a new way. You may have heard or seen these words before: Dream it, Plan it, Do it! I believe in these words. Give it a try!
Excellent job! You made the 10 days come alive for us, and inspired us to "give it a try"! :)
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