To begin our day in London, we first ventured downstairs to enjoy our English buffet breakfast provided by COSMOS. For the 1st day of our Best of Europe Tour, we decided to forgo any and all of the optional excursions and venture out on our own. On the flight to London a passenger, a native of England, recommended that to best see London, hop on the “red bus” and see all the city has to offer. As a group we agreed this sounded great for the day.
Down on the ground floor of the Novotel Hotel, COSMOS has uniformed representatives from 7am-7pm to help with any and all questions a traveler may have. We explained to the COSMOS representative that we wished to tour the city on our own and needed more information about the local bus system. She was extremely helpful, offering a map and marking it with all of the places we should visit.
As per her directions, we headed out of the Novotel Hotel, and walked over to the bus/train station, London Underground Limited-Hammersmith, which was only block away. We walked into the station and were very surprised…we walked into a mall! We had to stop and ask a security guard to direct us to the station, he did.
Once we found the station, we stood in the line for “Assistance and Tickets”. The woman ahead of us in line, apparently needed a lot of advice, we waited to speak to the representative for about 15 minutes. The wait was well worth it, the man behind the counter was extremely helpful, and we all purchased the Day Ticket for 5.60 pounds ($8.69), which the COSMOS representative recommended. This Day Ticket would enable us to get on and off and the “red bus” or the “tube” (London’s subway) as much as we would like, for 24 hours! This was definitely the way to go.
Ignorantly, we had no idea how to use the bus system…LOL! We didn’t know where to go to find the bus, how to show our tickets, etc. When we arrived at the ground floor of the station, I asked a man sitting behind a counter that read, “Information.” Again, I encountered a very friendly and helpful gentleman who explained exactly what we needed to do.
We caught the #9 bus directly outside of the station (#9, just as the COSMOS representative had suggested). When we stepped up into the bus, we only had to flash the driver our ticket. We found seats near the back and were off!!
Side note—every “red bus” we rode throughout London was clean and safe!
Our first stop was at the “Green Park”, where we got off in order to walk across the park to Buckingham Palace. Again, this was all from the advice of the COSMOS representative. Green Park is absolutely beautiful and lush. Pigeons and squirrels raced across the green lawns, and folding chairs were in rows in 2 small sections. We learned that these chairs are always put out for people who would like to relax.
The gates of the Buckingham Palace began to show through the trees. The gold-plated gates are spectacular, and directly behind them is the Buckingham Palace itself. Fortunately, we arrived at the palace at exactly the right time!! When we approached to Palace, we made our through the massive crowds, in order to see the changing of the guard! I must say this is a huge production, but a frenzy with the amount of people attempting to “see what’s happening.” We were able to catch glimpses of the guards, here and there, but for the most part we were watching people take pictures, trying to see the same things we were!! LOL (Apparently, the changing of the guard usually takes place every other day in August at 11:30 am)
After the Buckingham Palace, we walked down to the Wellington Arch. This area was also stunning and included many monuments erected for lost service men. We hopped on the #9 bus again, and took it to Piccadilly Circus. This is not an actual circus but rather a theater. The entire area of Piccadilly Square is encompassed with shops and restaurants. There are fountains and statues throughout the square, and it is quite an impressive sight.
It was an extremely busy day….we also visited St. Stephen’s Cathedral, The Tower of London and had lunch at a local favorite spot. All of this was done by taking the #9 bus as far as Piccadilly Circus, and then the #15 to go all the way down to The Tower of London.
Every monument we saw was extraordinary. When we walked up to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, we admired the outside before stepping through the open front doors. Immediately I could see that the architecture was gorgeous, but to go any further it would cost. I highly recommend just going to the Cathedral and stepping inside. The Tower of London is an ancient castle remain which we also admired for free.
For lunch, we knew we wanted fish and chips!! Thankfully Rachel was with us, and she has absolutely no reservation in going up to complete strangers and asking them where we could find the best fish and chips. Everyone said they had no idea where the “best fish and chips” were, except one guy who said Norway! LOL. Finally though, a young man in a business suit directed us to a small pub directly across the street from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, The Centre Page @ 29-33 Knightrider St. London.
The Centre Page has an authentic atmosphere and was full of locals. Everyone stuck to ordering fish and chips, the menu claims they are famous for it, but I ordered a Shepard’s pie with lamb, buttery mashes and mint. Mom, Grandpa, and Rachel all enjoyed English beers. The food was mediocre, but the atmosphere made up for everything that the food lacked. This is a spot I would definitely return to, to get the “old feel” of London.
We managed to make an entire sight-seeing day happen on 5 bus tickets! This was a fantastic idea and definitely something I would recommend to any of my friends! Buy a Day Ticket from the London Underground and see the city. I didn’t mention earlier that the red buses also have a second story which is even better for seeing the beautiful city!
I was exhausted when we returned to the Novotel Hotel and fell asleep at 7pm! LOL I need my rest for the continuation of COSMOS Best of Europe Tour as we continue to Amsterdam!!
2010. augusztus 29., vasárnap
COSMOS Day 1-Traveling to London
We began our COSMOS Best of Europe Tour. We booked this 18-day adventure with Caroline, of CAREFREE TRAVEL located in Templeton, CA.
Our self-paid shuttle ride from Pápa to Vienna, with MPPV Service Kft. (info@papasupport.com), was smooth, the driver was extremely polite and spoke some English.
After arriving at the Vienna Airport, we checked in using the Self-Service computer check-in and waited in line to check our bags. Then we made our way to our gate, where we showed our passports and received a Vienna, Austria stamp. Before going through security, we stopped for a quick bite to eat. Two slices of mozzarella pizza and water would have to hold us over until we reached London. The total cost of one slice of pizza and a small water was 7.10 Euros ($9.10). Unlike the pizza in Pápa, this pizza had marinara sauce on it!! (Pápa’s pizza, like I have said, is good but lacking in sauce).
After eating we went through secuirty without any problems. We removed our belts and put our computers into the plastic trays before stepping through the metal detector. In the Vienna airport, unlike many others, it is not necessary to remove your shoes.
We boarded our British Airways flight on time, and all sat near one another. Grandpa and mom sat together with Grandpa at the window seat, Dusty and I sat together with me at the window seat, and Rachel sat behind me also in a window seat. Immediately after finding our seats and getting settled in, the captain announced that there were landing conditions at Londow Heathrow that prevented us from taking off for at leat 40 minutes. He explained that all flights into Heathrow were on hold, so we waited. About an hour later we took off. The flight was very smooth with only the slightest bit of turbulance as we passed through clouds that were apart of a large storm in the Atlantic.
Grandpa and mom were seated next to a lovely young woman from Turkey whom they engaged in conversation with throughout the flight. Dusty and I attempted to take naps, and Rachel listened to her Ipod. For snacks, a small of bag chips or a small cookie were given to each passenger. For beverages, the choices included water, soda, wine, coffee and tea. Dusty and I prefer the snacks that were served on our AirBerlin flight, which was also a short flight but from Germany to Austria.
As our plane approached London Heathrow, the captain announced that we would have to circle the airport apporximately 4 times, before landing, due to delays on the ground. This part of the flight made me feel a tad ill, but we soon landed and disembarked from the plane. While on the plane, we had to fill out landing passes which we were to turn in at the immigration check point, before picking up our luggage. Landing passes include name, passport number, length of stay in Great Britain, address in Great Britain during stay, birth date, and city/country of birth. Immediately after exiting the plane and entering the airport we found our way to the immigration line for ”all other passports” (not EU of UK).
When it was my turn, I nervously walked up to the podium to speak with the immigration officer. I don’t know why I was nervous, I was not doing anything wrong! LOL But, I was nervous. I approached the podium and he asked me if I was traveling with family, I said yes, and he asked me to call them all over. He looked over each one of our passports and took our landing passes. The officer asked what we were doing in the country, how long we would stay and where we were going next. I told him we were on the COSMOS Best of Europe Tour, and we would be in the country for 2 days, traveling to Amsterdam next.
We all passed through without any problems, of course, and picked up our luggage without any problems. As we exited the baggage claim, our COSMOS tour guide was there to meet us, dressed from head-to-toe in red, and holding a COSMOS sign. She actually spotted me first because I had my COSMOS blue itinerary book in-hand. She lead us over to some seats and explained that we were waiting on another flight to arrive with passengers that would be traveling to the hotel with us. We were all very impressed that COSMOS was there to greet us when we arrived, seeing that our flight was one hour late! The COSMOS representative was very professional, and even pointed out the nearest restrooms before leaving us at our seats in order for her to find the rest of our traveling partners.
When she came back with the others, she lead us outside to an awaiting COSMOS bus to take us to our hotel. It was raining and the streets were very congested with traffic. The nuber of Mercedes and BMWs on the road was astonishing! About every third car was either of the 2 mentioned.
We arrived at our hotel in about 25 minutes. The Novotel London West is a very large hotel with nine floors. As soon as we entered the hotel, we found the COSMOS representitive that was waiting to meet us. She assisted all of us in marking our luggage with COSMOS tags, so the bags would be easily identifable. She told us to leave our bags downstairs and they would be brought to our rooms.
Next, we made our way off of the ground floor, and up to the 1st floor. I thought that was odd and different from the US. The ground floor was not the 1st floor, as it would be in the US, the 2nd floor was the 1st floor, and the 1st floor was the ground floor. So, after making our way up to the ”1st floor” we checked in with the front desk. The Novotel employee behind the desk was quite unfriendly, though we were able to get checked in and head up to our rooms. I must say that we dealt with an additional front desk employee later in the evening who was friendly and helpful.
Our 2 rooms were on seperate floors, 3 and 4. The Novotel London West Hotel has extremely long hallways and it took us all some time to get our bearings. The rooms are quite lovely and offer all of the necessary ammenities, including toilettries, blowdryers, iron and ironing board. In addition, the rooms are very clean and cute.
Though tired upon arrival to the hotel, we were hungry. Not wanting to go out into the rainy weather, we chose to eat at the hotel. The Artisan Grill is located on the 1st floor across from the front desk. Adjacent to the Grill is a beautiful bar and another section of the Artisan. The menu offers starters, chicken, steaks and deserts. None of us could see eating a steak at 8pm (though 9pm Hungary time-which we were still on). So, we all ordered the prosciutto, mozzerella, tomato wrap from the very friendly server. He warned us that the wrap was only a small snack, but he explained to him that we had just flown in and only wanted a small bite before bed. Grandpa ordered a glass of Dancing Bull Zinfandel, from California.
Our prosciutto wraps arrived and we all could not help but laugh! We were expecting acutal wraps, in a tortilla or flat bread. This ”wrap” was prosciutto wrapped around tomato, and fresh mozzerella with a single basil leaf sticking up from the center. The beautiful creation was drizzled with olive oil and balsamic. We laughed at the small size, but in all fairness we had been warned! The wraps were fantastic and we enjoyed them thoroughly. In addition, fresh bread was served to our table, and we all were able to choose which type of bread we wanted, from a selection the server brought over in a basket. Rachel and I chose the green-olive ciabbata which was fantastic! The others chose sundried tomato and plain types. Three different types of butter were also presented, plain, salted and paprika...the paprika was incredible!!
After lots of laughs, we all retired to our rooms for the evening. Tomorrow, we will begin to see London, after of breakfast provided by COSMOS.
Our self-paid shuttle ride from Pápa to Vienna, with MPPV Service Kft. (info@papasupport.com), was smooth, the driver was extremely polite and spoke some English.
After arriving at the Vienna Airport, we checked in using the Self-Service computer check-in and waited in line to check our bags. Then we made our way to our gate, where we showed our passports and received a Vienna, Austria stamp. Before going through security, we stopped for a quick bite to eat. Two slices of mozzarella pizza and water would have to hold us over until we reached London. The total cost of one slice of pizza and a small water was 7.10 Euros ($9.10). Unlike the pizza in Pápa, this pizza had marinara sauce on it!! (Pápa’s pizza, like I have said, is good but lacking in sauce).
After eating we went through secuirty without any problems. We removed our belts and put our computers into the plastic trays before stepping through the metal detector. In the Vienna airport, unlike many others, it is not necessary to remove your shoes.
We boarded our British Airways flight on time, and all sat near one another. Grandpa and mom sat together with Grandpa at the window seat, Dusty and I sat together with me at the window seat, and Rachel sat behind me also in a window seat. Immediately after finding our seats and getting settled in, the captain announced that there were landing conditions at Londow Heathrow that prevented us from taking off for at leat 40 minutes. He explained that all flights into Heathrow were on hold, so we waited. About an hour later we took off. The flight was very smooth with only the slightest bit of turbulance as we passed through clouds that were apart of a large storm in the Atlantic.
Grandpa and mom were seated next to a lovely young woman from Turkey whom they engaged in conversation with throughout the flight. Dusty and I attempted to take naps, and Rachel listened to her Ipod. For snacks, a small of bag chips or a small cookie were given to each passenger. For beverages, the choices included water, soda, wine, coffee and tea. Dusty and I prefer the snacks that were served on our AirBerlin flight, which was also a short flight but from Germany to Austria.
As our plane approached London Heathrow, the captain announced that we would have to circle the airport apporximately 4 times, before landing, due to delays on the ground. This part of the flight made me feel a tad ill, but we soon landed and disembarked from the plane. While on the plane, we had to fill out landing passes which we were to turn in at the immigration check point, before picking up our luggage. Landing passes include name, passport number, length of stay in Great Britain, address in Great Britain during stay, birth date, and city/country of birth. Immediately after exiting the plane and entering the airport we found our way to the immigration line for ”all other passports” (not EU of UK).
When it was my turn, I nervously walked up to the podium to speak with the immigration officer. I don’t know why I was nervous, I was not doing anything wrong! LOL But, I was nervous. I approached the podium and he asked me if I was traveling with family, I said yes, and he asked me to call them all over. He looked over each one of our passports and took our landing passes. The officer asked what we were doing in the country, how long we would stay and where we were going next. I told him we were on the COSMOS Best of Europe Tour, and we would be in the country for 2 days, traveling to Amsterdam next.
We all passed through without any problems, of course, and picked up our luggage without any problems. As we exited the baggage claim, our COSMOS tour guide was there to meet us, dressed from head-to-toe in red, and holding a COSMOS sign. She actually spotted me first because I had my COSMOS blue itinerary book in-hand. She lead us over to some seats and explained that we were waiting on another flight to arrive with passengers that would be traveling to the hotel with us. We were all very impressed that COSMOS was there to greet us when we arrived, seeing that our flight was one hour late! The COSMOS representative was very professional, and even pointed out the nearest restrooms before leaving us at our seats in order for her to find the rest of our traveling partners.
When she came back with the others, she lead us outside to an awaiting COSMOS bus to take us to our hotel. It was raining and the streets were very congested with traffic. The nuber of Mercedes and BMWs on the road was astonishing! About every third car was either of the 2 mentioned.
We arrived at our hotel in about 25 minutes. The Novotel London West is a very large hotel with nine floors. As soon as we entered the hotel, we found the COSMOS representitive that was waiting to meet us. She assisted all of us in marking our luggage with COSMOS tags, so the bags would be easily identifable. She told us to leave our bags downstairs and they would be brought to our rooms.
Next, we made our way off of the ground floor, and up to the 1st floor. I thought that was odd and different from the US. The ground floor was not the 1st floor, as it would be in the US, the 2nd floor was the 1st floor, and the 1st floor was the ground floor. So, after making our way up to the ”1st floor” we checked in with the front desk. The Novotel employee behind the desk was quite unfriendly, though we were able to get checked in and head up to our rooms. I must say that we dealt with an additional front desk employee later in the evening who was friendly and helpful.
Our 2 rooms were on seperate floors, 3 and 4. The Novotel London West Hotel has extremely long hallways and it took us all some time to get our bearings. The rooms are quite lovely and offer all of the necessary ammenities, including toilettries, blowdryers, iron and ironing board. In addition, the rooms are very clean and cute.
Though tired upon arrival to the hotel, we were hungry. Not wanting to go out into the rainy weather, we chose to eat at the hotel. The Artisan Grill is located on the 1st floor across from the front desk. Adjacent to the Grill is a beautiful bar and another section of the Artisan. The menu offers starters, chicken, steaks and deserts. None of us could see eating a steak at 8pm (though 9pm Hungary time-which we were still on). So, we all ordered the prosciutto, mozzerella, tomato wrap from the very friendly server. He warned us that the wrap was only a small snack, but he explained to him that we had just flown in and only wanted a small bite before bed. Grandpa ordered a glass of Dancing Bull Zinfandel, from California.
Our prosciutto wraps arrived and we all could not help but laugh! We were expecting acutal wraps, in a tortilla or flat bread. This ”wrap” was prosciutto wrapped around tomato, and fresh mozzerella with a single basil leaf sticking up from the center. The beautiful creation was drizzled with olive oil and balsamic. We laughed at the small size, but in all fairness we had been warned! The wraps were fantastic and we enjoyed them thoroughly. In addition, fresh bread was served to our table, and we all were able to choose which type of bread we wanted, from a selection the server brought over in a basket. Rachel and I chose the green-olive ciabbata which was fantastic! The others chose sundried tomato and plain types. Three different types of butter were also presented, plain, salted and paprika...the paprika was incredible!!
After lots of laughs, we all retired to our rooms for the evening. Tomorrow, we will begin to see London, after of breakfast provided by COSMOS.
COSMOS Internet Access!!
So...we have beeen on our trip for 5 days now, I am finally at a Hotel with free internet! I will be posting my blogs as I have available internet connections. We are having a wonderful time!
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