Portsmouth - Home of Sherlock Holmes

This shingle beach is in Portsmouth. It was a town I wanted to visit because of its prominence in literature - the home of Sherlock Holmes. And it's the site of a lot of maritime history. It was a tough visit, though. We got there late in the day. It was very hot, and our non-air conditioned hotel put us on their top floor facing the sun. And the window would only open 1 inch - I guess they wanted to keep people from leaping out of the window. In the morning, we found a large and nasty-looking bug in our daughter's bed. Shudder. But, hey, the beach was interesting.

The Brighton Coast

We stayed in Brighton two nights and what an interesting place. It's on my list of places I want to see again someday. It was HOT when we were there. We stayed in a boutique hotel in one of the happiest neighborhoods in Brighton and would do it again. Great characters at the hotel, generous, kind, helpful, charming and fun! Can't believe all the niche shops that go on and on in Brighton.

Copper Scarecrow Thingy

Another street performer along the Thames. We were making are way to the Tate Modern when we met this one.

Well, it's Something That Can't be Resisted

I was afraid we wouldn't find any of these in our day and age of cell phones. They weren't "everywhere" - but still scattered about London.

County Hall and the London Eye

Our hotel in London was in this building - County Hall. Of course, we rode the London Eye which was a great preview of our stay, helped us get oriented. This picture was taken while walking over the Westminster Bridge.

Golden Queen Along the Thames

We saw the golden king putting on his makeup a bit later so he could be by the queen's side.

Singing the Blues in London

Another street performer along the Thames. He did sing a few lines of blues for a pound.

Bobby Busker

A break in the clouds, and the walkway along the Thames in London becomes crowded with street shows. This Bobby pulled a "rainbow" out of my daughter's hair for a pound. She thought it was great!

The Fashion Museum in Bath

The interactive area of the Fashion Museum in Bath. It was a fascinating place, the display of gloves was especially interesting. The tough thing about the place was the low lighting everywhere, because light is so harmful to delicate cloth. Guests are free to try on hoop skirts and corsets.

The Weir at the Old Mill Inn - Bath

This is the weir at the Old Mill Inn - and you can take a boat between this weir and the one in downtown Bath. That's something we did. It was great. We were the only ones on the boat. And we saw a kingfisher. They're so small!

More Green Water Views

The Roman Baths tour is one I want to take again, and spend more leisurely time. I didn't get to listen to all of the tour. Everyone gets a personal listening device and you punch in codes to hear tidbits of history. They also have kid versions.

Roman Bath Yucky Green Water

My daughter posing in front of the bath under the open air, which they explain is why the water is green. The sunlight encourages aglae to grow. There are signs all over that say, "don't touch the water," and them most kids do. They also offer a free drink of the water at the end of the tour, and they warn you it will taste like metal - we passed. But Jane Austen fans know the importance of the Pump House and the alleged "healthy" qualities of the water.

The Cathedral in Bath

This is the view of the Bath cathedral from the walkway above the Roman Baths. Yep, the cathedral was built on top of the baths, as was much of Bath in this area. It's the piece of info missing from all the displays, who, where and why did they fill it all in and build on top of everything?

Laundry Led Us to the Royal Crescent

The famous Royal Crescent in Bath - which we found by accident because we were looking for a place to do laundry. We found the Spruce Goose laundry facility, and my Dad parked the car just up the street - right in front of the homes. I like this picture because it shows some of the famous Bath stone in less-than-makeup-perfect shape. I wondered when we were there just how the stone was kept clean. Do they blast it? Use acid cleaners? I never did find out.

Old Mill Inn Riverside

This is right out the restaurant at the Old Mill Inn in Bath. The river is called Avon, but it's not because it's THE River Avon, it's just a general term for rivers. The setting was perfectly pastoral. Across the river, sheep were grazing.

Off to Bath - the Old Mill Inn

This is the water wheel at the Old Mill Inn in Bath, England. A delightful place and the restaurant there was one of the best meals we had during our trip to England. We heard some story about how the wheel was going to turn the restaurant for a "revolving restaurant" attraction - but that since the river sometimes flows fast, the turning would have made diners nauseous. I don't know if that's true, but it is true that the wheel squeaks.

This is One Wisteria Vine

This is one wisteria vine, and how lucky we were to be at Hampton Court Palace when it was blooming. Made my wisteria vine at home look really wimpy!

Hampton Court Maze

Here is the middle of the Hampton Court Maze, which is listed as the biggest, or oldest, in the world - I can't remember which. We let our daughter lead for part of the way, but she kept taking us in circles. It was fun. The maze was built as a place for contemplation. The big compass arrow swings around every once in a while to further confuse. This is the maze featured in the Jerome K. Jerome classic, "Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)."

Covered Walkway at Hampton Court Palace

This is another feature in the massive palace gardens. My daughter ran though it several times, even though it was a hot day. When we visited England in May of this year, it was their hottest May since some time in the 1700s.

One of the Many Gardens at Hampton Court Palace

The gardens at Hampton Court Palace go on and on. The Palace is home to the longest herbaceous border in the world, 1/2 mile - mostly tended by volunteers.

Hampton Court Palace - We Were Wowed

Walking into Hampton Court Place - near London. Lots of history here, and a lot of it ugly stuff - and examples of decadence and over-the-top-ness like I've never seen before. More info here. This is actually a modest entrance, I think, compared to the buildings, grounds, art, gardens, "royal rooms," and kitchens inside. There were several groups of uniformed school children, my daughter mixed in with one group while touring inside.

In the Peacock Garden at Warwick Castle

My daughter wanted to get a picture close to one of the castle peacocks. First, she chased them around. Then, she figured out that if she just stayed still, they'd come close. There was also a show/display of birds of prey. They were well-trained and flew over the crowd many times, buzzing our hair.