Slinkie and Grumpy do London Town

[Grumpy1]

No, Slinkie and Grumpy haven't fallen off the edge of the earth... yet... but Grumpy figures he'd better get something posted before the CruiseCritic faithful start organizing full scale searches of London and the Baltics looking for the wayward duo. They are now onboard Rotterdam and sailing from Harwich, England enroute to Oslo. Ahhhh, it feels good to plant ones feet on the decks of a HAL ship again.

Where to begin... Slinkie and Grumpy were chauffeured by Lynalldo's Luxury Limosine from their home in Naples, FL to the airport in Fort Meyers. With way too much luggage, but within the allowed limits for Continental Airlines International flights, they made there way to the ticket counter and handed over the luggage. They had expected to have to reclaim the luggage in Cleveland and recheck it for the international flight, but were told that everything was checked through to London. In Cleveland, Slinkie's youngest daughter joined the party and the threesome settled in for a long boring overnight flight to London, they arrived in London on time at 8:00a... Grumpy's watch said it was only 3a... and spent about one and a half hours in a looooooooooooooooooooooong line to get passports checked... that was after walking what seemed like three miles from what had to be the last gate in the airport. Apparently there were a lot of international flights coming in all at the same time. After they got through that, and gathered the luggage, they found the Thameslink train and headed to the hotel. Grumpy had chosen a small hotel, part of the Comfort inn and Suites chain, for their base of operations. The location, in Camden, was on a quiet side street just a hundred yards or so from the King's Cross/St. Pancras Underground Terminal. Perfect for jumping on a train or bus to anywhere in London. That area had been pretty seedy in years past, but they are building the new Eurostar Terminal there and have been redeveloping the area. It turned out to be a very pleasant place to stay, but internet access was a bit of a problem. Hence the reason that you haven't heard from Grumpy and Slinkie for the past week.

They arrived at the hotel before 11a but couldn't check in until 2p. They have a luggage storeroom, so they stowed the bags and walked down the street to find a restaurant. Most weren't open yet, but they found a small cafe that was open and had lunch. Grumpy had purchased 6 day passes for the buses and underground, so they headed into the heart of London, checked out the sightseeing along the river Thames, saw the Tower bridge and the new London Bridge, the HMS Belfast, wandered a bit more and headed back to the hotel to check in. As they were all really beat at that point, they took a nap and then set out in the neighborhood to find some dinner. They stopped at an Irish pub and had dinner. Slinkie had seafood stew, Grumpy had Irish stew, DD had a hamburger and fries... she's not very adventurous when it comes to food... and then it was back to the hotel to bed down for the night.

The Comfort Inn and Suites is more of a bed and breakfast. There are only a dozen rooms or so. Slinkie and Grumpy have a pretty nice two room suite with kitchenette, nothing fancy but clean. DD has a small one room single. Breakfast... dry cereal, toast and jam, rolls, yogurt, juice, fruit, and coffe from a cappucino machine. TERRIBLE coffee! Everything else was OK.

After breakfast, it was back on the underground to Victoria Station, where they picked up the hop on hop off narrated sightseeing bus. They saw the outside of a lot of famous places, then got off at The Tower of London and took a guided tour through there. Grumpy had purchased what is called a London Pass that gets you free admission to a lot of places and that was one of them. After the tour, they had lunch at a Subway... OK, maybe DD isn't the only one that wasn't feeling adventurous about the food... and thenthey took a river boat up to the London Eye, a huge 450ft tall ferris wheel that British Airways built for the Millenium Celebrations. It takes a half hour to complete a revolution and the cars are like ski lift glass enclosed gondolas. You can walk around and take pictures from all directions. The views were great.

They picked up the hop on hop off again and completed the tour. We walked around a bit and then headed back to the tube and to the hotel. We headed back downtown later to the Covent Garden Area. There are a lot of street performers there and more restaurants and pubs than you can imagine. They stopped at Maxwell's and had dinner before deciding to call it a day.

Tuesday morning, the trio decided they really, really needed a good cup of coffeee. They skipped the hotel breakfast and went around the corner to.... McDonalds! They then headed out by tube again, transferred to a bus and wound up at Hampton Palace and Gardens. Henry VIII's old digs are still pretty impressive. DD wanted to do that one, as one of her co workers had told her about the maze in the gardens and how it took him 45 minutes to find his way through. They did make one wrong turn early on, but quickly hit a dead end, backtracked and then sailed right on through. Total time, 5 minutes! After prowling around the castle some more, and having lunch there, boarded the bus and went to Kew Bottanical Gardens. Since they had already done a lot of walking, so we took the tram around. The gardens are more than 400 acres and it would be easy to spend a day there if you wanted to walk around and see everything. The palace and Kew are both freebies on the London Pass, so it was a pretty inexpensive day.

After they had seen all we wanted of the gardens, it was back to the tube and home again. After getiing cleaned up again, they walked up the street to an Italian restaurant, had a nice meal and stopped at a corner pub. Grumpy had a pint of Guiness, DD had a bottle of Magner's, which is brewed with apples, and Slinkie had a draft English beer that was a little bitter for her tastes, but acceptable.

Wednesday, the plan was to take a tour of St Paul's Cathedral, and then down to Greenwich and who knows what else. Grumpy has been working hard to keep Slinkie out of the shops and has succeeded... so far. The bus tour took them right down Regent street past all of the high fashion designer shops. Slinkie was looking in the windows as they drove by and was oohing and ahhing all over the place... somehow Grumpy had neglected to tell her that it was hop off, hop on until they were well out of that neighborhood... She'll get even though... she's sure to get in some shopping time soon... Grumpy is not expecting to find any bargains, though.

After admiring the beauty of St. Paul's Cathedral, the trio got on the Docklands Light Rail train to Greenwich (also included on the travel pass) and spent an enjoyable afternoon going through the Observatory and looking at the collection of early time pieces, telescopes and other paraphenalia that is used in an observatory to... observe. It was still early in the afternoon when the DLR brought them back to Victora Station, so after trying to figure out a way nto get her out of the area, but knowing it was futile, Grumpy led the way into that den of iniquity known as Selfridges. Even Grumpy has to admit that is an impressive store. Slinkie and DD wandered around, tried on a couple of things and bought... nothing! After some more window shopping in that neighborhood, it was time to join the crushing sea of humanity and take the underground back to the hotel. After a brief rest and freshening up a bit, it was time to find a place for dinner. Another trip to the Covent Gardens area, another nice little restaurant, a little more street entertainment and another wonderful London day came to an end.

Thursday, time to use another freebie from the London Pass, so a trip to Little Venice and a canal boat trip to Camden Locks was the first item on the agenda. The canal boat went right past London Zoo, but the trio decided they had already been through a bigger London Zoo. OK, the locals call it Gatwick Airport, but Grumpy still calls it a zoo. The stop at Camden Locks was very interesting. There are hundreds of small specialty shops from all around the world there. Grumpy and Slinkie saw a lot of the same crafts that they saw in ports around the world last year,and they just weren't any more desirable in a shop in London than they had been in the native ports, so the trio left there empty handed and cruised back up the canal to Little Venice. There are dozens of rather quaint houseboats moored along the canal. Many look like they have been converted from old canal boats... very long and narrow. Some interesting names, designs and decorations.

Little Venice is just one underground stop away from another landmark that was on DD's list of "must see" places, so back to the underground and then a short walk to Abbey Road. Abbey Road Studios of Beatles fame is not marked, but the location is very obvious from the graffitti from Beatles Fans on the fence along the front. A couple of pictures, a ride on a local bus back to the underground, and back home again. There's another Italian restaurant in the King's Cross area that looked inviting, so that was the choice for the evening. The food was quite good, although Slinkie did not appreciate her Sea Bass staring back at her while she was eating it... a stop at the local pub for a pint and it was time to call it a day.

Friday... the last day to sight see in London... Up early, breakfast and then to Waterloo Station. Change to the rail line to Salisbury, sit back, relax and enjoy the view of the English countryside... or as much as you can enjoy it while zipping through at 90mph. After arriving in Salisbury, our intrepid explorers hopped aboard a double decker for the ride past Old Sarum to Stonehenge. After walking around there and not discovering anything that would solve the mysteries of the place, (Grumpy was just sure that the secrets would be revealed to him, but it was not to be...) the trio headed back to Salisbury and explored the many historical sites there. After a few hours, it was time to take the train back to London. There were still a lot of places around Covent Garden, so that was the choice for the last dinner in London.

Saturday morning, and it was nearing time to say goodbye to London. Grumpy and Slinkie took DD for one last trip to the zoo... er, Gatwick... said their goodbyes and went back to the Hotel. Grumpy had arranged a private car from the hotel to Harwich Port, so handling all of the luggage was much easier than dealing with trains, buses and cabs. The first portion of the trip was very slow. The traffic congestion in London is horrendous... besides that, they all drive on the wrong side of the street... but once out of London the driver was zipping along at 80 to 90 mph. The trip took about 2 hours and 15 minutes and deposited Slinkie, Grumpy and luggage right at the door to the terminal. Checkin was a breeze and it wasn't long before they were settled in and headed to the Lido nfor lunch. It feels good to be home again.

Now there is something that has really been bothering Ol' Grumpy. As you might have noticed, the idea behind the stay in London was to see London the way Londoners see it. Walking through neighborhoods, visiting small local places, riding the public transportation, but also taking in the rich history and architecture of the area. But to properly experience London as Londoners do, it would have to be done in rain, fog and chilly temperatures. Isn't that what London is noted for? Well, the foul weather gods must have gone on Holiday, as there was not a drop of rain, not a wisp of fog for the entire week. Temperatures were in the mid to upper seventies, even a little above 80 the last two days, with lots of sunshine. As far as weather, it was as close to perfect as you could get. Grumpy will have to return another time to experience normal London weather. Slinkie says she wants it just like this time... maybe even warmer... if she comes back again.

London is really a delightful place to visit and explore... and there is all of the rest of the Isles awaiting a future exploration. Now it's time to leave those memories behind for a bit and head into the Baltics to explore another part of the globe that Slinkie and Grumpie have yet to experience.

More to come....

Grumpy

[pollux]

Great review can.t wait for the follow up.

Wishing you sunshine for the rest of your trip.

[elmorejj]

Grumpy and Slinkie, what a lovely review of my beloved London. So glad you enjoyed it and the place where you stayed was perfect for seing some of the local flare. I know the area well, and you are right, it used to be seedy, but from what I have heard lately it is now quite trendy. Glad you enjoyed Covent Garden, one of my favorite places. Continue to enjoy your travels and keep writing your thoughts so we can all travel vicariously with you.............jean:cool:

[jhannah]

It's good you posted. We already had looked up the phone number of the Bureau of Missing Cruisers and were prepared to call them for an APB. ;)

 

Thanks for giving a taste of London. We will spend some time there post-cruise next month. We're staying at a small hotel near Victoria Station, so that should be a convenient location for us. Sounds like a London Card will be a must. We've used similar cards in Stockholm and other places, and they are certainly worth buying.

 

We're ready to hear more when you have time.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

So glad to hear you both made it on board the Rotterdam:) Sounds like you had a good time in London. Now it has been since 1970 since I have been to London but remembering the food, McDonald's sounds like a wise choice;)

[dakrewser]

All that time in London and Slinkie didn't set foot in Harrod's or Liberty???

 

Please tell me how you do it Grumpy :rolleyes:

[RuthC]

It's so nice to, once again, be able to enjoy the travels of our inspired (and inspiring?) duo. I'm especially looking forward to hearing your thoughts of the Rotterdam, considering your lenghty time on the Prinsendam.

 

I hope you enjoy the Baltic as much as I did, and that the weather there is as good as London's was for you.

 

You did let us know that it wasn't a foggy day in Londontown, but you didn't say---did a nightengale sing in Berkley Square?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

All that time in London and Slinkie didn't set foot in Harrod's or Liberty???

 

Please tell me how you do it Grumpy :rolleyes:

 

You know Dave, I got thinking the same thing:confused:

Slinkie, Please tell me you are not slipping already, it's far too early in this vacation to NOT shop. Plus you had to set a good example for DD:D

[wegiekat]

So glad you enjoyed London. If I was to live in a large city anywhere in the world that is where it would be. Besides, I saved all the good weather for Slinkie as when we were in London the 3rd week in May, all it did was rain. Can't wait to follow the rest of your cruise. - Mindy

[serendipity1499]

Thanks again for your wonderful review of London:) ..It makes me want to go back once again..Hope you both have a wonderful cruise..Betty

 

P.S. You picked a good time to be away & you're missing our first named storm "Alberto"..Lots of rain (which we all need) between Tampa & the Keys..In Cape Coral, had about an inch of rain today & expecting lots more tomorrow, although it's expected to hit north of us by Tues.a.m.

[cruznon]

I look forward to hearing your adventures as visit the Baltic aboard the Rotterdam! Have a wonderful cruise!

[CCCM]

Grumpy and Slinkie,

 

Sounds like you did London the way I did back in Jan/Feb 2000. We were the at the Millenium Wheel the first day it opened! It is a wonderful city, very comfortable to walk around. I remember doing at least 10 miles a day on foot, never mind where the Underground took us.

 

Mind the Gap!

 

I didn't see anything about visitingHarrods....why no Harrods??? Even if you don't buy anything, it is one of the most incredible places to go and look around. Especially all the food......

[SDHALFAN]

Thanks so much for the update. Like many others I am eagerly awaiting your future installments.

 

Your timing, weatherwise, for London was spot on. I was there the last week of May and it certainly did not rain, only a slight drizzle, but it wasn't exactly warm and sunny. We went to The Chelsea Flower Show, all prepared for rain, but just got lucky and managed to stay dry.

 

We spent the next few days in Kent and Sussex and certainly got our share of rain, and since I was on a Garden Tour, I spent a lot of time trudging through muddy fields. However, after that we headed for my home turf (Gloucestershire) and the weather could not have been better. It was warm and sunny and I was sorry to have to leave both Gloucester and Cheltenham - they both looked so good sparkling in the sunshine.

 

Perhaps one of the reasons that Slinkie and DD didn't actually spend any money in the department stores there is because the prices are so outrageous. I'm not just talking about the fact that the US dollar is worth only about 50 cents there but the fact that I, personally, would look at an item for sale and say to myself "self, I would not pay that much for this item back home!". I still managed to buy some "stuff" though, although mostly souvenirs and gifts.

 

Have a wonderful cruise Grumpy1 and Slinkie Cat and I look forward to your always interesting and informative comments.

 

Valerie:)

[Bucky3]

What fun it has been reading your London review. Now suffering from post cruise depression after our wonderful Volendam Alaska cruise, I'll look forward to following your Baltic adventure on the Rotterdam - perhaps that will be a semi-cure for my ails! Thank you for posting!

[Ziggy7]

Grumpy and Slinkie,

 

So good to hear from you! Sounds like your having a wonderful time, however no shopping for Slinkie is puzzling, but I suspect you just forgot to mention all the packages you had to carrry for her and DD :)

 

Looking forward to your continued live review!

[bepsf]

You know Dave, I got thinking the same thing:confused:

 

Slinkie, Please tell me you are not slipping already, it's far too early in this vacation to NOT shop. Plus you had to set a good example for DD:D

 

Slinkie's no dummy...

I'm sure she knows that the best deals on jewelry are from the diamond merchants in Amsterdam!

;)

[jhannah]

I'm sure she knows that the best deals on jewelry are from the diamond merchants in Amsterdam!;)

GASP! :eek: :eek:

Poor Grumpy. Poor, poor Grumpy!

[ger_77]

(With one arm around Slinkie and the other around Grumpy) ... I just love travelling the world with you two!:D I can't wait until you board the Rotterdam, as we'll be sailing on her in October.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[Sunshine91]

Grumpy & Slinkie - So glad you had such a good time in London. Truly my favorite city in the world. If my John ever left me (i.e. died), I believe I would move there for a time to grieve. Not trying to be maudlin, but that is one of my happy places (the other is HMC).

When you first described the outer gate at the airport, I assumed you meant Heathrow. On our visit in March 2003, we flew Virgin Atlantic & our gate was in the new section (barely opened) ALLLL the way at the end. It was an interminable walk to customs, baggage, etc.

I've been quite fortunate with weather in London, too. During that 2003 visit & in May 1989 - picture perfect weather. Only pictures for a beach, not London. Blue, cloudless skies. Seventy degrees. The locals were quite confused. We loved it.

Your Stonehenge visit sounds very similar to mine in 1989. On that trip I went with my cousin, Sandy. She & I are about a year apart in age & grew up together. We're very good friends. Stonehenge was a trip we both wanted to do. Like Grumpy & Slinkie, took the train to Salisbury then the bus. Walked around the very wide perimeter of the stones - you don't get but about a couple of hundred feet from them. We expected to feel something mystical, or earth-shattering, or mind-blowing or altering. Nothing. It's a pile of rocks. Took the bus back to town, had lunch & went shopping.

Don't know when I'll get back to London, but THANK YOU for letting me experience your visit vicariously. :)

[Cristiano]

Dear Slinkie & Grumpy,

here we go again.....last time I read your adventure travels I ended up in the black sea.

Having just 3 weeks ago returned from Europe...(you know grumpy we as like in England drive on the RIGHT side of the road, its you that drive on the WRONG side :) ), it looks like my return in a few months time might mean my DW and I take a cruise in the Baltic this time.

All I can say is that you are costing me money:eek: , so I may come a calling some time in the future:D .

On a more serious note you and Slinkie give me a great deal of joy because I can share in your experiences and then go and enjoy mine with my DW.

Keep your travelogue's coming,

all the best,

Cristiano.

[Ziggy7]

(With one arm around Slinkie and the other around Grumpy) ... I just love travelling the world with you two!:D I can't wait until you board the Rotterdam, as we'll be sailing on her in October.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Ummmm Ger, they are sailing the Westerdam in Oct :)

[ger_77]

Hi Ziggy, I got a little carried away with my own dreaming cause we're sailing on the Rotterdam in Oct., but aren't Grumpy & Slinkie on her right now? Just late evening/early morning ramblings on my part - or did I not read the post properly? Doesn't matter, I just enjoy travelling vicariously through this wonderful couple!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[Grumpy1]

Hello again.

The beautiful Rotterdam has left Oslo and is now enroute to Arhaus. As Grumpy is typing this, he's looking out over the sea and wondering who forgot to turn off the lights. It seems really strange to still be in twilight at 11p. Last night Slinkie and Grumpy were in the Crow's Nest at 10p and the sun was still above the horizon. They didn't quite get far enough north to enjoy around the clock daylight, but got pretty close.

The Rotterdam is really a beautiful ship. Everything is clean and well maintained. The ship is quite a change from Prinsendam, but still a very "comfortable" size. S&G had requested late seating, but were assigned early lower (6:15p). After considering asking for a change, they decided to go with the flow and make the best of it. As it turns out, their tablemates are two very congenial couples, and the conversations are quite interesting, so all is well. The food has been very good, both in the dining room and in the Lido. Service has been very good. The only complaint so far is the overly efficient room steward. At sailaway from Harwich the sailaway drinks were served in souvenir glasses. There were two styles... a tall colored glass and one that looked like a water tumbler but had colored LED lights in the bottom. With 6:15 dinner, S&G had to rush back to the room, drop off the glasses and head to dinner. Upon returning, the glasses were gone. When asked about them the next morning, the answer was pretty much expected... "so sorry, I thought you were finished with them..." but no offer to try to find them or replace them. Grumpy made it clear that anything that is not in the waste basket does not get thrown out.

S&G are still finding their way around the ship. The layout is very different from the Prinsendam so Grumpy is still referring to his map of the ship and the plaques on the walls to figure out some of the locations. Most notable difference... a lot more bars! If the drinks were a little stronger a fellow could get a pretty good buzz by having a drink in each bar as he made his way through the ship.. S&G's cabin is on the Verandah deck, waaaaay forward, port side. There isn't enough wireless signal to connect from their cabin, unless you sit in the doorway with the laptop on your knees. The better solution is to go down one deck, settle in to one of those nice comfortable settees in the atrium area, relax and sign on with full signal strength. There's even a 110v outlet there, in case you have a laptop that has a weak battery.

G&S's CAT BB cabin is quite a bit smaller than their CAT SY on the Prinsendam, but it is still very roomy except for the taffic jam arount the closet/bathroom area. One person trying to get in or out of the bathroom while the other is trying to retrieve something from the closets can make for collisions with doors. There is a lot of closet and drawer space, so finding places to put everything is not a problem. The bathroom is roomy with a jacuzzi tub and handheld massaging shower head. The mount for the shower head allows it to be slid down low for 5'3" Slinkie or up high for 6'1" Grumpy. The verandah is about 7' deep by 9' wide. Plenty of room for the chair, small table and deck lounger that are there.

Bruce Scudder just came aboard in Harwich as Cruise director, after taking some time off after the world cruise. So far, he's been pretty good. G&S attended the Captains Cocktail reception and had their picture taken with Captain Jack (van Coevorden). He didn't shake hands, but grumpy didn't feel slighted, as he did not shake hands with anyone else either. There is no red alert, everything in the Lido is self serve as usual, but hand sanitizers are everywhere. The announcement for the reception said that the officers would not be shaking hands as part of the effort to minimize any chance of an NV outbreak. Seems to be working so far....

The Hotel Manager is Hans Dernison. The Piano man is Bob Style... OK, but Randall Powell was a better entertainer and singer. "Top Society" is the group in the Crow's Nest. They're pretty good. Sarah takes over for late night DJ duties there.

ACD Geno is lots of fun. Slinkie fell in love with him when he asked her to dance on formal night and then told her she had the most beautiful dress he had seen on the ship that night. Grumpy has to agree with him, as Grumpy was the one that spotted that dress while out shopping with Slinkie earlier this year. "The Chessmen" is the group in the Ocean Bar and they are also good. Frank Buckingham, the port lecturer for the 2005 world cruise is back aboard for port lectures and commentary on the passing scenery.

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous! The first port was Oslo, Norway. Rotterdam was docked and cleared by about 8a. Just around the the corner Prinsendam and MSC Lirica were docked. Grumpy remembered Lirica from the 2005 world cruise. Lirica was one lock ahead of Prinsendam going through the Panama Canal. S&G took the "taste of Oslo" tour, which was on a sailing vessel (except that the sails stayed furled) around the harbor and nearby areas. They served up peel and eat shrimp... behead, peel and eat would be more correct... all you could eat, with a choice of local beer or wine... or water. The shrimp were very tasty and the beer was good. The skies were clear and the temperature was in the seventies. After the tour, it was back to the ship and a light lunch in the Lido. There was a shuttle bus to the pier shops which were next to the Prinsendam. S&G went through the shops, but didn't find much of interest, so they wandered a few blocks into town and shopped there. Everything seemed very overpriced. After a lot of walking and no buying, they headed back to the shuttle. There was one item that Grumpy had seen in the pier shops... a necklace, bracelet and earrings, three colors of Swarovski crystal in yellow gold settings. The colors of the crystals were light yellow, amber and sort of an orange rose. Slinkie thinks it's just the thing to add some color to her white dress on the next formal night.

Speaking of formal nights, there was a pretty good percentage of the men in Tuxedos (including Grumpy) and most of the rest in suits. There were a few sports jackets. The women were nicely dressed, but very few formal gowns. After dinner, S&G went to the Queen's Lounge for the cast show, Monte Carlo! It was pretty good. There was one number where someone from the audience was pulled up on stage to participate. Wouldn't you know they would grab the clown that was wearing blue jeans and polo shirt on formal night?

Today is Arhaus, Denmark. The skies are clear, the temperature is in the mid seventies. Grumpy is trying to figure out why he brought all those sweaters and heavy jackets with him. This is shirt sleeve weather at its finest! It's just a short walk from the pier to the shopping district, and none of the tours really appealed to S&G. There were quite a few nice clothes in the shops, but nothing of the "must have" variety. The jewelry displays were rather unremarkable. One thing that Grumpy noticed is that while the stores in Oslo definitely catered to tourists by having many signs posted in English and prices in US dollars, Euros and Krone, Arhaus is very different. All signs are in Danish, all prices are in DK krone, and the shopkeepers do not know or care what the exchange rates are, if they speak English... Sort of the way American shopkeepers treat foreign tourists, come to think of it... the only place that catered to tourists was the craft shop on the pier. If the exchange rate had been 9:1, most prices would be comparable to prices in the US, but with a rate of 6:1 everything seems way overpriced.

There is a note in the Daily Program that there may be internet problems in several ports due to signal blockage or interference. Grumpy hasn't encountered any problems yet, though.

Grumpy and Slinkie appreciate your comments... at least the ones they've read so far.

Pollux, your wishes for sunshine are much appreciated and are on the mark so far...

elmorejj, thanks for your comments about Grumpy's London review...

jhannah, Jim, your choice of a place close to Victoria Station should work very well. You will be very close to a lot of major attractions and easy access to every means of transportation.

dakrewser... You do know that the Queen will not shop at Harrod's anymore, don't you?... and if it isn't good enough for the Queen, well, Grumpy isn't going to waste his money there... Actually, Harrod's was on the list... but G&S just ran out of time.

RuthC, Grumpy will try to do more indepth comparisons of Rotterdam and Prinsendam after spending a few more days on Rotterdam. Grumpy has heard that the singing of the nightengale in Berkely Square has been replaced by pigeon cooing... but that may be just a rumor....

Serendipity... there have been a few blurbs about Tropical Storm Alberto on CNN. S&G are keeping up with the progress to some extent. It looks like rain, but not much else for the Naples area.

SDHALFAN.... Grumpy said the same things to self that you did about the prices....

Tomorrow is Warnemunde. 13 hour tours... with over half being train or bus rides to and from, makes Berlin seem to be a place better seen another time. There is a lot that can be seen locally, so a local tour will be the order of the day.

More later....

[SDHALFAN]

Thanks Grumpy for another great read. Makes me wish I were on that cruise also. I love the Rotterdam, have been on her 3 times and wish that she would visit the west coast again.

 

Have a great time in Warnemunde.

 

Valerie:)

[dakrewser]

Good posts as always, Grumpy. I'm really interested in what you find in Warnemunde as we'll be there in three weeks!